Apple has a slightly unusual problem.
It has just released a firmware update for a pair of headphones that, technically speaking, aren’t even a product yet.
As spotted by @Aaronp613, Apple has released Beats 360 firmware version 4A203 — giving us yet another pretty strong indication that the long-rumoured Beats 360 are getting very close to launch.
And the firmware does something particularly interesting.
It appears to confirm the Beats 360 name, while also revealing four of the colours Apple is preparing: Black, Pink, White and Cloud.
The headphones that keep leaking
The Beats 360 have been one of those increasingly difficult-to-keep-secret Apple products.
We’ve already seen them appear in regulatory filings, retailer listings and leaked images, while footballers were photographed wearing what appeared to be the unreleased headphones during the World Cup.
Retail listings even revealed a huge amount of information about them before Apple had said a word, including their design, interchangeable cushions and headband, noise cancellation capabilities and IPX4 sweat and water resistance.
Now Apple itself appears to have accidentally added another piece to the puzzle.
The firmware is real. The product just isn’t official yet.
And that’s the fun part
Apple releasing firmware for unreleased hardware isn’t exactly the kind of announcement you’d expect to see.
There was no keynote. No press release. No dramatic Beats video.
Just… a firmware update.
And yet, it potentially tells us more than another blurry photograph ever could.
The existence of firmware strongly suggests that the Beats 360 are moving through the final stages of preparation.
MacRumors notes that the release of 4A203 makes an announcement sometime this month look increasingly likely.
Considering just how much of the Beats 360 has already leaked, Apple may not have much left to surprise us with anyway.
We’ve effectively watched this product go from rumour → regulatory filing → retailer listing → celebrity sighting → leaked images → firmware update.
At this point, we’re basically waiting for Apple to put a price tag on the thing.
And perhaps that’s the funniest part of all.
The Beats 360 haven’t been announced yet, but Apple is already updating them.
Apple really needs to hurry up and announce these things …