Why Apple Quietly Discontinued urBeats3 Headphones

Apple has announced its newest and cheapest wireless earbuds yet and quietly discontinued a pair of wired earphones that it has been selling for quite some time now.

Cupertino tech giant Apple launched the new Beats Flex, a pair of wireless earbuds that aren't truly wireless like the AirPods. At $50, the new device takes its place as the company's cheapest offering for those who want a pair of wireless earphones for less than $100.

The new Beats Flex replaces the urBeats3, which was previously sold for $60. The older audio accessory, which was available in Lightning and 3.5mm versions, has been quietly discontinued and is no longer offered in Apple's stores.

Those who try to go to the website previously used for the urBeats3 will be redirected to the webpage for the new Beats Flex. The older device's discontinuation means that Beats no longer offers cheap wired headphones. Those who prefer to use such audio accessories can still buy the wired Beats EP headphones at $130 or the Apple-branded EarPods at $19.

Meanwhile, the new Beats Flex is largely similar to the Beats X wireless headphones in terms of design. It has a wire connecting the left and right earbuds, which can also be magnetically attached to one another when not in use and hung on the user's neck.

Apple said the new Beats Flex features an advanced acoustic platform that boasts custom layered drivers. This allows the device to produce “accurate bass and ultra-low distortion” when listening to music. It also features one-tap Audio Sharing that allows it to sync with other Beats headphones like the Powerbeats Pro or the AirPods.

The device connects to the iPhone and other devices via Class 1 Bluetooth and also makes use of Apple's W1 chip to get extended range. It can be controlled via connected devices such as iPhones or via on-device controls for volume and playback.

Apple claims that the new Beats Flex can last for up to 12 hours of continuous listening time. And if ever the battery runs out in the middle of the day, a quick 10-minute charge via the USB-C charging port adds about an hour and a half of playback time.