Apple released its first pair of over-the-head Bluetooth headphones, AirPods Max in late 2020. These cost $549, which is much more than its direct competitors that usually sell low $300. It isn’t one of the usual offerings with touch controls. Apple decided to bring its Watch’s Digital Crown to its latest product. Now, it is being tipped that the company is working on a cheaper alternative to its premium pair of headphones.

According to ‘LeaksApplePro‘ on Twitter, Apple is working on a cheaper AirPods Max alternative. As per the tweet, the device will cost $349. To get to that cost, the company could bring some material changes to the design.

https://twitter.com/LeaksApplePro/status/1346106365471813637?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The new pair of headphones might be made out of plastic. By contrast, the AirPods Max sport machine-textured anodized aluminum ear cups and stainless steel headband. The upcoming cheaper variant will likely compete directly against the likes of Bose QuietComfort 35 II and Sony WH-1000XM4.

While the tipster hasn’t revealed any other details regarding the features of the cheaper AirPods Max, we expect it to include Active Noise Cancelation. Plus, it is likely to include features like spatial audio, and Transparency Mode. Moreover, it could offer a battery life of 20 hours on a single charge.

Meanwhile, Apple is also working on its AirPods and AirPods Pro successors. The former is tipped to come without the support for the company’s noise-canceling feature. The Cupertino-based company is rumored to be developing a system-in-package (SiP) product containing Apple’s H1 chip, which is an AirPod audio driver chip, through a domestic materials partner. The upcoming AirPods will be around20 percent lower than the price of the AirPods Pro that comes with active noise canceling technology. Apple is already rumored to be working on the upgrades to the existing AirPods Pro as well.