Apple is reportedly developing a set of premium wireless earbuds to go along with the launch of the iPhone 7 this fall, possibly as a part of the company's Beats brand. The new earbuds are said to be completely wireless, connecting to the phone via Bluetooth, and even lacking a wire going between each ear piece.
According to 9to5Mac, the iPhone 7 will also have its own EarPods, which will come with the phone. And piling on to the existing rumors, the new iPhone is once again said to lack a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The headphones are planned to be a premium alternative to a new version of the EarPods, and are highly likely to be sold separately from the iPhone 7; a comparable model from Bragi will retail for $300. As has been previously rumored, sources confirm that the iPhone 7 will not include a standard headphone jack and will instead require headphones to connect via the Lightning connector or wirelessly over Bluetooth. The ability for headphones to connect over Lightning has been included in iOS since 2014, and new EarPods will support this.
The carrying case for the headphones is also said to double as a charger for the set as well, much like the Moto Hint. The headphones are reportedly planned for a fall launch, they are still apparently in the prototype stage.
Apple was previously rumored to be working on wireless EarPods to coincide the Apple Watch launch last March but those headphones, which were Apple-like rather than Beats-branded and sported a considerably different design to the one being rumored now, never materialized.
If Apple has moved on to a new, more audacious design, it'll be interesting to see if they ship alongside the iPhone or show up later in the year, like the iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case did last December.
