Review / We review the new Powerbeats Pro headphones – are they better than the Apple AirPods?
Apple is looking at another revolution with the Powerbeats Pro from Beats, which Apple acquired in 2014
Finding the perfect headphones has been like the holy grail for me, not that I can justify forking out five-figure prices for Final Audio or Ultrasone earphones, especially since a life on the go means that I am constantly listening to my music collection on my iPhone.
Apple pushed the wireless trend when the iPhones lost their audio jack and quickly turned out the AirPods which, as with many Apple products, attracted sneers for their weird design – until everyone started wearing them.
Now Apple is looking at another revolution with the Powerbeats Pro from Beats, which Apple acquired in 2014. Like the AirPods when they were first released, the Powerbeats Pro will have to win over fans with their design when they are finally released in Asia “this summer”. (At the moment they are available in parts of Europe.)
So, will the Powerbeats Pro win over AirPods fans? STYLE got hold of a pair to find out what all the fuss is about.
Packaging
Let’s start with the Powerbeats Pro’s least attractive factor: its size. With a squarish case measuring 7.5cm wide and 4cm deep, it’s too large to fit comfortably in jeans or trouser pockets – especially for guys. The earphones are available in four colours – black, ivory, moss and navy – although only the first two have been made available in the first releases.
I like the matt black case, which works better for the darker-coloured earbuds than for the ivory ones. Like the AirPods, the case also serves as the charging port using a lightning cable. The buds fit into set grooves in the case, which click in place through magnets like the AirPods’ case.
The position of the fit is not the most obvious and requires a bit of fiddling and, perhaps an engineering degree, before you get it right the first few times. Fortunately, the battery life means you can leave the case behind if you are only out and about for a few hours and you don’t mind stuffing the earpieces in your pockets without protection.
