Two years ago, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo told investors that Apple produces high-end on-ear headphones with features similar to AirPods.
Today we have our first look at the design of the new Apple headphones before their announcement. 9to5Mac discovered two icons representing light and dark versions of Apple’s high-end headphones in iOS 14 code.
Design
The two icons discovered by 9to5Mac give us the clearest picture to date of the appearance of high-end Apple headphones. These glyphs are used in iOS 14 to represent new headphones throughout the operating system, including Apple’s battery and the charge status widget.
Based on the two versions of the same glyph, we expect Apple to offer at least two color options for the on-ear version of the AirPods, likely in black or space gray and white. Apple has only offered AirPods and AirPods Pro in white.
Beats Studio and Solo Pro over-ear headphones
Light and dark glyphs may represent other colors beyond black and white. Apple’s Beats headphones use color as a major marketing feature, for example, but Apple hasn’t given the AirPods line the same treatment.
Each glyph also gives us an idea of the size of each helmet and the amount of padding on each cup and band.
features
In terms of functionality, we expect Apple’s high-end on-ear headphones to adopt more features from AirPods than Beats headphones so far. For example, Apple on-ear headphones are supposed to automatically pause and resume audio playback when you take them off or wear them.
Apple has shared other AirPods features with various Beats products, including Beats Solo Pro. The recently released on-ear headphones include the same chip, noise cancellation and transparent audio transparency mode as the AirPods Pro. Solo Pro headphones are, however, on the ear, not on the ear; over-ear headphones provide more organic sound isolation and a greater sound experience.
Beats Solo Pro earphones also lack automatic audio pause, opting instead for a fold-back function.
The charging method for Apple’s high-end headphones remains a mystery so far. AirPods rely on a charging case that has its own battery, but Beats Solo Pro headphones charge via a Lightning port. Wireless charging support would be welcome, but we haven’t seen any evidence that it will (yet) exist.
Production
It is rumored that Apple’s high-end on-ear headphones will launch in 2018, but reports of design issues quickly followed initial supply chain reports.
Despite the absence of the 2018 launch window and no additional reports last year, Ming-Chi Kuo informed investors in January that Apple’s high-end on-ear headphones are now due for delivery in 2020.
The two glyphs discovered by 9to5Mac are based on the iOS 14 code from December 2019 that we obtained, suggesting that Apple is targeting a version this fall after the release of the new operating system. Given the early chronology of the new version of the iPhone operating system, it is possible that Apple may adjust the plans and release the earphones sooner or later, or put the product completely away.
9to5Mac will update our coverage with more details as soon as we learn more. The final marketing name remains unknown, but Apple clearly classifies on-ear headphones in the AirPods family. This suggests that the new high-end headphones will use the Apple brand, not Beats.
Beats currently offers wireless on-ear headphones with Beats Studio. These $ 349 headphones include noise cancellation and use the same chip as Apple’s original AirPods, but lack features, including “Hey Siri” support and transparency.
While the production schedule remains uncertain, inclusion in the leaked iOS 14 code obtained by 9to5Mac is the clearest evidence to date that Apple continues to work on Apple brand over-ear headphones.
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