Apple accidentally leaks Beats Fit Pro on AirPods 3 launch day

Leaked image of Beats Fit Pro via 9to5Mac.

(Image credit: 9to5Mac)

While Apple finally revealed the much-anticipated AirPods 3 at the Apple Event earlier today (Oct. 18), it seems the company has made an uncharacteristic slip and accidentally leaked the Beats Fit Pro.

The Apple snoopers over at 9to5Mac were the first to uncover the Beats Fit Pro. In internal iOS 15.1 RC files, 9to5Mac found an image of the Beats Fit Pro, which bear a striking resemblance to the first generation Samsung Galaxy Buds from 2019.

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Beyond the leaked image, 9to5Mac did not find any deeper information regarding its specs or features. But sources do tell the Apple-focused website that the Beats Fit Pro are very similar to the affordable Beats Studio Buds from earlier this year. The Beats Fit Pro will, at least according to 9to5Mac's sources, feature active noise cancellation (ANC), Apple's H1 chip for fast pairing and Hey Siri support. Unlike the Beats Studio Buds, which have a rather large charge case given the earbuds' diminutive size, the Beats Fit Pro seem to be more pocketable.

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At least for Apple, the timing of this leak could not have come at a worse time. Right now all attention is being given to the recent Apple "Unleashed" event in which the company announced the new M1 Pro and M1 Max computer chips, a newly redesigned MacBook Pro with an SD card slot and MagSafe charging and the AirPods 3. While it's atypical for Apple to leak the Beats Fit Pro in such a way, it will likely do little to dissuade buyers from cancelling their newly made AirPods 3 pre-orders.

Unfortunately it's hard to know exactly when we'll see an official unveiling of the Beats Fit Pro. But considering it's already inside iOS 15 code, it could be coming very soon. Even then, with the holiday season fast approaching, and with many of the best Black Friday deals already landing, Apple should probably act sooner rather than later.

More: Apple event recap: M1 Pro, M1 Max, MacBook Pro and AirPods 3

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Imad is currently Senior Google and Internet Culture reporter for CNET, but until recently was News Editor at Tom's Guide. Hailing from Texas, Imad started his journalism career in 2013 and has amassed bylines with the New York Times, the Washington Post, ESPN, Wired and Men's Health Magazine, among others. Outside of work, you can find him sitting blankly in front of a Word document trying desperately to write the first pages of a new book.