AirPods Studio is Apple's Bose-killing headphones — and it's $50 cheaper

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Apple's premium over-ear headphones will apparently be called AirPods Studio and sell for $349

apple airpods studio concept
(Image credit: Curved)

Apple's new over-ear headphones now have a name: AirPods Studio. The company is expected to release its first true competitors to Bose and Sony this year in Apple's quest to offer the best noise cancelling headphones yet.

The leak from Apple analyst Jon Prosser comes via Twitter, where he says the AirPods Studio will cost $349. That's $50 less than the $399 list price for the Bose 700 headphones. But what are you going to get for your money?

A previous report in Bloomberg says that Apple will offer a pair of over-ear headphones with noise cancellation. There will be one version focused on high-fashion and another model focused on fitness. However, both headphones would offer swappable ear pads and headphone padding, something Bose does not offer.

The fashion-focuses AirPods Studio will be crafted of 'leather-like fabrics' while the sport headphones would have more 'breathable materials'. In addition, the AirPods Studio may have a retro aesthetic, with oval-sharped ear cups that are joined to the headband by thin, metal arms.

There have been previous reports that Apple would be offering an AirPods X targeted at the fitness crowd, so it's very possible that the AirPods Studio is the true Bose competitor while the AirPods X will have its own name and identity. In a response on the Twitter thread, Prosser confirmed that the AirPods X "are sports oriented and won't be coming until later in the year."

So when can we expect the AirPods Studio to release? With Apple's WWDC 2020 virtual event now scheduled for June 22nd, it's possible could launch the headphones then, but in a previous tweet Prosser said that new AirPods where ready to ship and "could drop at any time."

Mark Spoonauer
Mark Spoonauer

Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on TV to discuss the latest trends, including Cheddar, Fox Business and other outlets. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.