The Apple AirPods Pro 2 are likely to be the next version of Apple’s AirPods Pro earbuds line.
If you’re confused by the different models, you’re not alone. What you need to know is the AirPods Pro line is different to the standard AirPods in that they offer additional features and an audio upgrade, most notably noise-cancellation.
What we don't know is whether the Apple AirPods Pro 2 will be an upgrade on the AirPods Pro or a more affordable version of the Pro, which might be called the AirPods Pro ‘Lite' instead. But a leak back in 2020 suggested they'll be the same price as the previous version, not cheaper.
We’re yet to get official confirmation from Apple that either version of the AirPods Pro 2 are on the way. But everything is pointing to a 2022 release date for the second-gen AirPods Pro, with respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicting a launch in the tail-end of the year.
A release date in 2022 would make sense given the AirPods 3 have now been released, bringing a much-improved listening experience than their predecessors, the AirPods 2. An upgraded ‘Pro’ or premium model would be good news for those keen on noise-cancelling wireless earbuds like the AirPods Pro that offer a slightly more robust feature set than their cheaper counterparts – especially considering the first version was released in October 2019.
Whenever they materialize, we hope Apple will introduce some big upgrades to its flagship true wireless earbuds. Here's everything we know so far about the rumored Apple AirPods 2 earbuds, plus a few key features we'd like to see.
AirPods Pro 2: cut to the chase
- What are they? A rumored new version of the AirPods Pro.
- When will they be released? Probably the last quarter of 2022
- How much will they cost? Likely $249 / £249 / AU$399 or under, the price of the AirPods Pro.
AirPods Pro 2 release date
The AirPods Pro 2 are likely to land in 2022, according to industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. He said we'd likely get a new AirPods iteration in 2021, and a new AirPods Pro model in 2022 too (via AppleInsider). He then expanded his predictions to say that the AirPods Pro 2 will be released in late 2022.
That's backed up by information, which supposedly comes from a supply chain insider, that was released by @FrontTron (via MacRumors), who says that the launch of the premium wireless earbuds has been pushed back from Q2 2022 to Q3. The source didn't give a reason for the delay, but given so much tech is delayed right now, it's not surprising.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 price
According to a tweet from LeaksApplePro, the AirPods Pro 2 will cost the same as their predecessors ($249 / £249 / AU$399).
This price contradicts previous reports that the new earbuds will be an entry-level version of the AirPods Pro (hence the AirPods Pro Lite name). So it might be that they're an upgraded version instead.
However, if we do get a budget-friendly version of the AirPods Pro 2, that would really shake up the competition with a genuinely affordable pair of Apple earbuds.
We don't think that's super likely though; Apple recently reduced the price of the AirPods 2 in the wake of the AirPods 3 being released, making them the cheapest AirPods you can currently buy.
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AirPods Pro 2 rumors
Improved noise cancellation and lossless audio
We don’t think there would be much point in releasing an entry-level version of AirPods Pro if they didn’t come with its best feature: active noise cancellation.
This was a true upgrade over the original AirPods, and signaled a shift in the true wireless earbuds market that means we can now expect to see features previously reserved for premium over-ear headphones in cordless models.
The noise cancellation offered by the AirPods Pro is very good indeed, particularly for true wireless earbuds – but it could be improved. And according to LeaksApplePro, the noise cancellation will be adjusted, if not given a complete overhaul.
We've also heard that the AirPods Pro 2 will be the first wireless earbuds from Apple to support the Apple Lossless (ALAC) standard, perhaps using some new kind of proprietary wireless connection rather than Bluetooth.
Fitness tracking features
A previous report by Digitimes said future AirPods will use ambient light sensors to take biometric measurements – potentially for monitoring blood oxygen levels like the Apple Watch 6.
According to AppleLeaksPro, this feature is coming to the AirPods Pro 2 – and as posited by MacRumors, this could work in a similar way to the ear-based clip on pulse oximeters used in hospitals, which shine light through the earlobe to detect the amount of oxygen in a patient's bloodstream. It's not clear whether the design of the AirPods Pro would have to change materially to allow this to happen, but we think it's unlikely that Apple would ditch the design that has made its earbuds so ubiquitous.
That's not all. Earlier this year, Apple was awarded a number of new patents, one of which suggests that the next AirPods could come with a nifty feature for fitness fans, possibly cementing their place among the best running headphones in the world.
According to Patently Apple, the patent describes AirPods that use inbuilt sensors to “gather orientation information such as accelerometer measurements during user movements”.
That's not all. Future Apple AirPods could automatically pause or lower the volume of your music if they detect hazards in your surroundings, according to a patent granted to the company on August 11 2021.
The patent describes a pair of true wireless earbuds that are capable of adjusting their audio output based on the user's activities and location, including “adjusting audio volume, stopping or preventing audio from playing, providing feedback, directions, encouragement, advice, safety information, instructions, and the like”.
Gesture controls
Apple has also been awarded a patent that describes the ability to control true wireless earbuds with futuristic ‘in-air gestures'.
Spotted by Patently Apple, the patent describes how in-air gestures – for example hovering a hand over the AirPods – could work alongside the touch controls already employed by the AirPods Pro, allowing you to trigger different actions.
More recently, Apple filed a patent describing earbuds that could be controlled by touching your face, shaking your head, and even clicking your teeth together. Whether these features will actually materialize remains to be seen, but it's clear that Apple is investigating some exciting new tech for its wireless earbuds.
A streamlined design
According to a Bloomberg report that cites “people familiar with the plans” the AirPods Pro will get a design overhaul in 2021, eliminating the ear stems altogether, for a “more rounded shape that fills more of a user's ear” – perhaps taking a few design cues from the Samsung Galaxy Buds and the Google Pixel Buds.
But now we're in 2022 it's clear we haven't seen these. Maybe this report was referring to the AirPods 3, which do have a different design but one that definitely doesn't do away with the stems – just makes them shorter.
Or it could just be that the Bloomberg report is referring to the Pro 2 but pre-empted the release date. It says that fitting the features of the AirPods Pro, including the antennas and microphones, into a more compact build has been a challenge so far, which “could result in a less ambitious design when the final product is finalized”.
If Apple does keep the protruding stems we’d love the brand to include haptic feedback when you touch them – it would add a little bit of tactility to the user experience that we think would be really beneficial.
A charging case that doubles up as an AirTag
Apparently the Apple AirPods Pro 2 will come with a charging case that can be tracked with the Find My app on the iPhone, so you can find it if it gets lost. It'll also make a beep if you need to locate it, much like the AirTags do.
AirPods Pro 2: what we want to see
Sports-friendly features
Some earfins wouldn’t go amiss to make the AirPods Pro Lite appeal to the running crowd. While we find that the AirPods Pro are generally quite secure during workout sessions, some extra security could win over diehard fans of the earhook-toting Beats Powerbeats Pro.
Another way to steal some custom from Beats (and therefore itself)? Adding some cool color options to the AirPods Pro Lite. If they really are a cheaper version of the AirPods Pro, and therefore not a flagship product, what’s the harm in a little experimentation? We’d love to see true wireless earbuds in the same space gray and rose gold colors we’ve seen with some iPhone and MacBook Pro models.
Longer battery life
The battery life offered by the AirPods Pro doesn't match some of the best true wireless earbuds you can buy today. While perfectly acceptable, just under 25-hours of playtime has been far outmatched by the likes of the Lypertek PurePlay Z3 2.0 (though these admittedly don't come with noise cancellation, which can drain battery life).
Improved audio
While the AirPods Pro don't sound bad by any means, they can't compete with the Sony WF-1000XM4 and Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus in this respect.
For a start, we'd like to see aptX HD support, which would allow for wireless streaming of hi-res audio codecs at 24-bit/48kHz – which Qualcomm claims makes for better-than-CD quality. That way, Apple could get the audiophiles on side – and it seems a bit of an oversight now that the original AirPods Pro can support other codecs like Dolby Atmos spatial audio and Apple Music now offers lossless audio at no extra cost for subscribers.
We'd also like to see the ability to customize the EQ of the AirPods Pro, which could make them suitable for a wider range of musical genres. While the original earbuds are great for listening to pop music, they just don't have the right EQ curve to do justice to classical music.
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