Apple quietly kills off urBeats 3 after releasing Beats Flex

Apple on Tuesday discontinued its urBeats 3 wired headphones after releasing new wireless Beats Flex models.

The Beats Flex models, launched Tuesday morning, are similar to the Beats X wireless headphones but come at a cheaper price point. They also feature improved battery life, better sound, and USB-C charging.

With the release of Beats Flex, the Beats by Dre brand has also discontinued the $60 urBeats 3 headphones. Previously, that model was the most affordable wired headphone under the Beats branding. It was first released in September 2017 as a $59 pair of wired audio headphones.

The discontinuation of UrBeats 3 also signals a broader shift toward Bluetooth-based wireless audio. UrBeats 3 featured either a Lightning or 3.5mm connection. The Beats Flex headphones, however, are wireless earphones that use Apple's W1 chip.

That also means that there is no longer an sub-$100 pair of wired Beats earphones, though the $130 Beats EP over-ear headphones are still available.

Apple also still offers $19 EarPods for users who want a wired pair of headphones. The ubiquitous audio accessory, however, no longer ships with iPhone models as of Oct. 13.