Beats has taken the wraps off its latest set of true wireless earbuds, the $200 Beats Fit Pro. As rumored, the new buds feature an integrated, soft and flexible silicone earfin (or wingtip as Beats likes to call them) that’s designed to lock the earbuds into place and keep them from moving about. They come in black, white, gray, and pink — though Beats calls that last one Stone Purple — and can be pre-ordered on November 1 through Apple.com, with shipping starting on November 5.
The $200 Fit Pro occupy the middle-ground between the $150 Beats Studio Buds and the $250 Powerbeats Pro in terms of price, but the Fit Pro are arguably the new Beats flagship when you consider their list of features.
Just like the Beats Studio Buds, the Fit Pro are equipped with active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency mode. But the Studio Buds received their own version of these technologies, while the Fit Pro have been given the same tech that powers Apple’s AirPods Pro, which should mean very impressive performance in this area. Sound quality should also be a step up from the Studio Buds — Beats used a new set of drivers for the Fit Pro, along with a new vent system that Beats claims should minimize treble distortion.
The Fit Pro are also the first Beats product to offer Apple’s head-tracking spatial audio tech, a clever way to increase the immersive nature of both movies and music when listening to Dolby Atmos. Apple-centric features continue with the use of Apple’s H1 wireless chips. These perform several functions, including hands-free access to Siri, class 1 Bluetooth connection stability and range, and quick device switching between Apple products like iPhones and Macs.
Beats has included Apple’s new skin-sensing wear sensors so you can auto-pause your tunes when you remove an earbud, and you can choose whether a long-press on the physical buttons switches ANC mode or changes your volume level. You also get Apple’s Adaptive EQ, which automatically adjusts midranges and high frequencies depending on the fit of the earbuds and external sounds — though this is only active when not using ANC or transparency modes.
Battery life looks to be very good, with Beats claiming six hours per charge when in ANC or transparency mode (27 hours total with the charging case) and up to seven hours per charge when these features are turned off (30 hours total). That’s not as good as the Powerbeats Pro’s impressive nine hours per charge, but then again, when was the last time your workout ran that long? Just about the only thing missing from the Fit Pro is wireless charging. It’s a weird omission, but since no other Beats products offer it, perhaps Apple sees it as a premium feature that it wants to reserve for its AirPods and AirPods Pro.
The Fit Pro look like they’re more than ready to tackle the challenge of a tough workout. Not only do the wingtips enhance security, but they also let you comfortably wear eyeglasses or sunglasses, which isn’t so easy when wearing the Powerbeats Pro. Their IPX4 rating for water resistance should give you total peace of mind.
Android users aren’t left out this time around: Beats has an app for Android devices that gives you access to key settings like one-touch pairing, a guided fit test, the ability to toggle listening modes directly in the app, and control customization.
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