Beats by Dr. Dre (Beats) announced Powerbeats Pro wireless earphones with signature earhook design in four colors. These $250 in-ear style headphones are designed for athletes and music lovers who desire a harmonious blend of premium sound, fit and functionality. And just like the new AirPods they incorporate Apple’s H1 chip for a faster and more stable wireless connection.
Sound
Apple says Powerbeats Pro have been completely re-engineered from the inside out. The earphones boast an upgraded linear piston driver that leverages an efficient, pressurized airflow to create a powerful acoustic response in a small package. Enhanced sound quality means incredibly low distortion and great dynamic range across the entire frequency curve.
Fit
A great solution for comfort, fit and stability was paramount to Powerbeats Pro because of its direct impact on sound delivery. To achieve the best possible fit on the widest array of ears, over 20 configurations were electronically modeled and physically tested. The result is a completely new, ergonomically angled acoustic housing that nests comfortably in the concha bowl of the ear with an off-axis nozzle. It comes with four sizes of ear tips and a redesigned, adjustable earhook—an iconic part of the Powerbeats line since its launch in 2010.
Powerbeats Pro is 23 percent smaller than its predecessor and 17 percent lighter. The lightweight design is also sweat- and water-resistant—built and reinforced for optimal performance.
Functionality
Powerbeats Pro features a fully functional, ambidextrous design with identical, physical volume and track controls on each earbud. This means full control over your music and phone calls, regardless of whether you use the left, right or both earbuds.
Long- and short-range optical sensors drive automatic play/pause and call handling when the earphones are placed in or removed from your ears.
Telephony
Powerbeats Pro delivers incredible voice performance for phone calls. A first for Beats, a speech-detecting accelerometer in each earbud and two beam-forming microphones per side target your voice and filter out external sounds such as wind and ambient noise. This means you can answer a quick mid-workout call at the gym with clarity and confidence.
Battery Life
Each earbud has up to 9 hours of listening time and more than 24 hours of combined playback with the magnetic closure case. With Fast Fuel, you get 1.5 hours of playback after just 5 minutes of charging and up to 4.5 hours after 15 minutes of charging.
No power button means no worries. Powerbeats Pro earphones power on when taken out of the case and power off (and charge) when placed inside. Motion accelerometers detect when the earphones are idle and not in use, automatically entering them into sleep mode.
Connectivity
Class 1 Bluetooth technology offers extended range and exceptional cross-body performance, meaning fewer dropouts. Each earbud independently connects to your device, so you can choose to use one or both. For example, you might wear both earbuds while you’re running on the treadmill at the gym but prefer one earbud at the office for phone calls throughout the day. There’s a Powerbeats Pro configuration for every scenario.
Compatibility
Setup made easy. Pairing is done via the Powerbeats Pro case—simply opening the lid for the first time prompts pairing mode. Powerbeats Pro is automatically paired with any of your supported devices that are signed in to your iCloud account. Powerbeats Pro is compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
Apple H1 Chip
Simply say “Hey Siri” for voice-activated assistance without having to reach for your iPhone. Powered by the new Apple H1 chip, Powerbeats Pro delivers a faster and more stable wireless connection to your devices.
Pricing and Availability
- Powerbeats Pro will come in Black, Ivory, Moss and Navy for $249.95 (US).
- Availability will begin in May from apple.com and Apple Stores in the US and more than 20 additional countries and regions, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.
- Additional countries and regions coming later this summer/fall 2019.
