Apple's new Beats Powerbeats Pro wireless earphones will be available for pre-order on Apple.com starting 7 a.m. PT on May 3, 9to5Mac reported.
The earphones will become available in Apple stores a week later, on May 10.
The Beats Powerbeats Pro will be available in four colors: black at launch, with ivory, navy and moss coming in the summer. The price: $249.95.
If you saw that price and cringed -- and remembered Apple's own AirPods cost $159 -- wait. There are genuine reasons why you should consider Apple's new earphones, despite the stingy price.
First, the basics: The Powerbeats Pro are wireless, just like the Airpods and the Powerbeats 3. They're also powered by Apple's H1 chip, and pair with Apple devices near instantly. And yes, they do look a lot like the Powerbeats 3 (check image below for a comparison).
Compared to AirPods, the Powerbeats Pro (and Powerbeats 3) are, simply put, better for sports. They're both water resistant and have physical controls, as well as those handy ear hooks which make sure they don't fall out even during intense exercise.
But what are the differences between the Powerbeats 3 and the Pro (except for the $50 increase in price)? The new Powerbeats Pro are lighter and smaller (17 and 23 percent, respectively) than the Powerbeats 3, which should appeal to people who plan to use them while doing sporty things. They've also got better sound and better controls (important when you're running, for example).
Not all's great. Battery life is 9 hours -- less than the 12 hours on the Powerbeats 3, but more than the 5 hours you get with AirPods -- and the charging case is big and bulky. On the bright side, though, that big charging case will net you two full charges (when fully charged itself) for the Pros, for a total of 24 hours of battery life. And charging is fast: Just five minutes of charging will give you 1.5 hours of listening time.
With what we know now, the Powerbeats Pro might be worth the price, but we'll know more in a few days, when we'll have a full review. In the meantime, check out Ray Wong's hands-on preview for more details.
