Beats has unveiled its first pair of truly wireless earphones, called the Powerbeats Pro. From the looks of things, it takes the features we loved about one of the best pairs of workout earphones, and evolves them. 

What made the Powerbeats so great last time out, was the secure fit offered by the over-ear hook, combined with the awesome bass-driven sound and long battery life. For the new Pro model, then, it was vital to build on that. 

Just like the AirPods 2, the completely wire-free Powerbeats Pro has the H1 chip built in for smarts and battery longevity. 

This H1 chip is the brains inside the earbuds, enabling the ability call up Siri using your voice. "Hey Siri" is enough to activate it. 

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It also means strong wireless connectivity, as well as easy pairing with your iOS and Mac devices. You only need to pair them with one device, and it'll automatically be paired to any other device using the same iCloud account. 

Beats claims you can get 9 hours of playback time outside of the magnetically-closing case. That's about twice as much as you'd get from the average wire-free pair. With the battery in the case, you get a total of 24 hours playback before needing to charge up the case. 

What's more, with Fast Fuel, five minutes of charging time is enough to get you 1.5 hours of playback.

While the overall design looks very similar to the previous generation, there are some differences. 

Beats designed the Powerbeats Pro to be ambidextrous, which means the same audio and volume controls on both ears. So you can use your left or right hand, you don't have to remember which one does what. 

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There's no power button though, and that's because they power up automatically when you remove them from the case. Similarly, they switch off when you place them back inside.

Leave them out of the case without using them for too long, and they'll save battery by going into sleep mode.  

Without a power button you may be wondering how to pair, and it's as simple as opening the lid for the first time. Once opened, the Powerbeats switch into pairing mode, and your iPhone will display a pop up window asking if you want to connect. 

What's more, there are optical sensors built into the earbuds to detect when you remove them from - or place them in - your ears, which then automatically pause or play the music. 

As well as those changes, the Powerbeats Pro is about 3/4 of the size of the previous model and 17 per cent lighter. And just like the AirPods, you can use just one or both, depending on whether you're listening to music or taking a call. 

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Like its predecessor, it has an angled nozzle for fitting comfortably in the ear, and the hook that goes over the top is adjustable. 

As for sound, that's been improved further too. Beats has redesigned all the internals to create an acoustic response far greater than its compact size suggests it should have. 

Powerbeats Pro goes on sale in May in Black, Ivory, Moss and Navy, with a price set at £219.95. Which, compared to the likes of Bose, Beoplay and Sennheiser is very competitive.