It’s September and there’s an Apple event in the offing, and we’re expecting the appearance of the AirPods Pro 2 alongside the iPhone 14.
It’s been nearly three years since Apple released the original AirPods Pro, and if you ask us, it’s about time for an update. It looks fairly certain there will be an announcement for the wireless earphones, but in true Apple style, no-one is 100% sure about what features they’ll boast or even what they will look at.
All is likely to be revealed on Wednesday 8th. Here’s everything we know so far about the AirPods Pro 2.
How much will the AirPods Pro 2 cost?
We can only speculate on cost but unless Apple pulls any surprises, reports indicate the upcoming earbuds will be priced around the same as the current model, which is around £249/$249.
When will the 2nd gen AirPods Pro be released?
If the AirPods 2 Pro are announced at the September event, it looks like a fairly clear roadmap that they’ll be released in the weeks afterwards, possibly towards the end of September.
Apple analyst Min-Chi Kuo originally predicted that the AirPods Pro 2 would be released in the second half of 2021, and that clearly didn’t happen.
Other reports stated the earbuds went into production at the end of the 2021 and will make their debut in Q1 2022. That was untrue as well.
According to Twitter use FrontTron (the tweet has now been restricted), they said that the Pro 2 could be delayed until Q3 of this year, and we are coming to the end of the third quarter. The usually reliable Kuo said he expected the earbuds to turn up as late as Q4 2022 (via MacRumors).
What will the new AirPods Pro look like?
The first pair of AirPods Pro had a similar stem design to the Apple AirPods. Ming-Chi Kuo has stated that the Pro 2 will look the same, a slight tweak but with updated internals.
However, a report by Bloomberg says there’s a chance Apple could drop the stem completely. The report states that Apple has been testing a more rounded shape that “fills more of a user’s ear”, similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Live.
That said, the brand has apparently faced challenges trying to squeeze ANC, antennas, controls and mics into the smaller housing, so there’s a chance it won’t go through with the new design for this reason. It does seem as if the idea that they will look similar to before is most likely.
The charging case is also rumoured to be getting an update. It could be taller and thinner than before, although hopefully not at the expense of battery life.
What features will the AirPods Pro 2nd Gen have?
One of the biggest selling points of the original AirPods Pro over the standard model was the addition of active noise cancellation (ANC) and Transparency Mode. The earbuds were also updated to support Spatial Audio and Auto-switching.
Throw in an IPX4 rating and support for Qi wireless charging, and we would expect the AirPods Pro 2 to incorporate all of the above.
In a now deleted tweeter LeaksApplePro claimed the Pro 2 will gain improvements in battery life, noise cancellation performance and integration of ambient light sensors. Bloomberg also stated the Pro 2 will pack “updated motion sensors with a focus on fitness tracking”.
The fitness tracking bit isn’t exactly new – a report from DigiTimes (via MacRumors) previously explained the light sensors could track heart rate, detect health conditions, track motion and more. These health-related features appear to be linked to a 2017 patent request found by PatentlyApple that teased a range of biometric features, including a heart-rate sensor. According to one report by AppleInsider, the earbuds might even be able to detect your body movement and position to offer pointers during Apple Fitness+ workouts. Another mooted health feature is temperature detection, although that has not been confirmed.
However, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman poured cold water on this and said the health features are unlikely to make it to the AirPods Pro 2. In his Power On newsletter, he wrote “Over the past few months, there have been rumors about this year’s model gaining the ability to determine a wearer’s heart rate or body temperature. I’m told that neither feature is likely to arrive in the 2022 upgrade”. That’s not to say these features won’t make it to an Apple headphone but it seems likely for the AirPod Po 2nd Generation.
Another curious rumour was that of the new AirPods being used as a hearing aid. That came from 52Audio, a site that has been on the money in the past. Apple, like Bose, is interested in earphones that act as hearing aids, but given the hoopla needed to get certification for this, that seems unlikely for the time being.
Another rumoured feature is a voice-activated transparency mode. AppleInsider spotted a patent titled “Interrupt for Noise-Cancelling Audio Devices” that would allow users to set a keyword or the voice of a contact that could bypass ANC. This would allow specific friends, family or colleagues to get your attention when the earbuds are in use.
Other speculation include the addition of Apple Music lossless audio. Lossless support would offer higher fidelity, but Apple would need to find a way to support ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) over Bluetooth.
That rumour comes from Kuo (via MacRumors), as does news of a MagSafe charging case that would emit a sound to make it easier to track when misplaced. This would most likely be integrated with Apple’s Find My app. There’s also persistent rumours about the charging case having a spot for a lanyard to connect to, so it could be hung around your neck.
it is thought that Apple could ditch the Lightning port and opt for USB-C charging after the EU’s ruling earlier this year, though that rule will only come into force by the end of 2024. Although we have also heard that Apple will stick with the Lightning port.
Another interesting security feature spotted by PatentlyApple could allow users to authenticate their earbuds with Touch ID, Face ID or even by identifying the user’s inner ear construction or the gait of their walk.
From an audio perspective, the driver set-up (52Audio again), is said to be similar to that of the AirPods 3 for a richer audio experience, along with a jump up to Bluetooth 5.2 and support for the LC3 Bluetooth quality, which is a more efficient codec than the SBC codec. What actual difference that’ll make for the AirPods is unknown considering AAC is pretty much the different on both iOS and Android devices, as well as many headphones
That’s all we know about the Apple AirPod Pro 2. We expect them to be announced on September 8th, and once revealed we’ll find know about all the speculation about the design and features are true.
The post AirPods Pro 2: Set for reveal at the September Apple event? appeared first on Trusted Reviews.