While Beats has been busy with new Solo Buds and reentering speakers with the Pill, it seems the Apple-owned audio brand has also been focused on updating another product… one that’s been five years in the making, as of this story’s publication. The iconic earhooked Powerbeats Pro are set to return, at least according to a new teaser video posted to the Beats by Dre Instagram.
As shown off by LA Dodgers baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani, Powerbeats Pro 2 will arrive in 2025 and sport a redesigned, modern look. Not much else is known, aside from the fact that Ohtani can rock them while batting at home plate, and that the caption says they’re built “for him”.
Powerbeats Pro 2 … landing in 2025
When 2025 rolls around, it will have been six years since Powerbeats Pro launched in 2019.
In that time, Beats has continued to invest and roll out other earbuds, all of which sit directly in your ear – Fit Pro, Studio Buds Plus, and Solo Buds included. The appeal of the Powerbeats Pro is the earhook, and for those who’ve been waiting for an upgrade, faith is being rewarded. The earhook is in full force on Powerbeats Pro 2 with more subtle, rounded edges in what I’d described as a modern look.
From the teaser video, Ohtani’s Powerbeats Pro 2 appears to have a slightly thinner earhook, but it’s hard to say for sure. The bridge from the ear to the hook still has a slant – albeit a somewhat more pronounced one – but like the hook, it is dramatically thinner.
Aside from this quick look at the Powerbeats Pro 2 on-ear, everything else is up in the air, including what processor Beats is using inside, the driver for producing audio, and whether they’ve managed to shrink the case. It’s safe to assume the Lightning port will be swapped for USB-C, though. Chances are a port won’t be entirely removed, though, like the one on the Solo Buds.
The original Powerbeats Pro features Apple’s H1 chip, a custom drive with support for Spatial Audio, and nine hours of playback. In fact, in TechRadar’s review, the Powerbeats Pro scored a four out of five, and we called them a big step up from previous Beats earbuds and, at the time, “Apple’s most premium workout buds.” That latter has likely been outpaced by AirPods Pro or Beats Fit Pro, but for the ear-hook fanatic, Powerbeats still likely remains the top choice.
Those specs look a little dated now, and Beats could use this as an opportunity to boost them significantly. It could opt to use its in-house developed silicon, like with other earbuds, or tap one of Apple’s chips.
I think we all hope that the combination carrying and charging case is at least shrunk. But as someone who rocked Powerbeats Pro for a while and still uses them occasionally, I’m keen to try out the second generation and thankful that Beats isn’t pulling the plug on earhooks; if anything, they’re making them cooler.
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jacob.krol@futurenet.com (Jacob Krol)
