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Apple Officially Retires Beats Updater Utility in Favor of Over-the-Air Firmware Updates
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Wow, people have a hard time reading and are so ready to be dramatic with hyperbole just because of change.
Apple is not breaking the Updater Utility, they will just not be updating it moving forward (which is not a big deal, it has two features: Lets you change the name of the device and installing updates the few times they appear).
*** If you have it currently, you will not lose it, it won't stop working, and it will still receive/deliver any updates that become available***
All this announcement does is let you know they will ALSO add the feature to provide updates over the air and that they aren't updating the Utility. If you have current beats headphones — nothing changes — the utility will continue to work as designed as nothing is being changed. The only gripe I can see someone could have (which I don't share) is if you wanted to control not getting an update. For those who feel they need this — I hope apple adds a box in iOS settings to opt-out for you — however, I have had beats paired with iOS since the first Studios came out, bought the Studio 3s about a year and a half ago, as well as AirPods that get a lot of use primarily with my phone and not once has a firmware issue caused a perceived problem with any of them. Call me fortunate, but from my perspective, it hasn't been an issue at all in my mind but I can appreciate my perspective (though I feel is experienced) is still anecdotal.
Apple is not breaking the Updater Utility, they will just not be updating it moving forward (which is not a big deal, it has two features: Lets you change the name of the device and installing updates the few times they appear).
*** If you have it currently, you will not lose it, it won't stop working, and it will still receive/deliver any updates that become available***
All this announcement does is let you know they will ALSO add the feature to provide updates over the air and that they aren't updating the Utility. If you have current beats headphones — nothing changes — the utility will continue to work as designed as nothing is being changed. The only gripe I can see someone could have (which I don't share) is if you wanted to control not getting an update. For those who feel they need this — I hope apple adds a box in iOS settings to opt-out for you — however, I have had beats paired with iOS since the first Studios came out, bought the Studio 3s about a year and a half ago, as well as AirPods that get a lot of use primarily with my phone and not once has a firmware issue caused a perceived problem with any of them. Call me fortunate, but from my perspective, it hasn't been an issue at all in my mind but I can appreciate my perspective (though I feel is experienced) is still anecdotal.
No, they can't in this context. The software can though, as they have added a new feature to your existing headphones (if on the list) so that they can upgrade themselves OtA when near a paired iOS device rather than relying on connecting it to a computer to stay up to date. Or you can continue to use the Utility app you have been using up until now.
Nothing about your headphones are obsolete due to this news.
they can when the battery dies.
i was hoping the update was you can use your headphones analogue with no battery.
Ease of use. Case study: My wife has a pair of Beats Solo 3 I got for her and she has no mac, uses her phone as her main computer (has a laptop but barely uses it but for financial stuff) and connects those headphones to nothing else. If not for this new feature, her and those like her would never get updates — never even know updates were available if not for this. What they are also saying with this move is that there is nothing else to add to this utility, it serves it's purpose and won't be getting any additional updates. They aren't pulling it, just not continuing to develop it.
If you want to do it manually, connect it to the computer and use the existing utility. if you didn't even know they were a thing because you never connected it to a computer and downloaded the Utility in the first place, then you will have an improved experience without the hassle of update notifications for headphones (which I'm sure those who are only on iOS aren't interested in).
This is all Win/Win.
You can replace the battery — I did on my first Studio Wireless cans. There are walk-thoughs all over the internet.
First of all, all this article does is make me realize that no one reads the articles. Everyone’s freaking out over something that really isn’t that big of a change.
And secondly...
Apple Kills Beats Music in 2014, and replaces it with Apple Music.
Apple Introduces AirPods in 2016, which completely destroyed beats in terms of market share.
Apple introduces HomePod in 2017. It could easily have, and was rumored to, be labeled as a beats product, but no. Apple decides to call it the Apple HomePod.
Apple introduces AirPods Pro in 2019, expanding the AirPods lineup and brand.
Apple begins redesigning the speaker system of all of their computers, starting with the iMac Pro in 2017, expanding to the 16 inch MacBook Pro in 2019, and continuing to the 13 inch MacBook Pro and the new iMac in 2020.
Apple changes the headphones that come with the summer education deal in 2020 from beats to AirPods.
Apple renames Beats1 to Apple.
Apple kills Beats Updater.
Apple is rumored to expand the AirPods lineup to include a cheaper sporty version, and a more expensive studio over the ear version.
If you honestly think that apples not slowly, super slowly, killing the beats brand, then you haven’t been paying attention. Guarantee, we’ll see these AirPods Studio introduced next month, and then in six months we’ll hear a story about how the beats studio has been discontinued.
Eventually, I would say by 2023, the beats brand will be no more, or Will be hidden at the bottom of some Apple website, completely abandoned, similar to how the iPod touch is right now.
And secondly...
Apple Kills Beats Music in 2014, and replaces it with Apple Music.
Apple Introduces AirPods in 2016, which completely destroyed beats in terms of market share.
Apple introduces HomePod in 2017. It could easily have, and was rumored to, be labeled as a beats product, but no. Apple decides to call it the Apple HomePod.
Apple introduces AirPods Pro in 2019, expanding the AirPods lineup and brand.
Apple begins redesigning the speaker system of all of their computers, starting with the iMac Pro in 2017, expanding to the 16 inch MacBook Pro in 2019, and continuing to the 13 inch MacBook Pro and the new iMac in 2020.
Apple changes the headphones that come with the summer education deal in 2020 from beats to AirPods.
Apple renames Beats1 to Apple.
Apple kills Beats Updater.
Apple is rumored to expand the AirPods lineup to include a cheaper sporty version, and a more expensive studio over the ear version.
If you honestly think that apples not slowly, super slowly, killing the beats brand, then you haven’t been paying attention. Guarantee, we’ll see these AirPods Studio introduced next month, and then in six months we’ll hear a story about how the beats studio has been discontinued.
Eventually, I would say by 2023, the beats brand will be no more, or Will be hidden at the bottom of some Apple website, completely abandoned, similar to how the iPod touch is right now.
Obligatory: Beats, yo.
I’ve never liked the name. When a large corporation owns the company it then sounds like they’re trying too hard to be cool, while actually being disconnected from their customers.
I’ve never liked the name. When a large corporation owns the company it then sounds like they’re trying too hard to be cool, while actually being disconnected from their customers.
Apologies if this has been asked and answered: how does one check the firmware of something like this (i.e., in my case, the Powerbeats Pro 2).
Thank you.
Product ID: 0x1310
Vendor ID: 0x290b
Version: 0.05
Serial Number:
Speed: Up to 12 Mb/s
Manufacturer: Beats Electronics
Location ID: 0x14100000 / 47
Current Available (mA): 500
Current Required (mA): 500
Extra Operating Current (mA): 0
Last edited:
No, if you plug in the headphones through USB, the updater will give you a firmware number under the battery level. I have Studio Wireless 3s which are currently at v2.4.4. Alternatively, If they have been paired to an iOS device, go to Settings/Bluetooth/ (click on the "i" to the right of its connected status, this can be done regardless if they are connected at the moment and you'll get the most recent version number) that is the firmware you are at.
Huh, thanks for the tips. I did, curiously, get different results when using your helpful method compared to what my MBP says (via option + click on the bluetooth menu icon).
For the iPhone, no explicit firmware, but it does say "version 3A283." On the MBP, it does in fact say "firmware version 2C48."
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
That's weird — I have the Beats Utility (that this article is about) it tells me I have Version 2.4.4. Option clicking the Bluetooth menu icon says I have Version 0244, as does the iOS method I detailed earlier (2.4.4).
For the 3A283 you are getting, that sounds like the Model number for the headphones, not the firmware version, but it's in front of you not me so you would know better. Though a google search associated the number with the Powerbeats Pro.
RE: not wanting updates
Welp, my PowerBeats Pros have been bricked because of a failed firmware update (through my Android Beats app not the Beats Utility). While trying to apply the recent firmware update, it got corrupted and now my beats can't connect to any of my devices through bluetooth. Holding down the button the charging case won't let it go into pairing mode and it won't reset after 15 seconds. Just broken.
Of course, the Beats Utility that I then downloaded says my firmware is up to date (version 3A283). Would be nice if I could ask it send the update again but no, they automagically know what is best for me. Took them to the genius bar to see if they could force a new firmware update but they don't have that ability. My only option according to Apple is to pay $199 for a replacement claim, same as if I ran over them with my car. 🙄
I sure as hell am not doing that. I guess my only hope is that in a few months there will be a new firmware update pushed out through the Beats Utility that will make them work again.
So pissed... I loved these headphones for the last year. SMDH There's a reason I use an Android phone and have as few of their devices as possible in my home.
*rant over*
Hallelujah!!!!! Opened up Beats Updater today to see if there was a new update and they were magically working again... same version number. Thank god, no more expensive bricks. And now that they have the right version, they connected to my iPad with ios14 and I saw the update working on there. As long as the auto-updates don't ever break it we should be good lol
