New details and a slew of images of Apple’s upcoming Powerbeats4 headphones leaked out on Monday ahead of an official launch. They all but confirm the new wireless buds will look a lot like Powerbeats Pro, and will pack the latest H1 chip for “Hey Siri” support.
We first learned Apple was planning new Powerbeats headphones last December when references to them were discovered in iOS 13.3. Then, iOS 13.3.1 came along and spilled the first official images before Powerbeats4 were approved by the Federal Communications Commission.
An official debut seems imminent at this point, but thanks to the latest leak, there’s not much Apple can tell us that we don’t already know.
Powerbeats4 leak reveals all
German blog WinFuture published what it claims are official marketing images of Powerbeats4, which will supposedly come in black, white, and red. Its report also reveals other details, including the prescence of Apple’s H1 wireless chip.
Photo: WinFuture
That chip will help Powerbeats4 offer hands-free “Hey Siri” support, as well as up to 15 hours of battery life in between charges, up to 1.5x faster connections for phone calls, and up to 30% lower latency, the report claims. The buds are also expected to charge via a Lightning cable.
It is said users can expect the same kind of sound quality offered by Powerbeats Pro. Unlike the $249.95 Pro option, however, each Powerbeats4 bud will be joined by a cable, rather than using a completely wireless design.
Photo: WinFuture
One thing we don’t get from this report is pricing. Powerbeats3 still retail for $199.95 three years after launch (if you buy them from Apple — they are available for a lot less elsewhere), but it’s not yet clear how much Powerbeats4 will cost.
When can we buy them?
Another detail that’s missing is a launch date. It’s likely Apple was planning to unveil Powerbeats4 alongside other new hardware — like iPhone SE 2 — this spring. However, the ongoing COVID-19 could well change that, and indeed affect Powerbeats4 production.
For now, then, all we can do is wait.
