The Powerbeats Pro 2 are Getting an Upgrade in iOS 26
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In February, Apple’s Beats division released the Powerbeats Pro 2, a long-awaited successor to the original 2019 version. At the same time, it gave us a big clue as to one of the tentpole features for the AirPods Pro 3 by making the workout-focused buds from its subsidiary brand the first to adopt heart rate monitoring.
For Apple to add a health feature exclusively to its Beats headphones would have been very unusual, so we had to know it was going to show up on the AirPods Pro 3 when they finally arrived — especially after the years we’d spent hearing reports of Apple’s efforts to add more health features to future AirPods models.
On the fact of it, even putting that feature on the Powerbeats Pro 2 before the AirPods Pro seemed like an odd move, until you consider that this was really a case of history repeating itself in a remarkably detailed way.
Apple debuted the first Powerbeats Pro in a world where only the standard AirPods existed. The AirPods 2 had gone on sale only a few weeks earlier, and the first AirPods Pro were 210 days away (remember that number).
In many ways, the Powerbeats Pro became almost a trial run for the AirPods Pro. In that light, it’s not surprising that the Powerbeats Pro 2 repeated that. When they were announced on February 11, they became the first set of Apple-made earbuds to incorporate heart rate sensors, foreshadowing what would arrive on the AirPods Pro 3 on September 9 — 210 days later.
We may never know if Apple picked those dates deliberately, and if we want to get more precise, it may not be an exact measurement if you factor in announcement versus availability dates. Still, it’s fun to think about.
Although the Powerbeats Pro 2 may have been the first to feature heart rate sensors, it seemed that the AirPods Pro 3 would be the first to use them more effectively. When Apple showed off its new AirPods last week, it revealed how they could be used to track workouts almost as effectively as an Apple Watch, with the Apple Fitness app in iOS 26 able to start workouts directly for the first time, using metrics from the earbuds.
That’s something the Powerbeats Pro 2 couldn’t do. The heart rate sensors would record data into the Beats app, but there was no direct integration with Apple Fitness or any of the data from the Apple Watch. The best you could do is view the heart rate information in the iPhone Health app and use that as a conduit to relay it to other apps such as Nike Run Club, Peloton, or Open.
When announcing the AirPods Pro 3 during its “Awe Dropping” event last week, Apple focused solely on those headphones, which is fair. It didn’t even mention that features like Live Translation would be coming to older AirPods models, so it’s not too surprising that it also didn’t talk about any Beats products.
However, it turns out that Apple is welcoming the Powerbeats Pro 2 into the fold, giving them the same health-monitoring integration as the new AirPods Pro. Beats confirmed this a few days ago in a statement to 9to5Mac, and now it’s released a firmware update that makes it happen.
When combined with the iOS 26 update, the new 8A353 firmware will not only tie into the Apple fitness experience but will even embrace some other AirPods-exclusive features, such as adding support for Siri head gestures so you can answer or decline calls simply by shaking your head in typical yes or no movements.
Additionally, a single Powerbeats Pro 2 earbud can be used for heart rate monitoring during workouts and will count steps taken when your iPhone isn’t with you. There’s also an improved heart rate tracking algorithm that can benefit both iPhone and Android users.
For Apple Fitness users, Powerbeats Pro 2 will let you start all the same workout types on your iPhone that you can kick off with the AirPods Pro 3, monitoring your heart rate in real-time. You’ll also get the same real-time on-screen data for heart rate, calories burned, and even the Burn Bar in Fitness+ workouts. If you’re also wearing an Apple Watch, heart rate data will be combined from both devices for greater accuracy.
Installing new firmware on the Powerbeats Pro 2 is handled in the same way as for Apple’s AirPods: connect them to power, keep them in Bluetooth range of your iPhone, and wait. You can check the firmware version in the Beats app or by opening the iPhone Settings app and selecting them under Bluetooth while they’re connected.
