AirPods 4 will be semi-Pro, AirPods Max 2 a minor update – report

Apple is planning to update most of its AirPods line-up in 2024, according to a well-connected Apple reporter.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reckons the AirPods Max 2 and AirPods 4 will be out next year, while AirPods Pro 3 will arrive in 2025.

Gurman says the fourth generation of the standard AirPods will feature a “new design that looks like a blend” of the AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro. The reporter says they’ll have USB-C charging, rather than Lightning.

Interestingly, there’ll be two versions of the AirPods 4, according to the report. Shoppers will apparently able to choose a model noise cancellation and FindMy integration.

Gurman writes: “Apple will differentiate the two options by including noise cancellation in the higher-end version. That model will also get an updated charging case that includes speakers for Find My alerts, matching the current AirPods Pro. Those alerts make it easier for users to find their case when it gets lost.”

So, it sounds like the AirPods 4 could be somewhat semi-Pro.

As for AirPods Max, the update will be far less substantial, according to the Bloomberg report. It’ll just be a case of switching to USB-C (a la the AirPods Pro 2) and adding new colour variants.

That would be a little disheartening for those who have held out on a purchase awaiting a solid sequel with support for new features. AirPods Max were released in December 2020 so a gap of four years surely merits some larger upgrades?

Finally, the report says AirPods Pro will get its next upgrade in 2025, to include new health features and a new design with a new chip.