AirPods Pro 2 vs AirPods Pro: Features and design
The AirPods Pro 2 (left) and the original AirPods Pro are nearly identical in design.
There’s very little visual difference between these models. They look nearly identical, with just a few variations in venting, and even bear the same 5.4-gram weight per bud. We suppose when you have the most popular earbuds on the planet, you’re not apt to make big design changes.
That’s mostly a good thing for many buyers. While the AirPods aren’t as secure as sports-ready models like Jabra’s Elite 7 or the Beats Fit Pro, they stay put in the majority of situations and stay comfortable for hours.
There are a couple of obvious changes in the charging case; Apple has added a speaker and lanyard loop on the outside along with internal tracking tech so you can locate it separately with the Find My app, and the charging port is now USB-C instead of Lightning. The case and earbuds also now have IP54 dust and water resistance.
The AirPods Pro cases are also nearly identical on the exterior, but the new model (left) offers a speaker, lanyard connector, and USB-C charging port.
Apart from the new noise canceling and adaptive transparency modes (which we’ll get to below), the other big change is the addition of volume adjustment in the controls. Alongside squeezing and holding for calling, playback, and ambient sound modes, you can now slide your finger up or down the AirPods Pro 2’s control notch to raise or lower volume. It works quite well, and it’s one of the primary updates we hoped for.
Otherwise, while the AirPods Pro 2 employs the latest and greatest Apple H2 chip over the previous H1 silicon, you get the same flight of iOS-friendly features. Those include iCloud and audio Sharing, hands-free “Hey Siri,” and automatic switching between iCloud-connected devices. You’ll also get basics like auto-pause when you pull a bud out.
Our pick: AirPods Pro 2