Beats Powerbeats Pro 2: everything you need to know about Beats’ all-new athletic earbuds
The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are here – and not before time. They were, let’s face it, overdue by every measure. It might be hard to believe, but Beats’ game-changing Powerbeats Pro were introduced in May 2019. Except for a few new colors, they remained unchanged within the Beats lineup for over five years until they were removed from purchase in October of 2024, to a collective sigh from all who loved them.
But fear not! Back in September 2024 we got our first look at Powerbeats Pro 2 courtesy of a photo of LA Dodgers baseball star Shohei Ohtani – and a confirmation of a 2025 launch. And when they were spotted in a regulatory FCC filing in January, we knew Apple was just dotting the ‘i’s and crossing the ‘t’s.
And now they’re real, nigh-on six years since the originals landed. So what do you need to know – ahead of our full review, that is? Read on…
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2: release date and pricing
They’re here! We thought they would be (notable Apple tipster Mark Gurman said as much) and here we are – Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 were officially unveiled on February 11, as predicted.
And the price? It hasn’t changed. The original Powerbeats Pro originally cost $249 / £219 / AU$349 and rarely dipped from that MSRP throughout their lifetime. And despite the notable upgrades (we’ll get to those soon), the Powerbeats Pro 2 cost $249.99 in the United States, £249.99 in the UK, and $399.95 in Australia. Simple.
Powerbeats Pro 2 join a considerably packed Beats earbuds family – Solo Buds, Beats Solo 4, Studio Buds, Studio Buds Plus, and Fit Pro are all currently in the lineup – do check out our best Beats headphones guide for more on those.
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2: specs, features and our early verdict
Spoiler: we’ve already tried them out and we like ’em, although not necessarily for their most-anticipated feature, the all-new heart-rate monitor.
So let’s start with the design: new for 2025, the Powerbeats Pro 2 include a reinforced ear hook fashioned from nickel-titanium alloy (nothing hugely unusual there by today’s standards – see the Shokz OpenFit Air, for instance). The design makes them flexible, extremely comfortable and genuinely secure. In our early tests, they’re a lot more secure during workouts than AirPods Pro 2 or Beats Fit Pro.
As our fitness and wearables writer, Stephen Warwick enthused after wearing them for a few days, “I cannot think of an exercise discipline that would trip these headphones up… Effectively, these are an industry leader in terms of comfort and stability”.
The entire Powerbeats Pro 2 build is trimmed down: the hook part is up to 50% smaller; they’re 20% lighter; you get a fifth ear-tip to ensure a decent fit; the bridge is slightly more sharply angled. Also, those of us who dislike capacitive buttons on earbuds will be pleased to note that the Beats ‘b’ logo is still directing you to a physical button, with a proper volume rocker located on the bridge.
Nestling inside each Powerbeats Pro 2 is Apple’s H2 chip, which puts them on a processing level with AirPods Pro 2. This is also the first Powerbeats Pro model with active noise cancellation – Beats actually says it’s the best ANC ever in a Beats product, with the adaptive algorithm updating 200 times per second to nix extraneous noise. As you’d expect given this information, there’s also a Transparency mode, plus Adaptive EQ for mixing the playback in real-time.
There’s also a fresh-from-the-oven Beats-made and Beats-designed larger 9.5mm driver too, set in a dual-layer design. And the audio quality? We haven’t put them through their paces just yet, but Beats says the Powerbeats Pro 2 have been tuned to exceed the original’s frequency range, but staying true to Beats (read: you can still expect a full-bodied low-end and substantial bass clout).
Another upgrade is support for Spatial Audio with head tracking – a huge bonus for Apple Music subscribers. And if you have an Apple Vision Pro, Powerbeats Pro 2 is the second audio product to support ultra-low latency with it (Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 was the first).
And now, the biggie: Powerbeats Pro 2 are the first earbuds from Beats – and from Apple – to include a heart-rate sensor for each ear. And Beats didn’t take it lightly either, testing it out with over 1,000 athletes.
The heart-rate sensor for Powerbeats Pro 2 is derived from the one in Apple Watch, but it is actually a fraction of the size of the sensor in Apple Watch Series 10 – a sixteenth of the size, if you want to imagine it. This tiny unit contains an LED sensor, a photodiode, an optical lens, and an accelerometer. You need to have both Powerbeats earpieces in your ears for it to take a reading and know this: the heart rate sensor isn’t accessible everywhere. At launch in the United States, it works with the iOS apps Peloton, Slopes, Runna, Open, YaoYao, Ladder and Nike Run Club.
Any potential snafus? A couple. The Powerbeats Pro 2’s heart-rate readings will appear in the Health app on your iPhone, but if you’re wearing an Apple Watch, the Watch readings take priority – and there’s no way to disable this or make your earbuds override what your Watch says. Apple Fitness Plus support isn’t here at launch either. Using Android? Here, the Powerbeats Pro 2 heart rate readings will work with any major fitness or workout app.
Will the ticker-taker tech make its way over to the unreleased and unannounced AirPods Pro 3? Almost certainly, but we’d hope for support for Apple Fitness Plus by then – whenever it is that Apple chooses to release them. And what of our fully star-rated review of the Powerbeats Pro 2? It’s coming soon – we promise…
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The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are here – and not before time. They were, let’s face it, overdue by every measure. It might be hard to believe, but Beats’ game-changing Powerbeats Pro were introduced in May 2019. Except for a few new colors, they remained unchanged within the Beats lineup…
