In the past couple of weeks, we’ve heard a lot of chatter about an upcoming pair of true wireless earbuds from Beats called the Beats Studio Buds. First appearing in the code of iOS and tvOS in the form of system animations, they’ve since popped up on the US FCC database as well, hinting at an imminent arrival. Now, NBA legend LeBron James has joined the leak wave after apparently being spotted wearing the unreleased earbuds.

In photos shared on his Instagram account, the basketball icon can be seen wearing what appears to be the Beats Studio Buds. If you look closely at the image, you’ll notice the squared-off ridge that we’ve seen in the leaked images over the past couple of weeks. James was sighted wearing the white model, but black and red trims of the Beats-branded TWS earbuds are said to be in the pipeline as well.

lebron james beats studio buds

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Interestingly, LeBron happens to be a long-time sponsor of the beats brand (and stakeholder too) and reportedly made $30 million in profit when Apple acquired the brand back in 2014. As per another report from Insider which cites his friend and fellow NBA player Kendrick Perkins, James made a cool $700 million by being a silent investor in the brand.

Coming back to the Beats Studio Buds, they will reportedly bring support for Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and will come equipped with an Apple chip inside for fast pairing. The charging case will color-match the earbuds and has an oval, pebble-like profile, while reportedly offering support for wireless charging too. However, details such as a launch date and asking price are still a mystery.

beats studio buds inline

The Beats Studio Buds look like a solid alternative to the AirPods and their Pro model, especially for folks who aren’t particularly a fan of the stem design. And with noise-canceling support in tow, they actually appear to be going toe-to-toe with the AirPods Pro. I particularly like the smaller profile, which means they will be easier to fit and less likely to fall during workouts or morning runs.


View Beats Studio3 Headphones on Amazon


View AirPods Pro on Amazon