Beats Announces New Powerbeats Pro 2 Earphones with Built-In Heart Rate Monitors In Each Ear

Six years since it debuted Powerbeats Pro, its bestselling sports-focused earphones, Beats has announced a much overdue upgrade and today introduced the Powerbeats Pro 2.The all-new earphones have been reworked from the ground up and pack over half a decade of data and research that has been combined with technological innovations led by Beats' parent company, Apple, to deliver the what the brand calls "the most impressive product in Beats’ history".Hoping to position its latest product as more than your average set of sports earphones, Beats has introduced a host of new features across both the design and the performance of its new buds. One of the standout upgrades found in the Powerbeats Pro 2 is in-ear heart rate monitoring, which the brand promises "gives athletes real-time data on their performance". Beats has achieved this by installing technology similar to that found in the Apple Watch – LED optical sensors that measure blood flow by pulsing over 100 times per second. Speaking to Hypebeast, the brand said the newly designed heart rate monitors in the Powerbeats Pro 2 are around 1/16th the size of those found in the Apple Watch, but confirmed that they perform just as well. Each earbud features its own built-in heart rate monitor, however, to ensure the most accurate results are delivered, users are required to be wearing both earbuds at the same time for the feature to operate.Beats has partnered with several industry leading fitness apps to ensure the new Powerbeats Pro 2 can relay information on a user's activity seamlessly. The apps available at launch include Peloton, Runna, Nike Run Club, Open, Slopes, Ladder and YaoYao, with potential for more to be added in the future (serious question: where's Strava?).Other new features found in the Powerbeats Pro 2 include active noise cancellation (ANC), a pretty standard feature these days, but one that was missing from the original 2019 model. The brand has gone so far as to claim that the ANC found in the Powerbeats Pro 2 is the best it has ever put out, telling Hypebeast that this also includes the company's flagship over-ear headphones. The new earphones also feature an incredibly responsive transparency mode, allowing users to be immersed with their surroundings while using the product, as well as adaptive EQ that automatically retunes the sound to better match your environment. Wireless charging has also been introduced with the Powerbeats Pro 2 – the very first Beats case to feature this – with the case promising "up to 45 hours of battery life", despite being 33% smaller than the one before it.Internally, the new earphones are powered by Apple's H2 chip – the same chip found in the AirPods Pro 2, putting the Powerbeats Pro 2 on par with Apple's flagship earbuds.Elsewhere, the Powerbeats Pro 2 have an IPX4 rating that makes them, according to the brand, "tough enough to handle training in rain, snow and heat" – put more simply: they are sweat and water resistant, but not waterproof.Beats has resigned the earhook to be 20% lighter than the one found in its predecessor, reinforcing it with a nickel titanium alloy that it says has led to "phenomenal flexibility, grip and comfort". The brand also claims to have tested Powerbeats Pro 2 with "nearly 1,000 athletes", creating the most best-fitting product it has ever launched. To this, Beats is including five different sizes of eartip in the box, giving its users the widest range of choice it ever has.The brand has also introduced a set of fresh new colors, with "Electric Orange" standing out amongst them. Other colors available include "Jet Black", "Quick Sand" and "Hyper Purple".Beats' new Powerbeats Pro 2 is available now via the brand's website and at Apple stores worldwide, priced at £249.95 GBP / $249.99 USD.Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast

Feb 11, 2025 - 16:00

Beats Announces New Powerbeats Pro 2 Earphones with Built-In Heart Rate Monitors In Each Ear

Six years since it debuted Powerbeats Pro, its bestselling sports-focused earphones, Beats has announced a much overdue upgrade and today introduced the Powerbeats Pro 2.

The all-new earphones have been reworked from the ground up and pack over half a decade of data and research that has been combined with technological innovations led by Beats' parent company, Apple, to deliver the what the brand calls "the most impressive product in Beats’ history".

Hoping to position its latest product as more than your average set of sports earphones, Beats has introduced a host of new features across both the design and the performance of its new buds. One of the standout upgrades found in the Powerbeats Pro 2 is in-ear heart rate monitoring, which the brand promises "gives athletes real-time data on their performance". Beats has achieved this by installing technology similar to that found in the Apple Watch – LED optical sensors that measure blood flow by pulsing over 100 times per second. Speaking to Hypebeast, the brand said the newly designed heart rate monitors in the Powerbeats Pro 2 are around 1/16th the size of those found in the Apple Watch, but confirmed that they perform just as well. Each earbud features its own built-in heart rate monitor, however, to ensure the most accurate results are delivered, users are required to be wearing both earbuds at the same time for the feature to operate.

Beats has partnered with several industry leading fitness apps to ensure the new Powerbeats Pro 2 can relay information on a user's activity seamlessly. The apps available at launch include Peloton, Runna, Nike Run Club, Open, Slopes, Ladder and YaoYao, with potential for more to be added in the future (serious question: where's Strava?).

Other new features found in the Powerbeats Pro 2 include active noise cancellation (ANC), a pretty standard feature these days, but one that was missing from the original 2019 model. The brand has gone so far as to claim that the ANC found in the Powerbeats Pro 2 is the best it has ever put out, telling Hypebeast that this also includes the company's flagship over-ear headphones. The new earphones also feature an incredibly responsive transparency mode, allowing users to be immersed with their surroundings while using the product, as well as adaptive EQ that automatically retunes the sound to better match your environment. Wireless charging has also been introduced with the Powerbeats Pro 2 – the very first Beats case to feature this – with the case promising "up to 45 hours of battery life", despite being 33% smaller than the one before it.

Internally, the new earphones are powered by Apple's H2 chip – the same chip found in the AirPods Pro 2, putting the Powerbeats Pro 2 on par with Apple's flagship earbuds.

Elsewhere, the Powerbeats Pro 2 have an IPX4 rating that makes them, according to the brand, "tough enough to handle training in rain, snow and heat" – put more simply: they are sweat and water resistant, but not waterproof.

Beats has resigned the earhook to be 20% lighter than the one found in its predecessor, reinforcing it with a nickel titanium alloy that it says has led to "phenomenal flexibility, grip and comfort". The brand also claims to have tested Powerbeats Pro 2 with "nearly 1,000 athletes", creating the most best-fitting product it has ever launched. To this, Beats is including five different sizes of eartip in the box, giving its users the widest range of choice it ever has.

The brand has also introduced a set of fresh new colors, with "Electric Orange" standing out amongst them. Other colors available include "Jet Black", "Quick Sand" and "Hyper Purple".

Beats' new Powerbeats Pro 2 is available now via the brand's website and at Apple stores worldwide, priced at £249.95 GBP / $249.99 USD.

Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast