It’s been a long, long time since we last heard anything about a new pair of Beats Solo headphones, the brand's less expensive over-ears. Now, however, eight years after the last pair, it looks like we’re getting a new version soon.
9to5Mac spotted the cans in the 17.4RC code, finding images of the headphones nestled amongst details about App Store changes and other more boring (but important) things. With the next generation of Beats Solo appearing in the backend of iOS, they’ll likely get an announcement soon.
New Beats again
When I reviewed the Beats Studio Pro, I called them ‘the death rattle of a dying brand’ — and while I still stick with that assessment of that particular pair of headphones, it’s interesting to see a new update to the now very old Beats Solo3 on the horizon. Released in 2016, they were the first Apple-produced Beats headphones to use the AirPods-derived W1 chip, allowing them that magic connection to your iPhone that makes them much more tempting than other brands.
We don’t have much of an idea of what they’ll have inside, but we can say a couple of things for certain. Given Apple's continued move to USB-C and the use of the port on the Beats Studio Pro and Beats Studio Buds Plus, we can comfortably say that the Solo4 are going to get one of those nestled in one of the earcups. Thanks to the images, we also have a good idea of what colors we’re going to get — Black, Blue, and Pink.
The Solo3 do not have noise canceling, so it’s unlikely the new version of the budget headphones will either. They won’t be competition for the AirPods Max, that’s for certain — although with any luck, they’ll be a more compelling option than some of their similarly priced competition from the likes of Sony and Sennheiser.
The Beats Solo3 cost $199, so we’re hoping that the new version costs around the same. We won’t know how good they are until we get them in hand — but as soon as we do, you’ll know what we think of Beats' latest headphones.
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