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Apple’s revamped compact workout Beats earbuds stick to a winning formula, while slimming down and improving comfort.
The new Powerbeats Fit are the direct successors to 2022’s popular Beats Fit Pro, costing £200 (€230/$200/A$330). They sit alongside the recently redesigned Powerbeats Pro 2 as Apple’s fitness alternatives of the AirPods.
The Fit take Beats’ standard earbud design and add a flexible silicone stabiliser wing that curves around the inside of your concha, rather than around the outside of your ear like the Pro 2. The result is a far more compact and discreet earbud – particularly if you opt for a subtler colour than spark orange – and one that’s more comfortable to wear with glasses.
Once twisted into place, the earbuds stayed firmly in my ears regardless of how vigorously I shook my head or how wet I got running in the rain. The new wing is a little more comfortable for extended periods than their predecessors, but I still found it put uncomfortable pressure on the inside of my left ear after an hour or so.
A single button on each earbud takes care of playback and noise cancelling controls, or can be set to adjust volume on a press and hold. Call quality is very good – particularly for earbuds without stalks – sounding relatively natural and clear even when speaking softly in quiet environments and only allowing a little background noise through on busy streets.
The battery in the earbuds lasts a good six hours of playback with noise cancelling and can be charged three times in the case for a total of 24 hours use before needing to be connected to power by USB-C.
The earbuds have Apple’s older H1 chip for managing connectivity, which means a seamless connection to the iPhone and other Apple gear with spatial audio, music sharing and Siri. But the Beats app on Android offers many of the same advanced features, including instant pairing, customisation, updates and battery widgets, making them cross-compatible and ideal for people who use both platforms.
Specifications
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Connectivity: Bluetooth 5, SBC, AAC, H1 chip
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Battery life: six hours ANC playback (24 hours with case)
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Water resistance: buds and case IPX4 (splash resistant)
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Earbud dimensions: 27.4 x 21.5 x 20.4mm
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Earbud weight: 5.8g each
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Charging case dimensions: 62.5 x 55.4 x 27.5mm
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Charging case weight: 49.8g
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Case charging: USB-C
Sound and noise cancelling
The Beats sound far better than your average workout buds and are good enough to be general listening earphones. They produce fairly balanced sound with plenty of powered in the low end when required, good separation of tones and decent detail in the mids and highs. They are quite similar to the Powerbeats Pro 2 and do a great job with punchier rock, pop, hip-hop or electronic tracks, but fall short of the AirPods Pro 3.
Unlike most workout buds the Beats have active noise cancellation, which works pretty well to dampen the drone of road noise or the commute. It can’t handle the difficult higher tones, such as clicks, taps and background chatter as well as the Powerbeats Pro or the best-in-class AirPods Pro 3, but it does the job most of the time.
The earbuds also have a good and natural-sounding transparency mode, which helps with awareness while out running. But like the Powerbeats Pro 2 it isn’t quite as good as not having anything in your ears, so is still best used in safer environments such as parks.
Sustainability
Apple does not provide an expected lifespan for the batteries, but they should last in excess of 500 full-charge cycles with at least 80% of their original capacity.
The earbuds are not repairable but Apple will offer individual replacements for lost or damaged parts, including a £69 battery service. It does not publish environmental impact reports for accessories such as headphones. The company offers trade-in and free recycling schemes, including for non-Apple products.
Price
The Beats Powerbeats Fit cost £199.95 (€229.95/$199.99/A$329.95).
For comparison, the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 cost £250, the Beats Studio Buds+ cost £180, the Beats Solo Buds cost £80 and the AirPods Pro 3 cost £219.
Verdict
The Beats Powerbeats Fit are a minor revamp on the already great Beats Fit Pro bringing them into line with the rest of Apple’s earbuds.
They aren’t as comfortable or accomplished on the audio or noise-cancelling fronts as the AirPods Pro 3. Nor are they quite as great for running as the Powerbeats Pro 2 with their volume rocker buttons. But the Fit are easier to live with on the commute without the big over-ear hooks and more comfortable to wear with glasses without sacrificing the secure fit.
That makes them great workout buds that can pull double-duty as regular earbuds with good enough noise cancelling and great sound. Plus they have most of the fancy features of AirPods with Apple gear and full compatibility with Android thanks to the Beats app. Not many earbuds can claim that privilege.
Pros: secure fit, good sound, solid noise cancelling and transparency modes, decent battery life, good case, good call quality, spatial audio, cross-platform compatibility with enhanced features for iPhone and Android.
Cons: expensive for workout buds, no multipoint connectivity, ear hook can be uncomfortable after a while, battery can’t be replaced making them ultimately disposable.
