Apple-owned Beats have announced the launch of new Powerbeats Pro Wireless Earphones, which, like AirPods, are wire-free, featuring Hey Siri’ support and Apple’s newly released H1 chip.
Designed to be used while working out or playing sports, the Powerbeats Pro earphones clip around the ear using earhooks, allowing them to be worn more securely than AirPods which simply sit inside a listeners ear.
Powerbeats Pro are priced at $250 and will be available in May. According to Apple, the Powerbeats Pro deliver “powerful, balanced sound with dynamic range and noise isolation for a premium listening experience.”
Apple claims battery life for the Powerbeats Pro is up to nine hours per earbud, and more than 24 hours of combined playback when using the built-in battery of the magnetic closure case, used to recharge the earphones.
Unlike the recently announced upgraded AirPods and optional new Wireless Charging Case, the new Powerbeats Pro doesn’t offer a wireless charging case, requiring users to charge the clam shell-like case using a cable. – The earphones come with a a Lightning-to-USB-A cable in the box, as well as four pairs of eartips in a variety of sizes, allowing the accessories to better fit the user’s ear canal.
Powerbeats Pro
Powerbeats Pro will be offered in Black, Ivory, Moss, and Navy.
According to Apple, to get an ideal fit for most people, the company tested more than 20 configurations to arrive at an “ergonomically angled housing” designed to nest “comfortably in the concha bowl of the ear with an off-axis nozzle.” Apple says Powerbeats Pro are 23 percent smaller and 17 percent lighter than the Powerbeats 3.
Powerbeats Pro is a harmonious blend of premium sound, fit and functionality. Powerbeats are already the #1 fitness headphones in the world and they are now untethered, with all the benefits of the Apple H1 chip, said Luke Wood, president of Beats. – No longer do you have to choose between performance and practicality–it delivers the best on both fronts.
The earphones will be available 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.