Rumours are beginning to circulate that Apple is going to be releasing an over-ear set of headphones. They would be entering the market to face off against some large competitors such as Bose, Sennheiser, and Sony. Another performer is Beats, but that is a subsidiary brand within Apple. It is important to avoid complete cannibalization in an industry so Apple will definitely try to create some differentiation between the products.
After having such success entering the in-ear headphone market, the expectations will be high for Apple. The Airpods have had tremendous sales. There are a number of different reports, but it seems that they have held at least 25% of the market share in the wireless earbud market. If anything even close to this type of success could be replicated by Apple they would be off to a good start.
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, the release of this product could come as soon as June of 2020. The rumored name for the product is the StudioPods, which is fitting since they will be in the high-end of the market. The over-ear headphones will be wireless and come in at a price of about $400. This will give the consumers a long-list of demands that Apple will need to satisfy. There are a few things to expect from Apple just based off of their history alone. This includes fast, seamless Bluetooth connectivity, great portability, and the classic simple but aesthetic Apple design. Additionally, StudioPods will offer three colors, grey, white and gold. But, one factor that is arguably the most important in the design is the comfort that they provide. If they can’t be worn for longer periods at a time without becoming uncomfortable consumers will become frustrated and consider using other brands. Other abilities that are necessary for them to provide value and compete with the long-standing competitors would be to offer strong noise cancellation. The AirPods didn’t do this extremely effectively and their bass sound wasn’t anything to be overly impressed with. But, they could overcome this by doing enough with the audio technology and being the best at offering a portable, sleek option that also fits their ecosystem perfectly. So when the price is more than double, the performance will be looked at much more critically.
With Apple claiming studio-quality consumers will need to see a vast improvement in their audio accuracy. Consumers who pay a premium for headphones usually want the audio experience to be as accurate as possible to the producer and artist’s intentions while their creating music. It isn’t always easy if the headphones are wireless, so Apple may provide versatility and have the option to plug in and use them or charge the product to use wirelessly. The bass experience will need a big upgrade from the AirPods and so will the range of frequencies. It won’t be difficult as over-ear headphones have more capability as they utilize the space to enhance technology and the overall listening experience.
Since the StudioPods have not been announced yet, many people are still unaware of the new technology that Apple is planning to release. Once we begin to close in on a possible release date, the discussion of the possibilities and opinions on Apple’s newest venture will heat up. Any music fan who is deeply ingrained in the Apple ecosystem will be curious to know how they will stack up against the competition, and if they can have an impact anything like the AirPods.