Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 truly wireless earphones are likely to ship before the end of 2022. AirPods Pro 2 are Apple’s most advanced earbuds ever, including next-gen active noise cancellation, better audio quality, fitness functions, and maybe lossless music.
Original AirPods Pro include active noise cancellation and improved sound quality than 2019 AirPods and AirPods 3. They’re in-ear, unlike other AirPods earbuds.
Price News
How much will the new Apple AirPods Pro cost? Expect Apple products to be expensive. True wireless earphones are expensive, especially when Apple-branded.
We can’t imagine Apple deviating much from the £249 ($249, AU$399) price point for its next set of AirPods. Apple Pro Leaks predicted $249 for the AirPods Pro 2 in October 2020. iDropNews says they’ll be white and cost $299.
Twitter Leaker @LeakApplePro claims the AirPods Pro 2 cost $249/£249. The original earbuds would be obsolete. As the AirPods Pro are between the cheaper third-generation AirPods (from $179/£169) and the AirPods Max ($549/£549), Apple should keep this price.
Design rumors
Multiple leaks suggest a ‘major makeover’ for AirPods Pro 2. Some predict Apple will ditch the stem for a rounder form like the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ and Sony WF-1000XM4.
Bloomberg says integrating noise-cancellation, wireless antennas, and microphones into a smaller AirPods Pro housing has been difficult. Which may explain why the ‘major overhaul’ was scrapped.
MacRumours interprets fresh to-scale 3D comparisons by Apple concept visual artist Ian Zelbo as ruling out a stemless design. Zelbo’s latest scaled comparison “actively suggests” the AirPods Pro 2 will use skin-detect sensors like the AirPods 3.
Possible Features
The new Apple H1 chipset is expected to improve the AirPods Pro 2’s performance, battery life, and audio latency. Recent speculations suggest the chipset will provide an adaptive active noise cancelling feature that adjusts based on the user’s surroundings. Other speculations say we’ll see new drivers and self-adaptive equalisation to improve spatial audio and other features.
New earbuds may feature improved hearing aids. The “hardware” and software programme may work together to improve audio playback in real-time, helping people hear better. Many people already use AirPods Pro earbuds, so Apple may emphasise these features. Given the lack of evidence, take this with a grain of salt.
AirPods and AirPods Pro don’t support Lossless audio since Bluetooth only supports the AAC codec. Leaks and reliable sources say AirPods Pro 2 may use Apple’s ALAC lossless audio codec. New codec should improve audio playback.
Should Haves
- Hearing Aid: On AirPods Pro 2, we’d prefer hearing aid alternatives. We heard many stories about how the current AirPods Pro helped people hear better. We’d like to see this as a dedicated feature.
- USB-C: While not expected this year, we’d like to see a USB-C port on the charging case. We’ve always wished we could all charge our devices with a single cord.
- Lossless Audio: AirPods Pro audio sounds great, but there’s room for improvement. We hope the next generation of these expensive earbuds has a lossless codec. The improved audio would make music, movies, and gaming more immersive.
- More earbuds ideas: Apple’s AirPods Pro were the first to let users change ear tips. This made the earbuds more secure. More size options would improve fitting for more people.
- Improved noise cancelation: AirPods are the best wireless earbuds for filtering out loud noises. Apple’s algorithm is great, but it’s been a while since it was introduced. We want to see improvements that will benefit millions of people.