The annual September Apple event went live earlier and as you would expect, it showcased the latest iPhone 16 series. But that's not all, as Apple also unveiled the latest Watch series and AirPod models. Let's briefly go over what the new AirPods have to offer.
AirPods (4th generation)
First of the bunch is the standard AirPods, now in its 4th generation. The AirPods pack some improvements over its predecessors in hardware design and software features. In the former category, Apple claimed that you can expect the new AirPods to be the "best-fitting AirPods ever". It also comes with a speaker on the case, force-sensitive sensors on the earbuds' stems, and a new acoustic structure that should help improve audio quality.
On the software side, the latest AirPods sport a new voice isolation feature, which ensures that call recipients can hear you clearly even if your environment is noisy. The company also included support for personalised spatial audio, wireless charging, and a variant with active noise cancellation (ANC). Speaking of noise cancellation, the 4th generation AirPods also has adaptive audio and conversation awareness features.
Local prices haven't been confirmed, but the latest AirPods will retail for USD129 (~RM564) or US179 (~RM782) for the variant with ANC. While Apple fans in the US can get them starting today, we probably won't get these in Malaysia until later this month or early next month.
Update: Prices were just confirmed. The based 4th generation AirPods will retail here for RM599, while the variant with ANC will be priced at RM829. However, availability in Malaysia is still unknown.
AirPods Pro (2nd generation)
The next big audio reveal (though not exactly the second) is a new generation of the AirPods Pro. The AirPods Pro 2's upgrades are mostly on the software side, with big features like Hearing Aid, personalised hearing profiles, hearing protection, and more. As you can tell, many of the new features are centred on helping those with hearing issues or at least helping prevent it.
It also has 2x improved ANC, adaptive audio, and more to help manage noisy environments. On the physical side, the latest AirPods Pro comes with a case that delivers an additional 30 hours of music playback time to go with the estimated 6 hours on the AirPods Pro 2 (with ANC enabled). Like the 4th-gen AirPods Pro's case, this case also has a built-in speaker to play alert tones when the battery is low or when you're pairing the AirPods Pro 2 to your iPhone.
The price for the AirPods Pro (2nd generation) is RM1099. Local availability hasn't been confirmed, but check back soon because we'll update this news once we know for sure.
Update: The Apple Malaysia shows that the AirPods Pro (2nd gen) will be available starting 12 September 2024.
AirPods Max
Finally, Apple also confirmed some updates for the AirPods Max. While we're not actually getting a new design or improved model, it does get five new colours. Also, Apple has switched the connection port to USB-C. This is a good move, as some users prefer to use the more universal standard.
Update: The price for the AirPods Max remains unchanged at RM2499, but you'll have to wait to get your hands on the updated model.
And that's it for the AirPods for this year. Expect more details to be revealed in a few hours, so stay tuned to TechNave for updates. In the meantime, what do you think of the new AirPods so far? Will you be getting any of them? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.
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