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Hands-On With the New AirPods Pro
Today's the official launch date for the AirPods Pro that Apple surprised us with on Monday, so of course we went to pick some up at an Apple retail store this morning to give MacRumors readers a rundown of the new features and our first impressions.
In this video, we'll go over the new design, the AirPods Pro capabilities, and determine whether Apple's newest earbuds are worth the $249 price.
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Design wise, the AirPods Pro are recognizable as AirPods, but there are some distinct differences compared to earlier AirPods. The stem, for example, is much shorter, and it now has a new Force sensor feature that supports gestures.
Squeeze the stem to play or pause your music, squeeze it two times to skip forward a track, and squeeze it three times to skip back. Pressing and holding will also switch between different listening modes, which we'll get to in a second.
The other major AirPods Pro design change is the inclusion of new silicone tips that are designed to fit inside of the ears. The AirPods Pro ship with silicone tips in three sizes, and the tips just snap right on and off. Apple has even designed a fit test that makes sure you're using the right size tip for your ear size.
We found the AirPods Pro to be comfortable and secure in the ears, though they definitely have a different feel from the original AirPods. Those silicone tips enable a key AirPods Pro feature -- Active Noise Cancellation. Apple has included Active Noise Cancellation in some Beats headphones in the past, but this is the first time the company has released earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation functionality.
Active Noise Cancellation worked well in our testing, drowning out the sound of a loud furnace fan and people in nearby offices. There's also a Transparency mode that Apple added, which tunes down Active Noise Cancellation so you can hear the environment around you.
Swapping between Active Noise Cancellation and the Transparency mode that lets you hear traffic, announcements, and more, can be done with a press and hold on the stem of the AirPods Pro. You can also turn it off and on using the Control Center on the iPhone.
Apple touts audio quality as a major improvement in the AirPods Pro, and they do indeed sound good. There is a noticeable difference in quality between the AirPods and the AirPods Pro, so if you were satisfied with the AirPods, you'll be even more impressed with the AirPods Pro.
There's an Adaptive EQ feature in the AirPods Pro, which Apple says automatically tunes the low and mid frequencies of the music to the shape of an individual's ear for a "rich, immersive listening experience." In practice, we were better able to distinguish between each instrument, and everything was crisp and clear.
It's worth noting that the AirPods Pro are IPX4 water resistant, which means they're going to hold up to sweat and perhaps some light splashing from the rain, but you shouldn't submerge them and should make an effort to keep them dry when possible.
There's an H1 chip in the AirPods Pro, which was also included in the AirPods 2, so all of the quick setup and device swapping features are present, plus hands-free "Hey Siri" commands are supported.
When it comes to the Wireless Charging Case for the AirPods Pro, it looks a lot like the standard AirPods case but it's fatter than the previous version because it needs to accommodate those silicone tips.
It has the same capabilities as the original case, offering up somewhere around 24 hours of battery life for the AirPods Pro, with a 5 minute fast charge feature that provides an hour of listening time. It can be charged using the included Lightning to USB-C cable or via a Qi-based wireless charger because it does support wireless charging.
As for the AirPods Pro themselves, the battery lasts for up to 4.5 hours with Active Noise Cancellation turned on, or up to five hours if it's disabled. If you're talking on the phone, expect 3.5 hours of talk time with ANC on.
AirPods Pro are $50 more than the AirPods 2 with Wireless Charging Case, and with the Active Noise Cancellation, comfortable fit, and superior sound, choosing AirPods Pro over AirPods 2 makes a lot of sense.
Whether or not they're worth the upgrade for those that already have AirPods is something everyone will need to decide for themselves. They sound great and have ANC, but the AirPods and AirPods 2 are also fantastic little headphones and some people may not need to upgrade if they're happy with what they have now.
Make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors because we'll also be doing an in-depth comparison between the AirPods Pro, the standard AirPods, and the Powerbeats Pro in the coming days.
In this video, we'll go over the new design, the AirPods Pro capabilities, and determine whether Apple's newest earbuds are worth the $249 price.
Design wise, the AirPods Pro are recognizable as AirPods, but there are some distinct differences compared to earlier AirPods. The stem, for example, is much shorter, and it now has a new Force sensor feature that supports gestures.
Squeeze the stem to play or pause your music, squeeze it two times to skip forward a track, and squeeze it three times to skip back. Pressing and holding will also switch between different listening modes, which we'll get to in a second.
The other major AirPods Pro design change is the inclusion of new silicone tips that are designed to fit inside of the ears. The AirPods Pro ship with silicone tips in three sizes, and the tips just snap right on and off. Apple has even designed a fit test that makes sure you're using the right size tip for your ear size.
We found the AirPods Pro to be comfortable and secure in the ears, though they definitely have a different feel from the original AirPods. Those silicone tips enable a key AirPods Pro feature -- Active Noise Cancellation. Apple has included Active Noise Cancellation in some Beats headphones in the past, but this is the first time the company has released earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation functionality.
Active Noise Cancellation worked well in our testing, drowning out the sound of a loud furnace fan and people in nearby offices. There's also a Transparency mode that Apple added, which tunes down Active Noise Cancellation so you can hear the environment around you.
Swapping between Active Noise Cancellation and the Transparency mode that lets you hear traffic, announcements, and more, can be done with a press and hold on the stem of the AirPods Pro. You can also turn it off and on using the Control Center on the iPhone.
Apple touts audio quality as a major improvement in the AirPods Pro, and they do indeed sound good. There is a noticeable difference in quality between the AirPods and the AirPods Pro, so if you were satisfied with the AirPods, you'll be even more impressed with the AirPods Pro.
There's an Adaptive EQ feature in the AirPods Pro, which Apple says automatically tunes the low and mid frequencies of the music to the shape of an individual's ear for a "rich, immersive listening experience." In practice, we were better able to distinguish between each instrument, and everything was crisp and clear.
It's worth noting that the AirPods Pro are IPX4 water resistant, which means they're going to hold up to sweat and perhaps some light splashing from the rain, but you shouldn't submerge them and should make an effort to keep them dry when possible.
There's an H1 chip in the AirPods Pro, which was also included in the AirPods 2, so all of the quick setup and device swapping features are present, plus hands-free "Hey Siri" commands are supported.
When it comes to the Wireless Charging Case for the AirPods Pro, it looks a lot like the standard AirPods case but it's fatter than the previous version because it needs to accommodate those silicone tips.
It has the same capabilities as the original case, offering up somewhere around 24 hours of battery life for the AirPods Pro, with a 5 minute fast charge feature that provides an hour of listening time. It can be charged using the included Lightning to USB-C cable or via a Qi-based wireless charger because it does support wireless charging.
As for the AirPods Pro themselves, the battery lasts for up to 4.5 hours with Active Noise Cancellation turned on, or up to five hours if it's disabled. If you're talking on the phone, expect 3.5 hours of talk time with ANC on.
AirPods Pro are $50 more than the AirPods 2 with Wireless Charging Case, and with the Active Noise Cancellation, comfortable fit, and superior sound, choosing AirPods Pro over AirPods 2 makes a lot of sense.
Whether or not they're worth the upgrade for those that already have AirPods is something everyone will need to decide for themselves. They sound great and have ANC, but the AirPods and AirPods 2 are also fantastic little headphones and some people may not need to upgrade if they're happy with what they have now.
Make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors because we'll also be doing an in-depth comparison between the AirPods Pro, the standard AirPods, and the Powerbeats Pro in the coming days.
Related Roundup: AirPods Pro
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Buy Now)
[ 231 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
(View all)
12 weeks ago
The "noise cancelling" capability is barely noticeable.
How so? My pair basically creates a sound black hole!
12 weeks ago
Worked out today and had a walk in the city with the AirPods Pro, listening to a nice Camelphat mix.
It was shocking to hear only the air flowing thru my nose in otherwise loud environments (with music off).
Sound quality is fantastic; of course you want to keep NC on to keep outside frequencies from spoiling your music. I've found that I keep volume much lower while hearing the music louder, if this makes sense.
At the gym, people asked me about them (as I made an IG story of the unboxing), I let them test NC and some music. Their reaction? Eyes popping out.
I believe AirPods Pro will be a major hit for Apple.
It was shocking to hear only the air flowing thru my nose in otherwise loud environments (with music off).
Sound quality is fantastic; of course you want to keep NC on to keep outside frequencies from spoiling your music. I've found that I keep volume much lower while hearing the music louder, if this makes sense.
At the gym, people asked me about them (as I made an IG story of the unboxing), I let them test NC and some music. Their reaction? Eyes popping out.
I believe AirPods Pro will be a major hit for Apple.
12 weeks ago
My only gripe is the price.
I wish they could have done a non-wireless charging case option again to get the entry price down a little bit.
Especially since after three years they are likely to be almost useless in terms of battery life just like my version one AirPods are now. These are not devices that you’ll be using 7-10 years from now and they are very expensive when you consider that.
I wish they could have done a non-wireless charging case option again to get the entry price down a little bit.
Especially since after three years they are likely to be almost useless in terms of battery life just like my version one AirPods are now. These are not devices that you’ll be using 7-10 years from now and they are very expensive when you consider that.
12 weeks ago
It’s become quite a cottage industry to find things wrong with anything Apple produces while the competition releases perfect, flawless products all the time.
11 weeks ago
Does anyone know if the inward facing mic will help to quiet the voices in my head?
12 weeks ago
Just got mine this morning and I have to say they are so much better than AirPods 2. This is the first time when I’ve worn AirPods and they haven’t fallen out while running or working out. Well done Apple!
12 weeks ago
How can this be called Pro? Apple is going too far
Anything that causes a price increase of 25% or more warrants the Pro moniker with Apple.
12 weeks ago
Biggest issue I've had is taking them out of the case! They're so slippery because of their roundness. I had no problems with my original AirPods.
I've found that if I reach my top finger into the top of the case where the cavity is, then I can grip them and remove them.
Noise canceling works great. I compared them to my original AirPods, and it was a big difference. Also, was a difference (but not as big) between the AirPods Pro and my over-the-ear padded Bose QC35s. Bose wins out, but of course, any over-the-ear headphone would.
I had a co-worker talking, a radio on nearby, humming computer fans, and an A/C unit in the office. I could hear all 3 with the original AirPods, but with the AirPod Pros, when the music was on at a low volume I couldn't hear the humming computer fans, the A/C unit or the radio at all, but sometimes heard my co-worker talking softer (couldn't hear what they were saying, but I knew that it was a voice). It's not perfect, but it's MUCH better.
Ya. They are squirmy.
Just use one finger and pull from the back of each pod towards you they slide right out. No pinching or grabbing necessary.
11 weeks ago
Ah yes, this is working well. Thanks. From the back of the case, just need to pull toward me. I was doing the pinching thing too for the last hour.
[ Read All Comments ]
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