Photo via MacRumors
Apple’s Beats Studio Buds may be their worst kept secret in recent memory. Sure, an iOS beta revealed the existence of Apple’s upcoming HiFi music service, but an update also leaked their upcoming Beats Studio Buds headphones. From there, we got animations of the new Beats headphones, and LeBron James even leaked them by using the devices before release. If Apple’s giving these to celebrities already, their release could be immanent. In fact, it’s looking like we may get Beats Studio Buds before we get AirPods 3 or new AirPods Pro headphones, which are expected this fall and next spring, respectively.
The new design is a smaller, more compact Beats design. There’s no ear hook or stem. It’s as though someone removed the stem from AirPods Pro, adding a small diagonal protrusion on the outside for grip, microphones, and possibly controls instead.
Beats Studio Buds
Beats uses their “Studio” name for their high-end over-ear headphones. Their Studio3 wireless over-ear headphones retail for $349.95. The only more expensive headphones you can get are their “Pro” over-ear models, which are $399.95. They don’t yet have “Studio” headphones at the in-ear level yet. The best way to describe their “Studio” headphones is “fashionable pro.” It’s not quite at the level of their absolute best, but it’s their most likely to be worn everyday by people who want portable and fashionable high-end headphones.
Beats’ Studio headphones have Apple’s fantastic active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency mode. I reviewed this on Apple’s AirPods Pro and Beats Solo Pro headphones and the tl;dr on it is: it’s excellent. Leaks and the naming structure suggests that the Beats Studio Buds will likely be high-end headphones, like the AirPods Pro, and will have the same features of Apple’s AirPods Pro. That includes ANC, transparency mode, Spatial Audio, and perhaps Apple’s latest audio processors. It may be the start of Apple’s next generation of headphones.
The headphones themselves are like the AirPods Pro, without the stems. Instead, they have a diagonal protrusion. This will likely feature the squeeze controls that the stem of the AirPods Pro feature. They also give you something to hold as you put the headphones in and out. The bumps seem to stick out a bit, but nothing like a stem coming down from your ear. Still, some will prefer one design over the other.
Unlike the AirPods and AirPods Pro, the Beats Studio Buds will come in three colors: red, black, and white.
Proof?
Animations of Beats Studio Buds: 🧵 pic.twitter.com/XYVvYP7ez3
— Steve Moser (@SteveMoser) May 17, 2021
We’ve seen the Beats Studio Buds in beta versions of iOS. Steve Moser shared animations of the Beats Studio Buds (Twitter thread linked above), which seem to be pulled from iOS directly. They look like the setup animations for the AirPods Pro. Numerous leakers have confirmed the headphones. We’ve seen FCC regulatory information confirming the name and Bluetooth compatibility. We have detailed drawings, photos, and animations. MacRumors has been on top of this rumor, finding images in iOS and beyond.
Oh, and also, LeBron James is already using his.
LeBron?
LeBron James shared a photo of himself on Instagram. While the photo is unclear, now that we know what the Beats Studio Buds look like, it’s clear that he has them in his ears. Maybe you’re thinking, “Hold on, LeBron isn’t an Apple employee, why does he have these already?”
I don’t follow sports, but of course I know who LeBron James is. He does the shooty hoops game with the ball and the baskets. He’s very good at it too. Now, I can’t name many professional athletes. I watch no sports. But I know who LeBron James is. The man’s an icon. That’s exactly why he may have gotten a set of Beats Studio Buds early. Perhaps he shot a commercial with Apple. Maybe they just reached out to celebrities with samples to spread some excitement. Apple has gifted celebrities products before, putting Apple Watches on wrists to spread the allure of the new device.
LeBron likely has his new Beats Studio Buds for promotion. Still, if Apple’s promoting these headphones, either virally though LeBron’s Instagram or through a commercial they may have shot with him, then we know these are very near a rollout.
WWDC Release?
It’s not uncommon for Apple to release products at WWDC, but they’re usually developer-focused. Still, Apple is hosting an event on June 7th. That could be time to make mention of them. Apple could also release them without an event at all. In fact, that’s what they did for their AirPods Pro headphones. Apple released some of their most popular headphones during the middle of the week. Apple did the same for the Beats Solo Pro headphones they released around this time two years ago. It’s entirely possible they do the same for their latest Beats.
Expect to see the Beats Studio Buds in more ears this spring.