On Monday, Apple quietly added a new product to its growing list of Beats premium headphone offerings — the $349 Beats Studio 3 Wireless, over-ear noise-cancelling headphones. While they look just about identical to the company’s less expensive Beats Solo3 on the surface, Apple’s new Beats Studio 3 actually pack a ton of power, upgrades, and advancements into their ostensibly carbon-copied chassis, making them a worthy investment for those who’re in the market for an ultra-premium pair of Apple-friendly headphones.
Beats Studio 3 vs. Beats Solo3
At their core, Apple’s Beats Studio 3 and Beats Solo3 headphones are driven by the company’s powerful W1 chip (the same silicon powering Apple’s truly wireless AirPods), enabling quick and seamless pairing between them and your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch. In addition to their design, both offerings feature the same 40 hour battery life expectancies.
Aside from those key variables, the Beats Studio 3 offers a number of advantages over the Beats Solo3:
- Beats Studio 3 features Apple’s ‘Pure Adaptive Noise Cancelling’ (Pure ANC) technology, which means they’re able to intelligently listen in on your music and the surrounding environment, while dynamically adapting the intensity of noise-cancellation based on those algorithms.
- While they feature similar battery life ratings of about 40 hours apiece, respectively, the Beats Studio 3 can alternatively function for about 22 hours when Pure ANC is enabled.
- Apple claims that Beats Studio 3’s internal components have been optimized and reconfigured across the board, enabling a new ‘Fast Fuel’ mode which will allow users to enjoy 3 hours of audio playback on just a 5 minute charge.
- Beats Studio 3 headphones feature an over-ear design, meaning they’re designed to ‘smother’ the ear and enclose the area around it; whereas Beats Solo3 feature an ‘on-ear’ design, meaning that they merely rest on top of the ears without offering such advanced noise-cancellation ability.
- Apple claims that the redesigned ear cushions on its Beats Studio 3 are “more comfortable than ever before.”
Why Choose Beats Studio 3?
While Apple is simply tossing a free pair of Beats Solo3 at students as part of its back to school promotion, and while iDrop News is also giving away our own pair of Beats Solo3’s, there’s no doubt that for just $50 more, Apple’s new Beats Studio 3 headphones make a phenomenal upgrade over their counterparts.
If you’re looking to grab a pair of Beats Studio 3 headphones, they’re available to order now exclusively via Apple’s website in either Red, White, Matte Black, Porcelain Rose, Shadow Gray, or Blue for just $349. Shipping is slated to begin in mid-October. Meanwhile, Beats Solo3 can be yours in a variety of colors for just $299.
Learn More: 5 Best Competitors to Beats Headphones