You might not have to wait until the AirPods 3 to see a new pair of true wireless earbuds from Apple. Images have appeared suggesting Beats is dropping the hook from its next pair of wireless earbuds. Here’s everything we know about the rumoured Beats Studio Buds so far.
The biggest leak comes from MacRumors’ contributor Steve Moser, who spotted the “Beats Studio Buds” in Apple’s betas for tvOS 14.6 and iOS 14.6. 9to5Mac also reported the update after taking a closer look at the next version of iOS.
It’s interesting to note that the iOS 14.6 beta was also where Apple’s new lossless audio tier was spotted before later being confirmed by Apple. The iOS update has now officially started rolling out to users, meaning we could see a similar chain of events follow the rumoured Studio Buds very soon.
The latest news comes from MySmartPrice, who shared photos of the supposed Studio Buds this week. While the images have not been verified, they show a pair of earbuds that look a lot like the previous renders (and very similar to the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro), making us hopeful the earbuds could soon be on their way.
So when could the Beats Studio Buds launch, what could they look like and what features will they have? Here’s everything we know about the Studio Buds so far.
When will the Beats Studio Buds be released and how much will they cost?
We don’t know the exact date the Studio Buds will be announced, but we’d expect them to launch soon as the leaks came from the beta for iOS 14.6. The iOS update could roll out anywhere between now and early June.
There’s no word on the price of the Beats Studio Buds either, but previous Beats’ last true wireless pair, the Powerbeats Pro, were priced at £219.
What do the Beats Studio Buds look like?
The clearest difference between the Studio Buds and previous Beats earbuds looks to be the design.
According to Moser, who found images of the Studio Buds in the tvOS 14.6 and iOS 14.6 betas, the earbuds are tiny and look similar to earbuds from Samsung and Google such as the Galaxy Buds Pro and the Pixel Buds 2.
Unlike the Powerbeats, the Studio Buds are expected to feature a true wireless design and they’ll lose the hook that prevents the Powerbeats and Powerbeats Pro from slipping out of a wearer’s ears on runs.
They’re expected to come in three colours – black, white and red – and will come with a matching oval-shaped case.
Since then, MySmartPrice has shared live images of the Studio Buds that tell us more about the earbuds’ in-ear design. The photos – which were sent to MySmartPrice by unknown sources – show a black, oval-shaped design with two small cut-outs for the sensors, along with an L and R for the left and right ears.
The report compared the look of the earbuds to the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro launched earlier this year.
While the images don’t stray too far from what we’ve already heard about the Beats Studio Buds, MySmartPrice does state that it was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the photos, so you should take this leak with a grain of salt.
What features will the new Beats earbuds have?
There isn’t much out there about the Studio Buds’ features.
According to 9to5Mac, who snuck a peak at the internal iOS 14.6 files, the earbuds will come with a smart charging case.
The earbuds will pack an Apple chip – reports don’t go into detail on which one, but we’d imagine either the H1 or W1 chip – to enable instant pairing, as well as activate Siri voice assistance. The Studio Buds are also said to feature noise cancellation, putting them more on par with the AirPods Pro than the standard AirPods.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
