Apple AirPods Lite: News, rumors & more

Apple’s entry-level AirPods Lite is expected to launch later this year. Here’s everything that you need to know about the rumored AirPods Lite.

Apple’s AirPods rank among the best wireless earbuds for various reasons, including their audio quality connectivity features, ANC, Spatial Audio, and transparency mode. While they are good at almost everything, the AirPods are costly.

This is probably why Apple is now rumored to launch budget wireless earbuds for users who want to remain in the Apple ecosystem yet are not willing to spend a lot on a pair of buds.

These earbuds are rightfully called AirPods Lite and are expected to sit at the bottom of the hierarchy of Apple-branded audio products.

So, what are these cheaper AirPods going to offer? Let’s see what the rumor mill says about these upcoming Apple AirPods. Remember to take all of this with a pinch of salt until Apple officially announces the product.

Apple AirPods Lite: Release speculation

The AirPods Lite is rumored to launch in Q4 2024. Various experts have suggested that the AirPods Lite will accompany a couple of other Apple audio accessories around the end of the year.

According to a known Apple analyst, Mark Gurman, the AirPods Lite might arrive in September or October, along with a mid-range product and the iPhone 16 lineup.

Another analyst, Jeff Pu, also hinted about a possible budget AirPods release around the end of the year. If these reports are accurate, we might see these AirPods sharing the mega launch event where Apple unveils its latest iPhone, iPads, and the latest versions of operating systems for its devices.

That said, some rumors even hint that the AirPods Lite might debut in 2025. So, we must take the speculated window with a pinch of salt.

Apple AirPods Lite: Price rumours

Various reports hint that the AirPods Lite might be priced around $99. Noted analysts Mark Gurman and Ming-Chi Kuo also hinted at a sub-$100 price.

These new earbuds will most likely remain on the affordable side of the pricing spectrum of Apple audio accessories. Apple currently sells AirPods 2 for $129, while AirPods 3 starts at $169.

Interestingly, market analysts have also predicted that the demand for Apple’s AirPods will be impacted by the muted interest of the users, resulting in a dip of 4% in the shipments. With these affordable AirPods, Apple seeks to pre-empt this dip and create additional demand.

Apple AirPods Lite: Features & design speculation

Currently, there is not much information about the design and features of the AirPods Lite; however, looking at other Apple products in this category, it is safe to say that these buds will sport an in-ear speaker, an all-white colorway, and a stem-styled design.

We hope the AirPods Lite has a shorter stem like the AirPods Pro, rather than the ones found on the original AirPods. Like most earbuds, we can expect touch controls to control music and calls on the AirPods Lite.

The AirPods Lite might offer signature features like long battery life and IPX4 waterproofing. We can surely expect impressive audio quality on these earbuds. After all, Apple will not compromise on the core features of its product.

However, Apple-specific features like ANC, transparency mode, and Spatial Audio might not be available considering its sub $100 price point. The current AirPods come with Apple’s high-end audio chip, while the AirPods Lite might use a low-end chip to process the audio.