Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro will begin shipping to customers and go on sale in stores on Friday, September 23. The first reviews of the pre-wireless headphones have now been shared by select media outlets and YouTube channels.
Priced at $249, the second-generation AirPods Pro feature improved sound quality, longer battery life, and up to 2x noise cancellation compared to the original AirPods Pro. They also feature slider-based volume control, an improved built-in skin-detection sensor that more precisely turns audio playback on or off, and a new XS eartip option.
The new AirPods Pro come with a built-in speaker and a U1 chip for Tap My support with Precision Finder, an opening to add a lanyard for easy portability, and an updated charging case with IPX4-rated water and sweat resistance. In addition to Lightning and MagSafe, the case can now also be charged with an Apple Watch charger.
We’ve rounded up both written and video reviews of the new AirPods Pro below.
Written Reviews
The VergeChris Welch said to have “significant” improvements in active noise cancellation:
But Apple made significant gains with active noise cancellation. The company says that on average, the new app is “up to” twice as effective as the original AirPods Pro. Although I do not have any scientific measuring instruments, this claim does not seem unrealistic. In our office, I recently moved desks and now sit next to a vent that emits a constant hum. The original AirPods Pro leave a trace of it in noise-cancelling mode, but it’s completely muted and invisible on the second-generation pair. I can still hear my coworkers talking if they walk right by my desk, but for the most part, the AirPods Pro give me a lot of peace. I’ve also noticed legitimate improvements to my commute on the subway, and the overall street noise is less as I drive through Brooklyn day after day.
Welch also noted an improvement in overall sound quality:
Let’s take a direct look at the sound quality. Apple completely redesigned the amplifier and driver in the AirPods Pro, and while the drivers are the same 11mm size as the third-generation AirPods, they sound superior and deliver the cleanest, most dynamic output of any AirPods to date.
EngadgetBilly Steele achieved nearly six hours of battery life as advertised:
During my tests, I got six hours and fifteen minutes with a mix of noise cancellation, transparency mode and calls. That’s more than the previous generation (4.5 hours) and on par with most of the competition these days. Of course, some companies offer more than 10 hours on a charge, but the average for the noise-cancelling products I’ve tested is around five to seven. More battery life would always be nice, but six or seven hours of Apple charges are more than enough to get you through a workday if you give yourself a quick break.
GizmodoAndrew Liszewski The new touch-based volume control feature is a welcome improvement, but can be “a bit clunky” at times, he said:
It’s a welcome improvement, but unfortunately I found it a little difficult to work with. Sometimes it took a few swipes before something happened.
As someone who generally hates touching my earbuds while wearing them (it inevitably dislodges them a bit), I’ll probably stick to using Siri voice commands to adjust the volume or skip a track (something Siri does very well). .
Mobile syrupPatrick O’Rourke slider-based volume control is our favorite new AirPods Pro feature that makes for a more comfortable listening experience:
In my experience, the new AirPods Pro volume touch controls are extremely responsive and work with subtle changes. For example, if you want to turn the volume down or up just a notch or two, you can do so with a short swipe. The controls are also indicated by a slight clicking sound that indicates they are active and functional. In my few days with the AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), I didn’t experience any accidental presses, even when long-pressing the case to turn Active Noise Canceling on/off or double-pressing it to switch between songs.
On-device touch volume control is by far my favorite new AirPods Pro feature. The convenience and ease of use of changing volume levels directly on AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) without having to take out your iPhone really cannot be overstated.
O’Rourke added that iOS 16’s Custom Spatial Audio feature isn’t very noticeable:
In theory, I like the idea of the audio being tailored specifically to the shape of your ear, but in practice it doesn’t make much of a difference. It’s also worth noting that while I love Spatial Audio when watching movies or TV shows on platforms like Apple TV+, I find it to be hit or miss with music, especially if the track wasn’t originally written and remastered with the technology in mind. .
NarrativeParker Hall He says the charging case’s newly built-in speaker is “loud enough” to help track my location, but he wishes the case had a USB-C port for wired charging instead of the usual Lightning connector:
Need to find a job through Apple’s Tap My app? Now you can, and it plays pretty loud. It also rattles a bit when it starts charging. Speaking of which, you can charge wirelessly as usual (this case also supports MagSafe), but it’s a shame to see Apple still rely on the Lightning port instead of USB-C.
