Apple AirPods Pro 2nd gen: The best earbuds around?

Featuring the same iconic design, Apple’s new AirPods Pro 2nd gen has improvements under the hood - an upgraded chip for improved noise cancellation, a better battery, ease of locating the case, and more. But is it enough to beat the stiff competition posed by the likes of Google, Jabra, Bose, Sony and others?

Design:

Companies have been experimenting with the shape and design of earbuds now and then. Still, Apple has continued with its iconic design in white - the rectangular case housing earbuds with a stem. There is still a pairing button, LED indicator and lightning port. What’s changed on the surface of the case is the addition of a lanyard loop to attach it to a backpack or handbag and the built-in speaker at the bottom. The latter is designed for utility sound alerts, such as locating the buds or when the battery is low. I found this feature very handy as, like many others, I often forget where I kept my buds after using them at home. The sound alert made it super convenient to locate them.

Pairing:

The beauty of the Apple ecosystem is the seamless pairing across devices. To pair the new AirPods Pro 2nd gen, I had to bring it closer to the iPhone (Bluetooth on), and a setup animation popped up on the screen asking to connect. Once paired, there was a quick tutorial on media controls, noise cancellation features, and more. Unlike the competition, there isn’t any need to install an app as all features are accessible from the control center giving access to controls such as switching between transparency, ANC, and others.

Fit & comfort:

Earbuds are all about the comfortable fit and sound experience. And while there was not much to complain about the AirPods Pro 1st gen, with the 2nd gen, Apple has taken the experience a notch higher.

Firstly, there is an additional ear tip, an ‘xs’ one for those with smaller ear canals, which makes it a total of four tips in the box. For me, the medium ear tip worked well. Ensuring the perfect fit is essential not just for cutting the environmental noise but also for ensuring they stay put in the ear. For the same, Apple introduced a special 'ear tip fit test' to check which ear tips offer a good seal and the best acoustic performance. When the buds are placed in the respective ear, the fit test plays music where the inside-facing microphone analyses the sound in the ear canal. Offering a good seal, these buds were comfortable to wear for an extended duration.

Catching up with swipe gestures:

Apple’s AirPods are world-class but lacked swipe controls that the competition has mastered. With these new buds, Apple has finally introduced swipe gestures. As a result, it now has a combination of press and swipe. The single press is for playing, pausing music and answering calls, while the double press is for the next track and the triple for the previous track. As earlier, press and hold will switch between ANC and transparency mode. Moving on to swipe gestures, swiping up and down increased and decreased the volume. And in Delhi winters, when I don’t feel like taking my hand out of my pocket, voice commands for Hey Siri does the job.

ANC and Transparency:

Apple has added new H2 chip that uses computational algorithms for better noise cancellation and enhanced audio experience. And these aren’t false claims, as the difference is noticeable compared to the 1st gen Pro buds. These new buds do a better job of cancelling traffic noise. Listening to music and podcast with ANC was a wonderful experience as it eliminated all the outside noise. But what’s most impressive is the Adaptive Transparency that minimises the intensity of loud, unpredictable sounds like cars honking, sirens, and construction sounds. This is super convenient while walking on the road or sitting in a café.

Sound:

The new hardware brings improvement in the sound department as well. The buds sound better than the previous-gen AirPods Pro as they offer more clarity and bass across soundtracks. The vocals were well-pronounced,  and the highs were not so overpowering. The output was well-balanced across genres, including classical, rock, and pop. Apple has also introduced this personalised Spatial Audio feature which enhances the experience even further.

Battery:

The improved battery backup, with ANC on, lasts close to six hours on a single charge. And as for the case, while it has the lightning port, it can now be charged by just placing it over the Apple Watch charger.

Verdict:

If you are new to the Apple ecosystem and there isn’t any budget constraint, then the AirPods Pro 2nd generation is a no-brainer. Similarly, for 1st gen users, if the battery is acting up and you are planning to upgrade, this is a good buy. But if you are an Android user, the answer is a big NO, as you won’t be able to access most of the goodies Apple offers.

Price: Rs 26,900