Beats has launched new Powerbeats Fit earbuds, as Apple continues to expand its offering of smart earbuds aimed at those with iPhones and other products.
The new, small in-ear headphones cost $200, or the same in pounds in the UK. As such, they sit in the middle the line-up offered by Beats and Apple more broadly.
Apple bought Beats in 2014, and since then has used it to launch a whole range of earphones that borrow from the new technologies offered in its own branded products such as AirPods. The Beats line-up still tends to be focused largely on health and fitness.
The new earphones replace the Beats Fit Pro, which were released in 2021. They make them more durable and waterproof as well as offering a smaller case and a more comfortable design.
The update comes just a couple of weeks after the release of Apple’s new AirPods Pro 3. They offered a range of changes, including their own upgrades to durability and comfort.
The Beats earphones sit alongside two levels of in-ear headphones in Apple’s own AirPods Pro and AirPods. Both companies also offer a range of over-ear, traditional headphones.
The Beats Fit Pro are the cheaper part of Beats’ wireless earphone line-up. For $50 or pounds more, customers can get the Powerbeats Pro 2, which feature a design that hooks over the back of the ear and includes more recent upgrades from Apple including its H2 chip, for better pairing with other Apple devices.
But the Beats Fit Pro still include active noise cancellation and touch controls. Their battery life is unchanged at 30 hours, the company said.
