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Review roundup: New Beats Studio Buds+ win with cool clear case and audio upgrades

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Transparent plastic is a new look for Beats.
Transparent plastic is a new look for Beats.
Photo: Amazon/Beats

The new Beats Studio Buds+ went on sale Wednesday as numerous initial reviews praised their good looks and tech upgrades.

Nearly every reviewer loved the ’90s-nostalgic, iMacs-of-yore transparent case option. And the new custom chipset for audio quality, new microphones for better active noise cancellation (ANC) and voice calls, and longer battery life aren’t bad, either.

But some features are still missing on the $169.99 buds, up $20 from the original Beats Studio Buds when they came out — but $80 less than AirPods Pro (2nd generation) for thrifty shoppers.

iOS 16.4 RC references unreleased AirPods, Beats Studio Buds+

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AirPods 3 with Funko
Is Apple silently working on an AirPods refresh?
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Apple’s RC build of iOS 16.4 references an unreleased AirPods with the model number A3048. There’s also mention of a new AirPods charging case carrying the model number A2968.

In addition, Apple seems to be working on a new pair of Beats Studio Buds, dubbed the Buds+.

Beats Studio Buds get an atomic makeover

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The collaboration with artist Futura features his signature atomic symbol.
The collaboration with artist Futura features his signature atomic symbol.
Photo: Beats

Just about a week after collaborating with Twitch streamer Nickmercs, Apple subsidiary Beats is out with another special-edition release of Beats Studio Buds, this time with design firm Futura Laboratories.

This is the second Beats collaboration for the design firm’s founder, the graffiti artist Futura.

Now you can grab Beats Studio Buds in 3 new colors

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Get Beats Studio Buds in three sassy new colors.
Get Beats Studio Buds in three sassy new colors.
Photo: Apple

As promised last week, Apple rolled out three new colors of its Beats Studio Buds wireless earbuds, saying you can buy them starting Wednesday (though you can find them Tuesday at the links below).

The new colors are Ocean Blue, Sunset Pink and Moon Gray. They’ll cost $149.99, just like the original colors available since the product’s launch in 2021 (black, red and white).

But with the new hues, you can only get certain colors from certain retailers.

Beats Studio Buds get instant pairing over iCloud and new controls

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Beats Studio Buds come in white, red and black.
You now have one-tap pairing across all Apple devices.
Photo: Beats

Apple this week rolled out a new firmware update for its Beats Studio Buds that adds a couple of handy new features and controls — including instant pairing for all your Apple devices over iCloud.

Instant pairing, which was already available on AirPods, means users no longer have to connect Beats Studio Buds to all their Apple devices individually.

Need to exchange a holiday gift? Compare top Apple and Beats earbuds

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AirPods Pro are still Apple's flagship earbud, but the others featured in the tables below make for stiff competition.
AirPods Pro are still Apple's flagship earbud, but the others featured in the tables below make for stiff competition.
Photo: Apple

In gift-giving season, sometimes you get something you already have or something that isn’t quite what you wanted. So, if you can exchange the item for something you truly covet — like a killer pair of Apple AirPods or Beats earbuds — you probably should.

But how do you choose between earbuds made by Apple and earbuds made by Apple subsidiary Beats by Dre? We’ve laid out the specs for four popular sets of buds, below, pitting AirPods Pro against Beats Fit Pro and the new AirPods (3rd gen) against Beats Studio Buds. But all the specs listed in each chart are the same, so it’s not difficult to compare and contrast all four.

New limited-edition Beats Studio Buds celebrate Year of the Tiger

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Add some Lunar New Year style to your earbuds.
Add some Lunar New Year style to your earbuds.
Photo: Beats

A new, red-and-gold, limited-edition design for Beats Studio Buds will celebrate the Lunar New Year in China and other countries — the Year of the Tiger — Apple said on Monday.

This follows a recent release of another predominately red, limited-edition design in collaboration with the men’s fashion store Union we wrote about earlier in December.

Get a load of Beats Studio Buds’ first limited-edition design

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Beats Studio Buds get a bold design for Union's 30th anniversary.
Beats Studio Buds get a bold design for Union's 30th anniversary.
Photo: Beats

Beats released a new version of its Beats Studio Buds on Tuesday in a joint effort with the trendy mens fashion store Union. The limited-edition wireless earbuds commemorate Union’s 30th anniversary. You can snap them up at the store’s Los Angeles and Tokyo locations and, as of Wednesday, online.