We've had some inkling that Apple will be releasing new AirPods in 2024, but now renowned tech analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reports that there will be a new HomePod mini 2 as well. This comes after the release of the new HomePod 2, a product that had long been rumored itself, only to appear in a surprise press release earlier this year.
The HomePod mini will be joining the rumored AirPods Max 2, an upgrade to the premium AirPods Max that is now a little old, and a cheaper pair of AirPods that look to be aiming at the $100 price bracket.
Cheaper AirPods and, finally, AirPods Max 2 next year?
Ming-Chi Quo reports that the new Apple audio equipment is unlikely to come in 2023, but in the second half of 2024 at the earliest. They could even debut in the first half of 2025, giving us plenty of time to speculate as to what these new products could be. In a tweet, Kuo states:
(1/2)I predict Apple's next important acoustic product refresh time is will be in 2H24-1H25. The following new products will likely start mass production in 2H24 at the earliest.1. HomePod mini 2.2. AirPods Max 2.3. AirPods low-cost version.February 3, 2023
Kuo has been pretty spot-on with stuff like this before, so there's likely to be some accurate information here. Some of these products are definitely owed some kind of an upgrade, the AirPods Max, in particular, being one of Apple's oldest AirPods models that it still makes.
Released in December 2020, the AirPods Max has become known as one of Apple's most premium products. The Noise canceling is excellent, the sound quality is solid, but the price is a little too high. They have been exceedingly popular, however, so it stands to reason that Apple would be making another version. It would also make sense in the time scale as well – last year, Apple released the AirPods Pro 2, around four years after the first model. 2024 is four years after the release of the first AirPods Max, so the AirPods release schedule would fit.
Of course, the new HomePod mini is likely to be curious, given how popular the little speaker has been. Making a great center for a Homekit-enabled house and boasting excellent size quality for both its size and price, the HomePod mini is one of the best value products offered today. It's unlikely that there will be any big upgrades to the speaker, given what we saw with the new HomePod, but there are sure to be some cool new features that Apple will include.
The final piece is the cheaper AirPods. This will likely replace the AirPods 2 that Apple still sells, which are now coming up to their fifth birthday. This new pair is reported to cost $99, but beyond that, we don't know much. They're unlikely to have any noise canceling in order to keep costs down, however.
Either way, we're excited for the new Apple audio stuff to come out, although we wish it could come a little sooner. 2024 feels like an eternity away, and the AirPods Max isn't getting any newer.
