What you need to know
- Apple is rumored to have new high-end headphones in the works.
- They are expected to have similar pairing features to AirPods.
- Support for "Hey Siri" would also be included.
We've been hearing various iterations of a rumor that Apple is working on over-ear headphones for years. It's a rumor that just won't go away, and now we might finally have our best indication yet that they're coming sooner rather than later. And we can even see what they look like, too.
9to5Mac has been able to get hold of iOS 14 code and hidden inside is what appears to be light and dark versions of icons that will be used for the unannounced headphones. The icons will likely be used in iPhone and iPad status bars, given their low resolution.
But low resolution or not, this is the first time we've been able to see what Apple's headphones might look like. It's a bit of an anticlimax in that they look like any other generic headphones, but the fact they're in iOS 14 at all is excellent news for anyone hoping to be able to pick them up this year.
Given the black and white icons, Apple may announce the headphones in those two colors, but that's just a calculated guess at this point.
While these icons don't tell us what features we should expect. it's likely the headphones will be similar to AirPods Pro, but larger. Noise cancelation and Apple's H1 chip are pretty much a given at this point, with the headphones likely to carry a price tag to match.
9to5Mac notes that the icons were found in iOS 14 code that dates back to December 2019, so it's already fairly old. However, the inclusion of the icons in iOS 14 suggests Apple intends to launch the headphones before the update is available to the public. If the company follows its normal timescales that's likely to happen towards the end of September.
