Micron Technology Forecasts Surge in Revenue and Earnings on AI-Driven Memory Demand 
Italy Fines Apple €98.6 Million Over App Store Dominance 
Apple Opens iPhone to Alternative App Stores in Japan Under New Competition Law 
Biren Technology Targets Hong Kong IPO to Raise $300 Million Amid China’s AI Chip Push 
U.S. Lawmakers Urge Pentagon to Blacklist More Chinese Tech Firms Over Military Ties 
Amazon in Talks to Invest $10 Billion in OpenAI as AI Firm Eyes $1 Trillion IPO Valuation 
SpaceX Begins IPO Preparations as Wall Street Banks Line Up for Advisory Roles 
TSMC Honors Japanese Chip Equipment Makers With 2025 Supplier Awards 
FTC Praises Instacart for Ending AI Pricing Tests After $60M Settlement 
Trump Administration Reviews Nvidia H200 Chip Sales to China, Marking Major Shift in U.S. AI Export Policy 
Dina Powell McCormick Resigns From Meta Board After Eight Months, May Take Advisory Role 
Oracle Stock Slides After Blue Owl Exit Report, Company Says Michigan Data Center Talks Remain on Track 
Nvidia to Acquire Groq in $20 Billion Deal to Boost AI Chip Dominance 
Texas App Store Age Verification Law Blocked by Federal Judge in First Amendment Ruling 
Oracle Stock Surges After Hours on TikTok Deal Optimism and OpenAI Fundraising Buzz 
Apple is reportedly working on a new AirPods-branded device that will be quite different from the other products in the lineup. It is dubbed as AirPods X and, no, it is not a truly wireless headphone.
AirPods X specs, design
Over the previous months, there have been scattered insider reports claiming that Apple is developing a “lite” version of the AirPods Pro. A more recent report is shedding more light onto the rumored device and would explain why it is dubbed as such.
Front Page Tech creator and mobile leaker Jon Prosser reported on Tuesday about a device that would be called AirPods X. It is anticipated to become the first AirPods-branded device that is not a truly wireless earbud and would be marketed toward athletes and runners. To give tech fans an idea of how it would be designed, Prosser’s sources likened it to the BeatsX headphones. It is technically wireless but has a cord connecting the earpieces with the wire typically placed behind the neck when worn.
The same report says AirPods X would be priced around $200, which is cheaper than the AirPods Pro. Considering that it will not sport a truly wireless tech, the rumored price tag is not surprising. At this price point, it is very possible to be released without the active noise canceling feature.
AirPods X release date
The AirPods X is apparently different from the Apple over-ear headphones that surfaced in the rumor mill last week. The latter is anticipated to be launched earlier with an announcement expected in June during the WWDC 2020 livestream event.
The mystery Apple headphone is also compared to the Bose 700 at a more expensive price of $350. Interestingly, a much earlier report from the same source came out in February that an over-ear headphone with a placeholder product name AirPods X Generation suddenly appeared in the inventory of a popular retail store in the United States.
Another indication that the AirPods X is different from the other Apple over-ear headphone previously reported is its release date. The next AirPods-branded product is not expected to launch until September or October. The timing of the release of the leak and the rumored release date of AirPods X suggests that Apple might not be planning to immediately launch a follow-up to the AirPods Pro.
Featured photo courtesy of Jack Sem licensed under Creative Commons
