Beats has officially unveiled the Powerbeats Pro 2, bringing a long-awaited upgrade to its popular fitness earbuds. After six years since the original Powerbeats Pro hit the market, the second generation arrives with significant improvements, including heart-rate monitoring, active noise cancellation (ANC), and enhanced battery life.
Available in four colors—Jet Black, Quick Sand, Hyper Purple, and Electric Orange—the Powerbeats Pro 2 retains its iconic ear-hook design while incorporating a sleeker and more compact build.
Priced at $249.99 in the U.S., £250 in the UK, and $399.95 in Australia, the earbuds aim to deliver a premium audio experience with cutting-edge health-tracking features.
A Sleeker, More Comfortable Design
The Powerbeats Pro 2 maintains its signature ear-hook style, ensuring a secure fit, especially during workouts.
However, the design has been refined to be 20% smaller and lighter than the original model. The charging case is now 33% smaller, making it more pocket-friendly while still providing ample battery life.
Physical controls remain a key part of the design. The Beats logo doubles as a physical button, while a volume rocker sits on the bridge for easy adjustments. This will be a welcome change for users who prefer tactile buttons over capacitive touch controls.
Superior Audio and Noise Cancellation
Beats has incorporated Apple’s powerful H2 chip, significantly improving connectivity, processing speed, and sound quality.
With the addition of Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and Transparency mode, users can now enjoy a customized listening experience that adapts to their surroundings.
A new 9.5mm dual-layer driver has been developed to deliver enhanced bass and clearer highs. The earbuds also support Spatial Audio with head tracking, offering a more immersive sound experience, whether listening to music, watching movies, or gaming.
Revolutionary Heart-Rate Monitoring
For the first time, Beats has introduced heart-rate tracking in its earbuds, making the Powerbeats Pro 2 the first Apple or Beats product with this feature.
Designed with athletes and fitness enthusiasts in mind, the built-in sensor provides real-time heart-rate data.
Using a miniaturized version of the Apple Watch’s sensor—1/16th the size—the earbuds take heart-rate readings every five seconds when worn in both ears.
These readings sync with the Apple Health app on iPhones and are compatible with fitness apps like Peloton, Nike Run Club, and Slopes. For Android users, the sensor works with most major fitness and workout apps.
However, if you’re wearing an Apple Watch, its readings take priority over the Powerbeats Pro 2’s heart-rate sensor. This means users won’t be able to manually switch between the two sources.
Longer Battery Life and Wireless Charging
Battery life has seen a major boost. The Powerbeats Pro 2 offers up to 10 hours of continuous playback, with the charging case providing an additional 3.5 full recharges.
This extends total battery life to 45 hours without ANC or Transparency mode enabled.
When ANC or Transparency mode is activated, users can expect up to 8 hours of listening time, with a total of 36 hours using the case.
For convenience, the case now supports wireless charging, making it easier to charge without plugging in cables. A USB-C port is also included for wired charging.
Built for Fitness and Durability
The Powerbeats Pro 2 is designed with fitness and sports enthusiasts in mind. It features an IPX4 sweat and water resistance rating, making it durable enough for intense workouts.
The package includes five sets of ear tips, ensuring a secure and comfortable fit for various ear sizes.
Beats tested the earbuds with over 1,000 athletes, ensuring the design holds up under extreme physical activity. The secure ear-hook design also makes it a solid alternative to earbuds with wingtips, which some users find uncomfortable.
Insights from Apple’s VP of Hardware Engineering
Apple’s VP of Hardware Engineering, Matthew Costello, revealed that features like heart-rate monitoring were initially planned for the original Powerbeats Pro but took years to perfect.
The collaboration between Beats and Apple allowed them to refine the design and improve biometric tracking accuracy.
“We’re extremely excited to bring this first health-centric technology to the Powerbeats Pro line, and we think it’s a huge step forward for the future of fitness audio devices,” said Costello.
Missing Features
Despite the impressive upgrades, the Powerbeats Pro 2 does not include the U1 chip for precise location tracking like AirPods Pro 2. The charging case lacks a built-in speaker, meaning users won’t get sound alerts if they misplace it.
Additionally, Apple Fitness Plus does not support the Powerbeats Pro 2’s heart-rate sensor at launch, though Beats has hinted at expanding compatibility in the future.
For fitness enthusiasts, audiophiles, and fans of the original Powerbeats Pro, the new model offers a compelling mix of high-performance audio, health tracking, and comfort. The combination of heart-rate monitoring, ANC, and Spatial Audio makes it one of the most feature-packed fitness earbuds on the market.
