Apple Unveils New 'Powerbeats Pro 2' Wireless Earbuds With Heart Rate Monitoring [Video]

Apple has officially unveiled its new Beats 'Powerbeats Pro 2' wireless earbuds with Heart Rate Monitoring for workouts. Featuring a redesigned earhook and significant upgrades to sound, battery life, and call performance, Powerbeats Pro 2 also adds Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), Transparency mode, Adaptive EQ, and wireless charging.

"Powerbeats Pro 2 is the most impressive product in Beats' history — developed to withstand intense training sessions and equipped with our most innovative technology and powerful sound," said Oliver Schusser, Apple's vice president of Music, Sports, and Beats. "Now with Heart Rate Monitoring for workouts, Active Noise Cancellation, and Transparency mode, Powerbeats Pro 2 sets a new standard in audio for fitness."




Here's a closer look at all the new features...

Reengineered Acoustics and Spatial Audio
Powerbeats Pro 2 features a redesigned acoustic architecture and Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking to deliver powerful, immersive sound, with clear highs, rich mid-range tones and deep bass.

To ensure the best listening experience when training, Beats leveraged Apple's best-performing Active Noise Cancelling technology and added Transparency mode to allow athletes to hear the world around them.

Adaptive EQ tunes sound in real time based on how Powerbeats Pro 2 fits in the user's ear. An inward-facing microphone monitors for sound, and then Adaptive EQ, powered by computational audio, tunes the low and mid frequencies to account for what may be lost due to variances in fit.




Ultra Stability and Comfort
Powerbeats Pro 2 was tested with nearly 1,000 athletes. The earhook has been reinforced with a nickel titanium alloy for phenomenal flexibility, grip and comfort. The result: Powerbeats Pro 2 is 20% lighter than its predecessor and is Beats' best-fitting headphone — ever.

Tough enough to handle training in rain, snow and heat, Powerbeats Pro 2 is sweat and water resistant with an IPX4 rating.

Upgraded venting enhances comfort and sound and for the first time ever, a fifth ear tip size is included for personalized comfort. Users can choose from extra-small, small, medium, large and extra-large to find their fit.



Heart Rate Monitoring for Workouts
Accurate Heart Rate Monitoring for workouts gives athletes real-time data on their performance, with LED optical sensors pulsing over 100 times per second to measure blood flow. All this can be relayed to compatible fitness apps in real time.

At launch, the Powerbeats Pro 2 Heart Rate Monitoring feature will be compatible with the following apps in the U.S.: Open, Peloton, Runna, Slopes, Ladder, Nike Run Club, YaoYao





Connection and Controls
Take calls, FaceTime with Spatial Audio, and activate Siri with industry-leading Class 1 Bluetooth connectivity.

Powerbeats Pro 2 is fully compatible with Apple devices for one-touch pairing, automatic switching, Audio Sharing, hands-free Siri, and Find My. For Android users, the Beats App unlocks one-touch pairing, the ability to activate or disable Heart Rate Monitoring, customizable controls, battery status widgets, Locate My Beats, and over-the-air updates.

On-ear buttons or hands-free Siri can be used to control music, so users can focus on uninterrupted training. Each earbud also has a tactile volume rocker for ultimate convenience.

Each earbud is equipped with a voice accelerometer and three advanced microphones, which are more accurate than ever before. Leveraging advanced computational audio and a machine-learning algorithm, Voice Isolation reduces background noise while isolating and clarifying the user's voice during calls. With an improved signal-to-noise ratio and exceptional voice targeting and noise suppression, Powerbeats Pro 2 boasts impressive call performance.




Battery Life
Powered by the Apple-designed H2 chip for extraordinary efficiency, Powerbeats Pro 2 delivers up to 45 hours of battery life with the charging case, with each bud delivering up to 10 hours of playback per charge for countless miles or reps. Thanks to Fast Fuel, a five-minute charge provides up to 90 minutes of playback.

The charging case is 33% smaller than its predecessor and is Beats' first-ever case to feature wireless charging.




Designed with the Environment in Mind
Powerbeats Pro 2 packaging is made from 100% plant-based material sourced from recycled fiber and sustainable forests.

Pricing and Availability
Powerbeats Pro 2 is available to order starting today for $249.99 in four colors: Jet Black, Quick Sand, Hyper Purple, and Electric Orange. The earbuds will be available on the shelf beginning February 13th.

● Powerbeats Pro 2 (Black) - $249.99
● Powerbeats Pro 2 (Electric Orange) - $249.99
● Powerbeats Pro 2 (Hyper Purple) - $249.99
● Powerbeats Pro 2 (Quick Sand) - $249.99