Apple’s ‘Powerbeats Pro’ True Wireless Sport Headphones Discovered in iOS 12.2

Apple’s Beats brand has quietly taken a back seat lately, with most of the hype around Apple’s AirPods wireless earphones that finally received an update last week with long-awaited wireless charging and “Hey Siri” support. However, Apple hasn’t been sitting still with Beats headphones either, and a report last week suggested that a Beats version of AirPods could be coming soon.

Now, new code found by 9to5Mac’s Guilherme Rambo in yesterday’s public release of iOS 12.2 confirms that the new earphones are just around the corner, while also providing more details on their appearance and features.

According to Rambo, iOS 12.2 includes the name of the new headphones — Powerbeats Pro — as well as several images and even animations that showcase the new headphones.

The design is nearly identical to the current Powerbeats3, but with the wires removed entirely. The graphics also show the same black and white colors as the Powerbeats3, although there’s no sign of a red version.

An image of the Powerbeats Pro charging case is also shown, which Rambo says looks similar to the AirPods case, although it appears to open from the horizontal position, rather than vertically. The case will presumably provide additional battery and charging capabilities for the Powerbeats Pro earphones, although if the new version can achieve the same 12-hour battery life as the Powerbeats3, in-case charging may not be nearly as important as it is for Apple’s AirPods.

Powerbeats Pro would provide a solid alternative to AirPods for those users who find the fit of Apple’s classic earbuds to be uncomfortable or awkward, as clips and multiple ear tips allow for a more universal and comfortable fit across different ear sizes, and offer better noise cancellation. While third-party accessories have tried to fill this gap for Apple’s AirPods, they usually complicate the AirPods experience by adding pieces that have to be attached and removed when using the charging case. All evidence suggests that Powerbeats Pro would fit into their charging case with ear hooks and tips intact.

The new Powerbeats Pro will reportedly use the same H1 chip as Apple’s new second-generation AirPods, which means that they’ll also include “Hey Siri” support and be able to take advantage of the same improved pairing and switching performance. Rambo confirmed that the “Hey Siri” training interface in iOS 12.2 also includes the Powerbeats Pro.

At this point, nothing is known about pricing, however. Powerbeats3 currently sell for $199, and the “Pro” designation for the new set of Powerbeats suggests that Apple may plan to position them as a higher-end version of Powerbeats3, rather than a direct replacement. However, the fact that the code for the new headphones is already in the public release of iOS 12.2, rather than being held off for the next beta, strongly points to these headphones being available very soon.

There are also still rumours of more significant enhancements coming to Apple’s AirPods that didn’t make it into last week’s considerably more minor update. Some analysts are still predicting Apple will release a more significant “AirPods 2” upgrade this fall that would featuring health monitoring features, additional color options, a new “grippier” coating, and improved waterproofing.

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]