There have been a ton of leaks pertaining to Apple’s upcoming AirPods Studio headphones recently. We know how they will look, how they will work, and what customization options they will ship with. However, the latest addition to the AirPods Studio pool of leaks is the suggestion that the Apple-branded over-the-ear headphones will feature Apple’s proprietary U1 chip.
Leaker with the Twitter handle @l0vetodream has taken to Twitter to reveal that the upcoming AirPods Studio headphones will have Apple’s U1 chip. In a translated tweet, he says the new Apple-branded headphones will use the U1 chip to automatically recognize the left and the right positioning of the headset.
Previous leaks have suggested that the headphones won’t have a predefined orientation. Users will be able to switch sides and the headphones will automatically recognize the ear. This, then, can be used to provide spatial audio, which is a feature that is currently existent in the current AirPods Pro.
It had been previously speculated that Apple would include the U1 chip with the AirPods Studio headphones. However, we are now a step closer to confirmation with today’s leak. The final confirmation will be when Apple officially announces the headphones.
The U1 chip was introduced first within the iPhone 11 lineup. It stands for “ultra-wideband” which is a short-range radio technology that is essentially used for data transmission. It has the ability to communicate with other U1 chips and locate them precisely, unlike GPS. Apple has yet to work on expanding its functionalities, but we’ve also heard rumors that Apple’s item-tracking AirTags will use the ultra-wideband functionality to help users accurately locate stuff.
Recently, a tweet from another leaker revealed images of the AirPods Studio headphones in black. Similarly, yet another leak contained a video showing the purported white AirPods Studio headphones being packed into a case of some sort.
As far as features are concerned, the AirPods Studio headphones are supposed to have all the features the AirPods Pro currently have. Additionally, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also reported that the headphones will come with interchangeable ear and head pads, just like how the Apple Watch is customizable.
