There’s nothing like introducing wireless noise-cancelling earbuds to compete with your own products. Apple’s branded Beats true wireless earbuds compete directly with their own AirPods and that’s going to make for some interesting competition. The Beats Studio Buds feature active noise-cancellation and “Hey Siri” voice control for $150 USD.
If you’re an Apple Music subscriber who is excited about its new support for lossless music streaming, the Studio Buds will automatically play Apple Spatial Audio Dolby Atmos tracks when available.
Apple’s AirPods and AirPods Max do not support lossless Bluetooth playback and neither do the Beats Studio Buds.
The new Beats Studio Buds utilize an elliptical-shaped earpiece that is different than Apple’s AirPods Pro buds. One major perk is that they offer one-touch pairing to both iOS and Android devices (not something you’re likely to see on Apple’s upcoming AirPods 3 buds, that’s for sure).
After looking at the the spec sheet, it appears that Apple is marketing the Beats Studio Buds at runners and people who like to exercise while wearing wireless earbuds.
The IPX4 rating will provide a decent level of protection against sweat and rain, while the choice of three soft silicone ear tips and lightweight design (5g per earbud) should improve comfort levels when exercising and provide decent isolation.
The battery life based on the specs is rather average. You will get 5 hours of listening time from the buds with ANC on, plus another 10 hours (two charges) from the supplied charging case. If you switch ANC off, the earbuds will last 8 hours. Throw in another two charges from the case and you’re looking at up to 24 hours playback. That sounds great on paper but it’s not the best we’ve seen so far.
These brand new Beats Studio Buds are the first to support both FindMy in iOS and Find My Device on Android. The design will emit a high-pitched sound to make them easier to locate when dropped in the street or lost somewhere in your home or car.
For more information: beatsbydre.com/earphones/studio-buds
Where to buy: $149.99 at Amazon | Apple (in red, white and black — available June 25, 2021)
