If you’re a fan of the Powerbeats Pro but find the price tag just a bit too high, then you just might find the new Powerbeats more appealing. Beats by Dr. Dre has released a new, more affordable product in their fitness line of headphones. But unlike the Powerbeats Pro, the new Powerbeats is not a true wireless device and, instead, it utilizes a neck strap. Despite the slight change in form factor, the Powerbeats wireless headphones feature the same technology of the Powerbeats Pro.
These Powerbeats are equipped with Class 1 Bluetooth and they feature onboard button controls. The right button, that features the Beats logo, is used for play and pausing music, changing tracks, taking calls, and activating the voice assistant. The left button is used for power controls and it houses a separate volume rocker. Dual beam-forming microphones and a speech-detecting accelerometer filters out external noise which allows for clearer voice quality for calls and improved pick-up when using the voice assistant.
An Apple H1 chip installed in the Powerbeats earphones enables faster setup and paring. iOS devices are also able to use “Hey, Siri” to call on the assistant hands-free. Additionally, it has an IPX4 rating which means it’s both sweat and water-resistant, perfect for use in the gym or outdoors.
The Powerbeats is also able to share music between two Beats devices or with Apple AirPods. So if you and your buddy are out for a run, you can share music from the same source. It also boasts of a 15-hour battery life to keep up with the on-the-go user and utilizes Fast Fuel technology. This means the Powerbeats will be able to have hour’s worth of use with just 5 minutes of charge.
The Powerbeats will have a price tag of $149 and will available on Apple’s official website starting March 18th.