Jon Prosser: Apple launching new over-ear headphones, AirPods, phasing out Beats

AirPods Pro and Beats Solo Pro
AirPods Pro and Beats Solo Pro (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

  • Jon Prosser has hot new info about Apple's latest headphones.
  • He says that Apple is aiming to launch a pair of over-ear headphones at WWDC.
  • He also says that AirPods X are coming later this year for sport and running.

Man in the know Jon Prosser has hot new info about Apple's plans for new headphones, AirPods and a rumored plan to phase out Beats.

According to his latest tweet:

You ready for this?Apple Over-Ear Headphones Codename: B515 (Think Beats 700) $350 Aimed for WWDCAirPods X Codename: B517 For sports/running (think Beats X) ~$200 Aimed for Sept/OctProbably what DigiTimes thought was "AirsPods Pro Lite"End goal: phase out Beats

That's right, Prosser says that Apple is planning to release two new pairs of its own headphones this year. Firstly, a set of over-ear headphones codename 'B515'. He says we should think of 'Beats 700' (although he might mean Bose 700 there), and that Apple is aiming to release these at WWDC this year. He also claims they'll cost $350.

He also notes that Apple has a new pair of AirPods, named the AirPods X lined up for Sept/October, perhaps to coincide with a new iPhone. He claims that these are for sport/running and compares them to Beats X. Rumored price tag is roughly $200.

The most shocking revelation? Prosser reckons that Apple's end goal is to phase out Beats altogether, which seems bizarre given how much Apple paid for Beats back in the day. But then again, perhaps Apple is keen to absorb all of Beats' technology into its own headphone ecosystem to keep the branding in line. What do you think?

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Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.

Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9