The AirPods Pro 2nd Generation might look the same but there have been some great internal upgrades. Here are our first impressions.
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(Pocket-lint) – Apple announced several products during its September event, including four iPhones, three Apple Watches and the next generation of the AirPods Pro.
The original AirPods were first announced in 2017, alongside the iPhone 7, with the AirPods Pro then announced in 2019 so it’s been three years since we saw the noise-cancelling model first appear.
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The design remains predominantly the same in the second generation, but there are some big changes internally with the AirPods Pro 2. We got our hands – and ears – on them in Cupertino to try them out briefly. Here are our first impressions.
Our quick take
Apple’s AirPods are wonderfully convenient. We use our AirPods 3rd Generation day-in-day-out because they are so simple to use and deliver a great performance. The AirPods Pro 2nd Generation offer all the same features as the excellent AirPods 3rd Generation, but they add Active Noise Cancellation and Adaptive Transparency modes, as well as the touch sensor for volume control on the stem.
There are some great other additions too, like the speaker and U1 chip in the Charging Case, and we love that you can now use an Apple Watch charger, reducing the number of cables we need to have lying around.
We of course need to test the performance and battery of the AirPods Pro 2nd Generation before we pass judgement properly, but our brief demo at the Apple event has given us plenty of hope that the 2nd generation AirPods Pro will be fabulous and we can’t wait to try them properly.
Apple AirPods Pro 2
For
Touch sensor on stem for volume control
Plenty of new features
Sweat resistant Charging Case
H1 chip unlocks more potential
Against
Pricey compared to 3rd Generation model
No lanyard included Refined design
30.9 x 21.8 x 24mm, 5.3g (AirPods Pro), 60.6 x 45.2 x 25.7mm, 50.8g (Charging Case)
White colour option only
IPX4 sweat and water resistant (AirPods and Charging Case)
The Apple AirPods Pro second generation share an almost identical design to their predecessor, with a couple of incremental changes here and there, mainly in terms of vent and microphone placement. From a distance though, it would be tricky to tell the difference between the first generation AirPods Pro and the second generation model – though that’s not a bad thing.
Pocket-lint
Despite rumours suggesting the AirPods Pro 2 might move to a design similar to the Samsung Galaxy Buds by ditching the stem, that’s not come to fruition. Apple retained the signature design, with the short stem of the AirPods Pro returning and the silicone ear tips positioned at the end of the white head, differentiating the Pro model from the AirPods 3rd Generation.
The AirPods Pro 2 are small and dainty, as they have always been, measuring just 30.9 x 21.8 x 24mm and weighing just 5.3g. There is a new silicone ear tip size available now though, with XS joining the S, M and L options already available. We tried out the medium ear tips during the event and they fitted well and were comfortable, but it’s always good to have options as everyone is different.
