Beats Fit Pro 2 wishlist: All the features I want to see

Beats makes some of the best earbuds for iPhones. For example, its latest Powerbeats Pro 2 buds bring desirable iOS features including Apple’s H2 chip, superior microphone processing, and Find My. They also enhance workouts with a handy heart-rate monitor, showcasing the latest hearable gadgetry. However, those sporting Android devices or wanting a cheaper alternative will still love the older Beats Fit Pro. A long-time king among workout earbuds, the Beats Fit Pro are comfortable, adorn vibrant colors, and boast excellent noise canceling. Little wonder, then, that iOS and Android fans are eager to get their hands on the Beats Fit Pro 2.

Unfortunately, fans have been waiting for a feature-rich upgrade for over three years. If the company wants to remain competitive, it needs to bring a list of improvements to its next-gen release. Here is everything I want to see from the updated Beats Fit Pro 2.

Custom EQ in the mobile app

Jabra, Bose, Sony, and many other competitors provide a custom EQ in their companion apps. Unfortunately, Apple keeps its cards close to its chest for Android users. In particular, the Beats Fit Pro do not benefit from a custom EQ in the Beats app. Instead, the buds use Apple’s Adaptive EQ technology.

If Apple changes course, listeners could hone their sound and tailor their audio experience for different media formats. For example, a custom EQ in the Beats and iOS settings app could reduce the overly present bass response of the Fit Pro. This would make listening to music with subtle nuances and timbre, such as classical and jazz, more pleasing. It could also help to reduce sub-bass frequencies when watching action movies to make dialogue more intelligible. When listening to podcasts, users could boost midrange frequencies to make voices more prominent. Without a custom EQ, listeners are forced to use a third-party EQ app or adjust the built-in equalizer of their chosen music streaming app.

Adaptive Transparency mode

The original Beats Fit Pro come equipped with Apple’s Transparency mode. This uses the external microphones on the buds to amplify environmental sounds into your audio stream. This is handy for safely crossing a busy street or conversing with cashiers at the shops. However, the Beats Fit Pro 2 would feel much more premium with Apple’s newer Adaptive Transparency mode.

Apple’s Transparency mode allows outside sounds into your music mix. However, it cannot distinguish between noises you want to hear and those you don’t. Adaptive Transparency mode is much more intelligent. In particular, the feature reduces the volume of unpredictably loud sounds in real time. This creates a more pleasing listening experience by stopping sudden sounds from interrupting your music. It also protects your hearing from potentially harmful decibel spikes.

Better sound quality

Most workout earbuds have a bass-heavy sound profile. Indeed, some of the best Beats alternatives own an accentuated bass response. This is because many athletes enjoy a little extra “oomph” while exercising. It also creates auditory masking that blocks out unwanted environmental sounds. The Beats Fit Pro have a bass-heavy sound profile, and I fully expect the Beats Fit Pro 2 will also.

However, there is such a thing as too much bass. The Beats Fit Pro 2 would benefit from a better balance between sub-bass and mid-range frequencies than their predecessor. This would allow the buds to reproduce a more versatile soundscape and allow vocals to shine through the mix. Ideally, the Beats Fit Pro 2 will have a frequency response that more closely follows our ideal target curve above. This would produce pleasing bass while maintaining many of the fundamentals.

Longer battery life and wireless charging

True wireless earbuds have an average battery life of roughly four to five hours. Consequently, the 10 hours of battery life of Beats’ Powerbeats Pro is remarkable. On the other hand, the Beats Fit Pro hold up to six hours of charge with ANC activated. While above average, the Beats Fit Pro 2 would benefit from longer battery life. This would bring them up to speed with other flagship buds. Beats could also improve upon the 18 hours of juice profited by the original Fit Pro charging case.

Most importantly, I hope the Beats Fit Pro 2 will adopt wireless charging. This is a handy feature for workout enthusiasts who need to boost up on the fly. It is also an increasingly common expectation for costly flagship earbuds to support wireless charging. This is especially true, given you can find earbuds for less than $100 that top up wirelessly. If Beats intends to launch the Fit Pro 2 for more than $199, there is no excuse for omitting cordless charging. MagSafe charging would make the Beats Fit Pro 2 ideal for iOS users.

A dust-resistant IP rating

The Beats Fit Pro have stiff competition from some of the best AirPods alternatives. For example, their IPX4 water-resistant rating is common among buds not even labeled as workout earbuds. The omission of a dust-resistant rating also leaves those who enjoy rock climbing, volleyball, and dirt biking by the wayside.

The Beats Fit Pro 2 will need a more robust IP rating to compete in the workout earbuds arena. Ideally, I would like to see an IP68 rating. This would pit the Fit Pro 2 against popular workout buds like the JBL Endurance Peak 3 and broaden their appeal to those in drier and dustier environments.

Will there be a Beats Fit Pro 2?

There has been no official announcement from either Beats or Apple about the Beats Fit Pro 2. While hopeful for news at Apple’s upcoming WWDC event in June, we must wait for concrete details. Nevertheless, I expect Beats’ next-gen upgrade will come to fruition soon.

Beats has consistently updated its earbuds line over the last few years. For example, its Powerbeats Pro 2 hit shelves as recently as February 2025. Additionally, Beats announced a list of new colorways for the Fit Pro in 2023. This added Tidal Blue, Volt Yellow, and Coral Pink. Consequently, it is undeniable that Beats remains heavily invested in its workout earbuds category. Unfortunately, the release date of the Beats Fit Pro 2 remains a mystery.

• Beats Fit Pro — November 1, 2021
• Beats Studio Buds Plus — May 17, 2023
• Beats Solo Buds — June, 2024
• Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 — February, 2025

Although Beats favors Autumn releases for its on-ear headphones, it sticks to a much looser regimen with its earbuds. For example, the original Beats Fit Pro launched on November 1, 2021. This coincided with the discontinuation of the Beats Solo Pro on the same day. Given the company launched the Studio Buds Plus in May 2023, the Solo Buds in the summer of 2024, and the Powerbeats Pro 2 this year, it is uncertain when the next-gen Fits Pro 2 will come to shelves.

However, it is worth noting that Beats usually keeps a pretty strict two-year release schedule when renewing its earbuds line. For example, two years and six months elapsed between the Beats Powerbeats Pro and the Beats Fit Pro. There was also a roughly two-year gap between the release of the Studio Buds and Studio Buds Plus. While we should have seen the Beats Fit Pro 2 come to fruition in 2024, we could see an upgrade later this year.

Should you wait for the Beats Fit Pro 2?

With the original Beats Fit Pro having struck such a harmonious chord, it is hard to know whether it is worth spending extra money on the next-gen upgrade. You can fetch the first-generation Fit Pro buds for roughly $199 — considerably less than the expected launch price of the Beats Fit Pro 2. Additionally, there are many other earbuds to choose between that offer excellent value and top-of-the-range features.

That said, the Beats Fit Pro ($159 at Amazon) remain popular among iOS and Android users. In addition to offering a wide range of pleasing colors, the first-generation Fit Pro are incredibly comfortable. The angled wing tips help keep the buds from coming loose during rigorous workouts, and the batteries provide up to six hours of ANC-enabled playtime. Fans can produce one hour of listening from a five-minute Fast Fuel charge, and Adaptive ANC adjusts the noise canceling in real time to protect your ears from potentially harmful sound levels. iPhone users can use the Beats Fit Pro’s H1 chip to enjoy the “Hey Siri” voice assistant, spatial audio, and more. However, the earbuds have well-known ANC and firmware update issues, the USB-C cable in the box is comedically short, and there is a 50/50 chance the case will pop open and spill your buds across the ground if you drop it.

The most obvious alternative to the Beats Fit Pro for iPhone users is the Powerbeats Pro 2 which you can fetch for ($249 at Amazon.) These buds share many of the same features as the Fit Pro, including spatial audio, an ear tip fit test, an IPX4 rating, and onboard controls. However, unlike the Fit Pro, the Powerbeats Pro 2 wear ear hooks that wrap around the outer ear to stay in place. They also enjoy superior noise canceling, reducing the loudness of external noise by an average of 83%. Battery life lasts roughly 10 hours with ANC enabled and the earbuds support wireless charging. The sound quality is decent, albeit with an under-emphasis in the mids around 500-900Hz, making guitars and pianos sound quieter than they should. The earbuds’ standout feature is the integrated heart rate monitor. This allows you to share your heart rate data with third-party fitness app

Those with some extra cash should consider upgrading to the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) for ($239 at Amazon.) While these buds are more expensive and share similar noise canceling to the Beats Fit Pro, the AirPods Pro 2 reproduce more pleasing and consistent sound quality. Both buds use Apple’s Adaptive EQ technology, but the AirPods Pro (2nd generation) have a less bass-heavy response than the Fit Pro. They also benefit from a more comfortable fit, swipe controls, and an IPX4 rating for the buds and the case. The AirPods Pro 2 case also hosts Apple’s U1 chip for use with the Find My app, a built-in speaker, and a lanyard loop for better transportation. The earbuds can also function as a “clinical grade” hearing aid for those with mild to moderate hearing loss.

Staying within the Beats ecosystem, the Beats Studio Buds Plus ($169 at Amazon) are a compelling alternative to the Beats Fit Pro. Smaller than their counterparts, the Beats Studio Buds are remarkably portable. Battery life is also excellent, lasting over eight hours with ANC enabled, with the ability to fast charge one hour from a 5-minute boost. The sound quality is more or less what you expect of other Beats earbuds, although it isn’t displeasing. The Studio Buds Plus work equally well on Android and iOS, and the microphone is adequate for most everyday needs. Unfortunately, the earbuds do not support wireless charging or feature an equalizer to adjust your sound.

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