This announcement comes two weeks after Apple confirmed that it is buying the company for $3 billion and follows the Solo 2 headphones as the latest member of the Beats headphone family.
Like the Solo 2 headphones and the Beats Studio and Studio Wireless headphones before that, Powerbeats 2 Wirless are part of Beats's refresh of its entire product line.
This is also the first in-ear product Beats has released since it split from Monster and took its headphone production in-house.
The $200 Bluetooth headphones keep the original Powerbeats aesthetic — but add in wireless features. Beats tells us that Powerbeats 2 Wireless were designed for athletes. That is to say, they are designed to be worn while working out, running or doing other physical activities.
To that end, the earphones — which are in-ear but also have hooks that go around the ear canal — are rated IPX4 for sweat and water resistance. Beats notes that the IPX4 rating extends not just to the earphones, but to the wireless wrap-around cable too.
The biggest challenge Beats says it faced when designing the Powerbeats 2 Wireless was making sure it kept the Beats sound — while also delivering solid battery life.
Beats says you can get six hour of battery life on the Powerbeats 2 Wireless — and that's what we saw in our limited tests with a production sample. Charging the headphones occurs over USB and a 15-minute charge can deliver an extra hour of playback.
Available in white, red and black, Powerbeats 2 will retail for $199 and will be available in June at beatsbydre.com and select retailers. Wide availability will take place in July 2014.
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