Apple's Beats by Dre Powerbeats Pro 2 arrives with a new design, heart rate tracking, and wireless charging for $249.99

Apple-owned Beats by Dre has finally announced the Powerbeats Pro 2, months after they were first teased in September 2024. The new pair of earbuds arrives as a successor to the Powerbeats Pro released back in 2019. Made for working out, the Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds come with a lot of upgrades when compared to the original.

First, the design has improved: while it still has hooks, they are now made of a nickel-titanium alloy that is light and flexible. The overall earbuds are lighter — specifically 20% lighter than the previous generation, and according to Beats by Dre, the earbuds are its best fitting headphones ever. 

The case has also undergone its own set of changes. It is 33% smaller, has support for wireless charging, a first for its earbuds; and has ditched the Lightning port for a USB-C port just as Apple did with the refreshed AirPods Max. Although a cable isn't included in the box. Also, only the earbuds are rated IPX4 for sweat and water resistance. The Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds are available to buy in Jet Black, Quick Sand, Hyper Purple, and Electric Orange.

The Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds have also gained new tricks such as support for heart rate monitoring during workouts. iOS users will be able to view heart rate monitoring in device settings while Android users will need the Beats app for Android.

The earbuds also have a custom acoustic architecture, dual-layer drivers that reduce distortion, and active noise cancellation (ANC). There's also the option to switch to transparency mode which is useful when you need to be aware of your surroundings. Another feature of the Powerbeats Pro 2 is support for Adaptive EQ which automatically adjusts what you are listening to based on the fit and seal of the earbuds.

They also have support for spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, and when paired with the Apple Vision Pro, they can deliver ultra-low latency lossless audio. All of these are possible thanks to the Apple H2 chip, the same one inside the AirPods Pro 2.

Each earbud has a voice accelerometer and three microphones for better call quality and noise cancellation. There are also physical buttons to switch between listening modes, activate voice assistant, and control volume and playback. The Powerbeats Pro 2 now lasts up to 10 hours on a single charge with ANC turned off (8 hours with ANC on) and a total of 45 hours with the case (36 hours with ANC on).

The Powerbeats Pro 2 retains the $249.99 price tag of the previous generation and is available to buy  on Amazon, Best Buy, and the Beats by Dre online store. The earbuds come with five pairs of silicone ear tips and the wireless charging case.