At first glance these two sets of true wireless earbuds are virtually indistinguishable. So let’s take a close look at the details and compare them, finding out exactly what’s new, and whether you should upgrade…
Main differences at a glance:
- AirPods Pro 2 have a volume up/down touch gesture
- AirPods Pro 2 have a newer H2 chip (as opposed to H1)
- AirPods Pro 2 have longer battery life – up to 30 hours (as opposed to 24)
- AirPods Pro 2 have “up to 2x more noise cancellation”, according to Apple
- AirPods Pro 2 come with four rubber eartips sizes: XS, S, M, L (as opposed to three: S, M, L)
- AirPods Pro 2’s case has a speaker and a lanyard hook, which the first-gen’s case does not
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Price and availability
The new AirPods Pro 2 are available starting September 23, 2022, for the price of $249.The original AirPods Pro came out back in 2019, for the exact same price of $249.
Design and colors
The AirPods Pro 2 (shown here) are nearly identical to the first-gen AirPods Pro
There are no major design or color differences to speak of, so let’s summarize what both the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro are like.
The earbuds have fairly short, straight stems, which are also touch-sensitive, and can be used for music playback, summoning Siri, and (only on the AirPods Pro 2) changing the volume, without having to reach for your iPhone.
The earbuds also feature rubber tips, which may be irritating to some, but in general, offer superior fit and isolation over any alternatives. As mentioned earlier, the new AirPods Pro 2 come with four eartip sizes to pick from, those being extra small, small, medium and large. The older AirPods Pro only come with three sets of eartips – small, medium and large.
Both the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro come in a glossy, plastic, rectangular charging case with rounded corners. It has an LED on the front, a pairing button on the back, a Lightning port on the bottom, and a metal hinge for the lid.
The AirPods Pro 2’s case notably also has a speaker next to the Lightning port, which the first-gen Pros’ case lacks. It’s used for alerts such as low battery, or for locating the case if lost. The AirPods Pro 2 case also has a loop for attaching a lanyard, which, again, the first-gen one does not.
As for the color options – there are none. Both the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro come only in glossy white, although there are third party sellers of skin wraps and cases that can add some flair to your headphones. Apple also offers engraving for the case, which could be a name, a phrase, or even an emoji.
Both sets of earbuds are IPX4 sweat and water resistant.
Sound quality and active noise canceling (ANC)
Stay tuned for our AirPods Pro 2 review, coming soon, with our take on how they sound, but according to Apple, their new H2 chip should help to deliver “crisp, clear high notes and deep, rich bass in stunning definition — so every sound is more vivid than ever.”
As for the original AirPods Pro, we found them to sound nice and full, if a bit lacking in the bass department, instead emphasizing the highs.
Both the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro have support for Spatial Audio, which delivers an exciting audio experience for both music and movies. However, since Apple has generally improved upon its earbuds’ sound quality since 2019, it’s safe to assume that the new AirPods Pro 2 will deliver superior performance, most notably fuller and bassier.
Touch controls
Both the AirPods Pro 2 and the original AirPods Pro have touch-sensitive stems, which you can press to play and pause your music, switch between ANC and Transparency mode, or to summon the Siri virtual assistant.However, what makes the new AirPods Pro 2 unique among any AirPods before them is the fact that their stems also support a sliding touch gesture for changing the volume.
On the original AirPods Pro, to change the volume you can only either ask Siri to do it for you, or you have to reach for your phone and use its volume keys. So this is definitely a worthwhile quality of life improvement.
Battery life
This is another area where the new AirPods Pro 2 offer more – up to 30 hours of battery life with the case. Or if using just the earbuds standalone – up to 6 hours on a single charge.
In contrast, the original 2019 AirPods Pro can last up to 24 hours with the case, or up to 4.5 hours on a single charge.
Both the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro earbuds charge from their cases when stored inside. Their cases can be charged either via the Lightning port on the bottom, or wirelessly with Qi charging or MagSafe. Both come with a charging cable out the box, but no charging brick, so you’ll have to either buy one, or use your iPhone’s charger.
Which should you buy? AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods Pro
It’s a no-brainer to get the new AirPods Pro 2, as they’re starting at the exact same price and offer longer battery life, better sound with stronger bass and ANC, plus that new volume touch control gesture.
However, if you won’t mind the slightly lesser sound of the original first-gen AirPods Pro, and you can find them through a good discount now that they’re older, you’ll likely be happy with those too.
And just as likely – no one will be able to tell whether you have the new ones or the old ones, unless they’re some die-hard Apple fan who knows that the new ones’ case has a speaker on the bottom or a hook for a lanyard on the right side.
