IOS 14.3 icon in AirPods Studio design

An iOS 14.3 beta icon that was briefly released this afternoon before being retired could reveal the design of the upcoming AirPods Studio headphones.

Found by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser and also highlighted by 9to5Mac, the icon is simple in design but does not represent a current headphone design used by Apple. The icon has deep oval shaped ear cups and what appears to be a padded band, and it’s similar to the leaked images that are said to depict the “AirPods Studio.”

A mockup of what ‌AirPods Studio‌ could look like based on leaked footage
The headset icon and associated icons representing a backpack and a set of luggage are also in iOS 14.3, which suggests that all of the icons may be related to Apple’s upcoming AirTags. We’ve been seeing signs of “AirTags” in Apple’s software for months now.

Rumors suggest that Apple’s “AirPods Studio” headphones will have a retro design with interchangeable ear cups and active noise cancellation functionality. There can be two variations, one made from lighter weight materials and the other made from premium materials.

A new pairing video in the Find My app in iOS 14.3 beta 1 with the codename Hawkeye indicates support for Apple beacons and the new Apple in-ear headphones. pic.twitter.com/oVdCLQcaWc
– Steve Moser (@SteveMoser) November 12, 2020

Neither ‌AirPods Studio‌ nor ‌AirTags‌ are due out until the end of the year, and it’s likely we’ll see both of these products unveiled at some point in early 2021.

For more on “AirPods Studio,” be sure to check out our roundup.