Apple's Powerbeats 4 show up on shelves ahead of official announcement

Although Apple hasn’t let loose any official word on the Powerbeats 4 wireless in-ears, rumours and leaks of their existence have been popping up over the last few weeks. Now, they’ve even been seen on shelves.

As reported by 9to5Mac, a reader found the new Powerbeats 4 available for $149 at his local Walmart in Rochester, New York. It’s unclear if this is the final retail price as we’ll have to wait for official word on that front, but the Powerbeats 3 launched for $199 (£169.95 / AU$259).

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As can be seen, the new iteration of Apple’s wireless earbuds from the Beats by Dre brand are available in the anticipated black, red, and white color options. They also feature the improved ear hook design that we expected would carry across from the true wireless Powerbeats Pro.

Similarly, the packaging claims that the wireless in-ears will boast up to 15 hours battery life, a step up from the 12 hours offered by the Powerbeats 3 and something we anticipated, given that the new units likely include Apple’s H1 chip.

The addition of this chip also introduces “Hey Siri” functionality (a detail that was discovered in the iOS 13.3 code), allowing users to access Apple's digital assistant directly via a voice command instead of needing to wake it with a button press.

While this is as clear a confirmation of the product’s existence as we can get without it being Apple’s official word, it’s worth noting that the tech giant hasn’t made any official announcement at this point, so we’re yet to learn all details on the latest wireless in-ears from Beats.