108 MACWORLD MARCH 2020
PLAYLIST REVIEW: AIRPODS VS. AIRPODS PRO VS. POWERBEATS PROThe Powerbeats Pro offer 9 hours of playback.
doing, the Powerbeats Pro are not
going anywhere.
I think they make your music sound
just a little bit better than the
AirPods Pro, too. I can also
appreciate that they have
physical buttons instead of
fancy touch sensors.
But the real reason to get
the Powerbeats Pro is battery
life. All three earbuds have
enough battery in the charging
case to give you a total of 24
hours of playback, but the
AirPods and AirPods Pro
earbuds only last 4.5 to 5 hours
before you need to put them
back in the case to charge.
The Powerbeats Pro last twice as
long. You can get about 9 hours of
playback before you have to put them
back in the case. So the
Powerbeats Pro are best for
people who do really intense
activities and need all-day
battery life without a break.
For everyone else, the
combination of comfort, ease
of use, the tiny wireless
charging case, sound quality,
and active noise cancelling
make the AirPods Pro the
clear winner. For most
iPhone users, the AirPods
Pro are the best wireless
earbuds you can get. ■mmmmh
AirPods
(2nd-generation)
PRICE
$128mmmmh
AirPods Pro
PRICE
$234mmmmh
Powerbeats Pro
PRICE
$199