Apple has officially announced the highly anticipated Powerbeats Pro 2, marking one of the first major updates in almost six years of Powerbeats. The ear hook design remains the same: comfortable and safe for workouts. The new earphones are said to produce better sound quality, give extended battery life, and feature a wireless charging case.
Built-in heart rate monitoring is a key enhancement for the Powerbeats Pro 2, a continuation of Apple’s march into the healthcare arena. It employs LED optical sensors to detect heartbeats while exercising, thereby providing the user with real-time data on the run. It plays well with Apple’s own Health app as well as third-party fitness apps like Open, Peloton, Runna, Slopes, Ladder, Nike Run Club, and YaoYao. Currently, however, there is no support for the popular running app Strava.
This development shows a more significant step towards integrating health features into Apple’s family of devices that include, among others, the Apple Watch, which already plays a vital role in ECG readings, monitoring sleep, detecting falls, and more. In 2024, Apple further expanded its health portfolio with a hearing aid feature for AirPods Pro 2. When it comes to heart rate monitoring, it is expected that it would also open doors for future AirPods generations.
Powerbeats Pro 2 also carries Apple’s H2 chip, which made its debut with the AirPods Pro 2 in 2020. This chip increases sound quality, battery life, and overall performance. Users can expect a battery life of around ten hours, and the charging case can boost that time to an eye-popping forty-five hours—up from the twenty-four hours that the previous generation offered.
Besides improved battery life, the new Powerbeats Pro 2 features improved sound quality thanks to things like Spatial Audio with head tracking and Adaptive EQ, which makes changes tailored to the wearer’s ears. The ear hooks have been upgraded to nickel alloy for better support. The weight of the earbuds has also dropped by 20%. They are also sweat-resistant with an IPX4 rating and have made the switch from Lightning to USB-C for charging.
With these additions, Apple pushes the limits of wearable tech, combining a mighty combination of fitness, sound, and health benefits in the new Powerbeats Pro 2.
