Interested in new AirPods or AirPods Pro? Put down your credit card because Apple has accidentally just leaked new headphones you need to know about first.
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Spotted by the always-industrious MacRumors, Apple hid images for new Powerbeats wireless earbuds inside today’s iOS 13.3.1 release. Code strings in iOS 13.3.1 reveal they are called Powerbeats 4, so they are the successor to Apple’s popular Powerbeats 3 which were widely reviewed as having superior sound quality to AirPods. Moreover, they have had a smart redesign.
Borrowing from the design of Apple’s excellent Powerbeats Pro, the hidden Powerbeats 4 icon shows the same slanted design that makes the Pros so comfortable and such a secure fit to the ear. If you worry about losing AirPods, this is what you need. Powerbeats Pro also have vastly better battery life than any AirPods (nine hours Vs up to five hours from AirPods and AirPods Pro).
One divisive element? Powerbeats 3 have a wire connecting the two headphones, which may alienate some but the wire also adds further security if one falls out and it allows you to take them out your ears and hang them around your neck.
And here’s where things get really interesting. MacRumors understands that Powerbeats 4 will have the same H1 chip as AirPods, AirPods Pro and Powerbeats Pro enabling improved connectivity and “Hey Siri” support. In addition to this, they will deliver the audio quality of Powerbeats Pro but for $50 less putting them in the circa $199 range – also $50 less than AirPods Pro (though they deliver noise-cancelling). Unlike AirPods Pro, you’ll also find Beats frequently discounted. Right now, for example, Powerbeats 3 are less than half price at Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart compared to minimal savings on AirPods:
- Powerbeats 3 – typically $199.95 (save $111) – Amazon: $94.99 / Best Buy: $94.99 / Target: $199.99 / Walmart: $89
- AirPods Pro – typically $249.99 – Amazon: $234.99 / B&H: $249 (availability 6-10 weeks) / Best Buy: $249.99 / Costco: $234.99 / Sam’s Club: $234.98 / Target: $249.99 / Walmart: $249 (out of stock)
- AirPods with Charging Case – typically $159.99 – Amazon: $128.99 / Best Buy: $139.99 / Costco: $128.99 / Walmart: $139
- AirPods with Wireless Charging Case – typically $199.99 – Amazon: $169 / Best Buy: $169.99 / Staples: $164 / Target: $169.99 / Walmart: $169
Consequently, if you want AirPods Pro rivalling sound with the security and fit of the PowerBeats Pro design but for significantly less money, then Apple may well have just leaked your next pair of headphones.
When will they arrive? Nothing is official, but when Apple repeated this error last year PowerBeats Pro launched within days. So watch this space.
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