AirPods Pro 2022
Apple (MacRumors, Hacker News):
With the power of the new H2 chip, AirPods Pro unlock breakthrough audio performance — including major upgrades to Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode — while also offering a unique way to experience Spatial Audio that’s even more immersive. Now, customers can enjoy Touch control for media playback and volume adjustments directly from the stem, along with longer battery life, a brand-new charging case, and an additional ear tip size for a better fit.
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AirPods Pro offer 1.5 hours of additional listening time over the first generation, for a total of up to six hours with Active Noise Cancellation.
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AirPods Pro come with a newly designed charging case that is sweat- and water-resistant, and includes a lanyard loop so it’s always within reach. With Precision Finding, users with a U1-enabled iPhone can locate their charging case with guided directions. The charging case also has a built-in speaker to deliver louder tones, so it’s even easier to locate.
It still uses Lightning and lacks support for lossless audio. Everything else sounds great, though.
Volume controls on AirPods Pro!
I will happily pay hundreds of pounds to be able to adjust the volume… Ok, maybe not happily.
Previously:
- LinkBuds, LinkBuds S, and Pixel Buds Pro
- Squeezing the Most Out of Bluetooth
- AirPods 3 Alternatives
- AirPods 3
- Apple Music Spatial Audio and Lossless Audio
- AirPods Pro
Update (2022-09-08): Joe Rossignol:
All four new iPhone 14 models and the second-generation AirPods Pro include support for Bluetooth 5.3, according to Apple’s tech specs for each device, but the status of LE Audio support for the devices remains unclear at this time.
Update (2022-10-10): Sami Fathi:
For customers still using the first-generation AirPods Pro or older AirPods models, there are several new features and changes you can look forward to using.
In advance, the first reviews of the wireless headphones have now been shared by select media publications and YouTube channels.
However, the speaker also plays an audible chime whenever you start charging the Charging Case. The sound plays whether you connect the case to power via Lightning or place it down on a charging pad. If you find this distracting, here’s an easy way to turn it off.
We picked up a the AirPods Pro 2 and thought we’d check them out to give MacRumors readers an overview of all the new features.
Customers who personalize their second-generation AirPods Pro charging case with an engraving will now have that engraving reflected directly on iOS as they pair and connect their AirPods Pro.
Some users of the second-generation AirPods Pro are reporting ongoing issues with their brand-new earbuds randomly disconnecting from their devices as they listen to music or watch videos.
They are amazing.
These are ten things I’ve learned about AirPods Pro 2 in the short time I’ve spent with them.
Lumafield today shared CT scan images of the second-generation AirPods Pro charging case, providing a look at internal changes to the case.
Repair website iFixit today shared a video teardown of Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro, providing a closer look at the internals of the new earbuds and charging case. The teardown confirms that AirPods Pro remain largely unrepairable.
AirPods Pro 2 have a strong magnet.
Turns out it was just a bug that the Adaptive Transparency toggle was enabled for first-gen AirPods Pro. Makes sense — according to Apple, the feature requires the brand-new H2 chip.
Quinn of Snazzy Labs gives his review of AirPods Pro 2 from the perspective of an audiophile.
Via Dave B:
I’ve gotta agree with him regarding the sound. People are really underselling how different the APP2 sounds from the APP1.
The longer battery life of second-generation AirPods Pro is partly achieved by use of physically bigger batteries, regulatory filings show.
A bug is alerting some second-generation AirPods Pro users to "replace" their battery soon, according to various online reports.
Update (2022-12-01): Sami Fathi:
In an interview with What Hi-Fi?, Apple engineer Esge Andersen, who works on the company's acoustic team, said that Apple does not believe that current Bluetooth technology is a limiting factor in audio quality for the AirPods. Anderson added that even with current Bluetooth technology and codec standards, Apple can still make improvements in audio quality while the company's focus remains on reliability.
Previously:
Update (2022-12-23): Filipe Espósito:
The work Apple has done with the ANC feature in the second generation AirPods Pro is just impressive. Even in a crowded airport, I could barely hear anything. It was exactly what I was looking for. But since we’re talking about headphones, sound quality is also extremely important. And the AirPods Pro 2 don’t disappoint in that aspect.
5 Comments RSS · Twitter
It's true. Volume control is awesome!
Now, for their next encore, skip back/forward, without Siri ...
@Sebby you’ve always been able to skip forward/back on the pros. Double/triple click the stems.
@Nigel Yep, and it also works with AirPods 3 and (to a lesser extent and depending on how you configure it) with AirPods 1 and 2.
I was sad to learn that the new, XS size tip is too large for my ear canal. What I need is a standard three-flange tip. It was unexpected, too, that trying the AirPods on in the Apple Store Berlin is not something Apple makes possible systematically. After a 20 minute wait they found some somewhere. While I was still finding out that they fall out my ears on the floor if I move my head, I was already expected to come up with a decision on whether to get Apple Care for them. Oh they don't fit? What do you even want from us bye next. Yes, I get the acoustic and psychoacoustic challenges. But I'd love to be able to use them.
I remember grabbing a refurb Watch 2 and thinking , "Oh wait, now I get it. Apple thinks the digital crown is the volume control for my AirPods!" I also recall a non-Apple-ecosystem AirPods reviewer saying she really disliked how hard it was to change the volume -- while that complaint (imo; maybe it's confirmation bias) didn't surface from reviewers I was pretty sure had Apple Watches.
Did you see how many more "ecosystem combos" popped up yesterday like that? Like needing not just an iPhone but an iPhone a "TrueDepth" camera to get "Personalized Spatial Audio" on your new Pros? Or the way the case needs an iPhone 11+ to be found with precise location. Not a big deal, but my 2022 SE is out of luck. None are huge deals by themselves, but they add up.
Even with volume controls on the Pros and Fitness on your iPhone with no watch, Apple is clever about its ecosystem combos. You might not realize it if you don't have lots of Apple gear, but if you do... or, worse, if you lose one piece... Sneaky.