Beats has refreshed its Powerbeats Pro line with the announcement of the Powerbeats Pro 2, a new generation of wireless earbuds designed with fitness enthusiasts in mind. The new model brings a number of updates, including a refined design, enhanced audio, and a new focus on health tracking.
The Powerbeats Pro 2 sports a more streamlined, sporty aesthetic. The earbuds feature a rubberized finish and a redesigned nickel titanium alloy frame for the ear hook. Beats has also managed to reduce the weight of the earbuds by 20% compared to the previous generation, claiming their best fit yet. The charging case has also been downsized, now 33% smaller, and includes Qi wireless charging. The earbuds maintain an IPX4 rating for sweat and water resistance.
A key addition to the Powerbeats Pro 2 is integrated heart rate monitoring. Each earbud houses an optical sensor that tracks blood flow, providing real-time heart rate data. This data can be shared with various fitness apps via available APIs, and also integrates with Apple’s Health app.
Beats has also focused on improving the audio experience. The Powerbeats Pro 2 features a new custom-designed, dual-layer transducer and an upgraded amplifier. The transducers are aligned with the acoustic nozzle for direct sound delivery, and a new acoustically transparent mesh protects the drivers without affecting audio quality.
The Powerbeats Pro 2 utilizes Apple’s H2 SoC, the same chip found in the AirPods Pro 2. This allows for effective active noise cancellation, transparency mode, and spatial audio with head tracking. Adaptive EQ is also included, which tunes the sound based on individual ear canal characteristics, but only functions when ANC or transparency mode are off. For those using the Apple Vision Pro, the Powerbeats Pro 2 offer low-latency lossless audio.
Battery life is rated at 8 hours on the earbuds with ANC enabled, and 36 hours total with the charging case. With ANC disabled, these numbers increase to 10 hours and 45 hours, respectively.
The Powerbeats Pro 2 will retail for $249.99 and will be available in four colors: Jet Black, Quick Sand, Hyper Purple, and Electric Orange.The on-shelf date is set for February 13.
