Apple and its Beats by Dre group seem to be close to announcing a new pair of headphones: a Bluetooth version of their popular Solo2 headphones. Earlier this year, Beats launched the Solo2 wired earphones as a cheaper alternative to the Studio cans. Today, a wireless version has been revealed thanks to the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) testing department.
As can be seen in the image above from today’s FCC filing, the design of the wireless model is akin to the wired model. The only difference appears to be the Bluetooth connectivity. The documents specify that Bluetooth 4.0 Low-Energy technology is utilized.
Interestingly, these documents indicate that these headphones are Apple-branded:
Apple is specifically listed as the creator and tester of the new product, and the Apple brand is even stamped on the packaging of the product. The documents also reveal Apple’s request for confidentially for the testing.
While the new headphones have hit the FCC today, there is no indication for when an actual/official launch is planned. We also don’t yet know colors or pricing, but given the substantial markup on the existing wireless Beats headphones, they will be pricey.
We’ve embedded some of the FCC paperwork below:
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Micro USB? Why not lightning?
because more money
So now I need to carry a lighting cord to charge my phone and a micro USB to charge my headphones … Inconvenient
They should have made it both micro & Lightning side by side.
yes its money!
I figured Apple wireless headphones were on the way given that the apple watch doesn’t have headphone jack. I’ll be disappointed if Apple only releases beats style headphones though. I had high hopes they’d make wireless ear buds main stream but maybe we aren’t there yet technology wise. The thing with my ear buds is they fit in my back pocket, I always have them on me, and I never need to worry about them being charged. Not sure there will ever be something wireless that can trump that.
Didn’t apple release such bluetooth headphones as an accessory to the original iPhone? I can imagine battery life would be much better now that we have bluetooth 4.0 LE.
they released a bt headset (one ear type, like a Jawbone) — it was pretty neat because it came with a new dock which charged both the phone and the headset at once. I remember it getting decent reviews but they discontinued it after a bit (before the 3G was released).
since the apple watch is coming out and contains iTunes and will be able to play music, apple has a new (and improved) version of bluetooth headphones to come. beats has a wireless headset now but as you can guess, they are just awful. soon glad apple is getting ahead of the game and creating something with better quality. lets sit back and wait…
Actually, the newer Beats Studio Wireless are some excellent headphones and they’re not awful as you suggested. Just wish people will stop painting the newer Beats headphones with one broad brush.
Agreed — what were awful were the MONSTER-made ones that Beats used to sell before the Monster deal was terminated a couple years ago. Nothing good ever came out of Monster Cable (other than good marketing aimed at suckers).
The FCC isn’t worth a crap…
What’s the price?
Well, they better take a look at this before: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6603243?start=0&tstart=0
It’s a problem with bluetooth that’s affecting many users, myself included, adn it’s very annoying
Apple would be genius if it steered the Beats brand into the thing that wireless headphones really should be.
Acoustic “glasses.”
An omnipresent audio lens through which you hear your music, your phone, your sound environment and your extended, always-on, 3D interface with the world.
Headphones are probably always going to be bulkier than eyeglasses, but there is an inherent service they can provide that is just as ubiquitous and vital.
Once any human hits age 30, hearing starts to go. For men 40 and above, there are usually chunks of the audio spectrum that are forever diminished. But intelligent, wireless headphones offer a potential actively-correcting solution.
With mics on the outside of the headphones a bunch of things become possible:
Inverse hearing-loss EQ. Correcting real-time environmental listening. Better yet, custom and specialized audio enhancements of real-time listening situations. Digital signal processing for live listening.
Amplified hearing extension while retaining binaural 3D perception. Hear farther by simply dialing the volume up to 11.
iPod, etc., music sources via Bluetooth or NFC.
Phone interactions via Bluetooth or NFC.
Loud sound transient suppression. Providing the design isolates ambient sound.
Active noise reduction. Providing they isolate ambient sound by design.
All of these technologies already exist, but nobody packages the suite of components into a coherent, coordinated device. This is, however, exactly what Apple Does Best.
Earbuds are only part of the solution. Some people’s ears don’t tolerate them at all. But virtually nobody is unable to wear earphones.
The trick for designers—just as it was for eyeglass designers—is to make them look good/acceptable/stylish/sophisticated. And run all day on a charge.