It’s been over five years since Apple’s Beats brand released a new pair of over-ear headphones. While various headphone models are released regularly, the Beats Studio3, released in 2017, are still the company’s newest full-size headphones.
Images and references to the new Beats headphones have been found in iOS 16.5 and macOS 13.4 release candidates, as well as Beats Studio Pro branding. Their design looks very similar to the Beats Studio3, but without the “Studio” branding on the side of the band. Images include black, white, blue and brown colors. The alleged code names suggest a partnership with Samuel Ross.
It’s unclear what features we can expect, but an H1 or H2 chip seems likely – the Studio3 uses Apple’s older W1 chip. This upgrade, along with other improvements, should give the headphones high-quality noise reduction, active transparency, and possibly even custom spatial sound. Most Beats products use USB-C for charging, and Apple’s need to comply with European regulations means we’ll likely see that here too.
We don’t know when to expect an announcement. iOS 16.5 and macOS 13.4 are slated for release the week of May 15, and new headphone products aren’t usually far behind once references are found in shipping iOS code. A release before WWDC in June seems likely.
