Apple's unreleased Beats Studio Buds were today spotted out in the wild in a set of Instagram photos shared by LeBron James. James appears to be wearing the Beats Studio Buds in white, based on the shape and design of the earbuds in his ears.
It's difficult to get a good look at the Beats Studio Buds worn by James, but we've already seen several closer views of the upcoming earbuds. The wire-free in-ear Beats-branded earbuds were first spotted by MacRumors in the tvOS 14.6 and iOS 14.6 betas earlier this month.
The Beats Studio Buds are easy to identify at a glance because they're unlike any prior Beats headphones that Apple has released to date, as there is no ear wrap as with the Powerbeats Pro. Compared to other Beats-branded headphones, the Beats Studio Buds are tiny in design and look similar to in-ear earbuds from companies like Samsung and Google, but with a distinctly Beats-like look and feel.
Apple plans to offer the Beats Studio Buds in red, black, and white, with a matching oval-shaped charging case available with the headphones. As with the Powerbeats Pro, the Beats Studio Pro feature silicone ear tips that fit into the ears.
In addition to spotting the Beats Studio Buds in iOS 14.6, we've also seen them in FCC filings and earlier this week, images of the casing leaked, giving us a clearer picture of the design.
Beats Studio Buds are particularly interesting in light of AirPods Pro 2 rumors. Apple's AirPods Pro 2 could feature a similar design, with rumors suggesting the updated AirPods will have a rounded, compact design that's stemless, a description that sounds a lot like the new Beats.
There's no word yet on when the Beats Studio Buds might be launching, but since they've already received FCC approval, we could be seeing them in the near future.
Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio.
Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014.
Q.ai has...
Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. At the time,...
Saturday January 31, 2026 10:51 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro.
There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an...
Monday January 26, 2026 1:55 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today introduced its first two physical products of 2026: a second-generation AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop for the Apple Watch.
Read our coverage of each announcement to learn more:Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More
Apple Introduces New Black Unity Apple Watch BandBoth the new AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided...
A newly surfaced resale operation is seemingly offering Apple Store–exclusive display accessories to the public for the first time, potentially giving consumers access to Apple-designed hardware that the company has historically kept confined to its retail environments.
Apple designs a range of premium MagSafe charging stands, display trays, and hardware systems exclusively for displays in ...
I was planning to get one of these, not anymore. Not that there’s anything wrong with a product that isn’t announced yet, I just don't want to remember LeBron every time I use it.
Apple probably gave him those for free and asked him to wear them in public so we will be able to see these "leaks". Just building up hype with a star.
