The design of the PowerBeats 3 doesn’t really deviate too much from the previous iterations, with the buds housed on long plastic oblongs, connecting to your ears with rubberiszd hooks – and of course, the obvious Beats logo on the side for the cachet owning such a brand confers for some. And even then, there were times when we needed to re-pair the headphones by holding them close to an iPhone or iPad – it’s cool to see the pop-up box appear when in proximity to the headphones, but it’s unclear why it was needed from time to time. Sharing is compatible with Beats Fit Pro, Beats Flex, Solo Pro, Powerbeats Pro, Powerbeats, Solo 3 Wireless, Powerbeats 3 Wireless, Beats Studio 3 Wireless, Beats X, AirPods (1st generation or later), AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max. Works with iPhone 8 or later and iPod touch (7th generation) with the latest version of iOS; and 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2nd generation or later), 11-inch iPad Pro, 10.5-inch iPad Pro, iPad (5th generation or later), iPad Air (3rd generation), and iPad mini (5th generation) with the latest version of iPadOS.

That's not to say the headphones don't have mids and highs aplenty, but they can get a little trapped behind that bass. Likewise if you want a non-fitness focussed pair of headphones there are cheaper, better-sounding alternatives out there. That said, they sound pretty similar to the Powerbeats Pro – one of our daily driver earbuds that constantly float around in our gym bag that have a gentle v-shape tonality that boosts the highs and lows with a slight recess on the mids. In other words, music sounds reasonably energetic, but dynamic that movies and shows are unwatchable. It's a well-balanced headphone, and we really appreciate that. That said, the Powerbeats Pro aren’t Apple-exclusive and will work with Android and Windows 10 devices. All you need to do is hold the pairing button inside the charging case and select the Powerbeats Pro on the device you want to pair. There’s almost no difference in sound quality that we could hear between a paired iOS device (our iPhone 8) and a paired Android device (our Google Pixel 3a XL), as both connections use Bluetooth 5.0. That’s because of a micro-laser barometric venting hole in the front chamber that, in Apple’s own words, reduces pressure in the ear and improves the bass response… not that Beats headphones needs any help with bass levels.may not be available in all languages or in all areas, and features may vary by area. Internet access is required. Cellular data charges may apply This is also kind of an issue if you want to wear headphones to bed, as when you lay down with them in your ear, it pushes them uncomfortably far into the ear canal. On each earbud is a beam-forming microphone that’s used to summon Siri, which can in turn make phone calls, read texts aloud and answer questions. At first it felt like Siri wasn’t working – as the Powerbeats don’t make the chime sound by default – but rest assured that if you ask a question using ‘Hey Siri’ or hold down the right Beats button, Siri will answer. Beats By Dr. Dre is a subsidiary of Apple Inc. that produces high-quality and versatile audio products. It was founded by rapper and producer, Dr. Dre together with Jimmy Iovine, the co-founder of Interscope Records. The line focuses mainly on headphones and speakers, but they also offer other accessories. Where many fitness headphones err on the tinny side when it comes to sound quality, preferring to pump up the volume so your music can be heard when pounding the streets or grunting through weight-lifting, the PowerBeats 3 do have a richer sound to them.

Where the Powerbeats 3 impress is when used as a combination of the two – being able to drift from fitness speakers to headphones you can use walking down the street, these stay in place and offer great sound quality. To that end, buy these earbuds if you’re an Apple-loving gym-goer who can appreciate better-sounding music and features like hands-free Hey Siri, and don’t mind paying a bit more for those things. Also consider...Given the fact these headphones are designed to work so well with products in the Apple ecosystem, it won’t be a surprise if future models are Lightning-connected instead. There are a variety of tips in the box, with flanged buds among our favourites. However, while the hook design does stop the headphones falling off your head completely, it means that the seal in the ear isn’t always total – the hook pressing against the outside of one’s ear can prise the buds out slightly, so noise isolation ends up not being perfect. One issue with the design of the Beats Powerbeats Pro is that they do jut out of the ears a bit, and don’t have quite the same low-profile look as the Apple AirPods. My for Powerbeats Pro requires an iPhone or iPod touch with iOS 14.5 or later, iPad with iPadOS 14.5 or later, or Mac with macOS Big Sur 11.3 or later. Customers must have an Apple ID and be signed in to their iCloud account with Find My enabled.