Currently, the AirPods lineup is as follows: the most cheap airpods 2, released back in 2019, AirPods 3 a little newer than 2021, fresh AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max 2020. At the same time, the cost of Apple headphones has never been low, and the company from Cupertino gave the most affordable and massive segment up to $100 to the Chinese. At the same time, even after the release of AirPods 3, the second generation, although cheaper, but not in the way that users wanted. Still, $129 for headphones without active and passive noise cancellation and some cool features in 2023, even with the Apple nameplate, is very expensive.
Apparently, Apple also understands that they are losing the market to the Chinese, who can offer much more interesting opportunities for much less money. That is why Cupertino decided to release cheap AirPods Lite. We figure out what this device will be like and how Apple plans to simplify AirPods in order to reduce their price.
cheap airpods
Most cheap earphones from apple AirPods 2 for $129 can only offer their customers the magic of Apple when connected. This is where the cool possibilities of the ears end. Neither you have convenient control and sound adjustment directly from the earphone, nor some chips like Spatial Audio or rich bass. There is not even an adaptive equalizer, as there are not enough microphones for it. Well, not the coolest battery life. Any competitor’s headphones for the same money give the same five hours without a case, but with active noise cancellation.
About the sound quality, everything is quite individual. to someone sound in AirPods 2 like it, so I won’t focus on it somehow. Let me just say that after AirPods Pro sound in regular AirPods seems very flat and unfinished. As you can see, there is nothing outstanding about AirPods 2, and the price of $129 really scares you away from buying this model. In Russia, this cost has turned into 9,500 rubles, which I consider a very large overpayment for such a weak set of features.
According to Jeff Pu of Haitong Intl Tech Research, shipments of AirPods will fall from 73 million units in 2022 to 63 million in 2023. For this reason, Apple has begun work on cheap AirPods Litebecause other models in Cupertino were not planned to be updated this year. Cheap AirPods Lite needed by Apple to sell its devices in all possible price segments. However, it is very difficult to imagine what will be AirPods Lite design.
According to 9to5Mac, Apple has two options right now. The first is to take AirPods 2, remove something from them, put the price at $99 and change the name to AirPods Litewhich will immediately make them cheaper and increase demand. The second way is to simply reduce AirPods 2 price up to $99 and also change the name to AirPods Lite. The Cupertino company needs to overcome the psychological barrier of $ 100, which for many is barrage when buying such accessories.
Differences between AirPods Lite and AirPods 2
But here’s the problem. At the very beginning, I described what features the AirPods 2 has, and we realized that these are very simple headphones for 2023, from which there is nothing to remove. That’s what they’ll be AirPods Lite. A minimum of opportunities for a minimum of money. In fact, you can easily sacrifice wireless charging, which not all competitors in this class have. In my opinion, this is exactly what Apple will do if it decides to remove unnecessary features from AirPods 2, turning them into AirPods Lite. Moreover, this function is not important for all buyers of inexpensive devices. This will most likely be the only difference between the two models.
Nevertheless, I personally lean more towards the fact that Apple will simply reduce the price of AirPods 2 and make it out of them. AirPods Lite. Then there will be no difference between them at all. Of course, I would like the company to work a little on the sound, add volume. But it’s hard to believe. Not only is it the cheapest device, it’s also unlikely that Apple will do anything for a device that will already be four years old this year. And I have not yet remembered about the contamination of the main mesh in AirPods 2. For which it is even better to purchase a separate cleaning kit. A very impractical place that will be inherited AirPods Lite.
Which AirPods to buy
If you really need Apple wireless headphonesthen we can consider purchase of AirPods Pro first generation. Moreover, you can find them now at a very nice price. I have been using these headphones for almost three years now and I can definitely advise you to buy them. Here on board passive and active noise reduction and all branded goodies in the form of Spatial Audio.
Buy AirPods Pro
Plus, more convenient control by squeezing the leg of the earpiece itself. Separately, it should be noted that thanks to the replaceable nozzles, which have their own mesh, no dirt gets on the earpiece itself. And in which case it will be enough for you to change the nozzle to a new one, and the problem will be solved. No messy cleaning, as in the case of AirPods 2, is required here.
Buy AirPods 2
The overpayment, of course, against the background of AirPods 2 will be big, but you will get cool headphones that you don’t mind paying for. If you decide to purchase of AirPods 2, then be sure to weigh the pros and cons. And remember that these are just headphones without claims for sound quality and some additional features.
