Wireless Beats headphones reportedly coming as an AirPods alternative

No matter who you choose, Apple wins.

The just-announced second-generation AirPods may soon have some competition from Beats, but what does “competition” really mean when Apple also owns Beats? It means more options for you, the consumer, and that’s about it.

A completely cord-free version of Beats’ PowerBeats3 Wireless headphones could be announced very soon, according to CNET. Citing “a person close to the retail channel who has previously provided credible information,” the report suggests that Apple is looking at an April reveal.

The PowerBeats3 headphones are more elaborate than Apple’s AirPods, with hooks that fit over the wearer’s ears (to keep each earbud in place) and a cord that winds around the back of your neck. The updated version would reportedly do away with that connecting cord, so you’d just have the two untethered earbuds. 

According to CNET’s source, the updated PowerBeats would also feature always-on support for Siri (just like the new AirPods), and they “may” have better battery life than either of the Apple-branded options as well. The updated headphones will reportedly be fitted with the same H1 chip inside the newer and more powerful AirPods.

PowerBeats headphones are for the sporty crowd, with the built-in ear hooks meant to keep them firmly in place during physically demanding activities. The AirPods are more geared toward casual use, as they’re just buds that pop into your ears.

It wouldn’t be unheard of for Apple to release a seeming competitor to its own newly announced product. Not long after the first-gen AirPods launched in 2016, Apple revealed the BeatsX — in-ear Bluetooth headphones that are tethered together by a cord.

Whatever’s going on, with an April reveal supposedly in the works the wait to find out what’s coming next from Beats shouldn’t be too much longer.