Apple may make what it says is the "world's most popular headphone" -- the AirPods -- but lest anyone forget, it's the owner of another headphone company, Beats, which will have its own true wireless competitor hitting the market shortly. A cord-free version of the Beats PowerBeats wireless sports earphones will be announced in April, according to a person close to the retail channel who has previously provided credible information to CNET.
We've seen this game plan before. After Apple released the AirPods in the fall of 2016, Beats also announced new headphones, including the BeatsX, which incorporated Apple's latest headphone chip, the W1.
Similarly, the new true wireless PowerBeats earphones are expected to use Apple's new H1 chip and have the same always-on Siri voice-assistant as the new AirPods, as well as the other connectivity improvements that the H1 is supposed to deliver. The battery life may also be better than AirPods.
Beats hasn't had a major headphone release since the Beats Studio3 Wireless, which was updated with the W1 chip and improved sound in June of 2018. The brand is overdue to update its line.
The new PowerBeats could serve as an alternative to people who were hoping the new AirPods would include design improvements that would help keep them more securely in more people's ears and offer features like better bass and water resistance. Those features will most likely be available in the new PowerBeats.
The big question is the price. CNET's "insider" didn't have any details on the cost, but the list price of the PowerBeats3 Wireless is $200. You can actually pick them up for as low as $90 on Amazon and Best Buy has them on sale for $100 off, which is also a pretty good indication that something new is coming.
It wouldn't be surprising if Beats stuck a list price of $250 on the new PowerBeats, although that's too high and wouldn't end up being the real street price.
Also, exactly what else we might get with the mooted upgrade isn't clear at the moment, but with the recent AirPods refresh in mind, some kind of wireless charging could be on the table.
CNET's scoop comes courtesy of "a person close to the retail channel" who has given accurate tips before, so we can be fairly certain an upgrade is coming - it would be more of a surprise if Apple wasn't lining up a Powerbeats refresh.
