Powerbeats Pro 2 Review: Apple’s New Secret Weapon?

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80%

80%

The Good

1. Transparency mode is brilliant
2. Ear hook keeps the buds in place well
3. Satisfying sound quality

The Not So Good

1. Case is still too big
2. Easy to accidentally hit pause button

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Need-To-Knows

🌅 Case is 33% smaller but still huge

❤️ Features heart rate monitoring

📸 Great for phone calls

💰 Standard RRP is £249.95/$249.99

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Beats is calling the Powerbeats Pro 2 its most advanced product ever, which, when it comes to opening gambits for a new pair of earbuds is big talk. But that’s what Beats does. It’s what Beats has always done.

Big talk is needed. The Powerbeats Pro 2 enter a saturated earbud market in 2025 where consumers have multiple options in every imaginable category and at every conceivable price point. Standing out is becoming harder than ever before, which means brands need to make extremely specific use cases for their earbuds if people are to have their attention diverted as their buying journey reaches its destination.

The good news is that, on the face of it, the Powerbeats Pro 2 appear to know exactly what they are. However, it has been nearly six years since the first generation Powerbeats Pro were introduced, which begs the question: how far have we come?

Specs and pricing

The Powerbeats Pro 2 feature a custom-designed dual-element dynamic driver which is powered by Apple’s H2 chip. This is the same chip that can be found in the current AirPods lineup and grants Beats’ new earbuds access to features like personalised Spatial Audio, Find My support, instant Apple device switching, adaptive EQ, and active noise cancelling (ANC).

The latter is a first for the Powerbeats lineup, and there are six mics to assist with both ANC and telephone calls. The latter is bolstered by the same voice isolation technology found in the AirPods Pro 2, which is encouraging, given that it’s one of the best on the market (although you’ll need an iPhone to make the most of it, naturally).

Another first is integrated heart rate monitoring. Yep – the Powerbeats Pro 2 have heart rate sensors built directly into both earbuds. I’ll get into what this means, later.

Battery life is rated at up to eight hours with ANC turned on, and 36 in total with the addition of the charging case (which is capable of wireless charging). The battery life increases to 10 hours and 45 hours, respectively, when ANC is turned off. That’s nearly twice as much as the previous generation.

Bluetooth 5.3 is on connectivity duties, with IPX4 water and sweat resistance, and in-ear detection completing the spec sheet. Oh, and let’s not forget that there are now five earbud tip choices (which is one more than before).

You can buy the Powerbeats Pro 2 from Apple.com today for £249.95/$249.99, with on-shelf sales beginning on 13th February.

Fit and comfort

The Powerbeats Pro 2 are typically modern-Beats box fresh. And what I mean by that – apart from attempting to sound cool – is that they are bold without being brash. 

There are some lovely launch colours, but when I was allowed to choose the shade for my review unit, I immediately leapt for orange. That colour was made for me.

The new earbuds are very comfortable. They need to be – these are the kind of earbuds that you might end up wearing all day. The good news is that you can – the Powerbeats Pro 2 neatly fade into ‘are they still there’ territory relatively quickly, despite wrapping themselves around your outer ears.

This is in part due to a significant redesign. The Powerbeats Pro 2 include a new ear hook that’s made from nickel-titanium alloy and which is 50% smaller than before. It’s tough enough to be bent in any direction and I can confirm will always return to its original shape. 

And if you’re wondering, yes, you can wear the Powerbeats Pro 2 with glasses without any hassle at all.

The best thing about the Powerbeats Pro 2 design, however, is what has always been the strong point of all earbuds in this category – thanks to that ear hook, they stay resolutely in place, no matter what you’re doing. Those who regularly lift weights will, once again, be all over these.

Onto the case. Which is huge. I can’t sugarcoat it, I’m afraid, but I can confirm that it is actually 33% smaller than the case it replaces. In fairness, most cases for ear hook earbuds are colossal, and I think the size is offset by the fact that you’re unlikely to interact with it that often, given how long the earbuds are likely to remain in your ears. The case I have is also as orange as the earbuds, which makes everything immediately better.

When it comes to controls, I’m happy to report that Beats has opted for those of the physical variety. They work beautifully, even if I do occasionally find myself accidentally hitting the pause button when readjusting the earbud fit.

More earbud reviews:
– Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review
– Sony LinkBuds S review
– Technics AZ100 review

Audio performance

The Powerbeats Pro 2 are typically modern-Beats when it comes to their audio performance. By that, I mean they aren’t as tuned for the club as they were previously; they’re more considered and less tiring as a result.

They’re also loud. This is, I think, due to a fairly pronounced midrange, which enables the Powerbeats Pro 2 to cut through noisy environments and dispel any frequencies that escape the attention of the ANC. It renders them not quite as engaging or exciting as the AirPods Pro 2, but it does equip the Powerbeats Pro 2 with audio that works as intended.

This stands for both music and spoken word. The latter, in particular, cuts through nicely, thanks to the sheer presence on offer, and will delight anyone who is more inclined to soundtrack their gym workout with their favourite podcast series.

Bass is, as one might expect, accounted for nicely, and does go satisfyingly low. I would, however, recommend that you spend plenty of time finding the right ear tip to gain the right seal.

This brings me to the aforementioned first for the Powerbeats Pro.

Noise cancelling and calling

It’s hard to believe that Powerbeats Pro have never had noise cancelling – until you realise that the last pair came out in 2019, which was some time before noise cancelling became a standard feature on every new pair of earbuds.

It’s pretty good on the Powerbeats Pro 2, as it should be – these earbuds do, after all, contain most of the same hardware as the AirPods Pro 2. It isn’t, however, quite up there with Apple’s flagship in-ear noise-cancellers. This suggests that there are some subtle differences, most likely linked to the choice of drivers in these new Beats.

Providing you get the right tip, the ANC on the Powerbeats Pro 2 will do the job intended – just like the audio performance. I tested it in a variety of locations including on a train, in a busy airport and on the flight that followed, and within the noisy environment of my gym. Combined with the no-nonsense sound, I was always safely cocooned within my own little world.

However, the biggest win from the inclusion of the H2 chip is the transparency mode. I have no idea why this is the case, but there isn’t a brand on the planet that can match Apple when it comes to its transparency mode. For the uninitiated, this is when you voluntarily let the outside world in so that you can be aware of your surroundings and hear yourself on telephone calls. It’s the feature the Powerbeats Pro badly needed, because, when combined with the aforementioned comfort, it means you really can wear these things all day and slip in and out of your ANC-powered world.

On the subject of telephone calls, the Powerbeats Pro 2 are impressive. I’ve had no issues with call quality at either end, and they coped well during a stress test on a very noisy street in the heart of Barcelona. And, once again, the transparency mode makes the Powerbeats Pro 2 a joy to use as calling earbuds.

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Heart rate monitoring

Now for the big question – is the heart rate monitoring that’s built into the Powerbeats Pro 2 a genuine game-changer or a gimmick?

Calling it the latter is unfair. Beats has been able to lean on a decade of heart rate monitoring innovation at the hands of Apple, thanks to the Apple Watch; there’s serious gear built into these earbuds. The challenge lies in finding a use case for it.

If you’re an Apple person and you’re wearing an Apple Watch, your iPhone will, understandably, favour that for readings from your ticker, over your new Beats earbuds. This leaves the usefulness of those two heart rate monitors to anyone who doesn’t have an Apple Watch – or, Android users, as they’re otherwise known.

The good news is that Beats isn’t messing around – they’ve partnered with a bunch of popular fitness apps from launch for integrated heart rate monitoring, including Nike Run Club, Slopes, and Peloton.

Conclusion

Is this the most advanced product ever from Beats? The inclusion of heart rate monitoring certainly argues the case.

In reality, these are simply a timely and very well-considered upgrade over the original version. The inclusion of the H2 chip is as obvious as it is inspired and means the Powerbeats Pro 2 slot effortlessly into the Apple ecosystem while also benefitting from that epic transparency mode.

Despite this, they also work perfectly for Android users, who can benefit from those integrated heart rate sensors.

The updates to the design and battery life are as significant as they could be, and the audio performance does the exact job intended for it. Add in ANC, and you’ve got a pair of do-it-all fitness-focused earbuds that you can genuinely leave connected to your ears all day.

This is a tough market. But Beats has, predictably, stamped its authority on it. Again.

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