Apple's Beats brand is officially introducing the Powerbeats Pro 2 today, bringing significant updates to the wireless earphones aimed at active users. Among the upgrades for Powerbeats Pro 2 are Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) with Transparency mode, Personalized Spatial Audio, an H2 chip for improved power efficiency and Apple ecosystem integration, and for the first time in an Apple audio product, Heart Rate Monitoring.
We got an early preview of the Powerbeats Pro 2 a couple of weeks ago and have been able to spend additional time with them since then, so be sure to check out our hands-on video above for full impressions, and read on below for details on the specs.
Apple has been teasing the Powerbeats Pro 2 with celebrity appearances since last year, so we've known for quite a while that they feature a redesigned body but retain their trademark earhook that helps secure them during vigorous physical activity.
With the Powerbeats Pro 2, the earhook is 50 percent smaller than on the original Powerbeats Pro and has been reinforced with a nickel–titanium alloy for greater flexibility and comfort, making it easy to slip on while ensuring it snaps back into shape for a secure fit. An IPX4 rating means Powerbeats Pro 2 are sweat and water resistant, while upgraded venting and a fifth ear tip size (XS, S, M, L, XL included) help ensure a comfortable fit.
The redesigned body reduces weight by 20 percent compared to the original Powerbeats Pro, but efficiency improvements delivered by the H2 chip boost battery life of the buds themselves to 10 hours with ANC off compared to 9 hours with the previous generation. The onboard battery in the case pushes total battery life to 45 hours, up significantly from the previous 24 hours even though the case is 33 percent smaller. The case is also the first ever from Beats to support wireless Qi charging in addition to USB-C.
On the audio performance side, the Powerbeats Pro 2 feature a redesigned acoustic architecture with a custom-designed dual-layer transducer plus a host of modern Apple earphone features that were missing from the previous generation: Active Noise Cancellation with Transparency mode to selectively allow outside sound in, Adaptive EQ to adjust frequencies in real-time for optimal sound, and Personalized Spatial Audio with head tracking to make it feel like sound remains anchored to the device that's playing it.
Powerbeats Pro 2 are also the first Beats product to support Lossless Audio with ultra-low latency, optimized for Vision Pro with the H2 chips in both devices working together to deliver an immersive audio/video experience with Apple's headset.
A key new feature for active users is Heart Rate Monitoring, a feature MacRumors discovered some time ago based on code in Apple's software updates. When both earbuds are in the ears and Heart Rate Monitoring is active, LED optical sensors pulse at over 100 times per second to measure heart rate via blood flow, integrating with popular fitness apps to collect data during workouts and sync it to the Apple Health app. Supported apps at launch include Open (meditation), Peloton (various fitness workouts), Runna (running), Slopes (skiing), Ladder (strength training), Nike Run Club (running), and YaoYao (jump roping).
For iOS users, Heart Rate Monitoring automatically begins when a workout is started in a compatible app, and it automatically ends when the workout is stopped. Android users will need to manually turn on Heart Rate Monitoring via the earbuds themselves or in the Beats app, but monitoring will automatically end when the workout is completed.
Apple says that when a user is wearing both an Apple Watch and Powerbeats Pro 2, apps and Apple Health will default to using data from the Apple Watch, a choice Apple made to not disrupt the existing base of Apple Watch users who have already been tracking heart rate data. Apple notes, however, that both methods have been thoroughly validated and should yield similar results.
Powerbeats Pro 2 can also be paired to compatible gym equipment to enable at-a-glance viewing as you work out.
Thanks to the H2 chip, you can expect the full suite of Apple integration features with Powerbeats Pro 2, including one-touch pairing, automatic switching between devices via iCloud, Audio Sharing to allow multiple people to listen to the same audio source, hands-free Siri, and Find My support. Android users get many of the same features through the Beats app, including one-touch pairing, Heart Rate Monitoring control, customizable functionality, and a Find My-like Locate My Beats function.
Powerbeats Pro 2 include the iconic "b" logo button on each earbud, and you can customize the press-and-hold gesture to either cycle through Noise Control modes or activate Siri. Quicker single and double presses of the "b" button perform traditional functions like play/pause, track skip, and answer/mute/end calls. Each earbud also features a tactile volume rocker, making it easy to adjust volume right from your earbud without needing to mess with your connected device.
Each earbud includes three microphones and a voice accelerometer, leveraging advanced computational audio and machine-learning algorithms to optimize call performance with features like Voice Isolation to reduct background noise.
Powerbeats Pro 2 are available to order at apple.com starting today in four colors: Electric Orange, Hyper Purple, Jet Black, and Quick Sand. They're available at the same $249.99 price point as the previous generation, and they will be on store shelves starting this Thursday, February 13.
