AirPods Pro 2 vs. AirPods Pro – 5 reasons why it is worth upgrading
Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 were recently introduced during the company’s “Far Out” event on September 7, earlier this month. Speaking of the event, I feel that over the years Apple events have gotten less and less exciting. Not that they are making bad products. In fact, Apple makes very reliable tech products. However, if you ask me, do these products excite me anymore? Well, honestly, not so much.
This brings me back to the “Far Out” event and the range of products Apple introduced. And similar to my last year’s experiences, these products, including the Apple Watch Series 8, and the new iPhone 14 models didn’t interest me all that much. However, one such product which did pique my interest was the AirPods Pro 2. And despite all the rumours floating around on the internet, the announcement of the latest “pro” AirPods did catch my attention.
So, I’ve been using the AirPods Pro for about two years, and with the launch of the latest generation, AirPods Pro 2, I am looking forward to the upgrade. But should you upgrade too? Well, here are five reasons why you should consider one.
H2 chip
Ever since the launch of the OG AirPods, everyone has praised the magical pairing process between Apple devices and AirPods, courtesy of the W1 chip. The second-gen AirPods introduced the H1 chip that used a newer version of Bluetooth for faster connectivity and also brought in “Hey Siri” support. This brings me to the latest AirPods Pro 2, which now features the brand new H2 chip.
With the inclusion of the H2 chip, the AirPods Pro 2 now features improved ANC, or as Apple likes to put it, up to two times more noise cancellation than the predecessor. And while I don’t have the tools to quantify this change, I can safely assume that the ANC on the AirPods Pro 2 will be top-notch if not better, considering the ANC is already so good on the OG AirPods Pro.
Apart from this, the H2 chip also promises to improve the audio listening experience. And not to forget, the Adaptive Transparency feature which adapts to the loud and annoying sounds around you, like sirens, honks etc., is automatically minimised.
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Personalised Spatial Audio
Spatial Audio was cool, but Personalised Spatial Audio is even cooler. While the idea of Spatial Audio still remains the same, the “personalised” factor promises to add a more immersive audio listening experience. This is done with the help of the TrueDepth camera, as your iPhone creates a custom audio profile by precisely tracking the position of your head and ears. Once again, I am not really sure how to quantify these changes, but technically, the Personalised Spatial Audio should improve the overall audio/ video listening experience.
Touch controls
In comparison to the regular AirPods, the AirPods Pro was launched with better touch controls on the stem. Such as the ability to play/ pause music with a single press on the stem, along with double-press, triple-press and press and hold functionality. However, one small feature that did not make the cut was the ability to adjust the volume. Well, that changes with the new AirPods Pro 2. With the latest generation AirPods Pro, one can simply swipe up or down on either stem to increase or decrease volume. And while I am not sure how big of a deal it is for other AirPods Pro users, it is certainly a big deal for me, since I no longer have to take my iPhone out of my pocket just to adjust the volume.
Battery life
Battery life is another key area where we are expecting to see solid gains. For context, my AirPods Pro generally lasts about 4.5 hours on a single charge with ANC enabled. In comparison, with the AirPods Pro 2, Apple promises up to 6 hours of listening time with ANC enabled, which is a good upgrade of up to 1.5 hours. Additionally, one can expect a total battery life of up to 30 hours, and again, this is with ANC enabled.
Moreover, the latest AirPods Pro 2 also feature Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, so that is also one of the reasons that you can expect lower power consumption all while maintaining a secure and reliable connection. Lastly, this time around, you can also charge the AirPods Pro 2 case with a MagSafe charger or even an Apple Watch charger. But of course, you can still use the lightning connector or any Qi-certified wireless charger to charge the AirPods Pro 2 case. There are plenty of options, and I like them.
U1 chip
The new AirPods Pro 2 features the U1 chip, which is also found in Apple AirTag. This way, finding your lost AirPods Pro is never going to be a hassle. But before you think that the older generation AirPods Pro is also trackable, which means that you can trace their location via the Find My app, just in case you lose it. However, with the new U1 chip inside the AirPods Pro 2, you can actually and precisely track the AirPods Pro 2, just like you would track an AirTag. Just to give you an example, if you lose the AirPods Pro 2 at any given location, and if those lost AirPods Pro come in the Bluetooth range of any Apple device, say an iPhone or an iPad, in that case, you’ll instantly be updated with the location. How cool is that, eh?
Final words
In my opinion, Apple’s “Far Out” didn’t excite me all that much. Be it the latest iPhone models, or the latest Watch Series 8, this year around, I didn’t feel compelled that I absolutely needed to have the latest and greatest. Then again, in no way or form, these devices are bad. In fact, people with older models should definitely go ahead and upgrade to the latest ones, since the products themselves are fantastic. That said, if you’re coming from an iPhone 13 Pro, or a Watch Series 7, I’d suggest holding on to your devices for at least one more year.
However, when it comes to the AirPods Pro 2, my feelings are the total opposite. As I mentioned at the start, this is one product that I was genuinely impressed with. And I would like to end by saying that, after a gap of about three years from the launch of the first generation AirPods Pro, I absolutely believe that the AirPods Pro 2 definitely delivers. I’ll be looking to grabbing mine very soon, will you?
