Apple today, at long last, introduced AirPods Pro 2 during the company’s iPhone 14 launch event. Apple introduced the first iteration of AirPods Pro in October of 2019 and, nearly three years later, an upgrade is long overdue. Interestingly, rumor has it that Apple was originally trying to release AirPods Pro 2 about a year ago, but had to push everything back due to various technical hurdles.
All that said, Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 brings a lot of new features to the table, including a brand new H2 chip with high-bandwidth connectivity for improved audio performance.
Other features include improved active noise cancellation. Specifically, Apple notes that the new AirPods Pro cancels out 2x more noise than the first generation.
One interesting new feature is that AirPods Pro now includes a capacitive layer that makes it easy to adjust the volume by simply swiping your finger up and down.
AirPods Pro also offers up some really impressive battery life. Apple notes that AirPods Pro now provide 6 hours of listening time with a single charge. This represents a 33% increase compared to the original. What’s more, with the brand new charging case, AirPods Pro can deliver 30 hours of total listening time, good enough for a 6-hour increase over the original AirPods Pro.
The new charging case looks similar to the original but also has the ability to emit a sound via the Find My app. This is a great feature if you ever happen to misplace your AirPods case in your house or apartment. Further, the charging case boasts a U1 chip so users can precisely map out its whereabouts with Find My Location.
While the AirPods Pro charging case still relies on Lightning, the new case also supports charging via Magsafe or Qi wireless charging.
Other AirPods Pro features include a new extra-small ear tip option, conversation boost, Memoji engraving if desired, and adaptive transparency which lessens harsh background noise like construction.
The second-gen AirPods Pro are available for $249 and will be available on September 23.
