Beats took its time, but the Powerbeats Pro 2 are finally here with heart monitoring

After a lengthy six-year wait, Beats has announced its Powerbeats Pro 2 wireless earbuds. Those fond of the athletic-focused buds will likely find a lot to like about their successor. The Powerbeats Pro 2 launch with cutting-edge audio features like Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), Transparency mode, Adaptive EQ, wireless charging, and new heart rate monitoring features.

The Beats Powerbeats Pro series first launched in 2019 and found an audience among those who enjoy listening to music while exercising at a gym or running outdoors. The Powerbeats Pro 2 are a significant refresh to the series with a slimmer, more discrete look, alongside bold colors. Beats has also re-engineered the ear hook, making the wireless earbuds more flexible and comfortable to wear.

Available to order now, the Powerbeats Pro 2 cost $250 in jet black, quick sand, hyper purple, and electric orange.

A new sleek design with Personalized Spatial Audio

The Powerbeats Pro 2 tweaks the core design while retaining the overall style philosophy

The new Powerbeats Pro 2 features a refresh to their overall design. Beats worked alongside nearly 1,000 athletes to nail a design that’ll do wonders for longevity and comfort. As a result, the buds feature a new ear hook. It’s designed with a nickel-titanium alloy for phenomenal flexibility, grip, and comfort. While offering new features, including a redesigned acoustic architecture, the Powerbeats Pro 2 are 20% lighter than the original Powerbeats Pro.

In addition, the Powerbeats Pro 2 ship with five swapable silicon ear tips. Designed to help users find their perfect fit, Beats offers ear tips ranging from extra-small, small, medium, large and extra-large. The new earbuds are also water-resistant with an IPX4 rating. Beats also claims that leveraging Apple’s H2 chip, the Powerbeats Pro 2 can deliver up to 45 hours of battery life while using the charging case.

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Introducing Powerbeats Pro 2’s heart rate monitoring

The Powerbeats Pro 2 are available across many apps on iOS and Android

The Beats team has worked closely with the Apple Watch engineering team to take the wearable’s heart rate monitoring and shrink it down to work within the Powerbeats Pro 2. With LED optical sensors pulsating over 100 times per second, the earbuds can measure the wearer’s blood flow. This data can then be used in conjunction with several compatible fitness apps.

In real-time, Powerbeats Pro 2 can relay heart rate analysis to apps like Nike Run Club, Peloton, Slopes, YaoYao, Runna, Open, Ladder, and more. Leveraging the “Airpods for Android” platform created by Apple, the Powerbeats Pro 2 also offer heart rate monitoring across several Android apps.

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Re-engineered audio with more modern features

Powerbeats Pro 2 supports ANC, Transparency mode, and adaptive EQ support

To complement its brand-new design, Beats is upgrading the Powerbeats Pro series to support many of the features we’ve all come to expect from our audio devices. For example, the Powerbeats Pro 2 leverages Apple’s ANC to drown out background noises and bothersome sounds while listening to music. An added Transparency mode is available, so you can hear important sounds while out in the real world or carry a conversation with a friend or your barista at a coffee shop.

Beats is also adding new adaptive EQ settings. Using real-time analysis of how Powerbeats Pro 2 fits inside a user’s ear, EQ settings are adjusted on the fly. An inward-facing microphone analyzes sound. The Adaptive EQ setting then tunes low and mid-frequencies to account for the variable sound. Unfortunately, Beats confirms that Powerbeats Pro 2 won’t have tailored EQ settings you can tune on your own.

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