An FCC filing lists a pair of unreleased Apple over-ear headphones as on the way, but it's more likely to be a Beats product than an AirPods Max stablemate.

Occasionally, unannounced Apple products surface through regulatory filings as they undergo testing and other necessary tasks before going on sale. While these filings can often provide a lot of clues about what Apple has planned, they can sometimes raise more questions than answers.

A filing at the Federal Communications Commission found by @Aaronp613 and spotted by MacRumors on Friday are for a pair of "Bluetooth over-ear headphones." The report, dated May 5, 2026, identifies Apple as the company behind the tested product.

There are a few real clues about what it is, aside from the description that it uses Bluetooth and has an over-ear design. There is an Apple product number of A3577, an FCC ID of BCGA3577, and an image showing where the FCC ID would be shown on an earcup.

While an FCC filing confirms that something from Apple underwent testing, it does not indicate when the headphones will launch and go on sale. The best guess is sometime in 2026.

Personal audio speculation

The nature of an early FCC filing like this isn't that helpful when determining what product line it belongs to. There's enough vagueness to make it too difficult to nail down.

That Apple product number isn't that helpful, since A3577 is far away from the AirPods Max 2, which is A3454. The preceding AirPods Max were A2096 and A3184 for Lightning and USB-C, respectively.

The unearthed image does little to help, either, since it is a simple diagram. There's no way to determine the product's identity visually.

While it is entirely possible for Apple to be working on other over-ear headphones to accompany the AirPods Max 2, there are no rumors circulating about it.

Another possibility is that Apple is preparing more headphones for its subsidiary, Beats. The most recent Beats headphone release was the Solo 4 in April 2024.

The other headphones in its lineup, the Beats Studio Pro, were released in July 2023, making it three years old.

It is entirely possible that a brand new headphone line is on the way, but it's a small chance. The better bet is on an update to an existing older product line, making the Beats Studio Pro a good candidate.

Source: Appleinsider