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Most Apple fans are looking forward to the refresh models of the AirPods and AirPods Pro. However, the tech giant might have other wireless earphones in the pipeline that could be launched sooner.
Apple might launch Beats Studio Buds soon
There were rumors last year that Apple was planning to abandon the Beats brand following the success of AirPods-branded devices. That claim was later rebuked, especially when Apple launched the Beats Flex last October. It now appears that the old rumor will remain untrue as some clues hinting at the launch of a new Beats earphones were recently found in an early build of iOS 14.6.
References to an unannounced product named “Beats Studio Buds” was spotted by 9To5Mac in the iOS 14.6 RC for developer beta released on Monday. The code also provided some details about its specs and features that suggest it could fill in the absence of a new AirPods.
The Beats Studio Buds might sport several qualities similar to the AirPods, including a charging case and a completely wireless form factor. Apple fans can see more of its likely design in the discovered animation shared by Steve Moser on Twitter. While the charging case appears wider than the latest entry-level AirPods, the actual earphones look more compact and do not have stems.
Animations of Beats Studio Buds: ???? pic.twitter.com/XYVvYP7ez3
— Steve Moser (@SteveMoser) May 17, 2021
Based on the descriptions from the leaked Beats Studio Buds references, the unannounced earphones might even be a better option than the AirPods 2 because it will reportedly ship with noise cancellation. This feature is still exclusive to the AirPods Pro. The new Beats device is also expected to be powered by an Apple process, which could be the H1 chip, for smoother integration with iOS features like the “Hey, Siri” commands.
AirPods 3: Will Apple still launch its next wireless earbuds in 2021?
Considering that the iOS 14.6 has made several mentions of the Beats Studio Buds -- and not AirPods 3 -- it appears that the former could enter the market first. The new Beats earphones are speculated to launch as soon as June, which would come in time for the free addition of spatial audio support with Dolby Atmos and lossless audio on Apple Music.
Meanwhile, the AirPods 3 was previously rumored to launch in the first half of 2021 and was even anticipated to be part of Apple’s spring launch event. However, well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s latest forecast on the AirPods 3 is that its mass production may not be in full swing until the third quarter of the year.
Photo by Joseph Gonzalez on Unsplash
