Apple Announces Updated Powerbeats Wireless Earphones With H1 Chip, 15-Hour Battery Life and $149 Price Tag

Apple's Beats subsidiary today announced the launch of Powerbeats, an updated version of its Powerbeats 3 wireless earphones.

According to 9to5Mac, the US$149 Powerbeats have been upgraded on multiple fronts over the previous generation Powerbeats 3:

Powerbeats now use the same H1 chip as second generation AirPods, Powerbeats Pro, and AirPods Pro, boosting battery life from 12 hours to 15 hours, while enabling ‘Hey Siri’ support and lower latency. Powerbeats also work with Apple’s Audio Sharing feature on iOS.

When it comes to sound, MacRumors says Powerbeats “deliver the same rich audio as the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ with pistonic drivers that offer clean sound reproduction with low distortion across the frequency curve and enhanced clarity and dynamic range.”

Design wise, MacRumors reports that Powerbeats look similar to the Powerbeats 3:

but have an angled earpiece that's closer in design to the Powerbeats Pro and a cord that trails down from the earhook rather than the opposite side. Apple says this makes for a natural, ergonomic contour around the neck.

The left earbud has a control that toggles power and pairing while the right earbud toggles volume. The right side also has the ‘b’ button for managing playback, phone calls, and activating Siri.

Powerbeats charge over Lightning; and come with a USB-A to Lightning cable and a soft carrying pouch. They are available in three colors at launch - black, white, and red.

The all-new Powerbeats will be available starting March 18th from Apple.com, Best Buy, and other retailers that carry Beats headphones.

If rumors are correct, this could be the first of a series of product launches via press release by Apple over the coming days or weeks.