If the stars had aligned differently, the world would have known AirPods Pro by a different name. MacRumors reports that AirPods Extreme was another name under consideration for the wireless headphones from the iPhone maker.
The alternate name was suggested by at least one member of Apple's leadership team, as per the internal information seen by the publication. But things turned out differently, and the company decided to go with the AirPods Pro branding as many employees weren't happy with it.
It wouldn't have been the first time Apple had included "Extreme" in its product branding. Apple released its high-performance Wi-Fi router called AirPort Extreme in 2003, and after several iterations, it discontinued the entire AirPort lineup in 2018.
Apple introduced the AirPods Pro in 2019 to stand above the regular AirPods on the price ladder. Switching to an in-ear design, Apple added silicone ear tips to the headphones and features like Active Noise Cancellation (ANC).
It launched the 2nd generation AirPods Pro in 2022 and upgraded them with support for USB-C, dust resistance, and Lossless audio in 2023. Rumors suggest Apple's next-generation AirPods Pro might feature temperature tracking and hearing tests.
The "Pro" suffix aligns with the Cupertino giant's naming scheme, which has been adopted in recent years. Apple uses the Pro branding to differentiate between its standard and high-end products, such as iPhone Pro, MacBook Pro, etc.
More recently, the company entered a new product category and launched its spatial computing headset called Vision Pro (fitted with a gigantic Lightning connector). There have been reports of a cheaper version of the headset, possibly with a non-Pro branding.
The company has started using other names, like Apple Watch Ultra, to market its flagship products. There have been reports of an "Ultra" iPhone in the making, which could replace the priciest iPhone in the lineup.
Source: MacRumors
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