Powerbeats Pro 2: everything we know about the true wireless earbuds
It may be hard to believe, but Powerbeats Pro was introduced in May 2019. With the exception of a few new colors, they remained unchanged within the Beats lineup for over five years until they were discontinued in October this year.
That’s a long run for a pair of earbuds, but if you’re still using Powerbeats Pro or are upset that you know they’ve been discontinued, fear not. We got it in September our first look at Powerbeats Pro 2 courtesy of a photo of LA Dodgers baseball star Shohei Ohtani and confirmation of a 2025 launch.
When they launch next year, barring any further delays, hopefully it will be closer to six years since the original. We’ve got a lot of features we were hoping to see, another photo of the earbuds courtesy of Beats, and even more rumors to unpack, so going forward we’ll share everything we know about Beats Powerbeats Pro 2.
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2: possible release date and prices
Although Beats has yet to formally unveil the Powerbeats Pro 2, the first teaser in September 2024 confirmed two things. We know that a successor to Powerbeats Pro exists and even got a first look at one, but we also know that they will be released sometime next year, in 2025.
Considering that Powerbeats Pro originally cost $249 / £219 / AU$349 and remained at that suggested retail price throughout the range, we have to imagine Beats will remain at a similar price. However, the expected upgrades to active noise cancellation and transparency modes, in addition to hopefully better battery life and a new chip inside, could drive that price higher.
We’ve even seen rumors of some health features coming with Powerbeats Pro, which could increase the price. But since Beats has introduced features in the past that first premiered on AirPods Pro at a lower price point — see Beats Fit Pro — that could be a recipe for success.
Powerbeats Pro 2 joins significantly expanded Beats earbud family –Solo buttonsstudio buttons, Studio Buds PlusAnd Fit Pro are all currently in the lineup.
Beats has been teasing the Powerbeats Pro 2 mainly on social media, especially Instagram, so we recommend keeping your eyes there and checking this guide for when more information is officially confirmed about its availability.
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2: Rumors and Leaks
Let’s start with the official tease from Beats – an Instagram post featuring a short video of baseball star Shohei Ohtani hitting home plate while wearing the Powerbeats Pro 2 in white. It was only a brief glimpse, but effectively revealed Beats’ evolution of the earhook design, as the Powerbeats Pro 2 has more rounded edges and a more modern overall construction.
The main body of the Powerbeats Pro is slimmer and slightly more angular. It connects to the ear hook, which wraps around the upper part of the ear. At the other end is the part with the earbuds that plug into the ear. A slimmer build could prove to be a winning combination that reduces overall weight and increases comfort.
But for those who don’t like the pressure of the wing tips or are simply worried they will fall out, the ear hook again offers some extra reassurance and a more comfortable fit for those who prefer that.
Just a few days ago, on November 12, 2024, Beats released the first still image of the Powerbeats Pro 2, again in white, as worn by Shedeur Sanders, a quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes. It’s a different look with the improved design language, but nothing else was revealed.
Considering the evolution of Beats’ earbud range, the next generation of Powerbeats should bring some pretty awesome improvements. As a refresher, since it’s been more than a few years, the Powerbeats Pro was powered by Apple’s H1 processor and supported Spatial Audio. There was no support for active noise cancellation, but the earbuds lasted nine hours on a full charge. You might remember that they had a big, clunky charging case with a Lightning port – it wasn’t very convenient to have in your pocket.
So, for starters, we expected Beats to opt for an internal chip that offers a degree of parity in features (including quick pairing) on iOS and Android. Of course, as with the Fit Pro, Powerbeats Pro 2 could also use an Apple-made processor like the H2. In addition to speeding things up and delivering Beats’ signature soundscape – likely with punchy bass – we expect active noise cancellation alongside a transparent listening mode. It would also ensure they better represent what we expect to see for a pair of earbuds that cost $249 / £219 / AU$349.
Battery life could be extended even further even with additional modes, and we hope to see a sleeker chassis with a USB-C port and wireless charging support for easy refueling. It will be interesting to see where Beats places buttons. These can hide behind the Beats “B” logo, as seen on the Powerbeats Pro 2.
It’s likely we’ll see a new Beats-built or tuned driver for playback that will enable rich and powerful playback here. Considering these are being teased by athletes – a nod to the brand’s roots – and will likely have an IPX rating for sweat and water resistance, they’ll have to add some spice.
It looks like Apple’s continued efforts in healthcare could trickle down to Beats as well. It doesn’t seem like it new hearing health features of AirPods Pro 2 will arrive, but This is evident from a report by MacRumorsPowerbeats Pro 2 may offer heart rate monitoring. The site discovered in code for iOS that Beats’ upcoming earbuds can track heart rate when both the left and right ears are in the ear during a workout and report the stats to the Health app on the iPhone.
MacRumors also showed off additional colors for Powerbeats Pro 2, noting that the earbuds should support Spatial Audio, Active Noise Cancellation, and Adaptive Audio. The latter can currently be found on AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2intelligently combining transparency and noise reduction in one mode. If heart rate tracking becomes a reality, these would be the first Beats earbuds to offer this functionality and the first from Apple to offer it in-ear. The Apple Watch can monitor the heart rate and provide notifications in case of irregularities.
The good news is that soon enough we’ll know the full story about Powerbeats Pro 2 and get started hands on – er, ears on – with the earplugs. It’s rare for Beats to confirm a product this far in advance, but considering the original was well-loved, it seems like they’re building up the hype.