Apple will reportedly launch new AirPods as early as this month as a growing number of tech companies go to war for your ears

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

• Apple could release a new pair of more expensive AirPods with noise-cancellation by the end of the month, according to a Chinese news outlet.
• The new AirPods may be called the AirPods Pro, according to the publication, which would help distinguish them from previous versions.
• The report comes after previous rumors have suggested that a new pair of AirPods will launch by the end of the year or early next year.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Apple may release a new pair of more expensive, high-end AirPods with noise-reduction and a new design as early as this month, according to a new report from Chinese news outlet United Daily News. The launch would come after rivals like Amazon and Microsoft have recently debuted new wireless earbuds.

The new model would be referred to as the AirPods Pro, according to the report, to distinguish it from previous generations of Apple's truly wireless earbuds. The main new feature will be noise reduction, as previous reports have indicated, and the report suggests they may cost around $260.

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Apple did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment on the report.

Read more: Apple's next iPhone could spark a new era for the company as it shifts beyond smartphones

It's not unusual for Apple to reveal new products later in the fall around October. Last year, for example, it debuted a new iPad Pro on October 30.

The report comes after a leaked image discovered in the iOS 13.2 beta showed what appeared to be a new pair of AirPods with a different design, as 9to5Mac reported. The beta also suggested that there will be a noise-cancelling listening mode.

It's yet another indication that Apple could be working on new AirPods following the launch of its second-generation AirPods this past spring - which offer hands-free Siri functionality and an optional wireless charging case. Bloomberg previously reported that Apple is planning to launch a new, more expensive pair of AirPods with noise-cancellation and water-resistance by next year. TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also said new AirPods could be coming in the fourth quarter of 2019 or the first quarter of 2020, according to 9to5Mac.

The addition of noise-cancellation would bring a feature to Apple's wireless earbuds that it's lacked compared to rivals. Earbuds from both Samsung and Amazon, for example, are capable of reducing background noise.

The launch would also come as the competition has become more intense than ever, with new offerings from Amazon, Microsoft, and soon Google entering the market. Google teased its new Pixel Buds at an event earlier this week, highlighting a new feature that makes it possible for the earbuds to work even when they're far away from your phone.

Even without noise-cancellation, Apple's AirPods have been a major success for the company. Apple revealed in its earnings report from July that its wearables, home, and accessories division - which includes the AirPods and Apple Watch among other products - outpaced its iPad business and is gradually closing in on the Mac. Apple also claimed 60% of the global market for truly wireless earbuds in the fourth quarter of 2018, according to Counterpoint Research.