AirPods are some of Apple’s most successful products of all time. Though Apple doesn’t report sales figures, it has been estimated that sales of AirPods brought in revenue of $12 billion in 2020. That’s a Fortune 500 company on its own, and more revenue than Nvidia, AMD, Spotify, or Twitter. The middle child of the lineup is now the AirPods Pro, which sits between the standard AirPods and AirPods Max in price and performance.
Is this the right time to buy AirPods Pro, or will you be disappointed when a new model is released in just a few weeks? Here’s what we know, and what we recommend.
Updated 08/02/22: Updated with a recommendation to wait, as second-generation AirPods Pro could be only a month or two away.
AirPods Pro: Pricing and specs
Last update: October 2019
Apple first released the AirPods Pro in October of 2019 at a price of $249. There have been no updated versions of the hardware, and no change in the price since then.
In our AirPods Pro review, we found them to be an exceptional product, with a better design and fit than the standard AirPods, slightly better sound quality, and excellent active noise cancellation. In iOS 14, Apple added Spatial Audio for supported video types, and then expanded the feature to Apple Music in iOS 14.6, though that is supported by all headphones, not just AirPods Pro.
While AirPods Pro have not technically dropped in price, it’s usually very easy to find them for less than $200. We recommend you don’t buy directly from Apple, which almost never has them for less than the full $249 retail price.
AirPods Pro: Why you should buy
AirPods Pro are a big step up from regular AirPods. The shorter stems and rubberized tips produce a more comfortable fit, and create a better seal that improves sound quality (especially at the low end). The noise canceling is exceptional for such tiny earbuds, and the transparency mode is among the best you’ll find anywhere.
Many of iOS’s best AirPods features work only with AirPods Pro. Spatial Audio in Apple Music works on all headphones, but enabling the sound in video requires AirPods Pro or AirPods Max. With iOS 15, you’ll get expanded Find My support, along with Spatial Audio on Apple TV or M1-based Macs. Since they can now be found under $200 quite easily, it’s very easy to recommend them.
AirPods Pro: Why you should wait
We’ve heard rumors of a second-generation AirPods Pro for ages, but it seems like they might finally come to market. The latest rumors say the AirPods Pro 2 should enter mass production in the second half of the year, and a launch in September or October is the most likely.
We don’t know much yet, but rumors say they’ll have a new chip (probably called the H2) and might support Bluetooth 5.2. The stems are said to be shorter or even nonexistent. Other rumors point to improved sound quality (including possibly support for Apple Lossless), better noise cancelling, and maybe even fitness features. If the next-generation AirPods Pro do even half of this stuff, it will be worth waiting a month or two for.
Then there’s the Beats Fit Pro, which are not technically AirPods, but they are made by Apple (which owns Beats) and have the H1 chip inside. They do literally everything the AirPods Pro do except wireless charging, and they sound better, fit better, and have longer battery life. We think most iPhone users would be happier with those than the first-gen AirPods Pro.
Macworld recommends: WAIT
The rumored features of the second-gen AirPods Pro are almost out of control. They’ll be smaller, sound better, with better noise cancelling, lossless or hi-res audio support, fitness tracking features, and better battery life! You should probably temper your expectations. But still, if they do even half of what is rumored, it will be worth waiting a couple months for.
The first-gen AirPods Pro are about three years old now, and we’re probably on the cusp of something much better. You’ll find great deals on AirPods Pro today, but wait to see what’s around the corner before you buy.
