Earlier in 2018, rumors suggested that Apple was planning to launch high-end over-ear headphones in 2019 – with the product being delayed due to development issues. However, the said product did not see the light of the day even in 2019, with the high-end AirPods Pro launching for $249. Now, code found iOS 14 (by 9to5Mac) contains icons that point towards the presence of such a device.
The icons provide a rough idea of the design of the device, which resembles the Beats Studio and Solo Pro headphones. There are two colors of the icons, white and grey. It could so be that the two colors are meant to be used depending on the background to maintain contrast, such as against the light and dark modes. It is not clear if the device will come in two colors indeed.
The headphones are expected to sport more features that what exists in current Beats headphones, likely to pit the Cupertino giant’s offering as a more premium buy. One of the abilities of the device is said to be the auto-pause function – where the device automatically pauses media when users remove them and resumes playback once worn back. Unsurprisingly, the device will adopt features from the AirPods Pro as well.
Reports suggest that the headphones are slated for launch sometime in 2020. With the icons now being spotted across the OS, including in the battery and charging status widget, it is to be seen if it launches during Apple’s September event. However, plans may always change internally, and the device might not be launched at all, so its best to take this information with a pinch of salt.