When Apple finally does get around to sharing the Beats Studio Buds Plus with everyone there won't be all that much to be surprised about, it seems. It can thank Amazon for that after the retailer apparently leaked the unannounced earbuds in all their glory. And boy do they look familiar.

The upgraded Beats Studio Buds look set to launch pretty soon and will cost more than the originals. But for that extra money, you can expect some improvements, although those hoping for AirPods Pro levels of quality should probably look elsewhere.

Beats Studio Buds Plus - coming 18 May

While the Apple-owned Beats hasn't yet confirmed the existence of the Beats Studio Buds Plus, this isn't the first time we've heard about them. They appeared in an iOS build in March 2023, and The Verge now reports that Amazon briefly listed the earbuds on its website.

The retailer didn't just put a placeholder page up - it went the whole hog. It's for that reason that we now know that the Beats Studio Buds Plus will go on sale on 18 May 2023 and that they will cost $169.95 once they do. We also know that they'll look very similar to the Studio Buds that are already on sale with one big difference - there's a transparent charging case and earbud design that looks very familiar indeed.

If you're familiar with the Nothing Ear (1) or Nothing Ear (2) you'll immediately be reminded of their sheer look. That's not a bad thing by any stretch, and we now find ourselves wishing Apple would ship more stuff like this. Imagine an iPhone 15 that you could see through.

In terms of specs, Amazon's listening claimed that buyers can expect up to 36 hours of total listening time while larger microphones and four different sizes of ear tips are said to be included. You'll also benefit from improved active noise cancellation and a Transparency mode upgrade, allegedly.

We'll have to test these things ourselves before we can pass comment but at around $20 more than the original Beats Studio Buds we think we'd pay that just for the new look.