Powerbeats Pro - Only one earphone charging

[PinkyMacGodess]

The left one refused to disconnect the other day. Again. ANd I took it out, cleaned it, put it back in, and wiggled it, and it still didn't disconnect. So I took both out, the right one connected (at 100% charge, the left at 5%), and then took them out, and put them in the case, again. And... The right one disconnected, and the left one still didn't. So I disconnected it in the Bluetooth Settings app, and it stayed disconnected. I was surprised. It wouldn't disco itself, but I could (finally) get it to disco, and not reconnect. Weird. Later in the day, 'leftie' was 100% charged, and worked as designed. It even disconnected automatically when it hit the case. I'm so disappointed... I thought I had it solved, and now? Hah!

But anyway.

Apparently some people have no problems. At least Apple made me think that. Since the stores are still closed, I won't, obviously, be trudging there to beg for a solution other than 'here, take these refurbished ones and go away'.

 

[ascender]

This is still happening and is a PITA as I only ever find-out its happened when i pick them up to go for a run. Must remember to make sure they’re charging each and every time...

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

This is still happening and is a PITA as I only ever find-out its happened when i pick them up to go for a run. Must remember to make sure they’re charging each and every time...

I know. My heart sank when I saw the left one still connected. 😞 Dangit!!! I had thought I had figured it out, and, nope, DENIED!!! 🤬

 

[erio]

Hi folks. I’m having the same issue, except my right earpiece shows 100% battery. However, as soon as I place it on my ear — nothing! Battery widget indicates Powerbeats Pro R earpiece is 100% for a few second, then disappears into Powerbeats Pro 100% for both earpieces. However, there are no sounds coming out of the right earpiece. I place it back in the case and it indicates 100%. Honestly, I think its battery is dead. I’ve contacted support to have it repaired/replaced. Now, I’m waiting for the box to arrive and send it off… thanks COVID-19!

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

So last night was a bad night for the right one. It stayed up all night, connected, and this morning it was at 3% change.

I was working on the idea that the sensor on the body of the earbud was dirty, and that was making the thing think it was installed in an ear, but that hypothesis doesn't seem to be correct. Dangit!!!

I thought I was so close to solving this crap! *sigh*

Oh, but I took it out of the case, cleaned it again, and it hasn't phantom connected since. Damn... I'm getting so depressed playing this BS game. They were supposed to be 'so sophisticated'. Yeah, not so much...

 

[erio]

Box arrived and will be sending out today. Before mailing it out, I did one last check up. After doing the "forget this device" and reset tango, the battery on my right earpiece is dead. According to the battery widget, it's charging at 0% — not increasing at all. I give up... Apple should recall these for those with issues!

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

So last night was a bad night for the right one. It stayed up all night, connected, and this morning it was at 3% change.

I was working on the idea that the sensor on the body of the earbud was dirty, and that was making the thing think it was installed in an ear, but that hypothesis doesn't seem to be correct. Dangit!!!

I thought I was so close to solving this crap! *sigh*

Oh, but I took it out of the case, cleaned it again, and it hasn't phantom connected since. Damn... I'm getting so depressed playing this BS game. They were supposed to be 'so sophisticated'. Yeah, not so much...

AH!!!

But the ride that I had planned on doing with the PBP's crashed to the ground. The right earbud was DEAD! It was an ex-earbud! A deceased earbud. It was at 0%. I was pissed, but restrained myself from throwing them onto the floor, even though the scattering if the guts of the damn things would have been fulfilling and satisfying. Grr... The right earbud *would* have had enough time to charge to near 100%, but the freaking thing Did Not Charge!!! If it had, it would have been somewhere north of 3%!

Stinking garbage! And I paid over $200 for this! But, maybe I'm holding them wrong. Maybe they aren't fitting in the ear correctly. Maybe I have to use a special cloth to clean the case and that one earbud? The drama is getting ridiculous!!!

 

[erio]

Just received my Powerbeats Pro and right earpiece was replaced. 🤞🏼 it’ll last longer this time.

Whoa... MacRumos main page indicated Powerbeats Pro got minor update?

 

[thelinney]

I had a similar problem for a couple weeks but I found a solution. My problem was that if I put both in the case to charge, one would end up with 100% and the other one dead, and I'd put them each in with like 50% (meaning it died without even being used). This got me thinking that it was a short circuit problem, because it couldn't have just died like that without touching the contacts. I believe when I put them both in, there's a problem splitting the current, so one circuit gets all the power and it somehow shuts off the other circuit, so that other earbud ends up in the opposite situation where the battery just wastes power by sending current the wrong way through an empty closed circuit. Simple solution I found was just charge them one at a time. It's a nuisance but not a deal breaker, these are the only wireless earbuds that actually fit with my ears and I really like the sound on them, so I can live with it. It works because it's not just a right ear or left ear problem, at first it was the right one not charging, then quickly switched to the left one not charging for a while, and now it's back to the right one not charging, I'm gonna test if it has to do with which one I put in the case first, that should confirm if it's a short circuit problem. Hope somebody else has the same problem and this works for them.

 

[Carl S]

I have the same issue which I discovered last night when I dug them out of my gym bag. One completely dead the left one and the right fully charged. I tried all variations for hours and it seems that only one will charge at any time. The left one I have to fiddle around until it makes contact then I have to leave the case open to to charge I might add. If I place the right earpiece in it switches off the left one. All in all a mega pain in the butt!!!! They are the best I have found for the gym and running but this issue which apple have ignored for it seems months is not what we all paid for. When things calm down with the Covid-19 I shall with all haste descend upon my local apple store and try to remain calm whilst explaining the situation with the pro's. I wonder if at some point an update to the firmware will solve this issue but I am also aware that the contacts themselves are to blame as well. A double whammy from Apple it seems. Anybody out there got any updates on how to solve this issue or at least an acknowledgment from Cupertino.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

I have the same issue which I discovered last night when I dug them out of my gym bag. One completely dead the left one and the right fully charged. I tried all variations for hours and it seems that only one will charge at any time. The left one I have to fiddle around until it makes contact then I have to leave the case open to to charge I might add. If I place the right earpiece in it switches off the left one. All in all a mega pain in the butt!!!! They are the best I have found for the gym and running but this issue which apple have ignored for it seems months is not what we all paid for. When things calm down with the Covid-19 I shall with all haste descend upon my local apple store and try to remain calm whilst explaining the situation with the pro's. I wonder if at some point an update to the firmware will solve this issue but I am also aware that the contacts themselves are to blame as well. A double whammy from Apple it seems. Anybody out there got any updates on how to solve this issue or at least an acknowledgment from Cupertino.

My experience from Apple was that they don't think this is a problem (surprised?) and that it's 'user error' (again: surprised?).

When I mentioned that the pins could be longer, the Apple person I was talking to acted like I had solved the last unsolvable math problem. 'OH! THAT'S A GREAT IDEA!'

I doubt that the charging circuit is only capable of charging one at a time. I've seen it charging both at the same time. I did discover, as I mentioned upstream, that the sensor on the earbud that didn't charge was dirty, and hypothesized that the 'dirt' was causing the poor thing to think that it was still in an ear. That and possibly having an issue with placement in the case was kind of what I think might be going on. I did realize that occasionally the earbuds would have sweat on them that would go around the whole bottom of them, and so wiping them off, as directed from Apple, seems to work well too. However, despite my better intentions, the right one went on a bender recently, and did not charge. I took them both out, and fiddled with them, and ended up just not using the set for a week letting them 'charge' in the case, and they are now back and we are best buds again.

It seems that just when I think I have a handle on what's happening, they go and do something weird. There has to be *something* in the firmware that is causing this random action. Sure the pins could be a problem, and I'd wager that's what most of the issues are, a balky case, and short pins, but that doesn't seem to be the only issue. I'd like to decompile the firmware and see if there is a flaw in it somewhere. There has to be an assumption on the part of the programmers that is causing these things to flake out if certain conditions are met. It's not because I'm holding them wrong, or wearing them wrong. (I said that, not holding them wrong, to the Apple person, and she kinda chuckled a little in spite of herself)

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

And then I hopped on my bike and this is what I saw when I tried to use them:



🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

 

[ATC]

This is such a frustrating problem, I keep coming up with ideas for workarounds but most of them eventually fail. And Apple support has only suggested one of two things, re-do the pairing process and try again or send them in for repair/replacement.

I have tried one thing that, while it hasn't fixed the issue, seems to have helped a lot.

Three weeks ago I had a hell of a time getting the right one to disconnect while in the case. So what I did was take both out and put them back in my ears and listened to music for just a few seconds, then when I put them back in the case, this time both disconnected and remained that way.

I've since only had the failure to disconnect happen once, and with the method above they disconnected properly and stayed that way and both are always at 100% charge every time I go to use them - going on 9 days now. FWIW, I use them daily.

I have no idea how long this will work for but I feel this is indicative of some sort of software issue, not really hardware. I do still think that the charging prongs are too short but I don't think that's the core of the problem.

It's definitely a nuisance to have to check for BT disconnection after each use but considering how much better these are compared to my APP, in sound, fit during workouts etc....for me it's a small price to pay.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Mine work like crap, I get them working better, they last for a few days/weeks, and then stuff goes sideways. Again... And then they start going bad again. It's getting tiring... And I thought of getting the APP's.

 

[erio]

I had a similar problem for a couple weeks but I found a solution. My problem was that if I put both in the case to charge, one would end up with 100% and the other one dead, and I'd put them each in with like 50% (meaning it died without even being used). This got me thinking that it was a short circuit problem, because it couldn't have just died like that without touching the contacts. I believe when I put them both in, there's a problem splitting the current, so one circuit gets all the power and it somehow shuts off the other circuit, so that other earbud ends up in the opposite situation where the battery just wastes power by sending current the wrong way through an empty closed circuit. Simple solution I found was just charge them one at a time. It's a nuisance but not a deal breaker, these are the only wireless earbuds that actually fit with my ears and I really like the sound on them, so I can live with it. It works because it's not just a right ear or left ear problem, at first it was the right one not charging, then quickly switched to the left one not charging for a while, and now it's back to the right one not charging, I'm gonna test if it has to do with which one I put in the case first, that should confirm if it's a short circuit problem. Hope somebody else has the same problem and this works for them.

Unlike AirPods/Airpods Pro, Beats products need to be plugged into a computer for an update:
https://www.beatsbydre.com/support/how-to/firmware-updates-beats-updater

Yeah, I think it’s ridiculous, especially if it uses the same H1?

 

[ATC]

Unlike AirPods/Airpods Pro, Beats products need to be plugged into a computer for an update:
https://www.beatsbydre.com/support/how-to/firmware-updates-beats-updater

Yeah, I think it’s ridiculous, especially if it uses the same H1?

In the link you posted it also says, “ If your device is turned on and connected to an iOS device, you don't need to do the steps in this article.”

Does that mean if the PBPs are wirelessly connected to an iPhone a firmware update happens in the background?

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Unlike AirPods/Airpods Pro, Beats products need to be plugged into a computer for an update:
https://www.beatsbydre.com/support/how-to/firmware-updates-beats-updater

Yeah, I think it’s ridiculous, especially if it uses the same H1?

But when was the last update? I keep plugging mine in to my MacBook Pro, and it hasn't had an update in forever. The original ones I had said they needed an update, but it was the same version they had, which was odd...

Anyway, waiting for an update, or the new version to ship. *sad*

 

[erio]

In the link you posted it also says, “ If your device is turned on and connected to an iOS device, you don't need to do the steps in this article.”

Does that mean if the PBPs are wirelessly connected to an iPhone a firmware update happens in the background?

Honestly, it never updated when connected to an iOS device ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. I’ve always used the Beats Updater to check for a firmware update.
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But when was the last update? I keep plugging mine in to my MacBook Pro, and it hasn't had an update in forever. The original ones I had said they needed an update, but it was the same version they had, which was odd...

Anyway, waiting for an update, or the new version to ship. *sad*

The last update it got was 2C48. It was after this update when my Powerbeats Pro started acting up. Hoping it’ll get an update soon, similar to AirPods Pro

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

So, weird...

After a week of 'charged/not charged', I started leaving the case on a charge cord, charging, and the buds are fine. I haven't had a problem with one dead in about a month. So, keep them on a charger? Kinda defeats the idea of a charging case, but, so far, they seem to be working. Weird...

Well, working, until they defy me, and play dead AGAIN... So much drama, and by Backbeat Fits sit there, laughing at me, ready to go at a moments notice.

 

[ATC]

So, weird...

After a week of 'charged/not charged', I started leaving the case on a charge cord, charging, and the buds are fine. I haven't had a problem with one dead in about a month. So, keep them on a charger? Kinda defeats the idea of a charging case, but, so far, they seem to be working. Weird...

Well, working, until they defy me, and play dead AGAIN... So much drama, and by Backbeat Fits sit there, laughing at me, ready to go at a moments notice.

I've noticed something similar. I seem have the most occurrences of this issue when the case is under 50% charge or low charge, and conversely I've noticed the issue almost completely gone when the case is fully, or at least well charged. So there's something happening that's directly or indirectly related to the case charge level.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

I've noticed something similar. I seem have the most occurrences of this issue when the case is under 50% charge or low charge, and conversely I've noticed the issue almost completely gone when the case is fully, or at least well charged. So there's something happening that's directly or indirectly related to the case charge level.

And Apple will deny a connection to that until the cows, chickens, and sheep come home. They deny there are any changes to the new PBP's. How can they have so many problems, and not address them in the new model. Making it just different colors is a waste of an opportunity to make people happy. (Or not. Like if there was an update, and the only color old model users can get is Pink)

 

[Akrapovic]

Anecdotal story of course, but I'm now convinced that most of the problems with these are related to the charging contacts. I just opened my case and the left earphone was dead, and the case was also dead. It had been trying to charge the left earphone somehow.

So I put them all back in, plugged it in, and the case was charging but the left earphone wasn't. I cleaned the contact with the alcohol wipes and it immediately began charging.

Every time I have a charging issue, I clean the contacts with alcohol and it immediately works.

 

[mrochester]

Anecdotal story of course, but I'm now convinced that most of the problems with these are related to the charging contacts. I just opened my case and the left earphone was dead, and the case was also dead. It had been trying to charge the left earphone somehow.

So I put them all back in, plugged it in, and the case was charging but the left earphone wasn't. I cleaned the contact with the alcohol wipes and it immediately began charging.

Every time I have a charging issue, I clean the contacts with alcohol and it immediately works.

I believe the issue might be the charging contacts on both the headphones and in the case corroding from sweat/damp and resulting in no charging. This is why I now leave my headphones outside of the case for a few hours after using them to allow them to fully dry off.

 

[Akrapovic]

I believe the issue might be the charging contacts on both the headphones and in the case corroding from sweat/damp and resulting in no charging. This is why I now leave my headphones outside of the case for a few hours after using them to allow them to fully dry off.

I wipe mine off every time (sweaty ear wax is not nice!) before putting them away. Which might explain why I have much more luck than other people are having.

 

[NYY FaN]

I've had this problem with 3 different pairs since the fall. I have always thought it was an issue with moisture getting to the charging contact points since this issue doesn't happen when they're new but maybe after a few weeks of daily use (and getting very sweaty at the gym). I have taken iso alc to try and clean them but it hasn't helped much.