iOS 16.4 is coming soon with a bunch of new features, including new emoji, web app notifications, and more. But under the hood, today’s RC update adds support for an unreleased Beats Studio Buds+, as discovered by 9to5Mac. Read on as we detail what to expect from these new wireless earbuds from Beats.

This is the new Beats Studio Buds+

Just like the regular Beats Studio Buds, which was released in 2021, the new Buds+ will have active noise cancellation and transparency mode. But while the original Beats Studio Buds have a proprietary Beats chip instead of using Apple’s W1/H1 chips, it looks like Buds+ will have an Apple chip.

Code found in iOS 16.4 RC shows that Beats Studio Buds+ will support audio sharing, automatic device switching, and “Hey Siri,” just like AirPods and other Beats wireless earbuds that feature an Apple chip. The original Studio Buds don’t have these features due to the lack of a wireless chip from Apple.

The Beats Studio Buds are powered not by Apple’s proprietary W1 or H1 chip, but rather by a proprietary Beats chip. This means you miss out some of the more useful features of AirPods and AirPods Pro, as well as Powerbeats Pro, but it allows Beats Studio Buds to work across the Android and iOS ecosystems. 

One feature that Beats Studio Buds lack in comparison to AirPods is in-ear detection. This means that Beats Studio Buds won’t automatically play and pause content when you take them out or put them in your ears. Beats Studio Buds also lack support for automatic device switching and do not sync your paired devices across iCloud, so you’ll need to manually connect on each new device.

9TO5MAC’S CHANCE MILLER ON THE ORIGINAL BEATS STUDIO BUDS

Code-named 8214, the new Beats earbuds will have media controls for play/pause and also the option to press and hold to switch between noise-canceling modes. 9to5Mac has also obtained some images of the new earbuds, which show a new black color with gold details. The design is almost identical to the original Beats Studio Buds.

Interestingly, there are also mentions of an unreleased model of AirPods. We don’t know for sure whether this model is a revision of the current regular AirPods or the rumored AirPods Lite.

When will Beats announce the new Buds+?

It’s uncertain at this point when Beats will announce the new Studio Buds+. However, considering that support for the new earbuds has been added to iOS 16.4 RC, which will be released to the public in the coming days, it shouldn’t be long before the new Buds+ are announced by the company.

The current Beats Studio Buds cost $149, but you can find them for lower prices on Amazon. We don’t know if Buds+ will simply replace Studio Buds or if Apple will sell Buds+ as a premium version with more features.

Source - 9to5Mac