Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 wireless earbuds will gain support for the AirPods Pro 3's heart rate sensing feature with the release of iOS 26.
Apple announced its latest premium wireless earbuds at an event on September 9 alongside the iPhone 17 series of devices. One of the new features previewed allows the earbuds to measure a wearer's heart rate during workouts in a similar way to an Apple Watch.
But owners of Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds won't have to buy a pair of AirPods Pro 3 to get the same feature. Apple confirmed the news via a press release announcing its new $249 buds.
The feature will be available to all Powerbeats Pro 2 owners when the iOS 26 software update is released to the public on Monday, September 15. It'll also work with an iPad with iPadOS 26, and Apple TV with tvOS 26, when paired with an iPhone or Apple Watch.
Both Powerbeats Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 will only measure heart rate data during a workout. This is the key difference between an Apple Watch and this new earbud-based solution.
Beats has also confirmed to 9to5Mac that the Powerbeats Pro 2 will count a wearer's steps when they don't have an iPhone or Apple Watch.
Similarly, the earbuds will support hands-free gestures for Siri control with iOS 26 installed on a paired iPhone. Wearers will be able to nod or shake their head to answer or reject calls, among other things.
The Powerbeats Pro 2 are available to buy right now. The AirPods Pro 3 are available for preorder now and officially go on sale on September 19.
