Apple’s premium AirPods Pro have been unveiled for a much higher price than the standard AirPods. Of course, the pricing difference means you’ll be getting a lot more for your money, but what exactly are you getting? To find out these missing answers, check out our detailed AirPods Pro vs AirPods comparison, where we provide all necessary information concerning the design, features, pricing and more to help you simplify your purchasing decision.
AirPods Pro vs AirPods - First Look at Design and Additional Changes
While Apple continues to maintain the ‘stick-end’ for the AirPods Pro, it is much shorter than the one present on the regular AirPods. Unlike the AirPods Pro, Apple made the cheaper wireless earphones to be a universal fit for customers, but that’s not always the case due to varying ear sizes. Even if the AirPods do manage to fit in the wearer’s ear, keeping them in place becomes a challenge, and that’s what the AirPods Pro attempts to address with its flexible ear tips that also help to block out ambient noise and improve the audio listening experience.
In order to prevent unnecessary size compatibility issues, the AirPods Pro is bundled with three pairs of different, comfortable, silicone ear tips that conform to the ear size, and stay in place. Those who were having problems with regular AirPods due to their size issues can opt for the AirPods Pro if their budget allows.
AirPods vs AirPods Feature Differences - There’s a Lot You Should Know
First, let us go through the similarities between the AirPods Pro and standard AirPods. Both of them ship with Apple’s custom H1 chip that helps to reduce pairing time and latency. Both products also feature an always-on ‘Hey Siri’ mode that can be summoned by simply saying ‘Hey Siri’ or double-tapping the left AirPod. If customers wish, they can get their free personalized engraving for both products. That’s about all the similarities shared between the two. Now onto the differences and you’ll notice that there are plentiful.
Firstly, Apple’s AirPods Pro ship with Active Noise Cancellation, Adaptive EQ, Transparency mode, not to mention being sweat and water-resistant. To get to know what each feature does, we’ve provided a short description below.
Active Noise Cancellation - AirPods Pro block out surrounding noise so you can comfortably hear what you were listening to. This is made possible thanks to the use of two microphones on each unit. Both mics adapt to the size of the ear and cancel out ambient sound so you have a comfortable listening experience.
Adaptive EQ - Depending on the shape of the wearer’s ear, AirPods Pro’s Adaptive EQ feature tunes the audio accordingly, attempting to make the experience as enriching as possible.
Transparency mode - Just like how the Active Noise Cancellation feature blocks out ambient sound, the AirPods Pro’s Transparency mode does the complete opposite for when you want to engage in a pleasant conversation with someone while still having the AirPods Pro attached to your ears. A simple tap on the volume slider in the iPhone’s Control Center makes it very easy to switch between Active Noise Cancellation or Transparency modes. Alternatively, you can press and hold the force sensor on the AirPods Pro to switch between these modes.
Additionally, a bevy of sensors, coupled with a custom Apple driver and high dynamic range amplifier help to boost audio quality, which would make the AirPods Pro more capable than regular AirPods when benchmarking sound quality. Now when you ask yourself why are Apple’s AirPods Pro costlier than normal AirPods, you’ll have your answer, but there’s still one more thing that we’d like you to read about.
AirPods Pro vs AirPods Price Comparison
The AirPods Pro will set you back by $249, and before you ask, yes, it ships with a Qi-supported Wireless Charging Case. The regular AirPods also ship with a Wireless Charging Case, but this combo will cost you $199. If you purchase a regular pair of AirPods that will arrive at your doorstep with a regular case, the package will cost you just $159. Are the differences starting to make sense now?
AirPods Pro vs AirPods Estimated Battery Life Metrics
You’ll experience slightly lower battery life with the AirPods Pro in one scenario. Given below are the battery stats provided for both AirPods Pro and AirPods, at least according to Apple.
Listening Time
- AirPods Pro - Up to 4 and a half hours (Up to 5 hours with Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode turned off).
- AirPods - Up to 5 hours.
Talk Time
- AirPods Pro - Up to 3 and a half hours.
- AirPods - Up to 3 hours.
Using Wireless Charging Case
- AirPods Pro - More than 24 hours listening time, and up to 18 hours talk time.
- AirPods - More than 24 hours listening time, and up to 18 hours talk time.
Quick Charge Period
- AirPods Pro - 5 minutes in the case provides around 1 hour of listening time or around 1 hour of talk time.
- AirPods - 15 minutes in the case equals up to 3 hours listening time, or up to 2 hours talk time.
Except for the listening time, the AirPods Pro matches or beats the battery timing stats of the much cheaper AirPods while delivering a better audio experience in return. Now that’s an impressive product right there.
Conclusion
Reading through our detailed AirPods Pro vs AirPods comparison, it’s obvious Apple’s latest product should become a popular purchase amongst customers when it’s officially available starting October 30. The only thing possibly holding a few customers back is the $249 asking price. Still, considering the AirPods with a Wireless Charging Case for $199, you’re only paying an additional $50, so enjoying high-quality audio for a couple of years may seem like a worthy investment to some. After checking out our comprehensive comparison, which model would you pick? Let know down in the comments.
