Apple got approval to release a pair of “totally wireless high-performance earphones” from the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday. But the company didn’t release this product, so exactly what they’ll offer is a mystery.
That said, information buried in the FCC filing shows these will be very similar to last year’s Powerbeats Pro. They might be the successor.
FCC reveals some details
The FCC must approve wireless devices before they can be released in the US. And today it signed off on two products from Apple: A2453 and A2454.
The real product name for these earbuds wasn’t revealed. But when Cult of Mac went digging around in the documents filed to get these approvals, we found a clear reference to Beats. Along with a diagram showing the design of this item. That shows it matches the form factor of last year’s Powerbeats Pro.
Photo: Apple
But the design for these upcoming earphones doesn’t match the form factor of another future Beats product the FCC approved in February. Those turned out to be the Powerbeats that debuted in March.
2020 Powerbeats Pro features a mystery
Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything in the FCC to reveal how the 2020 Powerbeats Pro will be different from their predecessor. The 2019 version was the first truly wireless Beats earbuds. And they support “Hey Siri” for wireless voice commands. Unlike Apple AirPods, they use an over-the-ear support system.
Last year’s Powerbeats Pro lack active noise cancellation, however. This feature is included in the 2019 AirPods Pro, raising the possibility the 2020 Powerbeats Pro will get it too.
Apple introduced the first totally wireless Beats earphones on April 3, 2019 at $249.95. It’s not yet know when their successor will be out, or what it will cost.
