Beats announces $149 Powerbeats with 15 hours of battery life

They’ve already leaked plenty and Walmart even put them on shelves before an official announcement, but now Apple’s Beats brand is launching the new Powerbeats 4 earbuds. They’re actually just called Powerbeats without a number tagged onto the end. Like past versions, these use a neckband design, though the cable now runs behind the ear.

The new Powerbeats have been upgraded on multiple fronts. They’ve got improved 15-hour battery life (up from 12 hours in the Powerbeats 3) and, like the Powerbeats Pro, are now rated IPX4 for sweat and water resistance. They contain Apple’s H1 chip for quick pairing and hands-free “Hey Siri” voice controls. And Beats says they should sound basically the same as the Powerbeats Pro, which remain among the...

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