I compared the heart rate monitoring on Apple's latest earbuds, and there's a surprise winner

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Beats and Apple each released flagship earbuds in 2025 with one standout feature: in-ear heart rate monitoring. Since Apple owns both companies, both earbuds offer native compatibility with iOS devices and provide iOS users with Apple-exclusive features. 

However, Beats' Powerbeats Pro 2 also offer more compatibility with Android devices. Each pair of earbuds features a distinct form factor, which significantly impacts their use cases and the user's experience with them.

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Still, Apple lent its capable H2 audio chip to the Powerbeats Pro 2, making the two companies' offerings more similar than ever. However, Apple still reserves several features for AirPods to ensure adequate differentiation between the two earbuds. As Apple positions the AirPods Pro 3 as both a daily companion and a fitness-forward earbud ...