Apple’s long-rumored AirPods Pro are finally a reality after the company announced them via a press release earlier. Calling them “an exciting addition to the AirPods family”, the AirPods Pro bring Active Noise Cancellation and silicone tips to the popular in-ear buds.
“AirPods are the best-selling headphones in the world. The one-tap setup experience, incredible sound and iconic design have made them a beloved Apple product, and with AirPods Pro, we’re taking the magic even further,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The new in-ear AirPods Pro sound amazing with Adaptive EQ, fit comfortably with flexible ear tips and have innovative Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode. We think customers are going to love this new addition to the AirPods family.”
All-New Design
There’s no doubt that AirPods revolutionised the wireless audio experience, but the company fell behind with its “one size fits all” approach which lead to many people complaining that AirPods and AirPods 2 didn’t fit their ears. AirPods Pro finally rectify that with in-ear headphones that Apple says are engineered for comfort and fit. Each earbud comes with three different sizes of soft, flexible silicone ear tips that conform to the contours of each individual ear, providing both a comfortable fit and a superior seal — a critical factor in delivering immersive sound. AirPods Pro also use a vent system to equalise pressure, which Apple says will diminish the discomfort common in other in-ear designs. They’re also sweat- and water-resistant, which means you’ll be seeing them in gyms all over the world.
Active Noise Cancellation
Active Noise Cancellation on AirPods Pro uses two microphones combined with advanced software to continuously adapt to each individual ear and headphone fit. This removes background noise to provide a uniquely customised, superior noise-canceling experience that lets you focus on what they’re listening to. The first microphone is outward-facing and detects external sound to analyse environmental noise. AirPods Pro then create an equivalent anti-noise that cancels out background noise before it reaches the listener’s ear. A second inward-facing microphone listens toward the ear, and AirPods Pro cancel remaining noise detected by the microphone. Noise cancellation continuously adapts the sound signal 200 times per second.
Immersive Sound
AirPods Pro have Adaptive EQ, which automatically tunes the low- and mid-frequencies of the music to the shape of an individual’s ear. A custom high dynamic range amplifier produces pure, incredibly clear sound while also extending battery life, and powers a custom high-excursion, low-distortion speaker driver designed to optimize audio quality and remove background noise. The driver provides consistent, rich bass down to 20Hz and detailed mid- and high-frequency audio.
Transparency Mode
The company’s ambient music mode, known as Transparency mode, uses the pressure-equalising vent system and advanced software to let you listen to your music while still letting in sounds from your environment which is great for running outdoors or just when crossing the street. Transparency mode ensures that your own voice sounds natural while audio continues to play perfectly. Switching between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency modes is simple and can be done directly on AirPods Pro using a new force sensor on the stem. The force sensor also makes it easy to play, pause or skip tracks, and answer or hang up phone calls. You can also press on the volume slider in Control Center on iPhone and iPad to control settings, or on Apple Watch by tapping on the AirPlay icon while music is playing.
Performance and Battery Life
The size and performance of AirPods Pro are made possible by a revolutionary system-in-package (SiP) design with the Apple-designed H1 chip at its core. The H1 features 10 audio cores and powers everything from sound to Siri. The extremely low audio processing latency of H1 enables real-time noise cancellation, delivers high-quality sound using adaptive technology and responds to hands-free “Hey Siri” requests — all at once. AirPods Pro feature the same battery life as AirPods with up to five hours of listening time. In Active Noise Cancellation mode, AirPods Pro deliver up to four and a half hours of listening time and up to three and a half hours of talk time on a single charge. Through additional charges from the Wireless Charging Case, AirPods Pro deliver over 24 hours of listening time or over 18 hours of talk time. Charging is as simple as placing the AirPods case on a Qi-certified charging mat or using the Lightning port while on the go.
AirPods Pro will retail for $249 in the US.
iStore South Africa was not able to provide pricing and local availability by the time of publishing.
