Beats Powerbeats: Updated Sound & Battery For Fitness

Last time we talked about a Beats product was the Solo Pros and they were pretty good. And moving onto their next release is their new-and-improved Powerbeats – not the Powerbeats 4 but just the Powerbeats. They made sure to bring what they’ve learned & brought from the Powerbeats Pro onto these new buds. Let’s talk about our experience w/ the design, comfort, sound, & battery life of the latest from Beats By Dre.

The look & feel of the new Powerbeats appears mirrors that of the previous models. But in reality, they align more w/ the Powerbeats Pro but adds a wire into the mix. You got the adjustable ear loops, same sweat + water-resistant build, Apple’s H1 chip inside, the ‘B’ logo still works for play/pause + long-press to access your virtual assistant and dual beam-forming mics for voice capture for phone calls. Just adds a wire and beefs up the battery life a bit but more than that in a bit.

They feel pretty durable and pretty comfortable.

So wearing these guys at work is pretty comfy. This is even w/ glasses and wearing them for 7 hours or more at a time. And if they don’t fit for you, you can swap out and use one of the other 3 eartips provided as well as adjust the earhooks. When initially wearing them I did feel a bit of fatigue after a while but after adjusting the hooks, it was much better. And being comprised of plastic/rubber, this keeps them lightweight on your head as well as do a good job of handling sweat.

So seeing as these are more or less modeled after the Powerbeats Pro, the same carries over w/ the sound quality as well. It is armed w/ the same drivers and Apple’s H1 chip for fast pairing. Remember that the Beats sound profile of the past is gone. All that remains now is a much improved one w/ the right amount of thump in the bass, better clarity, and a more leveled out overall soundstage. You can even take advantage of audio sharing w/ these guys.

This becomes evident when listening to music & podcasts as well as while watching movies/TV shows. You get to hear the big things and little things in full. The new Powerbeats are even pretty good to take phone calls on so as long as the background isn’t too noisy. Playing a few rounds of Rapid Fire on Call Of Duty Mobile shows off footsteps, someone firing nearby, and the arrival of an enemy VTOL warship to hide for cover. I think folks who previously turned their nose up at the company will appreciate the new Beats sound.

One of the advantages, these have over the Powerbeats Pro is battery life. The Powerbeats gives you an extra 5 hours of juice bringing it to a total of up to 15 hours on a single charge. So wearing these for around 7 or 8 hours at work, I’d have to charge these about once every 2-days or so on average. There’s still no USB-C but you still have Fast Fuel charging that gives you a 1-hour of juice in a 5-minute charge.

Beats updated their fitness buds w/ their new sound & better battery life.

The Powerbeats & the Powerbeats Pro are super similar and which one to pick is based on your needs. The Powerbeats give you the advantage of being connected via wire and making it easier to keep up w/ the 15-hour battery life. While the Powerbeats Pro offers a truly wireless experience, auto pausing when you remove it and 10-hour battery life.

Both have the new Beats sound, the Apple H1 chip, IPX4 rating, and good quality for phone calls. You just have to choose between wired or wireless for the most part. The most important detail is the pricing between the 2. The Powerbeats are $150 and the Powerbeats Pro is $250 so you gotta deal w/ a $100 difference. So you gotta choose wisely but either way, you shouldn’t be disappointed.