[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong] The next-generation Beats over-ear headphones that Apple is preparing have been spotted through a social media post by footballer Lamine Yamal (라민 야말). As a design clearly different from the existing Beats Studio Pro was confirmed, speculation is emerging that the Beats brand is preparing a major change from its long-standing design language.

On May 30 (local time), IT media outlet 9to5Mac reported that recently released photos showed an unannounced new Beats over-ear headphone. The product is known as model number A3577, and the industry is leaning toward the possibility that it could be a successor to the currently sold Beats Studio Pro.

The biggest change is the exterior. The new product looks significantly different in design compared with the Beats Studio Pro released in 2023. In particular, the headband has changed to a shape reminiscent of Apple's premium headphones, the AirPods Max.

The structure connecting the earcups and the headband has also been changed to a thinner, more refined form. While the existing product used a relatively thick connector, the new model applies a slimmer frame, giving an overall lighter impression. The headband appears to adopt a structure that widens toward the top of the head.

The earcup design has also changed. The existing Beats Studio Pro had the ear cushions and outer housing connected in a relatively flat way, but the new product has earcups that protrude outward. Some analysis suggests it may be aimed at improving fit or securing more internal space.

A color change also stands out. The product spotted this time appears to use a pink-toned color. It is a color not available on the currently sold Beats Studio Pro. A similar color has been used on the Beats Solo 4, but it has been a rare choice in the flagship over-ear lineup.

The industry is interpreting this not as a simple addition of a new product, but as a move to reorganize the overall design direction of the Beats brand.

Apple and Beats have often used marketing strategies in the past that naturally expose pre-release products by leveraging celebrities. In fact, there have been cases in which various AirPods and Beats products were first revealed through photos of athletes or entertainers wearing them before official announcements. Still, interest is focusing more because this new product shows an exterior clearly different from the previous generation rather than a simple teaser-level exposure.

Looking at the background, the Beats Studio Pro was released in 2023, but its basic design did not largely depart from the framework of the Beats Studio 3 released in 2019. USB-C, spatial audio and improved ear pads were added, but exterior changes were limited. By contrast, this product is assessed as likely to be a model that makes the first major change to a design language maintained for years.

Attention is also on internal specifications. The existing Beats Studio Pro used a Beats-designed chip instead of Apple's H1 chip. That helped improve compatibility with Android devices, but for iPhone users it had the drawback of not fully taking advantage of features offered by the AirPods series, such as automatic switching and deeper ecosystem integration.

As some products such as the recently released Powerbeats Pro2 show a trend of strengthening the strategy of using Apple chips again, the possibility is being raised that the new over-ear headphones could also reflect a change in platform strategy.

The release schedule has not been disclosed. Still, as the product has already begun to be exposed through a celebrity's social media, the industry believes an official announcement may not be far off. The market expects the product to be an important turning point showing how the Beats brand will reorganize its design and ecosystem strategy beyond being a simple follow-up model.