Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reports that Apple will unveil the AirPods Pro 2 on Wednesday. The original premium version of Apple’s true wireless earbuds was released on October 30, 2019. The “Pro” model has Active Noise Cancellation (ANC).
This week, Apple will release the iPhone 14 series. Alongside the new smartphones, Apple may also unveil its second-generation AirPods Pro headphones.
Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter breaks the news. For those unaware, the Cupertino based giant is set to launch four new iPhone models on September 7. Apple is likely to reveal the 10th generation iPad, iPad Pro 2022, and Apple Watch Series 8 at this event. The business may possibly release AirPods Pro 2.
The AirPods Pro 2 will reportedly have Active Noise Cancellation and a Transparency Mode. The second version of AirPods Pro may also have a longer battery life. When coupled with the charging case, the original AirPods pro gave 24 hours of audio playback and 18 hours of call time.
Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode
Transparency Mode lets users hear background noises when using AirPods Pro. This is helpful if you’re going around with loud music. With Transparency Mode enabled, you can hear an ambulance or police car siren to avoid a fast-moving vehicle. ANC and Transparency Mode should remain in the new version.
The original AirPods Pro give 24 hours of listening time and 18 hours of speaking time with multiple case charges. AirPods 3 have a 30-hour battery life (with the cover). Why should you pay more for lower battery life? Apple will likely announce a major improvement in the AirPods Pro 2 battery on Wednesday.
There was some chatter of the AirPods Pro 2 missing the iconic stem, but it doesn’t appear likely because Apple places the earbud chips and Active Noise Cancellation function in the stem. We could see a smaller charging case, but it’s expected to have a new feature that emits a sound when the Find My app is used to find it. Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International said the AirPods Pro 2 charging case will continue to use a Lightning connector, not USB-C.
Price
We could see Apple pricing the sequel at $249, the same price as the original AirPods Pro. Apple will replace the H1 chip with B698 to improve battery life and user experience.
The AirPods Pro 2 won’t have any health-related features, as rumoured. Apple tested such sensors on the wearable, but they may be reserved for future models.
Apple has filed a patent application for technology that would allow users to use gestures with their hands to control certain AirPods Pro 2 functions although we have yet to see any indication that this will be offered on the AirPods Pro 2. Bluetooth 5.2 should replace 5.0 on the original AirPods Pro. If so, it will be Apple’s first Bluetooth product.
What else is Apple going to launch on Wednesday
Apple will introduce the AirPods Pro 2 and four new iPhone 14 models on September 7th, including the 6.1-inch iPhone 14, 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus, 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro, and 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max. Apple will also unveil the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE (2022), and Apple Watch Pro. The latter will have a bigger screen, bigger battery, and more features.