While Apple’s Beats-branded earbuds do not typically get the same level of attention from the media or consumers as the hugely popular AirPods portfolio, it’s definitely hard to turn a blind eye to the value proposition of the $150 Studio Buds or $200 Fit Pro (especially when they’re discounted below those list prices).
These are particularly appealing options for folks who don’t necessarily want to be tied up to the Apple “ecosystem”, natively supporting both iPhones and Android handsets from all brands and companies. Naturally, that’s also going to be the case for the impending Beats Studio Buds+, but following a premature Amazon product listing yesterday, that’s not the only thing we know about the next big Apple-made alternative to the best Samsung Galaxy Buds out there.
Pricing, key features, and improvements
Present in the rumor mill for a little over a month now, the Studio Buds Plus should go official pretty soon ahead of a commercial release seemingly scheduled for May 18. As the name suggests, this is an improved version of the existing Studio Buds, set to pack significantly larger microphones, new venting, and a “powerful processor” at a slightly higher retail price of $169.95.
The Studio Buds+ should look very similar to the original Studio Buds (pictured here).
That’s still cheaper than the aforementioned Beats Fit Pro, as well as the second-gen AirPods Pro and Samsung’s ultra-high-end Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, and yet at first glance, it doesn’t look like you’ll be compromising much.
The Beats Studio Buds+ are expected to offer “up to” 1.6x more active noise canceling power and “up to 2x” improved Transparency compared to the non-Plus model, as well as raise the total battery endurance bar to as much as 36 hours from “only” 24 hours.
That’s obviously when you take the bundled charging case into consideration, which will unsurprisingly continue to rely on USB-C rather than wireless charging technology to keep the starting price relatively low.
Design revisions and unanswered questions
From a cosmetic standpoint, by far the biggest (and most surprising) change prepared by Apple is a “Transparent” alternative to a couple of rather conventional-sounding Black and Ivory color options. It’s hard not to view the see-through model pictured above as inspired by the Nothing Ear (2), but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If it’s a good idea that the competition brings to fruition first, why not “copy” (and, hopefully, improve) it?
The Studio Buds+ could pay homage to the second-gen Nothing Ear (pictured here).
Other than that, the Studio Buds+ certainly look… familiar, with a sportier vibe than the industry-leading AirPods, and the biggest question mark probably remains what processor will be found under the (transparent) hood. The list of supported features and technologies definitely suggests an Apple H1 or H2 rather than a “custom” Beats chip, with everything from spatial audio to automatic device switching, Hey Siri, Find My, and one-touch pairing on it.
Of course, some of the details prematurely revealed by Amazon could still prove inaccurate or incomplete, but since the listing was pulled shortly after it went live, we’re pretty sure it was the real deal. Now we’re just curious to see if the Studio Buds Plus will be released alongside a new AirPods model of sorts in a few weeks, as initial rumors seemed to suggest.
Even if that happens, though, you shouldn’t expect the AirPods 4 or AirPods Pro 3 to come out all of a sudden, but rather a new take on an existing variant with a new kind of case bundled in or something of that nature. Nonetheless, our comprehensive list of the best wireless earbuds money can buy in 2023 may need a little update soon.
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