Apple Launches New AirPods Pro 2nd Generation with Massive Improvements

After almost three years, Apple has finally refreshed the AirPods Pro with a new iteration and the AirPods Pro 2nd Generation look to be the company's best earbuds so far.

First off, let's put the rumours to rest. There is no major redesign of the earbuds, meaning they'll still keep their iconic stemmed design.

The charging case has been changed though, with speaker holes at the bottom for a new Find My feature that will allow users to ping the case and locate it even if the earbuds aren't inside. While rumours were rife that Apple would be looking to introduce USB-C into their products due to Europe introducing new regulations, it seems like this will not be the case for this product. The case still sports a Lightning port at the bottom. For people who've been looking to add a carrying lanyard to the case, well, you're in luck - Apple is also introducing a lanyard loop on the side.

Inside the earbuds, we get a new H2 chip, which should result in better battery life and performance. Additionally, there's also a new low-distortion driver for more detail and clarity.

As seen in the iOS 16 beta, spatial audio can now be personalised with the front camera on an iPhone.

ANC has also been greatly improved, with Apple claiming the AirPods Pro 2nd Generation cancels out up to two times as much noise thanks to the H2 chip. There's also a new Adaptive Transparency feature which helps to reduce loud unwanted environmental noise like construction.

There's also a new XS size ear tip to cater to people with smaller ears, which is absolutely fantastic.

One of the biggest change is that the new AirPods Pro come with a new capacitive layer that allows for swipe control on the stems in addition to the existing controls, meaning volume can now be controlled via the earbuds directly.

Battery life has also been improved, with six hours of battery life in the earbuds on a single charge, with a total of 30 hours including the case. Charging itself has also been upgraded, with the ability for the case to be charged with any Qi wireless charger, MagSafe or Apple Watch charger.

The Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Generation will be available to order from 19 September onwards with availability from 23 September, priced at S$359.