Apple had just announced the new AirPods 2, and Beats could soon unveil a good alternative to the wireless buds.
The Apple subsidiary is reportedly getting ready to launch a version of the Powerbeats that's truly wireless, which will be brand's first product of its kind.
Powerbeats Without The Wires
Citing a "person close to the retail channel," CNET reports that Beats is going to take the wraps off the completely wireless Powerbeats in April.
It's said to be powered by the same proprietary H1 chip that's in the new AirPods. That means it should deliver better performance, improved connectivity, and longer battery life, compared with what Apple's previous W1 chip brought to the table.
The new H1 chip is also making it possible for the second-generation AirPods to feature hands-free "Hey Siri" support, and at that, the Powerbeats should be capable of offering it too.
There's no word on how much it's going to cost, but it's speculated to be around the same price as the $200 Powerbeats3 or more. In that case, it would be priced a tad higher than the new AirPods that retail for $159 or $199, the latter of which comes with the new wireless charging case.
Of course, just like with other reports like this, it's recommended to be taken with a grain of salt. CNET notes that its source has "previously provided credible information," though, so there's a good chance that this could prove to be accurate.
Déjà Vu?
Back in 2016, Apple released the first-generation AirPods with the W1 chip under the hood. Soon after, Beats rolled out new products that also had the same chip inside, such as the Powerbeats3 and, eventually, the BeatsX.
Seeing as how things are shaping up so far, this could turn out to be a repeat of those events, except they're dealing with the new H1 chip this time around.
