Some lucky Apple fans who preordered its new Powerbeats Pro buds are set to enjoy early deliveries. Apple originally stated a delivery date of May 13 for its latest Beats headphones. However, many customers are now expecting to receive theirs on Friday, May 10. Apple first showed off Powerbeats Pro in early April before unleashing an ad filled with pro athletes. They’re totally wireless, and they steal a number of features from its newest AirPods. Powerbeats Pro pack brand new features Those features include “Hey Siri” support and Apple’s new H1 wireless chip that allows for faster connectivity. Powerbeats Pro also turn on automatically when taken out of their case. You’ll be able to buy Powerbeats Pro from an Apple Store for the first time tomorrow, May 10. And those who preordered theirs online will start seeing them arrive on their doorsteps, too. Powerbeats Pro on the way Many preorder customers have seen delivery dates change from May 13 to May 10, 9to5Mac reports. It’s unclear if all preorder delivery dates have been updated, but this is certainly the case for many. If you preordered later you’re likely going to have to wait a little longer. Powerbeats Pro are priced at $249.95 and come in a number of colors, including black, ivory, moss, and navy. They’re water-resistant, and offer up to nine hours of use in between charges. Have you ordered yours yet, and if so, when are they scheduled to arrive?<doc-sep>Pre-orders for the all-new Beats Powerbeats Pro totally wireless earphones opened on Friday with deliveries starting later this month. Today we’re taking a quick hands-on look at the new sporty alternative to AirPods before they show up in stores. For a quick recap on Powerbeats Pro, check out these stories: Stay tuned for our full Beats Powerbeats Pro review later this week after we have more time with the brand new hardware. We’ll test sound improvements over AirPods and Powerbeats3 Wireless, battery life results, casual use over several hours, intensive use during workouts including gym sessions and a 5K outdoor running race, and more. Hands-on For now we’ll just share an early look and a few first impressions with the highly anticipated Powerbeats Pro totally wireless earphones. We’re testing the black color option which is first to launch; ivory, moss, and navy are shipping later this summer. The packaging includes the full product name and description — Powerbeats Pro, Totally Wireless, High-Performance Bluetooth Earphones with Charge Case & Lightning Cable — while touting the Made for Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad symbol alongside the Android logo. Like Apple AirPods, Beats Powerbeats Pro work with Android products as standard Bluetooth earphones, but Apple products will have special features like “Hey Siri”, instant pairing between iCloud devices, and fast switching. Accessories There’s also a specs summary on the packaging: up to 9 hours wireless play; 24 hours with chasing case, sweat and water resistant earphones, adjustable secure-fit earhooks, and on-ear controls for music and calls. One Apple Park Way on the box, and a 2019 Apple Inc. copyright date. Inside the box are a few accessories including the charge case which store the earphones, four ear tip sizes total (including the default tips which are in between the small and medium additional tips), documentation, the standard red Beats logo sticker, and a black Lightning cable. Interestingly, Beats Pill+ includes a black Beats-branded Lightning cable with a different design and a rubbery feel. Powerbeats Pro include the same exact black Lightning cable that ships with the iMac Pro and the space gray Magic Mouse/Keyboard/Trackpad. Charging Case If there’s one fault with Powerbeats Pro, it’s the charging case. It’s much larger than the AirPods charging case and there’s no option for wireless charging. It does use Lightning so it charges with the same cable as the iPhone and AirPods. USB-C would be more universal with Android (and modern MacBooks and iPad Pros), but the USB-A to Lightning cable is included (supply your own power brick). Considering its size, the charging case is more likely to stay on my nightstand or desk or at least be tucked away in my gym bag or backpack versus stowing away in my pocket like AirPods. It’s not meant for jeans pockets and it’s not ideal for gym shorts pockets. The case charges from the top or rear (depending on the orientation) and sits in place when opened (unlike AirPods) so it’s actually practical to leave it fixed in place for regular charges in between trips. It’s also a sturdy protective case — Beats headphones include a zipped hardshell case but other Beats earphones bundle a soft pouch — with some intelligence baked in. There’s no button to unlock the case; like the AirPods charging case, it snaps shut and opens with a push using magnetics. It also has an outward-facing charging indicator light that’s the same quality LED as you’d expect from Apple hardware. Powerbeats Pro earphones snap magnetically in place to charge inside the case with very little alignment required, although learning which earphone goes on which side will take some effort for me. The Powerbeats Pro case design is arguably more favorable compared to the charging case for Bose SoundSport Free, Bluetooth earphones in the same class as Powerbeats Pro in terms of sound and features. Lightning over micro-USB is preferred, and the mini-backpack case has similar dimensions (trading width for height). The Bose charging case has a less sophisticated button and latch for opening and closing, with a mini-sunglass case design and seven charging status LEDs total. Powerbeats Pro The actual earphones are much thinner and lighter than I expected. Beats says Powerbeats Pro are “23 percent smaller than its predecessor and 17 percent lighter” than Powerbeats3, but I assumed much of that was from removing the cable in between each earphone. Instead, the hardware around the earphones is indeed slimmer (almost as slim as the adjustable earhooks) which makes Powerbeats Pro feel even more modern than Powerbeats3. The slim factor matched with nine-hour battery is hugely redeeming when considering the hefty charging case. AirPods give you up to 5 hours of power in between charges; Powerbeats Pro almost double that with up to 9 hours of power in between charges. The additional four hours might mean you only need to take the earphones out of the house for the day with the charging case left at home. Wear & Feel Powerbeats Pro should fit ears that don’t take kindly to AirPods for two reasons: four changeable ear tips plus adjustable earhooks. Ear tips are also great for isolating sound and delivering richer audio to your ears, but earhooks can be problematic in some cases: the hook can interfere with glasses or shades and hats if it’s too bulky. In my limited testing with Powerbeats Pro so far, the ear hook design passes both tests for me (which is a relief since discomfort would be a dealbreaker! ). More Sonically, there’s no doubt that Powerbeats Pro deliver more range and volume with less ambient noise than AirPods — they’re like AirPods when you press each earphone in with your fingers, except you don’t have to press them in. The sealed design is very effective at keeping outside noise from interfering with your audio playback. Beats explains the new sound design like this: Completely re-engineered from the inside out, the earphones boast an upgraded linear piston driver that leverages an efficient, pressurized airflow to create a powerful acoustic response in a small package. Enhanced sound quality means incredibly low distortion and great dynamic range across the entire frequency curve. Powerbeats Pro (so far) are also as reliable as AirPods in terms of instant pairing and consistent wireless playback. Initial pairing is as easy as tapping a button on the iPhone or iPad when Powerbeats Pro are inside the charging case and nearby, then other iCloud devices including the Apple Watch and Mac automatically add Powerbeats Pro to the Bluetooth device list. Switching between devices is also just as easy as with AirPods, and “Hey Siri” works just like with new AirPods since Powerbeats Pro use Apple’s new H1 chip. We’ll have much more to say about Powerbeats Pro later this week after more extensive testing with battery life, extended casual use and intensive use during workouts, and more. Beats Powerbeats Pro retail for $249.95 from Apple.com, Best Buy, and Amazon. Black is available for pre-order now in the US and Canada with more colors and regions to come. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:<doc-sep>Earlier this week, we shared a hands-on look at the Powerbeats Pro earbuds launching tomorrow, and today, we thought we'd do an in-depth comparison with the AirPods, giving MacRumors readers a closer look at the similarities and differences between the two devices. play ‌AirPods‌ and ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ look nothing alike, as the former is designed for casual use and the latter is aimed at those who live a more active lifestyle. The ‌AirPods‌ feature an iconic design that's reminiscent of the EarPods design Apple has used for years, with the earbuds meant to fit ears of all shapes and sizes with no customization. The ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ are more similar to traditional earbuds, with silicone tips that nestle in the ear and an earhook to hold them firmly in place. The silicone tips come in four sizes, but the earhooks, which wrap around the ear, are one size. These earhooks make sure the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ stay firmly in place during physical activity. The silicone tips of the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ are meant to fit tightly in the ear, which produces a sound isolating - but not noise canceling - effect that dampens ambient noise. The ‌AirPods‌ have no such feature so ambient sound is more audible. Apple has also designed the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ with IPX4 water resistance while the ‌AirPods‌ have no specific Ingress Protection rating, which means ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ should better hold up to sweat. Both the ‌AirPods‌ and the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ have been described as comfortable to most people in reviews and hands-on accounts, though some reviewers have called the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ even more comfortable than the ‌AirPods‌ despite the earhook, while others find the ‌AirPods‌ easier to wear. The earhook is soft enough that it's not a hassle to wear for longer periods of time, and in our testing, it even fit well with sunglasses. The ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ are much larger than the ‌AirPods‌, and while the case that charges them up is similar in functionality to the ‌AirPods‌ case, it's much larger and it's not pocketable, plus it doesn't have wireless charging support and can only charge with a Lightning cable. The ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ only come in black right now, but this summer, Apple is going to release moss, ivory, and navy shades. The ‌AirPods‌ are limited to white. There are major physical differences between the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ and the ‌AirPods‌, but the underlying feature set is the same and the two share similar hardware. Both include Bluetooth 5.0 and an H1 chip for quick pairing, fast device switching, and hands-free "Hey Siri" support. An accelerometer and other sensors also allow ‌AirPods‌ and ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ to pause audio when removed from the ear and resume when the earbud is placed back in the ear. Music controls are included, and while tap gestures are used on the ‌AirPods‌ for changing tracks and playing/pausing, there are physical controls on the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌, including a volume button, something the ‌AirPods‌ don't have. As for sound quality, the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ sound better than the ‌AirPods‌, which shouldn't come as a surprise given the larger body and the higher price tag. In our experience, the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ feature a more immersive and full sound profile because of the tight fit in the ears. Apple says that sound quality was a focus when designing the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌, and it shows. The ‌AirPods‌ still sound great, though, and are more than adequate for everyday use. For those who have been wondering, the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ do indeed support Live Listen, as do the ‌AirPods‌. Live Listen lets you use the iPhone as a microphone to amplify the ambient noise around you so you can better hear what's going on. As a side note, both ‌AirPods‌ and ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ have beamforming microphones so they sound great when using them for phone calls. When it comes to battery life, the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ win out. They're bigger and house a bigger battery than the ‌AirPods‌, boasting up to nine hours of battery life per earbud and an additional 24+ hours through the case. ‌AirPods‌ max out at about five hours, though the ‌AirPods‌ case also adds 24+ hours of battery life. As for phone calls, Apple says the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ offer six hours of talk time while the ‌AirPods‌ offer up to three hours of talk time. Beyond design, pricing is one of the major differences between the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ and the ‌AirPods‌. Apple sells the second-generation ‌AirPods‌ with Wireless Charging Case for $199 and with standard case for $159, while the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ cost $250. For a deeper comparison of the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ vs. the ‌AirPods‌, make sure to check out our Powerbeats Pro and AirPods guide, which walks through the two audio accessories feature by feature. Our dedicated Powerbeats Pro guide also has everything you need to know about Apple's newest earbuds.<doc-sep>
Apple's new wire-free Powerbeats Pro are set to launch this Friday after pre-orders became available last week, and ahead of their official debut, we were able to get a pair to test out to find out whether Apple's latest Beats-branded earbuds are worth the $250 price tag. While Apple is planning to sell the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ in four colors, including ivory, moss, navy, and black, only the black version is available right now, with the other options coming later in the summer. play ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ share many features with the AirPods , but the design is totally different because they're aimed at vigorous physical activity like sports and working out. There are a set of earhooks that wrap around your ear to keep the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ in place, along with four sets of ear tips for a customized fit. Multiple tips means the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ will fit most people, and while it's early, we found them to be lightweight and comfortable overall, though any earbud is going to cause ear fatigue after long periods of usage. This kind of around the ear fit isn't going to appeal to everyone, and it can take a bit of practice to be able to get them positioned in your ears correctly. The ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ fit on the ears super securely, and it's unlikely these are going to fall out of your ears during physical activity. ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ fit in the ear canal unlike the ‌AirPods‌, and will drown out ambient noise, which is something to be aware of. We tested these out with sunglasses and found them comfortable, so these may work well for those who wear glasses regularly. As for sound quality, with the tips positioned correctly in your ears, the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ sound impressive. Everything is full, crisp, and clear, and parts of songs remain distinguishable. Bass sounds great and is not muddy, which can be an issue with other wire-free headphones. ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ have a carrying case, but it's a lot bigger than the ‌AirPods‌ case. It's not really pocketable, and it's worth noting that wireless charging is not an included feature. You need to charge this case using a Lightning cable. Opening up the case causes the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ to pair with your device just like the ‌AirPods‌ and thanks to the H1 chip, easy pairing, easy device swapping, and "Hey Siri" support are all ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ features. We were impressed with how quickly the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ were able to pair with an iPhone, and it's worth noting that the Live Listen feature available on the ‌AirPods‌ is also available on ‌Powerbeats Pro‌. Live Listen is designed to let the ‌iPhone‌ serve as a microphone, amplifying the ambient noise around you and beaming it to your earbuds. Automatic play/pause functionality will pause audio when you remove an earbud and play it again when it's put back in place, a super handy feature, and there are some physical buttons for doing things like playing music, pausing music, adjusting volume (these buttons are at the top) and skipping tracks. Physical buttons are nice, but it's not always easy to use the button on the first try and it takes a bit more effort than the tap controls on the ‌AirPods‌. ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ offer up to nine hours of listening time per earbud along with 24 hours of additional battery life from the charging case, plus there's a fast fuel feature that offers up 1.5 hours of playback with a five minute charge. We haven't had the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ long enough to test the battery life sufficiently, but we'll be providing more detail in a future video. So are the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ worth the $250 price tag? We think the answer is yes if you're looking for a set of earbuds that have a secure, comfortable fit with all of the features offered by the ‌AirPods‌. They're perfect if you live an active lifestyle or are looking for a more traditional earbud fit than the ‌AirPods‌ offer. We'll be doing a follow up video comparing the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ to the ‌AirPods‌, so make sure to keep an eye out for that tomorrow, and for more info on ‌Powerbeats Pro‌, check out our Powerbeats Pro guide.