Apple’s new AirPods Pro can cancel twice as much noise as previous models

The new flagship earbuds are up against much tougher competition than Apple’s original pair.

The long-awaited update to Apple’s AirPods Pro is finally here. The company announced a second-generation pair of the popular noise-canceling earbuds with a new H2 chip on Wednesday at its “Far Out” event, promising improved sound quality and noise cancellation.

According to Apple, the H2 chip allows the new earbuds to cancel “up to twice as much noise” as the first generation AirPods Pro. The new buds, as well as the H2 chip, have an improved Adaptive Transparency mode. In addition, Apple claims that the AirPods Pro feature a new low-distortion audio driver and custom amplifier for “richer bass” and “crystal-clear sound across a wider frequency range.”

The ability to adjust volume with swipes on the stem is a major new feature of the new earbuds. This means you won’t have to use another device to increase the volume on your favourite song. Furthermore, Apple claims that the AirPods Pro have a longer battery life: six hours with active noise cancellation turned on.

The new AirPods Pro also include an improved charging case with Find My Support and a built-in speaker for easier tracking. You’ll be able to charge the case with an Apple Watch charger as well as a Lightning cable or a Qi or MagSafe charger. The case is now sweat- and water-resistant, and there’s a loop where you can attach a lanyard if you want to carry it another way.

The new earbuds will cost $249 and will be available for purchase on September 9th. They’ll be out on September 23rd. The new AirPods Pro will also include extra-small ear tips, which may be a better fit for some ears.

Apple’s original AirPods Pro were announced in October 2019 via press release rather than at a product event. They went on to become enormously successful, not because of their audio fidelity, which has since been surpassed by Sony, Samsung, Google, and other competitors, but because they work so well with the iPhone and other Apple devices.

Even though Sony and Bose have surpassed the AirPods Pro in noise cancellation, their transparency mode remains the best in class two years later.

Source: Apple