Simone Marchetti wears Apple AirPods throughout Milan Fashion Week in Milan, Italy.
Melodie Jeng | Getty Images
Apple’s AirPods had one other profitable vacation season.
The firm bought 27 million pairs of its latest model of the AirPods, for a complete of 90 million bought throughout the vacation quarter of 2021, based on a report over the weekend from high Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TFI Asset Management Limited. The gross sales will translate to twenty% year-over-year income progress Apple’s wearable gadget business, Kuo mentioned.
Kuo’s report comes forward of what must be a giant yr for Apple’s wearables business. In addition to a brand new model of the AirPods Pro, which Kuo mentioned will launch in the fall of this yr, Apple is predicted to unveil its long-rumored augmented actuality headset. While the iPhone remains to be Apple’s most vital and worthwhile product, the firm has constructed a preferred {hardware} ecosystem of equipment round the telephone.
Apple would not escape its wearables income, however it does make up a good portion of its “Other Products” line merchandise, which incorporates different equipment comparable to iPhone circumstances and charging cables. Apple booked practically $13 billion in Other Products income in the vacation quarter of 2020. It’ll be a quantity to look at when Apple reviews earnings for the final quarter in the coming weeks.
Apple launched a brand new model of the “common” AirPods final fall that gives lots of the similar options present in the Pro mannequin, aside from noise cancellation. There at the moment are 4 AirPods fashions to select from, ranging in price from $129 to $549.
Kuo mentioned the subsequent model of the AirPods Pro coming in the fall will embody a brand new design, a case that may beep in case you lose it and higher audio for streaming music. He expects Apple to promote as much as 20 million items of the new AirPods Pro mannequin this yr.
As for different wearables, Bloomberg reported over the weekend that Apple’s AR headset might be launched as quickly as this spring, with a launch at the finish of the yr. Meanwhile, Meta, Facebook’s father or mother firm, plans to launch a extra superior model of its digital actuality headset this yr. Bloomberg additionally mentioned there might be a brand new model of the Apple Watch this yr, together with a “rugged” mannequin that is extra sturdy.