The report says suppliers Goertek and Luxshare will make “at least a portion of the headphones in Vietnam and begin shipments to Apple in June or July.” If accurate, the headphones could make their appearance at Apple’s WWDC 2020 event, which is currently set for June 22 as a digital conference.
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Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo similarly predicted the headphones would enter mass production in mid-2020. Another possibility sees Apple holding the launch of the headphones until the fall at the huge iPhone event that typically takes place in September. The place of manufacture is another interesting part of the report; Apple typically makes products in China while factories in Vietnam provide support to older models. Apple is reportedly being forced to move operations around as tensions between the US and China increase. The AirPods Studio, if rumors hold true, will be direct competitors to the Bose 700 and Sony WH-1000XM3 (or WH-1000XM4). They will feature noise cancellation and magnetic parts that can be easily replaced. Among the more unique feature is a sensor that detects when the headphones are being worn so songs pause when the cans are off your ears and start playing again when you put them on.
