Beats is offering Powerbeats Pro 2 owners a fitness-flavored upgrade that apes headline technology from AirPods Pro 3. The earbuds are getting heart-rate tracking that seamlessly hooks into Apple’s Fitness app, as well as step counting even without your phone, and new hands-free Siri Interactions. The catch: The best software additions are linked to iOS, and only fully available on the iPhone.
What’s new in Powerbeats Pro 2
Beats confirms Powerbeats Pro 2 will utilize Fitness app on an iPhone to show real-time workout metrics such as heart rate and estimated calories burned. You can commence a workout on the iPhone, and have the earbuds report performance metrics even if the phone remains in a pocket or gym locker. Onboard motion sensing also supports step counting from the earbuds.
An important new feature is Siri Interactions: when a call arrives while you’re running, Siri will tell you who’s calling and then you can accept or reject the call with a polite nod of your head or shake. That gesture control joined Apple’s latest AirPod features and now comes to Beats’ sport buds.
Beats also claims the Powerbeats Pro 2 firmware updates include a more accurate heart-rate algorithm, and it will now register your heart rate even if you’re only wearing one earbud. For Fitness+ subscribers, the earbuds will also transmit live stats to the Burn Bar, Apple’s intensity gauge that pits you against a rolling peer group during guided workouts.
How the upgrade alters your workout
Before, beginning a Fitness app workout probably required you to adorn an Apple Watch if you wanted heart-rate detail. Now, all you need is an iPhone and a pair of Powerbeats Pro 2 (or AirPods Pro 3) to take the critical measurements. If you do wear an Apple Watch, Beats says the earbuds can track in concert with the watch the whole time, allowing Apple’s software to reconcile signals for a fuller picture.
In-ear optical sensors have an advantage in high-motion activities: the human ear typically moves less than the wrist, so there is less of a danger of motion artifacts skewing readings during sprints or jump training. The sports science literature has reported that in-ear photoplethysmography can closely emulate chest-strap heart rate in steady efforts, but rapid interval spikes are a category where dedicated chest sensors still come out on top. You’ll get consistent averages and trends from the earbuds, some lag on intense intervals — this is a fair compromise for going without an extra piece of hardware strapped to your body.
The head-gesture controls might seem minor, but there are real-world uses for them. Cyclists who can’t reach for controls, or lifters with their hands chalked up can keep their focus and not search for a button somewhere. It’s a minor quality-of-life feature that helps cement earbuds as your true workout partner, and not just an accessory to tote your music around.
The catch: iPhone initial, Android on deck
There’s just no getting around it: the most meaningful features come courtesy of iOS. iPhone users receive native integration with the Fitness app, the Burn Bar in Fitness+ workouts and Siri Interactions. Android users get the faster heart-rate algorithm and fit notifications, and still will be able to see the heart rate in some third-party fitness apps or compatible gym equipment, but any of those deeper, system-level hooks are Apple-only.
This isn’t surprising. Apple’s Health and Fitness frameworks grant earbuds previously unmatched access to secure system services, whereas Android support is varied across brands and apps. It’s classic ecosystem gravity: The hardware works on any platform, sure, but the smartest features live where Apple can integrate sensors and software and services from which most of its rivals are barred.
Why it matters for athletes and laymen alike
Hearables are already the lead category for shipments of wearables, trackers like IDC say, and making earbuds into viable fitness sensors is the next obvious evolution. And for runners, HIIT junkies or anyone who catalogs gym sessions in the Notes app, that’s going to make you more likely to begin and stick with a routine. For Apple, this expands the utility of Fitness and Health, possibly turning more users intoFitness+ subscribers.
Privacy is also still a selling point. The health data on Apple’s is encrypted and, when the phone is locked, will be protected both by a passcode and biometric security. For those who aren’t comfortable giving biometrics to too many third-party apps, the native Fitness integration at least brings all that sensitive data under one roof, and with excellent default protections.
Practical tips ahead of lacing up
Update your iPhone and the Beats firmware to get the new features, then open the Fitness app in order to check heart-rate permissions for the earbuds. If you crave the Burn Bar and studio-type workouts, Fitness+ is what you need. For optimal heart-rate accuracy, play around with eartips and loop tension — the sensor works best when it has a snug seal. And for competitors who train by exact zones, a chest strap still provides the gold standard for rapid-fire interval changes.
Bottom line: The Powerbeats Pro 2 are more than just music-first earbuds. For iPhone owners, they’re growing into a solid fitness tracker that you can wear with remarkably little friction — Android support still lags behind, but not as much as it used to, at least.