Beats Studio Buds: Apple presents a cheaper alternative to the AirPods Pro with ANC and USB-C

With the Beats Studio Buds, Apple has announced an alternative to the in-house AirPods Pro (REVIEW) that is not only cheaper but also has some coveted features, including a USB-C port for charging and longer battery life.

The AirPods Pro (approx. $197 on Amazon) are not for everyone with their high price, the proprietary Lightning connector, the mediocre battery life, and the focus on iPhone users. With the Beats Studio Buds, Apple has now introduced a new alternative that improves all of these points.

Just like the best true wireless earbuds in this price range, the Beats Studio Buds also offer active noise cancellation (ANC) and a transparency mode, and IPX4 certification promises protection against sweat and rain. The connection to the smartphone takes place as usual via Bluetooth, whereby the coupling with both iPhones and Android smartphones should be particularly easy, “Hey Siri” should only be available in connection with Apple devices.

The battery life is particularly pleasing because the wireless noise cancelling earbuds are supposed to last a remarkable eight hours of music playback – this value was measured at only 50 percent of the maximum volume and with deactivated ANC, with activated noise suppression the battery life drops to only “five” hours – still longer than the runtime of the AirPods Pro.

The charging case stores enough energy for two full charges before it has to be connected back to the USB-C cable, wireless charging is not supported. The playback can be controlled via a touch-sensitive surface on the wireless noise cancelling headphones. In addition, the Earbuds feature transparency mode and IPX4 water resistance.

Beats Studio Buds price and availability

The Beats Studio Buds are already listed in black, white, and red colors at a price of $149.95 in the Bhphotovideo.com, and Bestbuy.com online store, delivery will start from June 25th, 2021.