Powerbeats Pro 2 will reportedly measure your heart rate through your ears

Apple’s successor to its first-generation Powerbeats Pro true wireless stereo (TWS) headset could arrive with a new health monitoring feature, according to multiple reports. The Cupertino company rolled out the release client (RC) for iOS 18 to beta testers on Monday following its “It’s Glowtime” hardware launch event, and new code in Apple’s software update hints at the presence of new sensors on the company’s upcoming wireless audio products, such as the rumored AirPods Pro (3rd generation) model that is expected to debut in 2025.

Reference was made to new wireless headsets equipped with a heart rate sensor. spotted by 9to5Mac on the iOS 18 RC released on Monday, a week ahead of its official rollout. The string reportedly includes an instruction asking users to wear both earbuds during a workout so that the heart rate monitoring feature can send relevant information to the Apple Health app. Users may also be able to toggle this functionality on or off in the Bluetooth settings of the third-generation AirPods Pro, the publication said.

Meanwhile, MacRumors reports that the rumored Powerbeats Pro 2 will also support the same functionality, based on details spotted on the latest iOS 18 RC. Users will also need to wear both earbuds for the feature to work, while sharing heart rate data with gym equipment — such as a treadmill — could also be supported.

The software also reveals that the feature to measure heart rate while wearing the Powerbeats Pro 2 will only be available when a user starts a workout, the publication says. This could be used to preserve the battery life of the wireless headset.

Apple hasn’t announced any plans to launch a successor to the second-generation AirPods Pro, but it has already revealed that the Powerbeats Pro 2 will arrive in 2025. During its recently concluded ‘It’s Glowtime; launch event on Monday, the company announced the AirPods 4 TWS headset in two variants: one with active noise cancellation (ANC) and a cheaper variant without the functionality.