TL; DR
- Pictures and other details of the Beats Studio Buds have been leaked thanks to a government listing.
- The listing confirms that the stemless Apple earbuds switch from a Lightning to a USB-C port for charging.
- The second generation AirPods Pro are expected to borrow design cues from the new Beats Buds.
Apple’s subsidiary Beats is preparing a new set of true wireless earbuds that could pave the way for future AirPod design. The earbud images, known as Beats Studio Buds, were first discovered in Apple’s own beta software. To make things official, the Beats Studio Buds have now been released (h / t MacRumors) in the Taiwanese NCC (National Communications Commission) database.
The Beats Studio Buds are once again flaunting their stemless design on the regulatory website. They don’t have ear hooks like the Powerbeats Pro and are more compact with an in-ear design. Apple is also reportedly testing a similar, stem-free design for the second-generation AirPods Pro.
Another notable change described in the regulatory listing is the lack of a Lightning port. Instead, the oval charging case uses a USB-C port for charging. This is a first for Apple as previous Beats headphones and AirPods were all charged through a Lightning connector. If Apple changes the ports on the Beats Studio Pro, we may see the change in future AirPods as well.
Elsewhere, the earphones should offer an Apple chip for instant pairing and the “Hey, Siri” function. The code found in Apple’s beta software also indicated that the earbuds would offer noise cancellation.
It is not yet known when the Beats Studio Buds will be launched. But given the approval list, they shouldn’t be far away. They were also spotted with NBA star Lebron James and American rapper and songwriter Roddy Ricch.