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

Beats updated its wireless earbuds catalog in mid-2023 with the Beats Studio Buds Plus. These offer more than eight hours of battery life, 20dB of noise canceling, and the “Beats signature sound.” However, their limited feature set raises questions over whether they are good value for money. By comparison, the older Beats Fit Pro remain among the best workout earbuds on the market. They are comfortable, adorn vibrant colors, and boast excellent noise canceling. Subsequently, it is no wonder iOS and Android users are eager to get their hands on the Beats Fit Pro 2.

The original Beats Fit Pro are the strongest string in Beats’ bow. Unfortunately, fans have been waiting for a feature-rich upgrade for over two 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

Sony, Bose, Google, 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. This 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 some of the best earbuds for iPhone owners.

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.

If the Beats Fit Pro 2 are to be competitive in the workout earbuds sphere, they will need a more robust IP rating when they come to fruition. In particular, I would like to see at least an IP67 rating. This would pit the Fit Pro 2 against popular workout buds like the Jabra Elite 7 Active. It would also 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 — Beats’ parent company — about the release of the Beats Fit Pro 2. While hopeful for a shred of news at CES 2024, fans were left empty-handed. Nevertheless, I fully expect the next-gen upgrade will come to fruition in 2024.

Beats has consistently updated its earbuds line over the last few years. For example, its Studio Buds Plus hit shelves as recently as May 17, 2023. Additionally, Beats announced a list of new colorways for the Fit Pro in 2023. This added Tidal Blue, Volt Yellow, and Coral Pink. Evidentally, Beats remains heavily invested in its Fit Pro line of earbuds. It seems an appropriate time to get excited about an update to Beats’ favorite wireless earbuds. Unfortunately, the release date is still a mystery.

• Beats Studio Buds — June 24, 2021
• Beats Fit Pro — November 1, 2021
• Beats Studio Buds Plus — May 17, 2023

Although Beats favors Autumn releases for its on-ear headphones, it usually launches its wireless earbuds in the Summer. That said, the original Beats Fit Pro made an exception to this rule. These buds launched five months after the Beats Studio Buds 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, I expect the next-gen Fits Pro 2 will come to shelves in the first half of 2024.

It is also worth noting that Beats has kept to a pretty strict two-year regimen when releasing its earbuds. 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. By that metric, 2024 seems the most likely year we may see the Beats Fit Pro 2 unveiled.

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 alike. In addition to offering a wide range of pleasing colors, the first-generation Fit Pro are incredibly comfortable. The angled wing tips are a great addition for those who need secure earbuds that will not come loose during rigorous workouts. The Beats Fit Pro also provide up to six hours of ANC-enabled audio playback and one hour of listening time from just five minutes of Fast Fuel charging. Adaptive ANC adjusts the level of noise canceling in real-time, which helps to protect users’ ears from potentially harmful levels of sound.

iPhone users can take full advantage of the Beats Fit Pro H1 chip. This provides access to the “Hey Siri” voice assistant, spatial audio, and more. However, the first-generation Fit Pro are expensive compared to other workout buds on the market, such as the Jabra Elite 7 Active ($179 at Amazon.) They also have well-known ANC and firmware update issues that differ for each device. The case adorns a USB-C port instead of Apple’s proprietary Lightning input, but the charging case is burdensome and flimsy. The USB-C cable in the box is also comedically short, meaning users will likely have to spend more money to purchase a longer charging cable. Finally, the magnets keep the charging case lid shut well enough, but there is a 50/50 chance it will pop open and spill your buds across the ground if you drop the case.

The most obvious alternative to the Beats Fit Pro for iPhone users is the Apple AirPods Pro (1st generation), which you can fetch for (on the product’s Ibsite.) 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 AirPods Pro have a stemmed earbud design and no wing tips. Also, there is no AirPods Pro app on Android. Nevertheless, the buds benefit from impressive ANC, MagSafe wireless charging, and good sound quality. The original AirPods Pro are still popular, offering good value for money.

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 a more pleasing and consistent sound profile. 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.

If working out is at the top of your agenda, the Beats Powerbeats Pro are good workout buds. However, they wear a heftier price tag of ($165 at Amazon.) For the money, you gain ear hooks for a secure and comfortable fit, over 10 hours of battery life, Apple’s H1 chip, an IPX4 rating to protect against sweat, and an above-average sounding microphone. However, ANC is missing here. Therefore, users are best off spending time ensuring the earbuds are correctly fitted to block out distracting environmental sounds.

Staying within the Beats ecosystem, the next obvious option is the Beats Studio Buds, which retail at ($99 at Amazon.) Smaller than their counterparts, the Beats Studio Buds offer iOS and Android users multiple listening modes, customizable controls, and a comfortable and lightweight design. The sound quality is also less bass-heavy than other Beats earbuds, which may suit those who desire a more balanced frequency response. However, these buds only provide enough power for just over four hours of audio playback with ANC activated. They also lack the spatial audio feature and stabilizing wing tips, and the ANC is mediocre at best.

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