San Francisco/Taipei — Apple is about to pump up the volume on its audio-device strategy, planning higher-end AirPods, a new HomePod and studio-quality over-ear headphones, people familiar with the matter say. The California-based company was working on new AirPods with noise-cancellation and water resistance, they said. Apple was trying to increase the range in which AirPods worked away from an iPhone or iPad, they said. You will not be swimming in them though: the water resistance is mainly to protect against rain and sweat. Slated for 2019, the earbuds were likely to cost more than the existing $159 pair, and that could push Apple to segment the product line like it did with iPhones, the people said. Apple was also working on a wireless charging case that was compatible with the upcoming AirPower charger. The company has internally discussed adding biometric sensors to future AirPods, such as a heart-rate monitor, to expand its health-related hardware offerings beyond the Apple W...
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