Beats by Apple unveils Studio Buds + with improved performance and new colors

The latest model, which is priced at $169.99, offers some new color options including a Transparent option and improvements to fit, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), Transparency mode, microphones, battery life, and more.

While the Studio Buds + look identical to the original Studio Buds, Beats says 95% of the internal parts are brand-new including larger microphones for improved sound capture and a brand-new venting and mic port design.

The new Transparent color option is the standout alongside a Black option with Gold accents and an Ivory option.

The Studio Buds + offer improved fit with a new extra-small eartip option joining the existing small, medium, and large sizes to fit a wider range of ears with a better seal. The multi-function "b" button on each earbud has also been redesigned to reduce accidental presses and offer a firmer feel.

The button continues to offer standard media controls, while a press-and-hold function allows you to toggle between ANC and Transparency mode, activate a voice assistant or adjust volume up and down.

The Beats Studio Buds + use a custom second-generation "Beats Proprietary Platform" that offers many of the same features as Apple's chips such as "Hey Siri" and Find My support, automatic device switching via iCloud and more, while also offering similar features on Android such as Find My Device, one-touch pairing, and automatic pairing to all devices linked to the same Google account.

With improved ANC processing now housed on the primary chipset, the Studio Buds + have up to 1.6x better ANC than the previous model and up to 2x better Transparency performance.

Battery life sees a significant boost, with the earbuds providing up to 9 hours of battery life with ANC and Transparency turned off and the case providing an additional 27 hours for a total of 36 hours of battery life, a 50% increase compared to the original Studio Buds.

The Beats Studio Buds + are available in three colors and can be ordered from Apple's website in the United States, Canada, and China. Releases in other countries will follow over the next few months.