AirPods Pro 3 vs Powerbeats Pro 2

Beats says Powerbeats Pro 2 runs on the chip that powers AirPods Pro 2. That’s Apple’s H2, the same chip inside AirPods Pro 3, and the two prices sit a dollar apart. From the outside you’d never guess they’re related: one hangs on your ear from a nickel-titanium hook, the other sits in it on a short stem.

How they compare

Spec	AirPods Pro 3	Powerbeats Pro 2
Fit	Short stem; foam-infused tips in five sizes, XXS to L	Nickel-titanium earhooks; silicone tips in five sizes, XS to XL, medium fitted
Controls	Press, swipe and Siri on the stem	Multi-function button and volume rocker on each side
One bud	5.55 g; 30.9 × 19.2 × 27.0 mm	8.7 g; 4.5 × 4.1 × 2.4 cm
Per charge	Up to 8 hours, noise cancelling on	Up to 10 hours
With the case	Up to 24 hours, noise cancelling on	Up to 45 hours
Quick charge	5 minutes for about 1 hour	5 minutes for up to 1.5 hours
Dust and water	IP57, buds and case	IPX4 buds; case not sweat or water resistant
Heart rate	Workout sensor; iOS 26 or later	Optional sensors; iPhone and Android
Hearing Aid	Yes, with Hearing Test and Hearing Protection	No
Chip	H2; second-generation Ultra Wideband chip in the case	H2
Bluetooth	5.3	Class 1; no version given
Case	43.99 g; 47.2 × 62.2 × 21.8 mm	69 g, or 77.7 g with the buds; 7.5 × 6.6 × 3.4 cm
Wireless charging	MagSafe, Apple Watch charger, Qi	Qi
Finding	Find My; iOS 27 or later	Find My on Apple devices; Locate My Beats on Android
Colors	White	Jet Black, Quick Sand, Hyper Purple, Electric Orange, Nike Black and Volt
US price	$249 (9 September 2025)	$249.99

Hooks or a short stem

Powerbeats Pro 2 stays on with nickel-titanium earhooks, which Beats says are about 20 percent lighter than the original model’s and were fit-tested at length with athletes. It comes with silicone tips in five sizes, from XS to XL, with the medium pair fitted, and each bud weighs 8.7 grams. The controls are physical: a multi-function button and a volume rocker on each side.

AirPods Pro 3 relies on the seal alone: foam-infused tips in five sizes, from XXS to L, on a short stem, at 5.55 grams per bud. You press and swipe the stem instead of pushing buttons. It’s the smaller, lighter choice for all-day wear; the hooks are the reason to pick Powerbeats for hard training. If you want a wingtip rather than a hook, that’s a different Beats model.

Battery: Powerbeats Pro 2 lasts longer

Beats rates Powerbeats Pro 2 for up to 10 hours per charge and up to 45 with the case, and a five-minute charge gives up to 1.5 hours. AirPods Pro 3 manages up to 8 hours with noise cancelling on, 24 counting the case, and about an hour from five minutes of charging. That’s two more hours per charge for Powerbeats and nearly twice the total.

The labels differ. Beats quotes one continuous-playback figure without splitting it by noise-cancelling mode, while Apple splits Pro 3’s: 10 hours in Transparency with Hearing Aid, 7.5 with head-tracked spatial audio, and 6.5 when the heart-rate sensor is on. Apple’s tests used 256 kbps AAC at 50 percent volume.

Heart rate on both, Hearing Aid on one

Both read your heart rate in workouts, on different terms. Apple’s sensor needs iOS 26 or later and trims listening to 6.5 hours while it’s working. Powerbeats Pro 2’s sensors are optional, can be switched off, and work with Android through the Beats app (Android 8.0 or later) as well as with iPhone. Beats gives no battery figure for workouts with the sensors running.

Hearing features are AirPods-only. On Pro 3 you get Hearing Test, Hearing Protection, Loud Sound Reduction and an FDA-authorized Hearing Aid with Conversation Boost. Apple’s requirements are AirPods Pro 2 or later, iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 (or macOS Sequoia on a Mac), and a region where it’s offered. Live Translation, in beta on a supported iPhone with iOS 26, is AirPods-only too. The Beats app on Android adds heart rate, custom controls and Locate My Beats, but no hearing features.

Cases, charging and finding them

The Powerbeats case is the bigger, heavier one: 69 grams, or 77.7 with the buds, against 43.99 grams for the AirPods case. Beats says it’s still about 33 percent smaller than the original Powerbeats Pro case, and it’s the first Beats case with wireless charging. More important for a gym bag, Apple rates the AirPods case IP57 along with the buds, while Beats says its case isn’t sweat or water resistant. Neither pair is for swimming.

Both cases charge on Qi pads, and neither box includes a USB-C cable; Beats leaves out the power adapter too. The AirPods case also works with MagSafe and Apple Watch chargers, and it has a lanyard loop.

AirPods Pro 3 uses Find My with the case speaker and a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, and Find My needs iOS 27 or later. Powerbeats Pro 2 uses Find My on Apple devices and Locate My Beats on Android; Beats names no Ultra Wideband chip.

What’s shared under the shells

The same H2 chip runs noise cancelling, Transparency, Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking and Adaptive EQ on both. Apple adds Conversation Awareness and Personalized Volume, plus a camera remote on iOS 26 or iPadOS 26; Beats adds Voice Isolation for calls. On the AirPods, two beamforming microphones work with an inward-facing one, and Apple pairs a custom high-excursion driver with a high dynamic range amplifier; Beats uses dual-layer drivers aligned to each bud’s nozzle. AirPods switch between Apple devices through your Apple Account, with no separate app to install.

On noise cancelling, each company grades itself. Apple measures Pro 3 against its own AirPods, claiming double the noise isolation of AirPods Pro 2 and four times the original’s, and calls it the “world’s best,” a line that isn’t aimed at Powerbeats. Beats calls Powerbeats Pro 2’s the best adaptive noise canceling it has developed. Neither gives decibels.

Beats also says Powerbeats Pro 2 is its first product with lossless audio on Apple Vision Pro, something Apple doesn’t claim for AirPods Pro 3.

Price and colors

Apple launched AirPods Pro 3 at $249 on 9 September 2025, and Beats lists Powerbeats Pro 2 at $249.99. Powerbeats Pro 2 comes in Jet Black, Quick Sand, Hyper Purple, Electric Orange, and Nike Black and Volt; AirPods Pro 3 comes only in white. Check apple.com and beatsbydre.com before you buy, since prices and colors shift.