Very discreet in the Accessories category of the Apple site, we find products from the Beats brand purchased by the giant in 2014 for $3 billion.
Strangely, but we won’t complain about it, AirPods and Beats brand products compete with each other, at least in the earbud department. Like the first ones, the Beats Fit Pro headphones offer all the cutting-edge features like battery life, active noise cancellation, spatial sound, controls on each earbud, pairing with Apple mobile devices and computers, and audio quality.
Stranger still, note the price difference (rounded):
Finally, real bass!
In testing since last week, the Beats Fit Pro headphones fit better and are more comfortable than the AirPods Pro. For two reasons, they don’t have to be ‘screwed’ tightly into the ear canal for them to hold securely, the hook locks each earphone well into the earlobe and secondly their design is more easy to handle with controls directly below the Beats logo. In their case, no stems to pinch like on the AirPods, just briefly press the logo to answer a call or for two seconds to alternate between transparency and noise cancellation modes.
Apple
The hook securely locks the earpiece into the earlobe
By successively alternating Beats and AirPods Pro on the same music, we discover – finally! – basses that add a nice depth almost absent from the seconds.
The charging case is also bigger than that of the AirPods Pro, however, I find the plastic material too smooth or slippery like a wet bar of soap when handled. The curvaceous AirPods are also not easy to handle, while the Beats Fit Pro offer angled corners that provide more grip.
Small annoying detail, the L (left) and R (right) marks on my black test headphones cannot be found or are erased, which does not help to distinguish the left from the right.
Configuration
Active noise cancellation works very well thanks to the H1 chip that equips the latest AirPods, as well as the instant pairing with Apple devices. If you have multiple devices synced, just pair with one to pair the others too.
Autonomy
The new Beats Fit Pro offers 6 hours of continuous listening and their case an additional 18 hours. Like the AirPods Pro, a short five-minute charge in the case is enough to give them an hour of playtime.
By comparison, the AirPods Pro provide 4.5 hours of continuous listening and up to 24 hours of battery life with multiple charges in their case. On the other hand, the wireless charging of the case is only possible with that of the AirPods Pro.
Along with the case, the Beats Fit Pro comes with three sizes of ear tips and a USB-C to USB-C charging cable, but the power adapter is missing. And in four colors: black, gray, purple and white.
Rated IPX4, both Pro ranges are sweat and water resistant.
In conclusion: comfortable, superb sound, better autonomy, less expensive and with all the functions of the AirPods Pro, there is no doubt that these are the best in-ear headphones from Apple.
