Apple 2nd Gen AirPods Pro Announced; Priced at $249
At its ‘Far Out’ hardware launch event, Apple unveiled its latest generation of iPhones today. The company announced the iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max. While the former two bring minor upgrades over the previous-gen iPhone 13 series, the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro Max feature a new pill-shaped notch, a 48MP triple camera setup, and other cool upgrades. Now, Apple only announced the US pricing of the four new iPhone models, which starts at $799, at the launch event. Now, in true Apple fashion, the company did not share the screen size on the stage, so you will have to wait for the product page.
2nd Gen AirPods Pro: Changes and New Features
Though the AirPods Pro 2 look similar to the AirPods Pro, Apple has made a bunch of changes to the case. The new case for the AirPods Pro comes with a built-in speaker. This can help you locate the case using the Find My app on your iPhone (something that was surprisingly not possible on older AirPods and AirPods Pro devices). The speaker will also inform you when the case is being charged, paired, or when the battery is running low. There’s a new XS size ear-tip as well, and the case now features the U1 chip for UWB features such as locating lost AirPods Pro cases with the Find My app.
Under the hood, the new H2 chip powers a couple of new smart features as well. The active noise cancellation is now twice as powerful as the original AirPods Pro. Further, alongside the existing Transparency mode, the 2nd gen AirPods Pro features a Dynamic Transparency mode as well. This feature will automatically lower the volume of unwanted environmental sounds like construction noises, while still letting in conversations, etc.
AirPods Pro 2 can be charged with an Apple Watch charger
The AirPods Pro (2022) also comes with Touch Controls. You can now swipe along the stem of the earbuds to control the volume without having to ask Siri. Further, they support all the expected features such as Spatial Audio and Personalised Spatial Audio, wireless charging, and more.
Battery Life and Charging
Apple has improved the battery life as well, and you now get 6 hours of playback on a charge. With the case, this goes up to 30 hours, compared to 24 hours on the previous generation AirPods Pro. You can charge the AirPods Pro case using any Qi-compatible charger (or a Lightning cable). Plus, it now even supports charging via the Apple Watch charging cradle.
AirPods Pro 2 Price & Availability
The AirPods Pro 2 is priced at $249 — the same as the original AirPods Pro. You will be able to order them from September 9, and they will be available to buy starting September 23. What’s more, alongside the regular engraving options, you can now get your Memoji engraved on the AirPods Pro 2 case as well.