The company is expected to launch AirPods Pro, with a new metal design, advanced sound quality and a $260 price tag, at a press event later this month, according to the China Economic Daily. AirPods currently start at $159.Earlier this year, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said two models of the popular Bluetooth earbuds were likely to hit production by the end of the year and launch in the first quarter of 2020.
The company declined to share how many AirPods it's sold to date, although CEO Tim Cook previously called the demand"phenomenal." Analyst Neil Cybart, founder of Above Avalon, a website focused on Apple analysis, estimates Apple has sold 59 million pairs of AirPods — 34 million over the past 12 months alone, signaling an impressive 85% year-over-year growth.
"It seems that a product that was once derided has now become the must-have device," said Ramon Llamas, research director of IDC."[Consider] what Apple has done to make this possible: by removing the audio jack from the iPhone ... Apple practically forces people's hands to get the AirPods too. And because the quality has been very good -- look at the reviews and you'll see that they are close to 5 out of 5 stars -- it's hard to argue against getting them.