The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 go official as Apple's most sophisticated earbuds to date
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AirPods fans who were disappointed to see their favorite company release a fourth edition of the "regular" industry-leading earbuds a few months ago instead of a third-gen Pro model are about to get even more upset, as the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 have just gone official with a much more impressive list of features and capabilities than both the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2.
Up for grabs right now in the US at $249.99, the long overdue sequel to the 2019-released first-gen Powerbeats Pro feels incredibly hard to turn down for fitness fanatics and gym freaks, even though there's obviously a very good chance that Apple will unveil the belated AirPods Pro 3 in the relatively near future with the same key selling point as these Beats-branded bad boys.
More than just regular old earbuds
Have you ever wished your buds could do more than play music and isolate you from your surroundings in your own personal cocoon of cool beats? The Powerbeats Pro 2 are here to replace your smartwatch or smart band... kind of, with built-in heart rate monitoring "for workouts" as the biggest feature addition over the first edition from more than half a decade ago.
If you want to keep an eye on your pulse while running, cycling, weightlifting, or performing other grueling physical activities, this might be the only wearable device you need, thus justifying (at least in part) that somewhat extravagant price point.
Of course, we don't yet know how accurate and reliable this in-ear heart rate monitoring technology will prove, but Apple definitely has a great track record with that kind of stuff, at least as far as smartwatches are concerned. A few other companies (including Jabra, Sennheiser, and Anker) have already tried their hand at integrating such functionality into their own gym-friendly earbuds... with rather mixed results.
If you feel like this feature is bound to prove more gimmicky than useful (let alone revolutionary), you'll probably be delighted to know that the Powerbeats Pro 2 come with a bunch of more "conventional" upgrades and improvements over the Powerbeats Pro 1 as well.
More power, more style, more battery life, and Android compatibility
The Android compatibility is not new, mind you, but it's clearly worth highlighting given that Apple's AirPods still work only in conjunction with the company's own mobile devices.
Whether you're rocking an iPhone or an Android handset (from any brand), you can enjoy "Apple's best-performing Active Noise Cancelling technology", state-of-the-art Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, Transparency mode, and Adaptive EQ on the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2.
With an Apple H2 chip under the hood, the latest and greatest Beats-branded earbuds essentially promise to deliver the same flawless connectivity and ultra-powerful sound as the AirPods Pro 2, while keeping your favorite tunes going for up to 10 hours without interruption.
That's up from an already remarkable 9-hour battery life rating for the first-gen Powerbeats Pro, and although the Powerbeats Pro 2's charging case is 33 percent smaller than its predecessor, that's somehow enough to bump up the aforementioned 10-hour number to a mind-blowing 45 hours. Oh, and the case also supports wireless charging this time around.
The Powerbeats Pro 2 themselves are significantly lighter and yet somehow also tougher than their forerunners, promising "phenomenal flexibility, grip, and comfort" with the help of a redesigned (and seemingly subtler) earhook. Last but not least, the Jet Black, Quick Sand, Electric Orange, and Hyper Purple color options already available directly from Apple and major third-party retailers like Amazon seem to perfectly cover every possible cosmetic preference, from the more discreet and classically elegant to the more attention-grabbing.
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