Better sound quality, new controls, and tracking updates just might make them 2022’s hottest tech gift of the year.
Whether you’re a diehard fan of the seamless Apple experience across multiple products or you know someone who can’t stand the sight of a green text bubble, it’s impossible to deny the grip Apple has on the tech market. Apple just dropped its newest set of gadgets for 2022, and the release includes the buzzy Apple 14 iPhone, three new Apple Watches, and a range of laptops (with a rumored gaming console on the way). At the top of our wishlist are the new AirPods Pro, which we predict will be a best-selling gift as we enter the holiday season.
The new second-generation AirPods Pro are now available to purchase for $240 on Amazon (including free engraving). That’s a steep price point considering the endless options of headphones available on the market, but the product has a cult following for its sleek design, impeccable sound quality, and ease of use. And we know this is specifically true among the Wake-Up Call audience: It was the most-bought product by our readers during Amazon Prime Day 2022.
Whether you’re upgrading to a new pair of AirPods or wondering whether it’s time to finally make the investment, you might be wondering, are they really worth it? We’re answering that question with a deep dive into the new features and specific details of the newest generation of AirPods.
New Apple AirPods Pro Review
Noise cancellation
Unlike most earbuds, the real draw of the Apple AirPods Pro is its noise cancellation capabilities, something typically reserved for over-ear headphones. That’s due in part to improved upgrades in both passive and active noise cancellation. The former is the bodily design of the product that physically blocks noise, and the latter is the actual technology of the AirPods that works to cancel noise out. Let’s break it down.
The first generation of AirPods Pro made waves for including three separate ear tips, giving the user a personalized, acoustic seal to block noise out. The second generation version introduces a fourth, extra-small size, which might better suit your ear shape and gives a more inclusive range. The process to figure out your perfect fit is pretty futuristic, too. You put the buds inside your ear to launch Apple’s Personalized Spatial Audio feature, which will map out your ear, then your iPhone’s TrueDepth camera jumps in to create a fit based on your head’s geometry. Freaky, we know.
But active noise cancellation is why Apple claims these are twice as effective as their predecessor. The new technology works to customize the sound that comes in, and what it blocks it out.
Sound quality
So the real update on the second generation AirPods Pro is Apple’s newly designed H2 chip. This is the nitty gritty tech info to familiarize yourself with if you’re intrigued — but we wouldn’t judge you if you skipped ahead to the simplified explanation in the next paragraph — but it’s exactly why Apple’s audio offerings are pretty untouchable. With the newly designed H2 chip, the audio performance of the new AirPods Pro is pretty advanced. They updated its Adaptive Transparency technology, which uses computational algorithms and an inward-facing mic to neutralize unwanted sound coming in, then editing its output to create a crisper, three-dimensional audio experience. We know, it’s a lot to process.
In layman’s terms, think of it this way: Whether you’re listening to music, podcasts, or taking phone calls, your audio experience will be noticeably clearer than with other headphones, and you won’t hear the outside world — unless you want to, in which case you just have to swipe your bud to turn on Adaptive Transparency mode.
Extra features
How many times have you misplaced the case? Or one earbud? It’s a universally annoying experience in the world, and that makes this new feature particularly exciting: There’s a new chip in the case that makes it infinitely easier to find the case’s exact location. There’s also a new speaker in the case that will sound off when you’re looking for it, with an added lanyard loop on the side if you’re a fan of flashy phone straps (we are).
Worried about having to adjust to new settings when you finally got used to the ones on your current pair? Don’t worry: Like the previous model, touch control lets you easily manage playback functions from the stem, like swiping up and down to adjust the volume or playing and pausing music.
If you like to stay active, opt for either the new AirPods Pro or the 3rd gen AirPods, both of which are sweat and water-resistant. The battery life for both also lasts up to six hours per charge.
Final thoughts
If you’ve been considering investing in AirPods Pros in general, now’s the time to do it. These are significantly better than the first generation product but are priced exactly the same at $250. If you don’t care for the added perks of noise cancellation, but we (or your kids) have convinced you to finally switch to wireless headphones, you’re in luck: The older, less bell-and-whistle-filled AirPods styles that still give you amazing sound quality are on sale. You can get second-generation AirPods for only $119 (the third generation starts at $169).
Alternatively, you could fully upgrade yourself to Apple’s only over-ear headphones, their AirPods Max for $549 which boasts updates like a 20-hour battery life. The choice is yours, but whichever you choose, we doubt you’ll regret it.
