Just a couple of weeks back there were rumors doing the rounds about Apple working on a possible "Lite" version of the AirPods Pro. However, it now seems like the AirPods Pro Lite are not the only upcoming AirPods that the Cupertino, California based tech giant could be having on its mind.
According to several reports, Apple could be planning to launch various "X Generation" products such as the Apple TV Gen X, Apple iPod Touch X Generation, Apple Watch Series X Bands and the Apple AirPods X.
Apple's over-the-ear headphones
Placeholders for the X Generation Apple products have been found in American retailer Target's inventory system.
Apple has been long rumored to launch its first ever over-the-ear headphones and it is possible that Apple would launch them in the first half of 2020.
AirPods X Generation shows up on Target placeholders
Noted tech analyst and tech YouTuber Jon Prosser shared a couple of images on Twitter, claiming to show the upcoming headphones which were apparently found in the Target inventory system. The tweet also suggests that the product will likely be called the Apple AirPods (X Generation).
Prosser also tweeted that many Target employees reached out to him about the "AirPods (X Generation)" which also showed up on their UPC scanners. The tweet reveals the price of the mysterious AirPods (X Generation) as $399.99, which is a full $150 higher than the price of the top-of-the-line AirPods model, the AirPods Pro which cost $249.
The higher price is also one of the indications that the AirPods (X Generation) could in fact be the long rumored over-the-ear headphones that Apple has been planning to release.
The tweet also suggests the Apple's upcoming headphones could come in a variety of color options since the product has been listed with different SKUs in the inventory system.
$399 price tag
If the $399 price tag turns out to be true, it would put the AirPods X up against the likes of Bose 700 which are perhaps the best noise cancellation headphones under $500.
However, according to Apple Insider, although the price seems on point, the name isn't so. So, it still remains to be seen if Apple will call it AirPods X or something entirely different.
Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had mentioned that Apple could be working on over-the-ear headphones in a report from January.
AirPods Pro Lite
The AirPods in question could come alongside the previously rumored AirPods Pro Lite, if recent reports are anything to go by. A few weeks back, DigiTimes had reported that Apple was working with its supply chain partners in Taiwan for its upcoming range of devices which include new iPads, Apple Watches and the supposed AirPod Pro Lite.
Although the details about this "affordable" AirPods Pro variant are scarce at the moment, the report does highlight the fact Apple could be considering lowering its production dependency on China by sharing some of its production to Taiwanese factories in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak which seems to have crippled Foxconn's Chinese factories.
Apple's March 31 iPhone SE2/iPhone 9 event
Apple is also said to have lined up a big event on March 31, where the company could announce the highly-anticipated iPhone SE 2 aka iPhone 9. Apple is also expected to launch Apple AirTags trackers sometime soon. So it's possible that they could also debut at the March 31 event as well. But as far as the AirPods X are concerned, it's still a bit too early to predict when they will launch, since the mention of the product is only in Target's system as placeholder and they can change.
