Rumors surrounding Apple's upcoming audio products have been murky so far. We know the company is expected to release new in-ear AirPods, and all signs point to over-ear models that could rival the Bose 700.
As much as we appreciate a good rumor, the names of these products have been tossed, shuffled and mixed so many times it's hard to keep track of what is what. Now we have another name to call Apple's forthcoming over-ear headphones: AirPods Studio. The latest rumor comes from 9to5Mac, which, along with dropping the AirPods Studio name (and echoing leaker Jon Prosser), received some alleged specs and features of the headphones.
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Apple AirPods Studio features
Citing people familiar with the matter, 9to5Mac reports the AirPods Studio (previously linked to the AirPods X moniker) will come with sensors that detect whether the headphones are on your head or neck. Your song will pause when the cans are off your ears and start playing again when you put them on. It's the same idea as when you take AirPods out of your ears.
Using similar tech, the headphones can detect which earcup is on which ear and switch audio channels if needed. This will let you put them on without worrying about which cup is the left one and which is the right.
As expected, the AirPods Studio will have active noise cancellation and transparency mode mics for when you want to let in ambient sound. A more interesting addition is EQ settings enabled through your Mac or iOS device. Adjustable audio is one thing that's been missing from the AirPods earbuds, so this would be a welcome feature for the Studio.
Apple's over-ear headphones will reportedly be available in two versions: one with leather-like fabrics and a lighter version for fitness use, according to an earlier Bloomberg report. The earpads and even the headband could be magnetic so you can easily swap them out when they wear out or get gross from sweat.
While pricing hasn't been confirmed, we expect the AirPods Studio (if that's what they're really called) to be between $300 and $400, but likely falling closer to the higher end of that range. We also don't know about a specific release date but Apple is expected to drop these sometime this year.
