Apple's big AirPods 5 launch event might be over, but its most anticipated headphones may well arrive later this month

Apple's big AirPods 5 launch event might be over, but its most anticipated headphones may well arrive later this month The Beats 360 are looking incredibly close to launch - Evidence points to Beats 360 coming later in September - That's despite Beats' owner, Apple, having just hosted a big launch event - We now know a lot about these new headphones too… While the AirPods 5 upgrades offer you the best features of the AirPods Pro, they were small consolation at an Apple Event in which people were hoping for more sweeping audio upgrades. No AirPods with cameras, no HomePods upgrade despite teases, and no new Beats headphones. However, that latter point could be addressed later in the month. How come? because according to MacRumors, Apple just released a firmware update for the Beats 360 headphones. Yes, that same pair of Beats 360 headphones we've been hearing rumors about for months, but that have yet to be officially announced. Why is Apple updating headphones that don't exist? Well, bear in mind we've been seeing them for months, as Apple gave them to multiple soccer World Cup players to show off during the tournament. Celebrity sportspeople need their tech updating too, after all. There's no indication of what this update does, and it doesn't really matter. It's all about what this update suggests. A Beats 360 release date just around the corner? Because of this recent software update, many now think that the Beats 360 are due to be unveiled at some point in September. While Apple already has just had its big product unveiling event of the year (on September 9, around 14 hours ago at the time of writing), that doesn't rule out new Beats devices. Apple generally lets its Beats sub-brand operate independently. In fact, it would've been pretty bizarre if we had seen the Beats 360 shown off at the Apple event, for this fact. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. We know a lot about how the Beats 360 look, thanks to plenty of leaks (and, of course, the fact that they were literally on the necks, heads and bags of a few soccer players months ago). They sound like a big step up from what we've seen, but as the launch of a new range, it's hard to know how they'll stack up to existing models. Beats' last product launch was in October 2025, when it showed off the Powerbeats Fit, so maybe we'll see the brand take the same late-September-early-October window for its new device. Or devices? We've only heard about the Beats 360, but that doesn't rule out siblings of other form factors. ➡️ Read our full guide to the best noise cancelling headphones 1. Best overall: Sony WH-1000XM6 2. Best mid-range: Bose QuietComfort Headphones 3. Best under $100/£100: 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 4. Best under $60/£50: Soundcore Q30 Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Tom Bedford is a freelance contributor covering tech, entertainment and gaming. Beyond TechRadar, he has bylines on sites including GamesRadar, Digital Trends, Android Police, TechAdvisor, WhattoWatch and BGR. From 2019 to 2022 he was on the TechRadar team as the staff writer and then deputy editor for the mobile team. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.