The holidays are coming up, and you may be wondering what to choose between the AirPods Pro or AirPods 2. Here are all the main differences.
1: Design
The AirPods 2 have retained the same design from the previous generation. Apple says they have a ‘universal fit’, and this remained more or less true, however, some people found them quite unpleasant in their ears for longer periods. The buds have the same design as Apple’s wired earphones, the only visible difference is the thicker and longer stem, which houses the battery.
On the other hand, AirPods Pro feature a much more customizable fit. The earbuds use silicone tips to ensure maximum comfort in your ears. You can choose from three sizes, and there’s even a test to see which size fits best. This is great for people who use AirPods to go on runs, for the gym or just find the AirPods slipping out too often. Another nice point is the shorter stem since the battery has been relocated upwards.
2: Sound
The AirPods 2 have good sound quality. You shouldn’t find yourself pulling them out to produce your first song, nevertheless, for listening to some tunes on the way to work or for enjoying a podcast, there are no complaints with these guys. For $149, the sound quality on these is up there. Don’t turn up the volume all the way, or the buds might sound a little crowded. For both guys, they only come in one color – white.
The AirPods Pro deliver much better bass. This is because the buds have a noise-isolating design. For wireless earbuds, they do sound quite good in our testing. Also, the silicone tips help lower exterior sound levels, which brings us to the next point.
3: Noise-canceling
The AirPods 2 don’t feature active noise cancellation. This means that in busy city streets, or on an airplane ride, you’ll be forced to hear everything that’s going on outside as well. You may find yourself cranking up the volume to counteract this, which may hurt your ears after some time.
On the contrary, AirPods Pro do feature active noise-canceling, and it’s very good. It enables the user to immerse themselves in what they’re listening to. A microphone picks up all the outside sound, and the buds then counter it with ‘equal anti-noise’. The microphone refreshes up to 200 times a second to ensure the best noise-cancellation possible. The buds also have something called transparency mode. This feature dims the noise levels of external sources, however, it still lets you hear them. This can be great for cyclists, for example, so they can hear when a car is approaching while still enjoying their tunes.
4: Battery Life
Both earphones are rated for 5 hours of listening time. However, for the AirPods Pro, the battery life goes down to 4h 30 min of listening time if you keep the noise-cancellation feature enabled. To disable it, you can simply force press the stem of the buds. Battery life really isn’t an issue for these guys, as both their cases can quickly give a day’s juice in just 15 minutes. A little detail about the Pro’s case – it’s a bit bigger and a sort of oval shape compared to the AirPods 2. Also, both of these cases have wireless charging, however, you’ll need to make sure you’re getting that version with the AirPods 2.
5: Price
You can find the AirPods 2 on sale for around $149. The AirPods Pro retail for around $235 currently. It’s a steeper price point, but the extra comfort and features you get are definitely worth the price tag.
Are you going to pick either one of these up for the holidays?