iPhone 7 to come with high-end Apple ‘AirPod’ headphones, more expensive even than Beats

The change will come alongside the removal of the headphone jack – which is meant to encourage people to move to wireless listening

Apple is going to launch high-end earphones alongside its headphone jack-less iPhone, according to one expert.

The company has long been expected to introduce new Beats headphones, specially made for the iPhone 7. But it could also come with newly-designed “AirPods” – special wireless earphones that might be separate and be placed into each ear.

The expensive headphones could be a clue to how Apple intends to spin the hugely controversial decision to drop the traditional headphone jack from its phones.

Those will be distinguished from Beats by being more high-end than the headphone company that Apple bought in 2014. It’s not clear whether that means Beats will become less expensive, or that Apple’s EarPods will retail for even more than the already pricey headphones.

“We believe Apple will position Beats in the midrange market once it launches Apple’s own-brand Bluetooth headphones, in order to maximize profit with a dual-brand strategy,” a report from usually reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. “We also believe Apple will have its own-designed Bluetooth-like communication chip, given its higher requirements for power-saving, communication specs and potential rapid growth of Bluetooth headphone shipments.”

It’s still not clear what earphones Apple intends to include in the iPhone’s box, though most speculation has pointed to EarPods like those already provided that instead plug into the Lightning charging port. It’s also not clear whether the EarPods will be launched alongside the iPhone at its event, or if they will come later.

But it is expected to unveil the new Beats headphones at an event, according to a leaked email.