How does Apple’s first release of high-end earphones, the AirPods Pro, compare to the latest AirPods Pro 2? You’d be forgiven if you thought there wasn’t much difference between them – they sure are a look Similar, right? But don’t be fooled. The Pro 2 comes with a whole host of upgrades and the good news is that the price is the same.
It’s no secret that the Apple AirPods Pro are some of the best true wireless earphones on the market, but now that Apple has upgraded them with the AirPods Pro 2, the big question is: should you upgrade if you have the original Pro version? How do you choose what’s right for you, especially if the original pros are being discounted?
Well, after spending so much time with them, we can safely say that the AirPods Pro 2 are some of the best noise canceling headphones you can buy today. There are some minor design improvements — hello, all-new tiny ear tips — but the most significant update is the awesome H2 chip, which brings us better audio, ANC and battery life.
Read on to find out all the key differences between the best Apple wireless earbuds and find out which one is better, Apple AirPods Pro 2 vs AirPods Pro (2019).
Apple AirPods Pro and AirPods Pro 2: Release date and price
Apple AirPods Pro 2 will be released on September 23, 2022. They are priced at $249 / £249 / AU$399.
Remember, the AirPods 3 cost $179 / £169 / AU$279 at launch, on October 26, 2021, so the AirPods Pro 2 are every inch of Apple’s flagship offering when it comes to earbuds.
The outgoing Apple AirPods Pro arrived on October 30, 2019. Their cost ($249 / £239 / AU$399) is official. However, you may find the original AirPods Pro a bit cheaper considering that they are now the older version.
AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro (2019): Design
Take a quick look at the photos throughout this page. Yes, the aesthetic and driver’s quarters remained almost exactly the same externally Among iterations of the Pro model, though, there’s the AirPods Pro 2’s radical internal redesign — starting with Apple’s H2 chip, which features high-bandwidth connectivity and Bluetooth 5.3, paired with a new low-distortion driver with a dedicated subwoofer.
So Apple kept the protruding stems, though there’s a nice little feature upgrade here, too — which we’ll discuss later.
what he New is the speaker on the base of the MagSafe charging case, to help with Find My to help you locate the case when it’s lost. During testing, we decided this was a small but significant upgrade—the previous way to find the case was to play audio directly from the buds, which didn’t work.
You’ll also get a lanyard connector and a new extra small ear tip option to promote a more secure fit if you have really small ears. In our AirPods Pro 2 review, we called this: “A much-needed change that Apple should be commended for making.” This is because a lot of people complained that they couldn’t get the AirPods Pro to fit their ears before, and we hope most people don’t have that problem anymore.
AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro (2019): Battery Life
Another open goal for the AirPods Pro 2 is to extend battery life — and they really do. You now get up to six hours per bud, up from four and a half hours in the first generation AirPods Pro.
And you also get 30 hours with the charging case, that’s six more hours in total—the original AirPods Pro charging case will give you 24 hours of listening time when fully charged.
They’re good, not suggestive, but then, even the best noise-canceling earbuds don’t tend to be as long-lasting as regular wireless earphones—the ANC technology can be a real battery drain—so even that extra few hours of playback you’re welcome.
Even the excellent Honor Earbuds 3 Pro (four hours of ANC playtime before needing a charge) and Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro (at five hours of continuous play with ANC on, or eight hours without it, and up to 18 hours in the cradle) can’t afford it. It offers a lot in the way of stamina — so the fact that Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 are bringing a boost of fuel is welcome news indeed.
Was the battery performance as good as promised during testing? Especially. With ANC turned on and both head tracking and spatial audio enabled, Apple says the battery will last around five hours, but we found the battery a little generous and with one hour of listening the battery life dropped by about 25%.
AirPods Pro 2 vs. AirPods Pro (2019): Features
As any Apple believer knows, the Cupertino-based giant’s AirPods pretty much sit above the range of its Beats sub-brand. Thus, the proper key features are given, starting with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC).
The claim now is twice the noise cancellation compared to the original AirPods Pro. Yes, you read that correctly, Apple says twice as much noise is blocked. And oh boy, did I do that while auditioning.
In our review, we wrote: “The world reigns supreme, and you instantly enter a quiet, comfortable studio where it’s just you and your music. The effect is stark and worth the cost of the headphones alone.” Honestly, the noise cancellation here is easily among the best we’ve tried, especially from a pair of true wireless earphones.
Apple has also included a more adaptive transparency audio experience in AirPods Pro 2, which dynamically reduces harsh noise, recording readouts 48,000 times per second.
Another difference between Pro and Pro 2 is that you get on-device volume control with the latest speakers, finally! Although we noticed during testing that it’s not ideal to use: “While the feature is nice and we use it regularly, it’s not implemented well enough to be flawless.”
AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro (2019): Sound quality
Now, the audio bits. While the original AirPods Pro sound good, they don’t match the Sony WF-1000XM4 or Honor Earbuds 3 Pro in terms of audio fidelity — and Apple made some changes to the AirPods Pro 2 to appeal to silent audiophiles.
Aside from improving the drivers inside the AirPods Pro (which it did), Apple he could Do this by adding support for lossless audio – which was recently achieved by the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and NuraTrue Pro.
Unfortunately, there’s no lossless audio on the Buds Pro 2, which is a huge shame. Although our opinion is that if no loss means the cost of the Pro 2 can remain the same as the original, we can afford it.
But just because there’s no lossless audio here doesn’t mean the Pro 2’s audio performance isn’t a huge improvement, just great overall. In our review we wrote: “The overall sonic range is broad and expansive, and the AirPods Pro 2 are excellent at pulling different instruments into the sound. The vocal notes are clear, and the bass is punchy but not overpowering—we found ourselves reaching for them only to plunge into an acoustic realm when we had a lethargic moment.”
Rule
Apple AirPods Pro 2 are the best earbuds as compared to the original AirPods Pro (2019). The latest buds may not wear their upgrades on the outside, but look inside and the H2 chip brings a better experience across the board.
It’s the excellent sound quality and really great ANC that impressed us the most when we tested the AirPods Pro 2, so if you’re looking for good sound that blocks out almost all ambient noise, these are a great option. In our review we wrote: “The AirPods Pro 2 look great and lock out the real world really well – if you want to pamper yourself, you’ll really appreciate it. It’s a bit on the ‘safe and stable’ side, but still a fun experience.”
It might be worth considering the AirPods Pro (2019) if you find them discounted during sales season, but you’ll have to find a significant discount to justify choosing them over the Pro 2, which we think is unlikely.