iOS 14 leak provides glimpse of rumoured Apple over-ear headphones

Last month, news surfaced that Apple was supposedly working on an over-ear pair of headphones. In addition to the audio device, there was other hardware speculated to be in development. What followed was an alleged leak sourced from a retailer in the United States. People quickly posted the list that came from Target's inventory system that exposed several new products. One of those is the AirPods X, which might be the item in question. Now, some individuals were able to gain access to an early build of iOS 14 and discovered something interesting.

Embedded within the data are default icons for two headphones in black and white. Looking at the shape, these are probably the biggest hint as to how the final retail version would look like. Those who own or have recently purchased wired earphones or the true-wireless AirPods series should know that these only come in white. Thus, the two symbols within the code could be a clue that there would be two colourways upon release, 9to5Mac reports.

What adds to this credibility was a prediction made by renowned Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. He suggested that the company had plans to release high-end over-ear headphones soon. While technical specifications are not yet available, experts estimate that some of the features from the AirPods Pro might carry over to the rumoured AirPods X. Similar to some of the new products from the company-owned Beats lineup, the upcoming audio device might use the same H1 chip.

Other notable functionalities that can be included are active noise cancellation, audio pass-through Transparency mode. It is likewise possible for the headphones to have sensors that automatically pause and resume playback when users remove or wear them. Originally hinted to launch this month alongside the purported iPhone SE 2and other hardware refreshes, the latest leak implies otherwise.

Since the new icons were taken from iOS 14 code, the unannounced headphones will likely debut at a much later date. However, it does not necessarily mean that it will not hit retailers earlier. In addition to the AirPods X, other intriguing details talk about the Apple Watch Series 6. According to the data, the next-generation wearable could add a pulse oximeter as well as an improved ECG.