Some Beats headphones are powered by Apple’s H1 chip, enabling the use of features like one-touch pairing, audio sharing, and automatic switching.
Beats headphones are often an inexpensive and fun way to get the latest headphone tech, as the brand sports the Apple H1 chip within select models. The company’s line of in-ear and over-ear headphones are characterized by their punchy colors and association with brand ambassadors, including founder and legendary producer Dr. Dre. Aside from the notable musician, Beats also forges connections with popular celebrities and athletes to promote the brand. The headphones can be seen in concerts, on professional sports field, and on the streets daily. Most recently, the company paired with reality star Kim Kardashian to create a line of Beats with skin tone colors. However, beyond eye-catching appearances and brand deals, some Beats headphones are powered by the latest Apple tech, which bring an assortment of compelling features.
Apple acquired Beats in 2014, and has since incorporated some of its in-house features and silicon into the company’s products. At first, the Cupertino-based tech giant imposed some of its preferences onto Beats headphones, like the Lightning connector. In recent iterations of Beats products, though, the headphones have become the best of both worlds between Apple headphones and third-party alternatives. Some Beats headphones contain both an Apple processor — to enable features exclusive to the company’s products — and a USB-C connector. That’s a significant difference when compared to AirPods, which still use the outdated Lightning standard. But to ensure a pair of Beats will have the latest features, it is important to know which models contain the Apple H1 chip.
The Apple H1 chip is the company’s latest headphone technology, but not much is known about the exact specifications of the processor. It was designed as a replacement for the W1 chip, Apple’s first headphone processor found in the original AirPods and a few Beats earbuds. Depending on the technical specifications of a pair of headphones, an included H1 chip can enable features that many would expect to be exclusive to the AirPods lineup. These features include one-touch pairing, audio sharing, and automatic switching between Apple devices.
All The Beats Powered By The Apple H1 Chip
There are two pairs of Beats headphones powered by the H1 chip: the Powerbeats Pro and the Beats Fit Pro. The ‘Pro’ versions of Beats headphones contain the H1 chip, but other models do not include the latest technology. Even recent product releases, like the Beats Studio Buds, are not powered by the H1 chip. That doesn’t mean that other products do not support some of the intuitive features that are enabled when an Apple device is connected — all Beats, even without the H1 chip, support one-touch pairing for quick connections to Apple devices.
However, the inclusion of the H1 chip on the Powerbeats Pro and the Beats Fit Pro enable certain features that are not seen on any other Beats products. The most noticeable feature is automatic ear detection — the H1 chip included in the pairs of earbuds can sense when one or both earbuds are placed in the wearer’s ear. This can be an important factor in purchasing in-ear, truly-wireless headphones. The H1 chip can automatically play and pause music when an earbud is removed, and can put the earbuds to sleep when they are placed on a table or surface — even when they are outside the case. Though many Beats products receive notable Apple features and technology, the H1 chip represents the company’s latest advancements, and is included within the Powerbeats Pro and Beats Fit Pro.
Source: Beats
