Thank you for subscribing!

Apple will keep the same £119 starting price, tipster claims

If you've been thinking about treating yourself to a brand-new pair of AirPods, you might want to hold off a few more days. Whispers from inside the secretive company suggest Apple is set to launch two brand-new earbuds during its next blockbuster event on September 9.

Dubbed AirPods 5, these will replace AirPods 4 in the lineup, which first launched back in September 2024.

Like its predecessors, these new Bluetooth 'buds will be available either with Active Noise-Cancellation (ANC) or without. AirPods 4 cost £119, while AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation cost £169. If bought from the Apple Store, you can personalise the charging case with an emoji or initials.

Apple will keep the same price tags for its successor — despite recent hikes to Mac and iPad models, Bloomberg claims. It's unclear whether other devices coming this month will enjoy the same treatment.

AirPods 4 were the first example from Apple that support Active Noise Cancellation without silicone eartips to create a seal inside the ear canal. According to Bloomberg, AirPods 5 will continue this design, with the pricier AirPods Pro remaining the only 'buds in the lineup with a variety of eartips in the box to create a seal inside the ear for better isolation.

Apple will introduce the new H3 chip with these next-generation AirPods, offering faster pairing and improved sound performance. We'd expect to see improvements to the audio quality in the two years since the launch of the AirPods 4, but Bloomberg says the heart-rate sensor found inside the AirPods Pro 3 released last September will not make its way to these lower-cost Bluetooth 'buds this time around.

Whispers suggest other health-focused features, like a temperature sensor, could be added to AirPods over time.

There's no word whether battery life will see an improvement with AirPods 5, or whether there will be optimisations to take advantage of the all-new Siri AI hands-free assistant coming this autumn to millions of Apple devices.

If sources speaking to Bloomberg are accurate, the launch of AirPods 5 would fit with the typical cadence we've come to expect from the Californian company. While the original AirPods arrived back in 2016, a second-generation followed in 2019, the third in 2021, and the fourth in 2024.

It's unclear whether Apple will launch its long-rumoured AirPods Pro with a built-in camera, which can identify real-world objects for those with visual impairments, translate signs and menus when abroad, and add information from posters, printed documents, and other items to your calendar and iOS apps, during its September showcase.

Surprise and shine! It’s almost time for the #AppleEvent, on Wednesday, September 9! pic.twitter.com/SLkIcNmLwP

Aside from new AirPods, September 9 — teased with the cryptic tagline "Surprise and Shine" — promises to see the launch of several high-profile new gadgets, including new iPhone models. The launch also marks newly-appointed Apple CEO John Ternus' first major event. Mr Ternus previously served as Apple's hardware chief, spearheading the design of many of the devices that'll take centre stage during the "Surprise and Shine" launch event.

The appointment of 51-year-old John Ternus, first announced back in April, is widely seen as a sign of Apple's renewed push to build on its core strength in hardware as many of its rivals turn to Artificial Intelligence. In his first company-wide memo as Chief Executive, John Ternus told employees worldwide: "I’m honored to be stepping into this role at what is truly the greatest company in the world, and I am so excited about everything we have in store.

"We have a huge launch next week that’s going to be phenomenal. Thanks for everything you’ve all done to make it possible. I’m just as excited about what lies beyond that, including the incredible products already in the works and the ones we haven’t even imagined yet that we’ll dream up and create together."

Apple is widely tipped to launch iPhone 18 Pro models alongside its first foldable iPhone, which has been in development for years. Currently, Samsung dominates this niche, but the foldable smartphone market is growing, and an entry from Apple is expected to help these devices become mainstream, despite their premium price tags.

Analysts expect Apple to launch a foldable iPhone with a foldable screen, similar in size to an iPad mini.

The Cupertino-based company will advertise this feature as a way to enjoy movies, sports, television shows, or blockbuster games on a bigger screen, multitask on a bigger canvas for better productivity, and — when held in a portrait orientation — a Kindle-like experience when reading webpages, ebooks, or scrolling social media.

Elsewhere, you're likely to see new Apple Watch models, including the Ultra 4 and Series 12. There's talk of new smart home products making an appearance as well, making it one of Apple's biggest events of the year.