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House Republicans rallied together yesterday to pass multitrillion-dollar plan to address defense, immigration and more. And, why farmers don't like the idea of vaccinating poultry for bird flu.

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• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 has been rated by Singapore's IMDA
• It appears to be slated for a 2025 release
• This follows a cheeky Black Ops 6 easter egg hinting at the game

A Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 remake feels increasingly more likely now as the game appears to have been rated in Singapore of all places.

As reported by IGN, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 has appeared on the website for the Infocommunications Media Development Authority (IMDA), which manages ratings for video games in Singapore. We weren't able to find the page on IMDA's website, which could mean it's since been taken down, but Polygon managed to provide a screenshot of the webpage.

We can see that the IMDA has approved a 'General' rating for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4, and that the game is set to launch in 2025 for all major platforms. That includes PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.

This leak is a little different from what we've seen so far regarding a potential Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 release. The game's publisher, Activision, has itself teased the upcoming game - or at least, something Tony Hawk related.

First was an easter egg found in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on the Grind multiplayer map. There, a date of March 4, 2025 could be found on a billboard within the skate park-themed map. Soon after, a timer appeared on the official Tony Hawk game website, counting down to that same March 4 date. At the very least, it's fair to think that something is coming from the revered skateboarding franchise.

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• For the first time, dark web scanning is integrated into a hosting panel
• Get security recommendations if your data is found
• Hostinger claims over 50% of customers find data previously disclosed on dark web

Many security tools already let you know when personal information has been leaked and shared on the dark web, but unless you check, you won’t know whether your data has been disclosed.

This can leave you at risk of your account being hacked, either through impersonation, or simply your site being accessed with your username and password.

Now, a new tool from Hostinger is looking to boost user security by offering built-in dark web scanning for the first time, integrating the tool directly into its hPanel service.

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Dark web scanning

(Image credit: Hostinger)

There are other free and paid tools available online to check whether your information has been leaked online, but this is the first tool of this type directly integrated into a hosting panel.

Hostinger says its initial trials found over half of customers had data disclosed on the dark web, and received warnings along with suggestions on how to improve security like updating passwords and ensuring two factor authentication is turned on.

The tool was developed by NordStellar, and is available as a separate product or can be activated in Hostinger’s hPanel starting from $1.49/mo.

It works by tracking keywords that are associated with your business in dark web forums, search engines, markets, and communities. It also scans for information related to employee and client data for comprehensive monitoring.

Why is this important?

The dark web is a decentralized and unregulated part of the internet. On it, you can find all sorts of illegal content and it’s usually the first place stolen information is shared or put up for sale.

Hackers can exploit vulnerabilities to gain access to databases and steal large volumes of data held on a service. Instead of spending time to use this information to target the people in the dataset, hackers will sell the bulk data to bad actors who in turn will then try to use the data illegally for financial gain. This could be in the form of credit card fraud or using the information to impersonate a user to gain access to things like an email address or a web hosting account.

Common security tools integrated into hosting panels include Web Application Firewalls (WAF) that improve security through actions like inspecting incoming traffic, checking for cross-site scripting, limiting requests to stop brute force attacks, and identifying bots. Panels also often include password management tools and two factor authentication, file monitoring, and malware scanners.

While these tools are often updated to patch the latest security vulnerabilities of your site, they cannot protect you or your business if your details are hacked and disclosed online from other digital services that you use. By monitoring the dark web for information linked to you other attack vectors are mitigated as it allows you to update your information or add more stringent security while you are at greater security risks

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• Burglars have finally been added to The Sims 4 in a free update
• They can break into your virtual home and steal your most valuable stuff
• You're able to protect yourself in a variety of ways

Hide your valuables and install a burglar alarm, because the fan-favorite crafty criminals are back in The Sims 4. The update coincides with the 25th anniversary of The Sims franchise and has launched ahead of the upcoming The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies expansion pack.

In The Sims 4, the burglar is a new character: the aptly named Robin Banks. She can sneak into your house at night, stealing valuable items before sneaking off into the darkness. If one of your Sims is at home, they will be able to call the police and, if they arrive in time, see the burglar arrested.

If your Sim is feeling particularly brave, you can also opt to fight the burglar in a one on one duel - with stronger and more fit Sims more likely to succeed. Alternatively, there are a few other potential defenses all tied into various downloadable content (DLC) packs.

Those who own a dog in The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs will be fully protected, as their pet can chase the burglar away. Werewolves from The Sims 4 Werewolves will be able to scare the burglar too, while spellcasters (part of The Sims 4 Realm of Magic) can attack them with spells. For The Sims 4 Vampires owners, Vampire Sims could use their magic to command the thief to leave and scientists in The Sims 4 Get to Work get to whip out their trusty freeze ray.

Even if you don't own any DLC packs, burglar alarms have been added with a variety of different types that do everything from call the police to zap burglars, forcing them to drop their stolen items and leave. There are unique interactions to discover too, such as the chance that teenage Sims will stop for a cheeky selfie with the criminal before running away.

Is it a bit of a shame that it took over a decade since The Sims 4 launched back in September 2014 to add a feature that was present in The Sims, The Sims 2 and The Sims 3? Undeniably, but I suppose it's better late than never. I'm also glad that it's now part of the base game, rather than a paid DLC.

The Sims 4 is available now as a free-to-play title on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. That's in addition to Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PlayStation 5 via backwards compatibility.

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• Spotify: "how much money goes to artists and songwriters depends on their own contracts"
• Many tracks on Spotify don't generate royalties, and it favors big artists
• There are still ways to support artists directly, though

Spotify is getting annoyed with artists accusing it of hoarding all the money from streaming music. Speaking to our colleagues over on MusicRadar, it pointed a finger at the middlemen that sit between Spotify and the artists themselves.

Spotify has got a point: there are lots and lots of people taking often very large cuts of the money before any of it reaches the artist. But Spotify is also being a bit disingenuous here, because middlemen or not it doesn't pay a single cent for most of the songs you can stream from its service, and while its overall payouts are enormous, the lion's share goes to artists who are already huge.

I'm a broke musician and I make more money from a single Bandcamp sale than I expect to make from any streaming service this year. If you want to support artists, streaming isn't the way to do it.

Where does the Spotify money actually go?

Spotify's statement was partly in response to Gavin Rossdale, who said that "we know that Spotify barely pays. And whatever they do pay, the record companies make sure they sign off most of it before it goes to the artist."

Writing to MusicRadar, Spotify said: “As Gavin correctly points out, streaming services do not pay artists or songwriters directly. They pay rights holders, who in turn pay artists and songwriters based on their individual agreements. Once that revenue leaves a service like Spotify’s hands, how much money goes to artists and songwriters depends on their own contracts with their rightsholders."

That's absolutely true, and if you imagine streaming revenues as cake then there are many people stuffing their faces before the artist gets whatever crumbs are left. The music business is infamous for its ability to bring in huge amounts of money without giving very much of it to the talent. But while the streaming cake is huge, most of that cake is given to the very biggest artists via their record companies while many artists don't get offered any crumbs at all.

The music streaming services don't pay artists directly, and they don't pay per stream. After they've taken their cut of your subscription fees – typically 30% to cover operating costs and profit – they then pay out royalties based on market share. Spotify explains it here: "We calculate streamshare by tallying the total number of streams in a given month and determining what proportion of those streams were people listening to music owned or controlled by a particular rightsholder."

That's great if you're Taylor Swift or Kendrick Lamar. But it's not so great if you're a garage band just starting out. Since 2024 Spotify has demonetized songs that don't get 1,000 streams a year – by some estimates, 86% of music on the platform. As Air Herstand explained in Variety, "an artist with 20 songs at just under 1,000 streams each would earn around $60. Now that artist would earn $0. $60 is not life changing, and it's also not nothing."

What that means in practice is that the very biggest artists are doing very well from streaming: rates of around $0.0031 per stream may seem small, but when you're Taylor Swift – the first female artist to reach 100 billion Spotify streams – that's a ton of money. But the very smallest artists aren't making much money, or any money at all.

If you care about music and want to support artists, the best thing you can do isn't to stream them. It's to buy from their Bandcamp, especially on Bandcamp Fridays when all your cash goes to the artist. It's to buy their merchandise. And most of all, it's to go to their shows.

All of these provide real money more or less directly to the artists, and so help to make sure that they can keep providing you with new music in the future. There's no guarantee of that through streaming alone.

If you love a band, don't just stream them. Go see them.

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• A video has surfaced which supposedly shows the rear panel of the Google Pixel 9a
• The video has since been deleted, but reuploaded by others
• We have no way to confirm whether the phone is real or fake, but it looks convincing

With the Google Pixel 9, Google Pixel 9 Pro, and Google Pixel 9 Pro XL all settling into spots on our list of the best Android phones, fans are naturally wondering when we can expect to see the long-rumored Google Pixel 9a join the lineup as this year’s mid-range Pixel handset.

Well, if a new hands-on video is anything to go by, we might not have to too long to wait. In a now-deleted YouTube short (via Android Authority), tech YouTuber Alexis Garza showed off the design of a convincing-looking Pixel 9a.

Though the original video has been pulled, fellow YouTuber Shane Craig re-uploaded the five-second clip to Threads, where it's still live at the time of writing.

Post by @shanec.irl View on Threads

In the clip, Garza holds the Pixel 9a to the camera and rotates the phone to show the rear panel, camera system, side rails, and buttons.

Everything seems to match what we’ve heard via the latest Google Pixel 9a rumors, from the lack of a camera bar to the squared-off edges that make the Pixel 9a look much more like the mainline Pixel 9 than the previous-generation Pixel 8a. The buttons appear to be standard fare, with just a power button and volume rocker on the right-hand side of the phone.

The Pixel 9a shown in the video features a dual camera system, which we expect to be comprised of a 48MP main camera and a 13MP ultra-wide camera. As mentioned, the camera bar – iconic to the Pixel series since the Google Pixel 6 – is nowhere to be seen, with the cameras instead residing in a pill-shaped cutout that sits almost flush with the rest of the chassis. A large flash module sits to the right of the cameras.

The device shown in Garza's video looks awfully convincing (Image credit: Alexis Garza / Shane Craig)

Personally, even as an outspoken fan of minimalist phone design, I think this is a very plain-looking aesthetic. I appreciate the utility-focused build, but it looks like there’s very little to set the Google Pixel 9a apart from its competitors save for, well, how very little there is to it.

We don’t get a look at the front of the phone in Garza’s clip, but the phone seems to be about the size we’d expect – recent rumors point to a 6.3-inch display for Google’s next mid-ranger, up from 6.1 inches on the Google Pixel 8a.

And if this close-up wasn’t enough, the same device showed up in the background of another since-deleted video posted by Garza depicting a similar hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.

Of course, the device in Garza’s video might be a fake, but if so, it’s a very well-made one that would presumably take serious investment to make. The speed with which the video was uploaded and removed could certainly prompt some speculation. Personally, I think the device looks too expensive and well-made to be a phony, though I have no idea how Garza got their hands on it (and this is, of course, just my personal opinion).

In any case, the Google Pixel 9a is tipped to release on March 19, so we might find out how accurate this strange hands-on is sooner rather than later. Has this leak got you more excited for the Google Pixel 9a? Let us know in the comments.

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Crowds gathered in Israel for the funeral procession of the Bibas family, a mother and two young sons killed while being held hostage in Gaza. The story of their killing has enraged Israelis, and Israeli government representatives were not invited to the funeral.

(Image credit: Ariel Schalit)

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• Phones running the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip can get up to eight years of software support.
• This will extend to future Android phones running Qualcomm chips.
• However, will anyone actually use a phone for eight years? We're not so sure.

More and more Android phones could come with longer software and security support, thanks to a partnership between Google and Qualcomm.

The crux of this partnership means that the two companies will aim to extend software and security support for devices running Snapdragon chips to up to eight years of consecutive updates. The first phones that’ll fall into this initiative will be ones that sport the flagship-grade Snapdragon Elite 8 chipsets, with the partnership set to cover the next five generations of Qualcomm chips.

“What this means is that support for platform software included in this program will be made available to OEMs for eight consecutive years, including both Android OS and kernel upgrades, without requiring significant changes or upgrades to the platform and OEM code on the device,” explained Qualcomm, noting: “This software support can lower costs for OEMs interested in supporting their devices longer and can show consumers the advantages of Snapdragon mobile processors and software support.”

In a nutshell, this move should help extend the longevity of Android smartphones. Given that, in general, phones have become so iterative in the new features they offer and in how much of a step up they offer over their predecessors, there’s more scope for people to hold onto their phones for longer.

A lack of software and security support did stymie this somewhat, but with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S25 series and Google Pixel 9 already offering seven years plus of support, such a problem could be consigned to the virtual bone orchard.

However, there are two ‘buts’ to this situation. The first is it’s ultimately up to phone manufacturers to decide how they implement software support, with some still lagging behind and even OnePlus acknowledging that it doesn't feel the need to provide more than four years of software support.

The second builds upon that latter point, in that eight years is an age for a smartphone, with a lithium-ion battery likely to have worn out in that time and struggling to hold a decent charge for a phone unless it gets replaced, and software advancements like baked-in AI features tend to demand more powerful chips. So it’s unlikely that a smartphone will last most people eight years unless they use it very sparingly and have no interest in the latest software features.

Nevertheless, at a time when there’s concern over electronic waste and the environmental impact of technology, this partnership between Google and Qualcomm is a positive step forward in making smartphones more sustainable, as it certainly doesn't look like the world’s appetite for them is going away anytime soon. Speaking of which, check out our roundup of the best phones if you’re in the market for a new device.

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Hey Alexa, how many days has it been since September 20, 2023?

I’ll tell you – It’s been 525 days since then. That’s a fact which has been on my mind, and potentially yours and countless other Alexa users, as that’s the date of the last Amazon Devices event at which Alexa AI was unveiled. Essentially, Amazon's plan for its virtual assistant, which lives in countless Echo devices, was to get a large language model addition to make it “more intuitive, intelligent, and useful.”

525 days later, though, Alexa hasn’t gotten a major upgrade, and Alexa AI still isn’t here with the promised upgrades. There is a very good chance we’re on the cusp of Amazon debuting its next Alexa, though, and hopefully rolling out the promised enhancements. Panos Panay – Amazon’s head of devices – will take the stage for Amazon’s Devices and Services February 26th event, and you can read our live blog to follow along with the news as it breaks.

For now, though, let’s flip the calendar back and walk through what Amazon promised.

(Image credit: Amazon)

Amazon originally teased Alexa AI as the central brain for all it’s Echo devices back in September of 2023, but the company did hedge a bit on the rollout, noting it would arrive first in the US at an undisclosed date with a limited feature set.

One of the leading demos, which former devices head Dave Limp showed off on stage, was a much more conversational Alexa. You could talk back and forth more informally, much like with a family member or a friend, and ultimately, much like what ChatGPT’s voice mode or Gemini Live is like today. It was an actual demo as well, in that it took a few attempts before it worked and Limp was able to chat with Alexa about his presentation.

It was a much more natural Alexa that could weave in the answers with a better cadence. Further, it could pull on the knowledge it had learned about the household, answering queries about favorite sports team, and triggering multiple automations concurrently. It was a true personalization for Alexa, and that was the main promise. Back in 2023, it was impressive, but this is closer to the AI models we see and can interact with from the likes of OpenAI and Google today.

On the smart home side, the enhanced Alexa was promised to take action based on more human requests; instead of asking for your fans and heaters to be turned on, you could simply tell Alexa that you’re too cold or warm and then it would automatically start adjusting connected smart home gadgets. It could also run through multiple smart home automations with the turn of a phrase and even generate text if you ask.

Pretty neat. It's kind of a mixture of a true smart home assistant with intelligent cues paired with a modern AI chatbot; fitting that this landmark moment should be housed in the first virtual assistant to really captivate so many households and land a spot in millions of homes.

(Image credit: Amazon)

That brings us to the present day. Will Panos Panay, the current head of devices, take what was already teased and build it into an actual drop for current Echo devices around the globe? Might it start in the US only with support for select devices? Time will tell, though judging by the initial promise of Alexa AI, that could likely be the case.

My hope, and let’s say prediction, is that we see pieces of Alexa AI come to fruition and that Amazon will use this opportunity to really enhance home smarts and integrate AI chat further in a uniquely helpful way.

More critically, though, as my colleague Lance Ulanoff wrote, is that Amazon may or may not retain support for even it’s oldest Echos. Amazon has sold countless Echo devices, and while Alexa is great for controlling music and basic requests, unleashing this next-gen version on a bounty of hardware is exciting – so we hope everyone gets the chance, no matter the age of their Echo devices.

Still, though, I’d take a shiny, new Echo smart speaker with an improved AZ1 Neural Edge chip and other hardware to really let this new Alexa burn down the highway.

Either way, my first request to this new Alexa will be to play some Bruce Springsteen – some things simply never change. Stick with TechRadar for the latest as Amazon unveils it at its February 26, 2025 event.

@jakekrol

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• Warner Bros. has closed Monolith Productions, Player First Games, and Warner Bros. Games San Diego
• The company intends to focus more closely on key franchises
• Monolith Productions was the developer of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War

Warner Bros. has closed three major studios, Monolith Productions, Player First Games, and Warner Bros. Games San Diego, in an effort to increase its profitability.

First reported by Bloomberg, Warner Bros. has subsequently released a statement outlining the cuts. "We have had to make some very difficult decisions to structure our development studios and investments around building the best games possible with our key franchises," it read, before listing Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC, and Games of Thrones as areas of focus going forward.

"After careful consideration, we are closing three of our development studios - Monolith Productions, Player First Games, and Warner Bros. Games San Diego. This is a strategic change in direction and not a reflection of these teams or the talent that consists within them," it continued. The statement clarifies that the development of the upcoming Wonder Woman game, which was being helmed by Monolith, "will not move forward."

"Our hope was to give players and fans the highest quality experience possible for the iconic character, and unfortunately this is no longer possible within our strategic priorities. This is another tough decision, as we recognize Monolith’s storied history of delivering epic fan experiences through amazing games," it said.

Founded in 1994, Monolith was a significant developer responsible for many beloved games. This included horror classics F.E.A.R and Condemned: Criminal Origins in addition to more recent licensed favorites like Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War.

Player First Games was a more recent arrival, founded in 2019 and acquired by Warner Bros. Games in 2024. It developed one title, the free-to-play fighter Multiversus which features characters and worlds from various Warner Bros. properties. Earlier this year it was confirmed that Multiversus will shut down on May 30, 2025.

Warner Bros. Games San Diego also opened in 2019 and was focused on free-to-play mobile development.

It is currently unclear how many staff will be affected by the closures.

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• Nike has unveiled two brand-new supershoes
• The Vaporfly 4 is the lightest model in the franchise's history
• The new Streakfly 2 is an ultra-responsive shoe for short distances

Nike has unveiled two brand-new super shoes, including the next iteration of the Vaporfly, which it says is the lightest model yet.

Nike manufactures some of the best running shoes on the market, and its new Vaporfly 4 and Streakfly 2 shoes promise extreme response and lighting speed over short distances.

The new Vaporfly 4 is the lightest model in the franchise's history. Specifically, it's 10% lighter than the outgoing Vaporfly 3 and 20 grams lighter than the original Vaporfly from 2017. The Vaporfly 4 is the most versatile Nike racing shoe out there and would suit anyone running 5K up to a marathon. Nike has removed some surplus foam from the midsole to save weight, and there's also a new upper for more comfort and fit consistency.

Nike's next super shoes

(Image credit: Nike)

The Nike Streakfly 2 could be the ultimate speed shoe when it comes to short distances. It now features a full-length Flyplate, a redesigned centered lace system, and a new mesh upper. The Streakfly 2 is even lighter than the Vaporfly 4, weighing in at a staggering 126 grams, 40 grams less than the original.

Available from March (pricing tbc.), both of these shoes join the Nike Racing lineup which already boasts the Alphafly 3 and Zoom Fly 6.

Also new to the scene for Nike this year is the new Vomero 18, the company's new max cushioning shoe that promises a plush and gentle ride.

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Beats Powerbeats Pro 2: Two-minute review

I'll be frank (you can still be whatever your name is): a lot has changed in the world of Bluetooth audio since May 2019. That's when the Powerbeats Pro 2's forefathers burst onto the relatively new true wireless earbuds scene and promptly cornered its fledgling athletic sub-genre.

The thing is, the wealth of reliable earbuds any of us can pick up now for as little as $20 were inconceivable six years ago, so the Powerbeats Pro 2 arrive as an interesting (quite large – cumbersome even) proposition. If their storied heritage did not exist, we might actually question what Beats was doing releasing a set of earbuds with a large curling tail on one end that does not facilitate open-ear listening, but instead includes a more traditional driver housing and neck for creating a closed seal betwixt its ear-tip and your ear canal.

One might argue that in the past few years engineers have collected substantial data and used it to create concha-fit and droplet-shaped ergonomic driver housings, which means we no longer need arms for our earbuds – even for sports. We might even think it odd for Beats to be pitching such a design at athletes – because other bright sparks have invented open-ear true wireless earbuds in the past four years, and these let us easily hear traffic or our trainer's voice as we work out.

But the Powerbeats Pro 2 get a pass for most of this, owing to the love we still have for the then-groundbreaking inaugural Powerbeats Pro. I remember the huge video ad I saw every day at London's Waterloo Station, featuring Serena Williams serving both looks and tennis aces while wearing an ice-white, Wimbledon-friendly set of Powerbeats Pro. Those earbuds – which arrived before the inaugural AirPods Pro and actually, before the 'Pro' suffix became a mainstay of the audio vernacular – soon seemed as iconic as the superstars who wore them.

So we need to be asking not only how the Powerbeats Pro 2 stand up against the best noise-cancelling earbuds aimed at regular users, but also how they compare to the best open-ear headphones that, until recently, were the preserve of athletes. Okay, as a set of 'regular' wireless earbuds, the case you'll be toting around is quite big – not quite coffee coaster big, but close. However, if you're an Apple Music subscriber the head-tracked spatial audio works very well, and the noise cancellation is quite good; neither is as good as what you get with the AirPods Pro 2, but the spatial audio in particular isn't far off.

Slipping them on isn't as quick a job as it is with other earbuds, but once they're on, if security is your main issue with Apple-styled buds you'll be pleased – these Beats ain't going anywhere. Also, at 10 hours from the buds and a further 3.5 charges in the case (for a whopping 45-hour total) the battery life is impressive, although if you're using ANC or spatial audio it's eight hours and a maximum playtime total of 36 hours. For clarity, you'll only get 5.5 to seven hours from your AirPods Pro 2 before they need charging. Not bad, eh?

See the sensor? (Image credit: Future)

However, for a set of sports-focused earbuds that sit inside the ear, a good transparency mode is important, and despite Beats' assurance that this is the most natural-sounding transparency mode in any set of Beats earbuds (with the adaptive algorithm powered by the H2 chip updating over 200 times per second) I've heard many more effective transparency profiles – and simply turning ANC off isn't something I'd advise, since this listening profile adds to the already-slightly tinny issues through the top end, making the soundstage a little too forward and sweet overall.

Price-wise, they're also a little hot and heavy-handed at $249.99 / £249.99 / AU$399.95. Despite arriving at the same price as their older siblings, times have changed. You can buy similar designs for considerably less now; you couldn't then.

But stop everything! We need to talk matters of the heart. Because make no mistake, you should feel ready to place your heart in Powerbeats Pro 2's hands here, either via the Health app or your compatible, linked fitness app. Beats told me heart-rate monitoring had been on the company's mood boards for inclusion since 2014, and the feature's debut here is the result of well over four years on the bench with engineers (and subsequently in the ears of over 1,000 real-world athletes for testing).

What I can tell you is that the heart-rate monitor is here now, beautifully implemented in certain third-party apps when linked with Apple's Health app. And because of the pulse readings, the super-secure fit and the excellent battery life, you may be prepared to forgive the few shortcomings I've talked about so far, plus a couple of sonic shortfalls I've yet to get into.

Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 review: Price & release date

• Unveiled on February 13, 2025
• Priced $249.99 / £249.99 / AU$399.95

How often can a product come in at the same $249.99 / £249.99 / AU$399.95 price as its 2019 counterpart and still not be considered great value? Simply put, competition has brought prices right down. These days, $100 / £100 is top-end for inclusion in our best budget wireless earbuds guide, and anything above that goes into mid-range and flagship territory.

For a brief comparison in the world of 'regular' buds, Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds come in at $299 / £299 / AU$449 and Technics' outstanding EAH-AZ100 are also in the same ballpark, at $299 / £259 / AU$499. Apple's AirPods Pro 2 regularly cost under $199 / £199 / AU$349. Sports-focused options often come in a fair way under these kinds of figures (the Shokz OpenFit Air arrived in summer 2024 with a $149 / £119 price-tag for example) although the Bose Ultra Open buck the affordable trend – they can now be yours for a similar $249 / £249 / AU$349.95, having arrived at $50 more than that.

All of this is food for thought, but don't forget that none of the options I've listed above can monitor your heart rate…

(Image credit: Future) Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 review: Specifications

(Image credit: Future) Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 review: Features

• Heart-rate monitoring is useful – unless you use an Apple Watch
• Spatial audio with head-tracking enhances commutes
• Disappointing IPX4 splash-proof rating

Let's start with the ticker-taker. Heart monitoring from the ears is not a new concept as I've already mentioned – Beats wanted to include it back in 2014 – but it's been a long time in development. The tiny sensor at the helm in Powerbeats Pro 2 (which is derived from the Apple Watch, but is actually 1/16th of the size of the sensor in the Apple Watch Series 10) contains a photodiode, an optical lens, an accelerometer and an LED sensor, but Beats admits that this component wasn't that minuscule at first. And while the ear is actually a great place to access your pulse, developing a sensor small, light and accurate enough to wear comfortably in a headshell was a difficult process.

Well, it's here now – and if you're not using anything else, it's good. You need to be wearing both earbuds to get a reading, because when you do, that green LED light sensor in each earpiece pulses over 100 times per second, then measures the light reflected back to calculate how many times your heart is beating per minute.

Accessing the feature might seem a little limited or even disappointing at first (there's no juicy 'Heart-rate' bubble in your iPhone Control Center when you click through, as I might have hoped), but this is because the Powerbeats Pro 2 are really meant to only start taking readings when you begin a workout, rather than constantly monitor your pulse throughout the day or whenever you choose to summon a reading.

That said, you can dig into your iPhone's Health app, then either tap Browse at the bottom-right then Heart > Heart Rate to call up a live figure, or go to Summary at the bottom-left then Show All Health Data > Heart Rate, to see a graph of your live heart rate. But really, you're meant to be in training and with a third-party fitness app. The only currently supported one I use is Nike Run Club, but once you've linked the app and given the necessary permissions in Settings, it works a treat.

It's worth noting two things: if you wear an Apple Watch while using the Beats, the Watch readings are always prioritized over the Powerbeats' readings; and secondly, the Powerbeats Pro 2 don't work with Apple Fitness Plus currently (and no Strava support, i.e., the one I'd really like it to work with). At the time of writing, heart-rate monitoring through the Powerbeats Pro 2 is available in these iOS apps: Peloton, Slopes, Ladder, Open, Runna, YaoYao, and Nike Run Club, so plenty of activities are covered.

If you're on Android, it's different again (and arguably, better). Here, the feature will work with any fitness app that supports heart-rate monitoring; you just need to manually start each training session with a double tap and hold on either earbud.

On both iOS and Android you can turn the feature off in the settings if you don't want it taking readings.

Yes, I love the color so much, I did this…  (Image credit: Future)

Now, on to Personalized Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos and dynamic head-tracking. This is Apple's 360-degree sound tech that adjusts the audio based on the shape of your ears, head, and – if you toggle it on – using your Apple device as a source so the audio has a fixed point of origin (and this moves between each ear as you move your head towards said source device). I really rate this in Powerbeats Pro 2, thanks to the solid fit and seal the design promotes, particularly when listening to more acoustic tracks. Want to hear how good it is? Try listening to Sam Fender's Arm's Length and holding your device at arm's length. Good, no?

The Powerbeats Pro 2 only support lossless audio with ultra-low latency on the Apple Vision Pro, so while high resolution is possible on these earbuds, it's an expensive route – and I do not own a Vision Pro headset (but leave a comment if you've tested it – I'd love to know whether there's a notable uptick in audio quality).

Call quality? It's good: the Powerbeats Pro 2 have a total of six microphones (three per earpiece) and callers throughout my testing said I sounded very clear and, on one occasion, "particularly empathetic". Beats says there's machine learning-based noise isolation tech at play, so callers will hear your voice at its best, aided by a voice accelerometer to detect when you're speaking and thus enhance clarity. What I can tell you is that if you take calls often on your earbuds, you'll be pleased here.

Other notable features include the option to customize what a press-and-hold of the physical 'b' button does on each earpiece (between Siri and noise-control functions), automatic ear detection, Find My to locate a lost earbud in iOS (you can select which earbud you'd like to emit a beeping noise if it's around the house, or see where they are on a map) and Find My Beats on Android via the companion app. But there's no U1 chip in the charging case for precise location tracking – and no inbuilt speaker as there is in the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 with ANC's charging nests, so the case itself is silent. There's also an ear tip fit test that's actually quite picky; I had to adjust to smaller ear tips to get the green light in both ears, even when I personally felt like I had the fit right.

As any AirPods owner will know, there's no cross-platform multi-point connectivity in Apple earbuds – and that hasn't changed here. They can auto-switch between your Apple devices as needed, but not between an Android phone and a laptop, say. You can 'share' the audio you're hearing in your Powerbeats Pro 2 to other Beats or Apple earbuds in the vicinity using Apple's proprietary Share Audio option. You cannot tweak the EQ on a dedicated tab with the Powerbeats Pro 2 – although on iOS you can go into your iPhone's settings > Apps > Music > EQ to tweak things a little.

Finally (and I'm putting this under 'features' rather than 'design' since any sports-specific earbuds really ought to focus on durability) there's a somewhat disappointing IPX4 rating for the earpieces, and the case is neither water- nor sweat-resistant at all. What that means is that while wearing the buds for sweaty workouts should be fine (the Powerbeats Pro 2 will survive light rain, humid environments and splashes of water), they absolutely positively cannot be submerged in the drink, which seems at odds with their, er… athleticism. And it's not that it can't be done: the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro earpieces boast an IP57 rating, meaning they'll survive a 30-minute full submersion in water up to a depth of one meter.

• Features score: 4/5

(Image credit: Future) Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 review: Sound quality

• Energetic and forward-sounding – almost to a fault
• A little tinny in some profiles; beaten by the original Powerbeats Pro for bass weight
• Turning off noise cancellation negatively affects the sound

This is not quite the glowing praise that long-term fans of Beats' Powerbeats Pro might have been hoping for. The 3.5-star rating for sound quality below is not bad and make no mistake, the sound here is not without merit, but this is a huge and hotly-anticipated seventh-iteration Beats earbuds product and the heavily-leaked follow-up to the iconic Powerbeats Pro, nearly six years on. And the sound simply isn't excellent – and not just because the relatively lowly SBC and AAC codecs are supported (ie. no hi-res audio, unless you're using them with the Vision Pro).

Perhaps in part because the driver is smaller than in the original Powerbeats Pro (a 9.5mm dual-layer driver versus 12mm in the originals) the sound is very different, and just a little more constricted. Deploying noise cancellation gives the Pro 2 the best chance to shine, and here, with dynamic head-tracked spatial audio also toggled on, there is separation and a healthy serving of detail in Tom Petty's textured vocal in Free Fallin', with guitar strings grazing each ear and a bridge as dynamically abrupt and agile as I remember. Nevertheless, cue up Gunna's One of Wun and the smouldering track is notably moodier, fuller and more resonant through the low end in both AirPods Pro 2 and my Technics EAH-AZ100. Listen with the Technics and I'm dropped into the mix; switch to the Beats and I'm just a little bit above it, wanting to get stuck into the bass a little more.

The lengthy acoustic guitar intro in Rod Stewart's Maggie May (known as 'Henry' and played by Martin Quittenton) has energy and pep – there's no faulting the Powerbeats Pro 2 for timing across the frequencies – but as the track continues, the forward-focused nature of the Powerbeats Pro 2 rather over-emphasises the keys and mandolin in the upper mids, even making Rod-the-Mod's voice sound a touch tinny.

And sadly, things don't improve when you turn noise cancelling off, which appears to heat the soundstage up a notch, as if I'm listening on cassette tape. Cue up the transparency mode and it helps quash the marginal sweetness, but during a run I simply didn't feel like enough ambient noise filtered in – and there's no way to tweak the levels of filtering in (or being nixed) here rather than 'Transparency', 'Off', or 'Noise cancellation'.

• Sound quality score: 3.5/5

(Image credit: Future) Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 review: Design

• A triumph for security (and for on-ear volume tweaks)
• Case is smaller, but still big by today's standards
• They take a few seconds to fit – especially if you wear glasses

I've mentioned the slightly disappointing 'only splash-proof' IPX4 rating, so that's out of the way. I've also praised the up-to-45-hour stamina, which is a huge plus. Other than that, there's a lot to celebrate in the design department.

Said design (including the case, which can now charge wirelessly) is quite big by today's standards, but the Powerbeats Pro 2 are only as big as some of the best open-fit earbuds – the kind with the arm that slinks around your ear. In fact, you'd be forgiven for thinking this is an open-fit pair of earbuds given their size, but they're not – and for me, it's one of their biggest strengths.

In 2025, it's a very unusual proposition. Each earpiece also has a physical volume rocker on the bar above the 'b'-branded driver housing and because nothing works as consistently and reliably as physical buttons (maybe you're wearing gloves 'cause you're skiing; maybe your phone's in your kit bag) it's an excellent decision. It also means you're not fiddling with multiple presses of a main multi-function button to switch volume, which, as anyone used to this knows, can often mean unintended track skips or Siri piping up.

And the praise keeps coming! The colorways are excellent (see the 'electric orange' and 'hyper purple' colorways as well as your more standard black and 'quick sand' gray) and despite squeezing in that heart-rate monitor, Beats has made the Powerbeats Pro 2 light, very comfortable and unmovable. I tried to dislodge them during aerial hoop and silks training, spinning upside-down at speeds I've no business attempting these days, and they never even moved.

In combination with the extra pair of ear tips in the box, to equal five sizes rather than four (the ear tip fit test won't let you off lightly either), they're honestly some of the most well-fitting earbuds I've ever tested.

The only downside to all this security? Fitting them requires a little bit of work and if you're someone who tends to leave the house in a rush, you might find yourself reaching for earbuds you can throw in and go with fiddling. Unlike the best open earbuds, you do need to make sure the Powerbeats Pro 2's headshell is properly in your ear, then snake the arm around your ear, then twist everything back towards your crown, to lock it in.

I often found myself accidentally pressing playback buttons while doing this or dropping one if I didn't sit calmly to perform these tasks, especially since I wear glasses to look at my screen (and the arms of your glasses sit in the same spot as the arms of the Powerbeats Pro 2, behind the ear). The thing is, if security is your main issue, it's worth it. Ultimately, the design here is still a hit with me.

• Design score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future) Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 review: Value

• Excellent battery life
• Heart-rate monitor is unique right now
• Sonically they can be beaten for the money

At $249 / £249, the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are not cheap for a sports-focused set of earbuds – and indeed against Apple's AirPods lineup, considering Apple now makes its new AirPods 4 for just $129. But the Powerbeats Pro 2 do contain a ticker-tracking sensor no other AirPods can currently boast, and stamina levels that far exceed anything most earbuds can boast.

For me, the design is one of this proposition's biggest strengths; to others, the case may be a little big for the class of 2025. They aren't winning any awards sonically either – but the audio performance is a step up on most of the cheaper, sub-$100 wireless buds on the market when you deploy noise cancellation and dynamic head-tracked spatial audio. As always, it's a matter of priorities.

Honestly, I never thought I'd recommend a product that can't boast top-tier sound. But these earbuds go on for hour after hour, take your heart-rate and feel super-secure in your ears, so here we are…

• Value score: 4/5

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 review:

(Image credit: Future) Buy them if...

You need buds for gymnastics, athletics, dancing or training
Niche? Maybe. But these earbuds offer the most secure fit I've ever tested in a true wireless design.

You want to track your heart rate (without a watch)
The heart-rate monitor is currently an Apple- and Beats earbuds first, and it works very well.

You're willing to pay for better stamina
A 45-hour maximum playtime is up there with the best battery life we've ever seen – and it leaves AirPods for dust.

Don't buy them if...

Sound quality is king
The sound here is a shade under excellent across the frequencies, feeling a little light in terms of bass weight, and a little heavy-handed through the treble.

You want an in-app tweakable EQ tab
No dice here, friend…

You want to keep your ear canals uncovered
Given their larger, sports-focused design and ear 'hook', you'd be forgiven for assuming this is an open-ear design in 2025. But make no mistake, these are in-ear earbuds.

(Image credit: Future) Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 review: Also consider

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
Prefer device-agnostic head-tracked spatial audio plus some of the best ANC in the business? These September 2023-issue earbuds from Bose are a great shout – and the in-ear security is nearly as good as the Powerbeats Pro 2. You'll have to forego multi-point connectivity, super-stamina (it's only 6 hours here) and a heart-rate monitor, but you'll get more detail from the sound quality.
Read more in our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review

Cambridge Audio Melomania M100
The ANC-off and transparency profiles are much more enjoyable here – as is the sound quality generally. You also get a similar battery life and the option of Matt Berry on voice prompts (his "Waiting to pair!" is a delight). The overall aesthetic isn't as striking though, and they aren't as secure in your ears – also you can forget about having your pulse read… 
Read our full Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 review

(Image credit: Future) How I tested the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2

• Tested for two weeks; listened against the AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 2, Cambridge Audio Melomania M100, Technics EAH-AZ100, JBL Live Beam 3, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Ultra
• Used at work, at home, during aerial training and on a beach in Florida
• Listened to Tidal, Apple Music and Spotify on an iPhone 12 Pro, a Sony Xperia 1 V and a MacBook Pro

The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 became my musical travel companions for two full weeks – after a thorough 48-hour run-in period. They accompanied me while running errands (fast walking; commuting), at home and throughout a surfing vacation in Florida – although they never joined me in the water (they're not waterproof, you see).

To better test the fit and security of the Powerbeats Pro 2, I wore them during a particularly upside-down aerial silks training session, a lyra (aerial hoop) class and a pole class, and they didn't budge once.

To test the audio quality across the frequencies, I consulted TechRadar's reference playlists spanning everything from electro-pop to blues (see our guide on how we test earbuds for more on this) on Apple Music, Qobuz and Tidal, but also to podcasts and albums on Spotify, and YouTube tutorials (mostly about how to bleed car brake pads, in case you were interested) on my MacBook Pro.

I’ve been testing audio products for just over six years now. As a dancer, aerialist and musical theater performer in a previous life, sound quality, the overall user experience and security have always been non-negotiable markers for me – and having heard how effective (and stress-relieving) ANC can be when the anti-phase tech is done well, I have grown to love it.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: February 2025