In a nutshell: A premature listing on Amazon has revealed virtually everything there is to know about Apple's upcoming Beats Studio Buds+ ahead of their formal announcement. MacRumors saw the listing before it was removed, noting a transparent design option that looks a lot like Nothing's Ear (2) premium wireless earbuds. Apple's alternative will be about $20 more expensive at $169.95, and will also be offered in ivory and black color schemes.
Per the listing, the Studio Buds+ will afford up to 36 hours of listening time when factoring in the included charging case. For reference, the original Studio Buds are rated for up to 24 hours with the charging case. Visually, the new buds look very similar to the standard offering, which are still on sale for $149.99 in your choice of blue, gray, pink, black, white or red.
The product page also claimed the Studio Buds+ will deliver 1.6x better noise cancellation and a transparency mode that's twice as good as before. Studio Buds+ will carry an IPX4 rating and come with a range of ear tip sizes (XS / S / M / L) for greater compatibility. They should work equally as well on Android and iOS platforms.
References to the new Studio Buds+ were discovered in iOS 16.4 back in March and earlier this month, the earbuds passed through the FCC.
The biggest competitor to the Studio Buds+ could end up being Apple's own second-gen AirPods Pro. These buds launched in September and have earned a solid reputation, although their $249 price tag doesn't exactly put them in the same class as the more affordable Studio Buds+. Nothing's option is also worth a look, as are Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.
Assuming Amazon's May 18 release date pans out, we should see these announced in the coming weeks. That leaves plenty of time for Apple to build hype around WWDC where the company is expected to unveil its first mixed reality product alongside a new version of iOS and more.