Boasting a redesigned earhook and significant upgrades to sound, battery life, and call performance, the new Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are available in four bold colors — Jet Black, Quick Sand, Hyper Purple, and Electric Orange — for $249.99 (US) from apple.com. According to Apple, the Powerbeats family is the highest selling Beats in-ear product, based on known sales data. And these new Powerbeats Pro 2 are the first in-ear design from Apple to introduce a new heart rate monitor feature that has long be rumored to be under development.
The new heart rate sensing and monitor system was perfected for workouts and gives athletes real-time data on their performance. It uses LED optical sensors pulsing over 100 times per second to measure blood flow, and the information collected can then be relayed to compatible fitness apps in real time. At launch, the Powerbeats Pro 2 Heart Rate Monitoring feature will be compatible with Open, Peloton, Runna, Slopes, Ladder, Nike Run Club, and YaoYao apps, available in the US.
"Powerbeats Pro 2 is the most impressive product in Beats' history — developed to withstand intense training sessions and equipped with our most innovative technology and powerful sound," says Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Music, Sports, and Beats. "Now with Heart Rate Monitoring for workouts, Active Noise Cancellation, and Transparency mode, Powerbeats Pro 2 sets a new standard in audio for fitness."
The new earhook buds from Beats are also a way for Apple to experiment with a redesigned acoustic architecture that is optimized for a specific user segment that the AirPods class doesn't target: active lifestyles, from fitness and jogging to endurance sports. And yet, Apple implemented all its best features from the AirPods Pro into this new Beats product. That includes Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking.
And to ensure the best listening experience when training, Beats leveraged Apple's best-performing Active Noise Cancelling technology and added Transparency mode to allow athletes to hear the world around them. Adaptive EQ tunes sound in real time based on how Powerbeats Pro 2 fits in the user’s ear. An inward-facing microphone monitors for sound, and then Adaptive EQ, powered by computational audio, tunes the low and mid frequencies to account for what may be lost due to variances in fit.
Powerbeats Pro 2 was tested with nearly 1,000 athletes. The earhook has been reinforced with a nickel titanium alloy for phenomenal flexibility, grip and comfort. This allowed the new Powerbeats Pro 2 to be 20% lighter than its predecessor, while still being tough enough to handle training in rain, snow and heat. Effectively, the Powerbeats Pro 2 earhook buds are sweat and water resistant with an IPX4 rating.
Very unique to this application, the upgraded venting on the Powerbeats Pro 2 enhances comfort and sound - and for the first time ever, a fifth ear tip size is included for personalized comfort. Users can choose from extra-small, small, medium, large and extra-large to find their fit.
As with all Apple true wireless products, the new Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are a Class 1 Bluetooth product (allowing the audio source to remain at a larger distance, typically up to 30 meters). And of course they support FaceTime calls with Spatial Audio, and are ready to activate Siri in connection with any other Apple products. Powerbeats Pro 2 are fully compatible with Apple devices for one-touch pairing, automatic switching, Audio Sharing, hands-free Siri, and Find My.
For Android users, the Beats App unlocks one-touch pairing, the ability to activate or disable Heart Rate Monitoring, customizable controls, battery status widgets, Locate My Beats, and over-the-air updates. On-ear buttons or hands-free Siri can be used to control music, so users can focus on uninterrupted training. Each earbud also has a tactile volume rocker for ultimate convenience.
For calls, the new design is also equipped with a voice accelerometer and three advanced microphones, which are more accurate than ever before. Leveraging advanced computational audio and a machine-learning algorithm, Voice Isolation reduces background noise while isolating and clarifying the user’s voice during calls. And calls are also improved by the superior signal-to-noise ratio and exceptional voice targeting and noise suppression.
Powered by the Apple-designed H2 chip for extraordinary efficiency, the new Powerbeats Pro 2 deliver up to 45 hours of battery life with the charging case, with each bud delivering up to 10 hours of playback per charge. A five-minute charge over USB‑C provides up to 90 minutes of playback. The charging case is 33% smaller than its predecessor and is Beats’ first-ever case to feature wireless charging.
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