Apple's new Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds have come in for heavy criticism because of a major limitation in its heart rate monitoring functionality, according to a detailed review by DC Rainmaker and corroborated by user reports.
DC's YouTube review reveals that despite being marketed as capable of pairing with gym equipment to display heart rate data at a glance, Powerbeats Pro 2 cannot simultaneously maintain a Bluetooth connection to a phone for music playback, a limitation Apple has since confirmed.
"You cannot listen to music with your iPhone while also paired with the gym equipment for heart rate," Apple said in an email in response to DC's query.
Several Reddit users have complained about the same issue. The limitation means users must choose between listening to music from their phone or sharing heart rate data with gym equipment, but not both at the same time.
DC's review also highlighted persistent HR detection issues when using Powerbeats Pro 2 with Apple devices. Apple markets the $249.99 earbuds as fully compatible with both iOS and Android systems, however DC and other fitness reviewers encountered problems getting the heart rate functionality to work properly with various iPhone apps.
"I started off on the Apple ecosystem side trying to use my Mac with an application called Zwift, but it wasn't detecting the heart rate sensor," DC explained. "I used the Strava app, it didn't work. I used the Peloton app, it didn't work. I used the Wahoo Fitness app, and it didn't work. I tried the Nike Run Club app, and it didn't even see the thing."
"It's at this point I decided to give up on my beloved iPhone and just went straight to an Android phone."
Curiously, when switching to Android devices, the Powerbeats Pro 2 heart rate functionality worked immediately across multiple fitness apps. This doesn't appear to have been down to a defect with DC's review unit, either. Similar issues have been reported by other tech reviewers, including DesFit and Shervin Shares, who also resorted to Android devices after failing to get reliable heart rate data on iOS.
The heart rate accuracy itself also came under scrutiny, with DC's testing showing significant data dropouts and inaccurate readings during both indoor cycling and outdoor running sessions.
The Powerbeats Pro 2 were released on February 11 with several new features including Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, and heart rate monitoring. Apple claims to have put the earbuds through over 1,500 hours of testing against 1,000 athletes, but the reported real-world limitations suggest Apple's implementation is falling short of some user's expectations.
Powerbeats Pro 2 retail for $249.99 and are available in Electric Orange, Hyper Purple, Jet Black, and Quick Sand. Have you had similar issues with the earbuds? Let us know in the comments.
(Thanks, Thomas!)