The Apple-owned audio manufacturer Beats has revealed Powerbeats Pro 2, its latest fitness-oriented earbuds. With Apple’s H2 chip, active noise cancelation, and Transparency Mode, the Beats earbuds appear to be a solid offering, but are they better than the AirPods Pro 2? Let’s find out.

Snug Fit for Workouts vs. All-Day Comfort

Right off the bat, Powerbeats Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 2 are very different earbuds. While the former has an ear hook that goes around the ears, the latter have a conventional in-ear design with a short stem that protrudes outward.

Made for fitness enthusiasts, the ear hook on the Powerbeats Pro 2 provides a snug fit while lifting weights, performing bodyweight exercises, or indulging in other physical activities like running, cycling, or playing sports. However, some reviews suggest that prolonged usage could put some stress on the external ears, making the earbuds feel uncomfortable after a while.

The AirPods Pro 2, on the other hand, are significantly smaller and, more importantly, lighter than the Powerbeats Pro 2. With a deeper insertion depth, a shorter stem, and soft silicon eartips, the AirPods provide all-day comfort, making them better suited for regular users. However, the AirPods aren’t as glued to the ears as the Beats earphones; they’re more prone to dropping out.

In terms of colors, the Powerbeats Pro 2 offers quite a variety of options. You can choose from Electric Orange, Hyper Purple, Quick Sand, or Jet Black. The AirPods, like always, are only available in white. And yes, you get five ear tips with the Powerbeats Pro 2 (there’s a new extra large option in the box), while the AirPods Pro 2 only come with four.

It is important to mention that the Beats earphones have an IPX4 rating, while the AirPods have a superior IP54 dust and water resistance rating.

Powerbeats Pro 2 Are Compatible With Both Android and iOS Devices

Usually, Apple’s products aren’t compatible with Android devices. However, that’s not the case with the Powerbeats Pro 2. You can use the earbuds with your Android smartphone, but you’ll need to download the Beats app to configure its features.

While the device supports one-touch pairing with iOS (a prompt appears on the iPhone’s screen the moment you open the charging case), you’ll have to download the Beats app to set it up with an Android phone (and unlock most of its features).

AirPods are usable with Android devices since they can be paired just like any old set of Bluetooth buds, but there’s no dedicated app or interface for controlling AirPods functions on Android.

Both Earbuds Feature Apple’s H2 Chip

Both the wireless earbuds feature Apple’s H2 chip for features like active noise cancelation (a first for the Powerbeats lineup), Transparency Mode, Adaptive EQ, and Spatial Audio with head tracking (available on iOS devices). You can use the “Hey Siri” or “Siri” phrases to invoke the voice assistant on both devices. When paired with the Vision Pro, both earbuds provide lossless audio with ultra-low latency.

Even though the Powerbeats Pro 2 have a redesigned acoustic architecture to improve the sound (with a bass-rich profile), the AirPods Pro 2, for all intents and purposes, are the better sounding and noise-canceling earphones. Transparency Mode, however, works about the same on both devices, as does Voice Isolation.

Apple’s AirPods offer some exclusive (and useful) features over the Beats fitness earbuds, though. For instance, there’s the Adaptive Audio system, which comprises Adaptive Noise Control, Conversation Awareness (a game-changing feature), and Personalized Volume. The AirPods Pro can also double as a clinical-grade hearing aid.

Last but not least, they offer Siri Interactions (one of my favorite AirPods features so far).

Powerbeats Pro 2 Have Built-in Heart Rate Sensors

The Powerbeats Pro 2 ship with relatively few sensors, but there’s one that everyone is talking about: the optical heart rate sensor (one on each earbud). The optical LED sensor pulses green light through your skin (100 times per second) to measure the blood flow and relay the results to third-party fitness apps in real-time.

While the heart rate sessions start automatically on iPhone, users must start them manually via compatible third-party apps on Android. Even so, you can’t get real-time heart rate readings with the Powerbeats Pro 2 (like you can with an Apple Watch), which is pretty weird. Since AirPods Pro 2 doesn’t have the sensor, we’ll give it to Beats for trying something new.

My money’s on Apple equipping the rumored AirPods Pro 2 with heart rate sensors that work even better, then releasing them at the September 2025 iPhone launch event.

Other sensors on the Powerbeats Pro 2 include an optical in-ear detection sensor and a voice accelerometer to help the microphones better pick up your voice. The AirPods Pro 2 also provide in-ear detection via skin-detection sensors (considered more accurate than optical sensors). Further, they feature motion and speech-detecting accelerometers.

On the Powerbeats Pro 2, you get two physical buttons on each earbud: one for adjusting volume and the other (built in the Beats logo) for controlling playback or switching between sound modes. The AirPods Pro 2 handle volume via a touch sensor and control playback or sound modes via a force sensor.

Both the Beats and Apple earbuds feature a triple-microphone setup for picking up your voice and suppressing the background noise. Further, they use Bluetooth v5.3 to provide a dependable connection with your iPhones (or Android phones, in the case of the Powerbeats).

AirPods Pro 2 Supports Precision Finding

Both the earbuds support Apple’s Find My network, implying that you can locate them via the app on your iPhone. However, the AirPods should be easier to track due to the U1 chip (ultra-wideband), which enables Precision Finding, and a tiny yet audible speaker on their charging case.

On Android, the Powerbeats Pro 2 offer the Find My Beats feature, which showcases the most recent connection location of the device on a map.

Powerbeats Pro 2 Last Longer

With noise cancelation, the Powerbeats Pro 2 can provide up to eight hours of continuous playback from the earbuds and a total of 36 hours with the charging case. In comparison, the AirPods Pro 2 provides six hours of listening time from the earbuds and up to 30 hours with the charging case. Clearly, the Beats have an advantage here.

Fast charging is a similar story, with the Powerbeats Pro 2 getting 90 minutes of use and the AirPods Pro 2 getting 60 minutes of use on a five-minute charge. Both products offer a USB-C charging case that also supports Qi-certified wireless charging. However, the AirPods Pro 2’s charging case is also compatible with MagSafe and Apple Watch chargers.

AirPods Pro 2 Are Available at a Cheaper Price

Officially, both the Powerbeats Pro 2 and the AirPods Pro 2 cost around $250. However, you can get the AirPods Pro 2 for as low as $199 on Amazon, making it more affordable and, at the same time, more value-for-money earbuds.

Since the Powerbeats Pro 2 are new, it might be a while before they start selling for a markdown. Further, Beats doesn’t provide a USB-C cable in the box.

Think of the Powerbeats Pro as fitness-oriented wireless earbuds that provide a snug fit during your workout sessions, decent sound quality and noise cancelation, and excellent battery life, and then consider that they also have heart rate monitoring functionality. If you have an Android smartphone, these could be the perfect workout earphones you can buy.

Meanwhile, the AirPods Pro 2 do better as everyday earbuds with noticeably better audio quality and the trifecta of Adaptive Audio features.