Powerbeats Pro 2 cannot play music when sharing heart rate with cardio machines
Apple has confirmed that its Powerbeats Pro 2 workout buds cannot play music when tracking heart rate while connected to gym equipment.
DC Rainmaker noted in his Powerbeats Pro 2 review that Apple’s new sporty buds suffer from a major limitation that prevents them from maintaining a Bluetooth connection to the paired phone and gym equipment at the same time.
Apple has confirmed the finding in a statement to DC: “You cannot listen to music with your iPhone while also paired with the gym equipment for heart rate.” The Beats User Guide acknowledges as much, saying, “When Powerbeats Pro 2 are connected to third-party equipment and heart rate monitoring is active, you can’t play audio from your iPhone to your Beats.” Maybe reviewers should pay closer attention to technical documentation before actually reviewing stuff.
Powerbeats Pro 2 cannot play music when displaying heart rate on gym equipment
Many gym rats can’t imagine running on a treadmill without listening to music, but Powerbeats Pro 2 disappoint in that regard. It’s unclear why this limitation exists, as Bluetooth has supported multiple simultaneous connections for years now.
Apple has not said whether this could be fixed in software down the line. A simple buffering system while transmitting the heart rate could be one way to fix it. There should be no technical reason for this restriction. If Apple Watch can stream music to my AirPods via Bluetooth while being connected to gym equipment simultaneously, then Powerbeats Pro 2 should also be capable of this.
DC’s review also found issues when sharing heart rate data with apps. “I started off on the Apple ecosystem side trying to use my Mac with an app called Zwift, but it wasn’t detecting the heart rate sensor,” it reads. “I used the Strava app, it didn’t work. I used the Peloton app, it didn’t work. I used the Wahoo Fitness app, and it didn’t work. I tried the Nike Run Club app, and it didn’t even see the thing.”
Pairing his buds with an Android phone fixed the problem. MacRumors says other reviewers noted the same problem, including DesFit and Shervin Shares.
How Powerbeats Pro 2 measure your heart rate
Powerbeats Pro 2 are Apple’s first buds with in-ear LED sensors that pulse over 100 times per second to measure the light reflected back to calculate blood flow, which can be used to derive the heart rate. The Beats by Dr. Dre website says the collected heart rate data is relayed directly, in real time, to compatible third-party apps in the United States. The buds don’t store heart rate data. “Powerbeats Pro 2 do not separately record or store your heart rate data,” says Apple.
A handful of HealthKit-enabled apps are compatible with this feature: Open, Peloton, Runna, Slopes, Ladder, Nike Run Club and YaoYao. Your heart rate data collected by the in-ear sensors is directly shared with the iPhone’s Health app. “Powerbeats Pro 2 do not separately record or store your heart rate data,” says Apple.
Apple advertises the $250 buds as being GymKit-capable. Originally launched in 2017, GymKit lets Apple Watch owners connect their device with compatible treadmills, ellipticals, indoor bikes or stair steppers so that a gym machine can display heart rate data collected by the watch’s onboard sensors.
Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2025/02/27/powerbeats-pro-heart-rate-gym-equipment-apple-clarification/
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