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Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro are a massive improvement over the original model released in 2019. As it stands, they’re the best Apple AirPods around.
The earbuds themselves look identical to their first-gen predecessors, but the meaningful upgrades come with how they perform. You can thank Apple’s H2 chip for significantly improved sound quality, noise cancellation, and battery life, plus advanced features like “adaptive” transparency mode.
While there are plenty of alternatives out there, Apple’s flagship wireless headphones are among the best wireless earbuds and are hard to beat if you own an iPhone.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) with USB-C
The AirPods Pro 2 are a big upgrade from their predecessors, with improved noise cancellation and battery life, new touch controls for volume, and a redesigned case with a built-in speaker and pinpoint location tracking. This USB-C model comes with a modern charging port and added dust resistance.
A familiar fit with a charging case that’s easier to find
Antonio Villas-Boas
Aside from a few subtle tweaks to the positioning of the microphones and vents, the new AirPods Pro are nearly identical to their predecessor. If the fit of the original Pros treat you right, these will do the same.
In an effort to accommodate more ears, Apple includes four ear tips instead of three in the box. The added extra-small silicone ear tip should please anyone who found the fit of the first-gen AirPods Pro too cramped.
When it comes to design, the bigger headline is in the charging case. The case’s new U1 chip enables “Precision Finding” with the Find My app, which gives you visual direction and distance indications to where it is. The charging case also features a speaker that plays a sound, so you get an aural indication, too. And as a little bonus, there’s a new lanyard loop on the left edge of the case.
The charging case speaker also gives you audio notifications for low battery, and it chimes when you start charging or when pairing is complete. It’s now water-, sweat-, and dust-resistant. It’s also compatible with MagSafe and uses a USB-C connection for charging rather than Lightning. (A version of the second-gen AirPods Pro with a Lightning case was previously sold but is no longer available.)
While the case is great on its own, it still has some limitations. Mainly, it can’t handle being submerged in water and it only comes in one color. For added protection and style options, check out our guide to the best AirPods Pro 2 case covers.
Apple claims the second-gen AirPods Pro earbuds themselves have six hours of battery life, and the MagSafe charging case can hold up to 30 hours of charge. That’s an improvement over the original AirPods Pro but about the same as other premium wireless earbuds.
Impressive active noise canceling and all-around better sound
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
The second-generation AirPods Pro is the first pair of Apple earbuds powered by the H2 chip, which brings improved sound and active noise cancellation (ANC), adaptive transparency mode, and the aforementioned longer battery life.
Compared to other premium wireless earbuds, the original AirPods Pro always sat at the bottom of the noise-cancellation performance chart. That’s all changed with the second-gen Pros. Apple claims the second-gen AirPods Pro have up to twice the noise-canceling performance as the originals, and I’m inclined to believe them. With ANC engaged, the world becomes much quieter, from the low hum of a commuter train and people chattering to higher pitches from cars driving in the rain.
While the active noise cancellation in Apple’s latest premium wireless earbuds is close to that of top-tier performers, such as the Sony XM5 earbuds or Bose QuietComfort Ultra, I wish Apple would let users customize the way they sound, at least as an option. I’d argue that even Jabra’s midrange Elite 85Ts offer a better overall sound experience because they allow you to customize the sound to your liking with equalizer adjustments, while the AirPods don’t.
Instead, the second-gen AirPods Pro use Apple’s Adaptive EQ to automatically adjust the sound they produce based on the shape of your ears. This feature is useful, but I’d like to see an option that lets users adjust their own EQ settings.
The new AirPods Pro also support Apple’s personalized Spatial Audio feature, a 360-degree surround sound mode that’s designed to provide an “immersive” listening experience, especially when playing tracks encoded in Dolby Atmos. I can’t say that I notice much difference whether I have the feature on or off, even with songs from Apple’s “Made for Spatial Audio” playlist.
But perhaps the best new feature powered by Apple’s H2 chip is the “adaptive” transparency feature, which automatically reduces the volume of loud noises when using transparency mode. It does an amazing job of letting sound in, but also blocking out loud noises, like a car horn. It’s so good that the second-gen AirPods Pro are the only pair of earbuds where I actually use the transparency mode in earnest.
Onboard volume controls are a welcome addition
Antonio Villas-Boas
The original AirPods Pro came with pressure-sensitive controls for media playback functions and switching between noise cancellation or transparency modes, but they were notably lacking volume controls.
Apple fixed that with the second-gen AirPods Pro by adding touch sensors that let you swipe up or down the stems to adjust volume. No more having to reach for your phone to adjust the volume.
Despite the short stems, it’s surprisingly easy and intuitive to swipe up or down: Act like you’re pinching the stems with your thumb and index finger, and simply swipe with your index finger.
Should you buy it?
Antonio Villas-Boas
The second-gen AirPods Pro are an excellent buy for the proverbial “most people,” at least those willing to spend over $200 for premium wireless earbuds, and especially those entrenched in the Apple ecosystem with multiple Apple devices.
Alongside seamless pairing and switching between iOS devices, the second-gen AirPods Pro are a no-brainer for Apple loyalists thanks to features like Precision Finding when used with an iPhone. Even if you own a pair of the original 2019 AirPods Pro, you’ll notice a big difference from the improvements made to the second-gen model’s overall sound and noise-canceling quality.
However, the AirPods Pro aren’t the best fit for Android users since many features are exclusive to iOS devices. There isn’t even an Android app for AirPods. If you don’t own an iPhone, check out our guide to the best AirPods alternatives for recommendations that offer similar features in a more Android-friendly package.
