The latest pair of truly wireless earbuds from Beats, the Beats Fit Pro, was just released. The buds are a fantastic value because they so nicely replicate the Apple AirPods Pro, regarded to be the finest earbuds for pairing with an iPhone.
Price
The most straightforward comparison is generally the price, and while that’s still true here, there are a few things to bear in mind. The AirPods Pro originally debuted at a price of $249 in 2019, but you may frequently purchase them for well below $200.
The Beats Fit Pro was introduced on November 1st, 2021 at a price of $199. In terms of MSRP, they’re the less expensive option, but since they’re so much newer, it’s doubtful we’ll see similar price cuts for a while.
The AirPods Pro, on the other hand, will be more expensive if they do not have sales during the holiday season. The MagSafe charging is a good thing for Apple fans, but it may put the AirPods at risk of being damaged by placing them on high-profile surfaces. As a result, we must give this one to Beats.
Fit and design
The AirPods Pro went a long way to addressing some of the problems we had with the original AirPods, not least of which is their magnetic ear tips, which greatly enhanced the overall level of comfort.
Despite the fact that they now use a “semi-open fit” design in place of Apple’s original AirPods’ plastic shell, which fits comfortably and securely into most ear canals, they still fit somewhat loosely in the outer ear.
Some people adore this look, and it’s become a favorite for many, but the AirPods Pro always feels to me like they might jump ship unpredictably, especially during a workout or other intense activity.
The Beats Fit Pros take a unique approach: they’re not only sold with conventional ear tips but also include a stabilizing wing that fits securely into the outer ear. In place of the more cumbersome (but extremely stable) ear hooks seen on previous Beats buds like the Powerbeats and Powerbeats Pro, the wing design isn’t anything new. True wireless headphones don’t need any additional features; their form is simple and straightforward.
In terms of waterproofing, the AirPods Pro and Beats Fit Pro are almost identical: both provide an IPX4 Ingress Protection rating, which means “spills over 5-10 minutes have no negative effect.” That implies you can use either pair of buds while working out, but you shouldn’t rinse them in the sink afterward.
Finally, what about weight? The AirPods Pro weighs 5.4 grams each bud, whereas the Beats Fit Pro is a little heavier at 5.6 grams per bud. However, in terms of case size and weight: the AirPods Pro case is smaller and lighter at 45.6 grams, versus the Fit Pro’s 54.5 grams.
The AirPods Pro’s stem is more iconic (and, let’s be honest, useful), but the Beats Fit Pros provide a more sturdy and perhaps more comfortable fit than the AirPods Pro with similar weight and waterproofing. Their stabilizing wing makes them particularly comfortable for exercises when compared to the AirPods Pro.
Finally, while it doesn’t make much difference, the Beats Fit Pro is available in a wider variety of colors: Black, White, Sage Gray, and Stone Purple (the version shown). The AirPods are only available in white.
Features and controls
The AirPods have been on the market for four years, so it’s not surprising that they’re still the gold standard. However, with rivals offering near-identical functionality at a fraction of the cost, there are several options to consider. The biggest difference between the Apple AirPods Pro and their Beats Fit Pro competitors is that they have identical feature sets. This isn’t just well-shaped software: the H1 chip in the AirPods Pro gives them iPhone ecosystem boldness, and the Fit Pros has too (after all, Apple owns Beats).
The features that distinguish one from the other are nearly identical. This means that, in terms of specifications, both headphones are almost equivalent. Not only do both pairs have similar top features like Adaptive ANC, Transparency Mode, and AutoPlay/Pause, but they also include all of the iPhone functions such as iCloud/Audio Sharing, Spatial Audio, Hands-free “Hey Siri,” and every other feature people enjoy about using AirPods.
Apple’s H1 chip is what gives the AirPods their iPhone ecosystem hutzpah, and the Fit Pro have it too.
However, the Beats Fit Pro also works with Android users thanks to the official Beats app.
On an Android phone, it was a simple, intuitive method to adjust all of the Fit Pro’s functions. There isn’t any sort of official app for AirPods Pro.
No matter who you are, the AirPods Pro’s Force Sensor will appeal. When playing or pausing a song, for example, you simply press and squeeze the white stems on the AirPods Pro. You’re getting essentially the same control scheme with the Beats Pro as you do with the Beats Solo 2: pressing and squeezing a lowercase-b “Beats” logo rather than a stem.
The AirPods Pro feature that the Beats lack is wireless charging for the case. You may charge your AirPods Pro case (with or without the buds in it) on any Qi charging pad to fill it with power, and the updated AirPods Pro also includes MagSafe charging through Apple charging pads, which is very useful. The ability to charge wirelessly is missing from the Fit Pro models from Beats.
While the AirPods Pro’s stems do have a practical use in putting them in your ears, the fundamentals of the controls are exactly the same. Android users benefit substantially from this addition, while iOS users gain nothing other than Qi charging. This one is too close to call.
Battery
The battery life on the Beats Fit Pro is significantly longer than that of the AirPods Pro, which reflects their age. The Apple company’s top-of-the-line headphones last around 4.5 hours on a single charge and 24 hours total when charging in the case, whereas the Beats Fit Pros net you 6 hours (with ANC turned off) and 27 hours overall with the charging case. With ANC disabled, you can expect to reach 7 hours of duration.
Calling and sound performance
Calling and sound performance are also crucial elements, to be sure. We conducted extensive head-to-head comparisons between the AirPods Pro and the Beats Fit Pro to see how they compared in terms of basic call quality and windy situations.
The AirPods Pro remains the gold standard for Bluetooth headphones in this category, even on an Android phone. When the speaker was overwhelmed by bad weather, testing revealed a smidge more vocal clarity and better voice seclusion for the AirPods Pro.
Calling is one area where the AirPods Pro is still the champ—even on an Android phone.
On the other side of the coin, sound quality is better with the Beats Fit Pro than it is with Apple’s Airpods. It’s possible that it’s just due to their more secure fit, but the Beats—far from the excessively bassy sound they’re recognized for—offer a solid, balanced sound that, to our ears at least, is just a bit more pleasurable across musical genres than the AirPods Pro.
In reality, the difference is minimal between these two. We doubt most people will be able to distinguish much of a difference in either situation.
