It looks like there'll be a successor to the Beats Studio Buds coming soon, which seem be called the Beats Studio Buds Plus. The original Studio Buds were released in 2021, and a lot has happened in the world of the best wireless earbuds in that time – so an update makes sense.
Not that Beats Studio Buds Plus need to be revolution – we still stand by our Beats Studio Buds review even now: that they're a really well-priced pair of earbuds considering the number of features involved for both iPhone and Android.
And sure enough, it looks like the Studio Buds Plus will be an incremental upgrade, based on the rumors so far: an update to elements such as the active noise cancellation, but probably with the same design and a lot of the same features.
Evidence of the Beats Studio Buds Plus first appeared in iOS 16.4, and now they've been spotted in the FCC's database, which suggests that a launch is imminent.
So here's what we know about them so far – as well some upgrades we'd like to see from them.
Beats Studio Buds Plus: predicted release date and price
Let's be clear that we have no firm idea about this stuff right now – but we can make a few logical guess, especially around the release date.
The Beats Studio Buds Plus have been certified by the FCC in the US, which basically means they're ready to go. The question is when Beats will want to announce and then launch them. The original Studio Buds were announced on June 14, 2021, and were released 10 days later.
A June release seems likely this year, though we wouldn't be surprised if they came forward to May.
As for price, the originals launched at $149.99 / £129.99 / AU$199.95, so it's possible that the new model will do the same.
However, the original model has mostly been found for around $99 / £119 / AU$179 for the last year. Beats seemed to recognize (accurately) that the prices of mid-range noise-canceling earbuds were getting pushed down by more cheap competition, and basically cut the price. So can the new version really launch at a higher price and be a big hit?
That depends on whether the old version sticks around, we think. Beats could launch the new and improved model at a higher price for those willing to pay it and keep the original non-Plus version as the $99 model. But if it gets rid of the older model and tries to launch the new one at $149 when you can get the phenomenal Sony WF-C700N for $99, it's probably going to need to rethink things quickly.
Beats Studio Buds Plus: features
The code from iOS 16.4 tells us about quite a few upgrades in the new earbuds according to 9to5Mac, most of which bring them more closely in line with the features of the AirPods Pro 2.
The new buds will apparently have "Hey Siri" support, which the originals lack, meaning you can say "Hey Siri" to trigger Apple's voice assistant if you're using them with an iPhone. There will also be audio sharing with other Beats and AirPods, and auto-switching between Apple devices that are signed into your Apple ID, all of which is standard for most Apple-made headphones, but we did miss from the original Studio Buds. Well, not "Hey Siri", but the other stuff.
MacRumors claims to have learned that there will be "improved Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency" modes too – but there's no mention of audio quality upgrades or Spatial Audio support so far.
As far as the design goes, apparently the new buds will look the same as the previous gen, but likely with some color changes.
Beats Studio Buds Plus: what we want to see
We've written a whole article about what we want to see from the Beats Studio Buds Plus – so click through for the full read, but the headlines are:
1. Better ANC
2. Improved battery life
3. A similar price tag to the Beats Studio Buds
4. A kaleidoscope of color options
