There was a ton of reader interest in the new Powerbeats Pro, which are the first true wireless earbuds coming from Apple’s Beats brand. Today, Apple announced that the Powerbeats Pro will go up for preorder on May 3rd at 7AM PT (10AM ET) and hit retail stores starting on May 10th. That’s only for black, however; the other three colors won’t be shipping until sometime this summer. The earbuds cost $249.95.
The Powerbeats Pro resemble the company’s previous wireless Powerbeats earphones, but they’ve been reengineered for better comfort. Beats says they can hit up to nine hours of continuous battery life — longer than AirPods — and they include Apple’s H1 chip for hands-free “Hey Siri” commands at any time. The earbuds are water and sweat resistant and feature physical controls, which are a little easier to use than tap gestures when working out.
It’s a little odd that the white, green, and blue Powerbeats Pro aren’t ready for launch; Beats has never really struggled at making new colors before. In fact, before these earbuds came along, the company made a habit of refreshing its headphones in different hues when there were no new products ready to show.
If you’ve always wanted black AirPods, well, these aren’t quite that. But depending on your needs, they might prove better. Based on my time with them earlier this month, I think we’ll find that the Powerbeats Pro are superior to AirPods in some regards — like sound quality and battery life — and worse in others like portability and convenience. (There’s no wireless charging.) Vlad will be getting his hands on the Powerbeats Pro soon for the full review treatment, so stay tuned.
Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge
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