苹果悄无声息发布AirPods Pro，AirPods是否会成为下一个iPhone【华尔街日报精讲】第438期
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本文选自《华尔街日报》10月30日文章。北京时间10月29日凌晨，苹果悄无声息的在官网上推出主动降噪TWS（真无线）耳机——AirPods Pro，售价1999元人民币，10月30日起在零售店内发售。AirPods Pro采用了入耳式设计，在保证均衡音质的前提下，拥有主动降噪功能和通透模式，可与苹果其它设备配对。今年，苹果iPhone销量大幅下滑，AirPods成为苹果新的增长点，在截至6月，AirPods的销售额增长约70%，达到约20亿美元，这帮助苹果抵消了iPhone业务的下滑，并实现在2019财年第一季度的收入增长。随着无线耳机的普及，微软、谷歌均表示，将推出自己的无线耳机。AirPods是否会成为下一个iPhone？让我们拭目以待。
选文精讲
Apple Bets on New AirPods Amid Weak iPhone Sales
苹果在iPhone销售疲软之际押注新款AirPods
Apple Inc. is introducing a high-end version of its AirPods wireless earbuds with a new design and noise cancellation, as the tech giant looks to broaden its offering of wearable products amid lackluster iPhone sales.
earbuds: 耳塞式耳机
noise cancellation: 降噪
lackluster: 无光泽的，这里是指销量低迷
AirPods have emerged as one of Apple’s most successful new products. Sales of the devices rose an estimated 70% in the quarter ended in June to about $2 billion, according to Bernstein Research, helping the company offset its flagging iPhone business and deliver revenue growth for the first quarter of its 2019 fiscal year.
offset: 抵消
The addition of a Pro line of AirPods, which cost $249, follows in the company’s tradition of offering a high-end, pricier model of a core product—featuring more bells-and-whistles—and a lower-priced, entry-level version with fewer features. Apple offers Pro versions of its Mac computer, iPad tablets and iPhone lines. The new earbuds are the first Pro offering of a wearable device.
entry-level: 入门级
The popularity of wireless earbuds has driven Apple rivals to offer their own versions. Microsoft Corp. this month said it would sell such devices. Alphabet Inc.’s Google also said it would introduce wireless earbuds due out next year.
The AirPods Pro feature a new design with silicone ear tips that Apple says conform to each individuals’ ears. They have noise-cancellation capabilities to eliminate background noise, longer battery life and a mode that allows users to listen to music while also hearing the environment around them, Apple says.