Beats Fit Pro Debut With a Fitness Focus, Active Noise Cancellation, and a $200 Price Tag

[Whathappened]

So based on what this article tells us, these are pretty much 1:1 with AirPods Pro. Which means AirPods Pro are $50 more off branding alone?

Anyways these look great. No issues with my Pros, but as someone that always uses the Pros to workout with these may be more suitable.

Wireless charging, smaller case, different sound.

 

[iGeek2019]

What! No UK release in 2021?

What a shame!

Problem here decision wise with that is that will push their UK release even closer to the AirPods Pro 2 release. Tough one, though if I could order these today in the UK I would.

Perhaps it’s time for a modern day Boston Tea Party? ?. Instead of chests of Tea it could be consignments of iPhone 13s into the River Thames (other rivers available).

On a more serious note I suspect it’s probably down to the worldwide chip shortage.

 

[jonnyb]

I’m a bit confused about the adaptive EQ on these. A few reviews I’ve read at that the adaptive EQ only works when both ANC and transparency are off. Isn’t this the reverse of what happens with the AirPods Pro? I thought I remembered reading that Adaptive EQ works to shape the sound when ANC and Transparency are on?

 

[iBug2]

I love these. Too bad they won't be anywhere outside the USA before 2022, which I think is a first.

 

[Denzo]

Curious about this as well. I would definetly not do any jogging or running with my Airpods Pro as these type of plugs just dont sit tight enough into my ear no matter what tip I use; when running they will fall out.

Literally everyone says the same thing. I didn’t have that issue with the regular Gen 1s, so it blows my mind that no one tested these properly. Apple normally just works. And it’s disappointing because everything else is fantastic, except the minor issue of them not staying in your ears.

 

[canyonblue737]

I’m a bit confused about the adaptive EQ on these. A few reviews I’ve read at that the adaptive EQ only works when both ANC and transparency are off. Isn’t this the reverse of what happens with the AirPods Pro? I thought I remembered reading that Adaptive EQ works to shape the sound when ANC and Transparency are on?

It’s the same on AirPods Pro, it only works with ANC and transparency off. I guess the idea is it modifies the pure sound profile using the internal mics when those mics are occupied by measuring ambient noise for ANC or transparency?

 

[canyonblue737]

Wow, no simultaneous launch in the UK, and available in 2022….. gutted

Only thing I can think is they are supply constrained like much of the industry and so focused on a single market? I can’t imagine they want to miss the holiday around the world unless they had to.

 

[ikarl67]

Hopefully these are better and more reliable than my Powerbeats pro. Those have to be set in the charging case JUST right, otherwise they won't charge and drain. You have to put them in, manipulate them til you see they are charging (check status on phone), then you close the lid, that sometimes moves them enough to stop charging. What a headache. And when I sent them back as they were having non-charging issues, I was told they were working fine, and then came across others with same niggly little charging problem. I like Apple stuff overall but not too impressed with the Powerbeats pro.

Concur.. Additionally, the orientation of the resting beats in the case creates pooling (of sweat) at the contact points. I have had significant issues with corrosion. Granted, the beats should be wiped down after every use, but to me, that diminishes the "sweat-proof" designation .. All that being said, still love the Powerbeats Pro.

 

[anth0ny]

Was set to grab the AirPods Pro for Christmas (buying now to avoid disappointment), but am still quite worried about them falling out as so many reviews say they can drop out and not even during exercise. In know it's ear dependant, but crap that you have to buy to find out.

These beats look perfect, but won't be available in the UK!? What a shame
Missing Christmas seems like a big missed opportunity, but I guess they'll sell plenty in the US anyway. Just Jealous.

 

[canyonblue737]

Concur.. Additionally, the orientation of the resting beats in the case creates pooling (of sweat) at the contact points. I have had significant issues with corrosion. Granted, the beats should be wiped down after every use, but to me, that diminishes the "sweat-proof" designation .. All that being said, still love the Powerbeats Pro.

these sit in the case in a similar fashion to the Beats Studio Buds which I have had since launch and the case has been just fine. i have also had the powerbeats pro for 2+ years and like everyone else the case has been a disaster. the smaller nature of these buds makes them sit much easier in the indents as opposed to the angled nature of the powerbeats that have to be "just right". the case will be fine.

 

[Runs For Fun]

Concur.. Additionally, the orientation of the resting beats in the case creates pooling (of sweat) at the contact points. I have had significant issues with corrosion. Granted, the beats should be wiped down after every use, but to me, that diminishes the "sweat-proof" designation .. All that being said, still love the Powerbeats Pro.

That must have been what happened to my previous pair. I noticed some kind of mark on one of the contacts. The one headphone basically won't charge unless it's in a very very very very specific position which is basically impossible to keep it in. I ended up just buying a new pair as I found them on sale for only slightly more than getting a replacement. Super disappointed in the case. Absolutely awful design. I hope they address that with a PowerBeats Pro 2.

 

[MrGimper]

Only thing I can think is they are supply constrained like much of the industry and so focused on a single market? I can’t imagine they want to miss the holiday around the world unless they had to.

Yeah, that’s probably it. Gutted as these are an insta-buy for me if they were available here.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Yeah, that’s probably it. Gutted as these are an insta-buy for me if they were available here.

Well - at least you'll get to see some of us report in with our thoughts.
Might turn out to be saving you the time/effort.

I've never had anything "Beats" before.

I'm hoping these are slightly different form factor APP...But I also worry that they gimp the Beats branded offerings in some way that I'm not yet aware of.

 

[jonnyv34]

Yeah, that’s probably it. Gutted as these are an insta-buy for me if they were available here.

For me too. But has it been confirmed that these will not be available outside the US, or is it just a temporary thing?

 

[canyonblue737]

For me too. But has it been confirmed that these will not be available outside the US, or is it just a temporary thing?

temporary for sure, like till just after the holidays due to supply shortages. fit pro will be everywhere soon.

 

[nerdbert]

I guess they make quite a good margin. Otherwise Apple wouldn’t sell 10 different wireless headphones (6 beats, 4 Airpods)

Still don’t get why on the other side they are so conservative with their iPhone line making even more money.
models which differ basically just in screen size and an additional camera…

I suspect product diversification wouldn’t increase iPhone sales by much - nobody switches from Android to iOS because of shape/color options.

 

[Denzo]

UK, Australia, Canada etc never get Beats products at the same time as the US.

Why is that the case? Apple can launch iPhones and Apple Watches in multiple countries at same time.

I’m in Australia too. That sucks. Maybe the scale of their headphone logistics system isn’t the same? Maybe their QC is different? It’s apple though so I’m sure they could release as soon or as late as they wanted.

 

[Andrew83Ga]

I use my AirPods Pro basically just for running. Unfortunately, I had to buy aftermarket silicone wingtips to prevent them from wanting to fall out during sweaty runs, which for me is all my runs! Not a huge deal, but a big annoying needing a separate piece just to be able to use them for working out. These look to be exactly what I wanted my Pros to be. After I thoroughly clean the Pros (I wipe them with an alcohol wipe every few runs or so, but there is gunk in the mesh that I cannot seem to get out no matter what), I'll use them a lot more for general use which I don't really bother with right now. Happy to now have a dedicated running earbud and a clean one for general use, both of which are great quality.

 

[4491275]

That’s such a beautiful color. Whoever is in charge of the colors for Beats Fit Pro needs to work with the iPhone and Apple Watch team.

View attachment 1899610

Agree I really like that Sage Gray and I’m normally a black, gray, or white kinda person.

 

[SR71]

I'd love to try them, unfortunately for whatever reason I developed an allergy to the silicone tips that Apple uses on their headphones. Causes a horrible rash with both the Beats and AirPods Pro. Pretty happy with the AP3 though but these do look pretty sweet.

Would highly recommend trying these tips. They're much more comfortable for me than any of the tips Apple includes for the AirPods Pro. The material doesn't get hot in my ears and doesn't give me that itchy feeling after having them in for more than an hour. So far I really have no complaints with them and I've been using them for over 6 months now. Not affiliated with the company in any way, they just really improved the comfort of the AirPods Pro for me significantly.

 

[DMG35]

Would highly recommend trying these tips. They're much more comfortable for me than any of the tips Apple includes for the AirPods Pro. The material doesn't get hot in my ears and doesn't give me that itchy feeling after having them in for more than an hour. So far I really have no complaints with them and I've been using them for over 6 months now.

Oh my gosh thank you so much! I will try these and see if I can wear the Pro’s again. Thank you again!!

 

[hortod1]

Instant buy, I get mine Friday. I've used Airpods, Beats Powerbeats Pro, Airpods Pro, Beats Studio Buds, and now Beats Fit Pro.

AirPods -> fall out of my ear instantly, even walking. Putting aftermarket "wings" on them fixed the problem but you had to take it on and off every time you removed it from the case which was unacceptable long term. Also the lack of ANC is a big problem since I use headphones extensively on airplanes every week.

Powerbeats Pro -> most secure workout headphones I have ever used (when the car runs you over on the side of the road they will stay on). sound very good if a bit heavy on the bass and because of their tight fit even though they don't have ANC you do "ok" on airplanes. on the side of the road running you won't hear that car coming though. the biggest problem? huge case, huge price, and major problems with the case not charging the headphones after a few months due to wonky fit and this is something that ends up affecting nearly everyone who has bought these over an extended period of time. No wireless charging too.

AirPods Pro -> a much better fit but STILL falls out during runs, great sound, all the cool "Apple Ecosystem" features. the ANC is *very good* and the transparency mode is like magic. The fit is the major issue for me and this became my "non-workout" headphones and then I used Powerbeats Pro for workouts. The two headphone lifestyle was not fun.

Studio Buds -> came out of left field and shocked me. first the sound is near identical to the AirPods Pro which is to say: outstanding. the fit is AMAZING for me and really stays in the ear... they do not fall out during runs although on occasion loosen a bit so I push them back in firmer. They also look so much better to me without the stems. I have been wearing these as my ONLY headphones since they launched... BUT (and there is always a BUT)... the "nice stuff" from AirPods was missing. First off ANC was only 75% as good. Still plenty good for airplanes but it was clearly noticeably not as good as the AirPods Pro. Transparency mode on these SUCK and basically give you a hint of the world outside your music but everything sounds fake and hard to understand. No way I could carry a conversation leaving these in and not nearly as safe on runs. And finally all the nice stuff from AirPods... they don't turn off when you remove them from your ear, no spatial audio, no auto switching when moving between Apple devices etc. The thing is... the small size, great fit, great sound made it still worth it... UNTIL...

Fit Pro -> these look like my loved Studio Buds but with EVERYTHING fixed. Same great fit but with the wingtips that eliminate all remaining worries about loosening or falling out? CHECK. Same great sound? Reviews say even better CHECK. Better ANC? They say it is now the equal of AirPods Pro CHECK. Better Transparency mode? Thank god, the reviews say the same as AirPods Pro again: CHECK! All the nice Apple features like auto stop, spatial audio, switching etc. CHECK! Still no wireless... can't win 'em all.

I obviously have spent way too much on earphones but finally I think my dream buds are here... AirPods Pro with a more secure, fitness focus fit while ditching the stem? Yes please. I'll check back in next week and let you know how it is going.

Woah - word for word, same exact experience here

 

[jon3543]

Any idea what the latency might be on these and other Apple ANC earbuds for that matter? I would buy them to use with my PC's Avantree DG80 transmitter and YouTube TV in a web browser. The DG80 supports aptX and apt Low Latency. Most headphones that don't support those codecs or aptX Adaptive give 200+ msec latency, which is unusable. I don't expect Apple to support aptX, but my Sony WH-1000XM4 over-ear headphones don't support aptX either, and somehow they're delivering sub 100 msec latency, which I can live with.

It's a real challenge finding earbuds that have effective ANC, are sufficiently low latency, and don't suffer from comfort issues, high-pitched hissing, range limitations, poor audio quality, etc. I've tried a half dozen from Bose QuietComfort on through lesser brands, and the best ones I've found are EarFun Air Pro 2. Sadly, they are standard (high) latency and lack the gaming mode of their "Free Pro" brothers, but they're otherwise so good, I'm keeping them for use with my iPhone 13 Pro in the gym. iPhone video apps generally compensate for BT latency so don't pose the problem PC web browsers pose.

 

[Bandaman]

I literally can't run with my AirPod Pros to save my life. They literally fall out every single time if I'm not adjusting them every 30 seconds, which really pulls the good mood out of the joy of running, but I love everything else about them. I will probably pick these up since they seem on par with the Pro features without all the fun falling out stuff. The around-the-ear beats were just a bit too unwieldy for me. These may finally be the perfect ear buds for me.

 

[honglong1976]

Does anyone have a pair of these and the AirPods Pro to compare? I find the AirPods Pro fit terrible for my ears, also, there is no deep bass. If these Beats are better for both areas, I may have to invest