Key Takeaways
- Beats Fit Pro 2 does not yet have an official release date. It is rumored that the next generation of Beats Fit Pro might hit the shelves this year.
- After more than two years, we’re expecting quite a lot of new possibilities from the upcoming headphones, thanks among others to Apple’s H2 chip.
- Potential improvements include adaptive transparency mode, wireless charging, a more neutral sound profile, higher IP rating, improved Bluetooth range, and better Android support.
After years of being in a bit of limbo, Beats came back strong in the 2020s, with a refreshed catalog and the power of Apple’s hardware and sound engineering behind them. This resulted not only in some very interesting headphones, but also made people forget the past reputation of Beats and their terrible sound quality.
One of the devices responsible for this glorious redemption arc is the Beats Fit Pro. In our review, we straightforwardly called them the “AirPods Pro for workouts,” as they expertly combine great sound quality with a really decent, stable and comfortable fit. Add to it some of the Apple magic thanks to the H1 chip, and you get a pair of excellent earbuds that are among the best workout headphones you can buy.
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It’s been more than two years since the release of these wireless buds, and the first-gen Beats Fit Pro is starting to show its age. They are still a great pair of earbuds with superb battery life, effective noise-cancelling and Spatial Audio, and an unmatched fit that ensures comfort and stability even during the most intense workouts. The competition shows that they are not as dominant as they were when they were first released two years ago.
Not only did hardware improve significantly over the years, we also got so many new software goodies to choose from. Fortunately, even though we haven’t yet heard any official announcements, we’re expecting Apple to release the Beats Fit Pro 2 this year. With that in mind, here are the things that we wish the next generation would improve on to make them the best workout headphones once again.
Adaptive transparency mode
The transparency mode in the Beats Fit Pro works great and is extremely useful, but ever since Apple introduced the AirPods Pro 2nd gen with the H2 chip and Adaptive Transparency mode, nothing can compete with that implementation. While the regular transparency mode just passes the sounds of the environment to you, the Adaptive transparency mode chooses what you want to hear — such as conversations around you — but mutes unwanted sounds, such as cars driving by or random noises.
It’s great for both commuting and working out, so having the new Adaptive Transparency mode would be a great boon for the second-gen of the Beats Fit Pro. It would also greatly complement the Fit Pro’s reputation of being an awesome choice both for working out and casual listening.
Wireless charging
Even though Beat Fit Pro has a really decent battery life, working for six hours with active noise-cancelling turned on, and a further 18 hours from the case, they do still need to be charged from time to time. Their wired charging speeds are great — you get one hour of listening by plugging them in for just five minutes, so no complaints there.
Unfortunately, the Fit Pros lack wireless charging — something that, especially with small, wireless buds, is so convenient. It would be great if the second generation included the option to charge the buds’ case wirelessly, maybe even with Apple’s MagSafe included to show off its magnetic prowess. You could just plop them on your wireless charger and have them waiting for your next run, without all the pesky cables.
More neutral sound profile and custom sound EQ
For years, Beats was known as the company that makes extremely bassy headphones — but not bassy in a good way. They were muddy, lacked detail, and were generally quite terrible as a listening device. As a fashion accessory, though, they were great.
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Fortunately, that time has passed and the Beats Fit Pro comes with a very pleasant sound curve. Pleasant still doesn’t mean natural. The headphones are still quite bassy, which shouldn’t really come as a surprise. It’s the sound curve that is preferable when working out, as it’s the frequency that gives you that energy to keep lifting or running one more mile. A more neutral sound profile is also better for louder environments, where bass is generally much easier to hear than detailed trebles.
That being said, when listening at home, a more neutral sound profile would be much appreciated. That could come as a kind of “natural” sound profile in an Equalizer — something that the first-gen Fit Pros lacked as well.
Pocket-lint
Higher IP rating
Even though working out outside is much more pleasurable when the weather is nice, the sun is shining, and the day is generally really nice, it’s unfortunately not always the case. You have to be ready for it, but your workout buds should be as well.
The Beats Fit Pro come with an IPX4 water resistance rating. That basically means they will withstand your sweat during a heavy workout, or maybe a bit of a drizzle, but heavy rain might be a bit too hot to handle. What’s more, the X means there is no dust resistance, so if your buds accidentally fall into mud, you’re out of luck.
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So, a higher dust and water protection certification in the next generation of the Beats Fit Pros would be an awesome addition. An IP54 rating, giving you a bit of dust protection, is a minimum for higher-end workout headphones nowadays, but Apple could go all-in and introduce an IP67 rating as well.
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Improved Bluetooth range
One of the biggest flaws that we found in our Beats Fit Pro review was their Bluetooth range. Quite surprisingly, even though they use Bluetooth 5.0, they tend to struggle to keep connected. Even moving to another room resulted in frequent drops in connection or stutters, making the experience inconvenient.
So, getting the Bluetooth range of the Beats Fit Pro 2 extended should be one of the priorities for Apple and Beats, as it’s not only useful when at home. Longer range is also necessary if you want to leave your phone in one place when at the gym, or generally move around freely without your phone constantly in your pocket.
Better Android support
Headphones made by Apple are known for their popularity and high quality, but also for being a part of Apple’s walled garden. That means, among other things — weak support for Android devices that want to connect to Apple accessories.
Fortunately, Beats headphones did not go all-in and did not become an Apple-exclusive accessory. The Beats Fit Pro, when paired to an Android device, retains most of its functionality, including one-touch pairing. You miss out on multi-device support and seamless switching between devices. Fortunately, the app on Android is fully featured, so you can still do things like test the fit of the earbuds or personalize touch controls.
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That said, it would be nice if the upcoming generation could be more inclusive and expand its best features to the land of Android. Of course, seeing as some of them are powered by Apple’s in-house chip, it could be difficult, but there surely is a solution — the question is, whether there is the readiness to do it on Apple’s part.
When will the Beats Fit Pro 2 be released?
The first generation of the Beats Fit Pro was released over two years ago, in November 2021. This means that the headphones are due for an update, especially considering the rest of Apple’s portfolio. Moreover, with the new H2 chip, they should also be equipped with a plethora of new features that will make them even better than the current model.
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Unfortunately, for now, we do not yet know when the next generation will be released. We are not even sure that it will, but seeing as the Beats Fit Pros were extremely well-received, we’re banking on Apple to update them soon.
Frankly, 2024 seems like a good year for an update. We heard some rumors that the new headphones might appear as soon as CES 2024, but unfortunately, this did not pan out, with no news of the next generation of headphones to be seen during the event. 2024 still seems like a plausible year for a refresh. Stay tuned as Pocket-lint will keep you updated on when the new Beats Pro release and how they perform.
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