Key Takeaways
- The AirPods Pro (2nd generation) came with an H2 chip, ANC, 6-hour battery life, and waterproofing for $249.
- The AirPods Pro 3 are rumored to be getting a minor upgrade, possibly including new health features.
- If you’re ready to buy a new pair, it still probably isn’t worth waiting for the inevitable third-generation AirPods Pro.
There are a lot of wireless earbuds on the market, but the AirPods Pro, with its compact white form factor, continues to attract attention despite its high price tag. Launched in 2019 and relaunched in 2022, the AirPods Pro improves on the AirPods by introducing water resistance, active noise cancellation (ANC), and replaceable silicone tips for a more snug fit.
September marks two years since the release of the second-generation AirPods Pro, and like any other technology, rumors are circulating about what the third generation will be like. If you’re considering buying a pair of AirPods Pro in the near future, you’re probably wondering if now is a good time to do so. Let’s answer that question.
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The second generation AirPods Pro is packed with great features
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Pocket Lint
AirPods Pro (2nd generation)
$199 $249 Save $50
- brand
- apple
- Noise Cancellation
- yes
- price
- $249/£249
- color
- White only
- Spatial Audio
- Yes, personalized spatial audio with head tracking
- Features
- Device controls including adaptive EQ, ANC, transparency mode and volume
- Earbuds Battery Life
- 6 hours listening time, 4.5 hours talk time
- Charging case battery life
- 30 hours
The second-generation AirPods Pro with USB-C charging case retails for $249. That makes them some of the most expensive consumer earbuds you can buy, but that’s not unique to Apple. Of course, for that price, you get a lot of great features. The second-generation AirPods Pro are powered by Apple’s H2 chip, which enables features like adaptive audio, transparency mode, speech recognition, personalized spatial audio, and ANC that’s twice as powerful as the previous generation.
As for battery life, you can get up to 6 hours of listening time on a single charge, and an additional 30 hours with the MagSafe and USB-C charging case. Pro tip, if you didn’t already know, you can get your charging case engraved for free when you order AirPods from the Apple Online Store. AirPods Pro 2nd Generation are also IP54 dust, sweat, and water resistant, and come with extra small (XS), small (S), medium (M), and large (L) silicone ear tips to ensure a perfect fit. Finally, Apple is including a little ecosystem magic in these AirPods. They have a U1 chip, which helps you locate them precisely using the Find My feature and the speaker in the charging case.
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AirPods Pro (3rd generation) rumors
Some are more likely than others
Besides the standard performance and audio improvements from a new processor (likely the H3 chip), the core functionality of the AirPods Pro is expected to remain unchanged. Audio features like ANC and transparency mode may be improved, but the overall feature set will remain the same. While it’s harder to confirm, there could be improved water resistance (likely IPX4) and design tweaks. What’s most likely for the third-generation AirPods Pro is a similar, if not the same, price tag with minor updates.
However, new health-related features such as built-in hearing tests and temperature monitoring are unlikely to be included in the third-generation AirPods Pro. Another rumor has it that the AirPods will come with a charging case with a touch screen. Unfortunately, the addition of these features will likely increase the price. One feature that is not yet expected is whether the new AirPods will come in black or other colors.
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Should you buy the second-generation AirPods Pro now or wait?
The eternal question
Braden Newell / Pocket-lint
Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro are widely regarded as some of the best earbuds you can buy right now. Though they’re pricey, their ANC is widely considered one of the best in the industry. As a daily AirPods Pro wearer, I’d be thrilled if the earbuds came with health-focused features like temperature tracking. The problem with some of the more exciting feature rumors is that they’re highly unlikely to be accurate.
It took Apple three years to release the first and second generation AirPods Pro. If this timeline remains constant, it will still be more than a year before the third generation AirPods Pro arrives. If you are really interested in AirPods Pro, we recommend buying them, especially if you find a good deal during a sale such as the Back to School Sale. We don’t recommend waiting around hoping for revolutionary features (at least not yet). If you don’t think you’ll need to replace your current earbuds for another year or more, it’s probably best to wait.
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