Apple's 'AirPods Studio' Over-Ear Headphones Have Reportedly Kicked Off Production

We've been hearing quite a bit recently about Apple's long-rumored over-ear headphones, said to be called "AirPods Studio," and it looks like a launch may be coming in the relatively near future.

Over Ear ApplePhones Cropped

Artist mockup based on Beats Studio3

Rumors have generally suggested a summer or fall launch for AirPods Studio, with a report earlier this week claiming that suppliers in Vietnam will begin shipments to Apple in June or July, but a new report from Taiwanese site DigiTimes indicates that production on the new headphones is already underway.

As Apple is likely to accelerate dropping its wired earphones, the vendor will resume normal shipments for AirPods 2 in the second half of the year and its new over-ear headphones, dubbed AirPods Studio, has also kicked off production, all securing growth momentum for rigid-flex boards suppliers for the devices, including Unitech Printed Circuit Board and Compeq Manufacturing, the sources said.

The mention comes in a larger story about circuit board suppliers for the whole AirPods lineup and doesn't include any further details on the AirPods Studio, but it certainly looks like a launch is coming sooner rather than later.

Apple's virtual Worldwide Developers Conference, which kicks off exactly one month from today, could be a good opportunity to introduce the new headphones, although they are not necessarily a developer-focused product and so Apple may opt for a separate launch so as to not distract from the focus of the event.

Among the AirPods Studio details revealed in recent rumors are a $349 price point matching the Beats Studio3 pricing, a pair of models in premium leather-like and more breathable fitness-friendly fabrics, ear and headband padding that attaches magnetically for easy swapping, and embedded sensors for head and neck detection and automatically routing left and right audio channels to the appropriate earcups regardless of which way the headphones are worn.

Related Roundup: AirPods Max
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Max (Buy Now)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's Upcoming Macs Listed in New Report

Thursday July 3, 2025 9:09 am PDT by
AppleInsider's Marko Zivkovic today shared a list of alleged identifiers for future Mac models, which should roll out over the next year or so. The report does not reveal anything too surprising, but it does serve as further evidence that Apple is seemingly working on new models of every Mac, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. Apple is...

Top Rated Comments

H.E. Pennypacker Avatar
67 months ago

RIP Sennheiser, Bose and Sony.
Bwhahahhah. Thanks. I needed a good laugh today.
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacFather Avatar
67 months ago
Deleted.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
indiekiduk Avatar
67 months ago
Finally AirPods that don't fall down the toilet!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sideshowuniqueuser Avatar
67 months ago

I have the Beats Studio 3. I expected that with the moniker "Studio" they'd be, you know, like studio headsets. But I've found them pretty underwhelming. Pairing with my Mac is instantaneous, which is nice. The ANC is just okay. So I'm not sure what the difference in sound quality will be with the AirPods Studio.
It's not "studio" as in "sound studio", it's "studio" as in "single room, cheap studio apartment" :cool:
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
yaxomoxay Avatar
67 months ago
I hope they come in black. White will become dirty in half an hour.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dave245 Avatar
67 months ago
I wonder if these will sound as good as the HomePod, Apple’s audio team are killing it! The HomePod isn’t a very good smart speaker BUT it does sound great as a speaker. The speakers on the MacBook Pro are great and the ones on the 16” MacBook Pro get praise for being reliably good. let’s hope these “Studio Pods” are great sounding.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)