‘Powerbeats4’ wireless earphones from Beats have been popping up all over the internet and even in retail stores over the last few days. Today Apple’s Beats brand is making it official: the all-new Powerbeats wireless earphones are replacing Powerbeats3 Wireless for a fraction of the price.

The new Powerbeats earphones are heavily inspired by the totally wireless Powerbeats Pro earphones (reviewed). They also use the same chip as Apple’s second-gen AirPods and newly released AirPods Pro earphones.

Here’s what you need to know about the all-new Powerbeats wireless earphones now that they’re officially announced:

  • Officially called ‘Powerbeats’
  • Replaces Powerbeats3 Wireless design with Powerbeats Pro redesign
  • 15 hour battery compared to 12 hour battery with Powerbeats3 Wireless
  • Priced at $149, $50 under $199 Powerbeats3 Wireless
  • Three colors at launch: Red, White, and Black
  • Available Wednesday, March 18, 2020

The new Powerbeats are a major upgrade over Powerbeats3 Wireless for a fraction of the cost. Many retailers have been offloading Powerbeats3 Wireless for around $70 recently, but the list price remains $199 for the last-gen earphones. The new Powerbeats start at $149 on day one, and I wouldn’t rule out lower promotional prices in the future.

Features and design

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.

The design is clearly inspired by Powerbeats Pro, using the more modern look with the main difference being the cable connecting each earbud. There’s no charging case to manage — just Lightning charging directly on the earbud.

Sound and playback

And sonically, Powerbeats are designed to perform just like Powerbeats Pro. Just like the Pro version, Powerbeats are now rated for high quality phone call quality thanks to dual beamforming microphones and speed-detecting accelerometers.

Playback controls are similar but not exactly the same as Powerbeats Pro. The left earbud 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.

Price and availability

The all-new Powerbeats by Beats will be available on Apple.com starting Wednesday, March 18, for $149. Red, Black, and White will be sold at launch. The new $149 headphones are easy to recommend if you prefer corded wireless headphones or pricier alternatives aren’t in your budget.

The new design and specs bring Beats’ wireless headphones up-to-date with the rest of the Apple and Beats lineup with AirPods, Powerbeats Pro, and AirPods Pro.

(There’s still a question of what will happen to BeatsX earphones now, however, which have specs like original AirPods with questionable durability.)

The all-new Powerbeats are the $149 wireless earphones to beat.

  • Beats officially unveils ‘totally wireless’ Powerbeats Pro with Apple’s H1 chip in new AirPods, ‘Hey Siri’
  • Beats Solo Pro debut with Pure ANC, Transparency, fold-to-power and Apple H1 chip; pre-order for $299
  • Review: Beats Solo Pro on-ear headphones blend AirPods features with Studio noise cancellation