As the follow-up to Apple’s hit earphones with active noise cancellation, AirPods Pro 2 come with a number of thoughtful upgrades. That includes features like 2x more noise cancellation, adaptive transparency, an upgraded charging case with Find My tracking, speaker, lanyard loop, and much more. Read along for our in-depth comparison of AirPods Pro 2 vs AirPods Pro, AirPods 3, and 2.
Table of contents
AirPods Pro 2 vs AirPods Pro, AirPods 2/3: In-depth comparison
Key features
AirPods Pro 2 come packed with lots of new and useful features. Headlining the list is 2x more active noise cancelation, a new adaptive transparency feature, improved audio quality, mics, and a brand new MagSafe charging case with Find My, speaker, and more.
| AirPods Pro 2 | AirPods Pro | AirPods 3 | AirPods 2 | |
| Active noise cancellation | ✅ – 2x more than orig. AirPods Pro | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Adaptive transparency mode | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Transparency mode | – | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Adaptive EQ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| IPX4 sweat and water-resistant (buds and case) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Hey Siri support | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Automatic switching | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| MagSafe charging case | – | ✅ | Optional | ❌ |
| MagSafe charging case with Find My support, speaker, and lanyard loop | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Apple says “a new driver and improved acoustic algorithms help Active Noise Cancellation reduce more unwanted noise, so nothing interrupts listening during your commute and when you need to focus.”
And the new adaptive transparency feature powered by the H2 chip can reduce loud noises in your environment up to 48,000 times per second.
Alongside those features, AirPods Pro 2 uses new algorithms to process sound more quickly. That allows them to immerse you in even higher-fidelity sound customized for your ear shape, better recognize your voice/Siri commands, and reduce distortion.
Battery life and charging case
The new MagSafe charging case that comes with AirPods Pro 2 alone may be enough for some people to upgrade.
You’re getting a U1 chip that brings precise Find My support when you lose track of the earphones. The case also has a speaker for new low battery alerts – also useful when lost. Plus there’s a lanyard loop.
When it comes to battery life, AirPods Pro 2 see a bump from 5 hours on a single charge to 6 and 30 hours of use with the case vs 24 hours with the original AirPods Pro.
| AirPods Pro 2 | AirPods Pro | AirPods 3 | AirPods 2 | |
| Battery on a single charge | Up to 6 hours | Up to 5 hours | Up to 6 hours | Up to 5 hours |
| Talk time on a single charge | Up to 4.5 hours | Up to 3.5 hours | Up to 4 hours | Up to 3 hours |
| Battery with charging case | Up to 30 hours | 24+ hours | Up to 30 hours | Up to 24 hours |
| 5 min. charge = | ~1-hour use | ~1-hour use | ~1-hour use | ~1-hour use |
| Speaker and Lanyard loop built into charging case | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| MagSafe charging case | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Charge with MagSafe, Apple Watch puck, Qi, or Lightning | ✅, ✅, ✅, ✅ | ✅, ❌, ✅, ✅ | ✅, ❌, ✅, ✅ | ❌, ❌, ✅, ✅ |
One more bonus with the new AirPods Pro 2 charging case is the ability to charge with an Apple Watch charging puck alongside MagSafe, Qi, or Lightning.
Chips and connectivity
Apple says the new H2 chip is what enables the valuable new features discussed above. Along with that and the U1 in the charging case, you get Bluetooth 5.3 whereas previous AirPods models use Bluetooth 5.0
| AirPods Pro 2 | AirPods Pro | AirPods 3 | AirPods 2 | |
| H2 chip | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| H1 chip | – | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| U1 chip in charging case | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
Mics, sensors, and audio tech
Some of the new features here for AirPods Pro 2 include a redesigned inward-facing microphone, swipe touch control for volume joins the force sensor stems, a skin-detect sensor from AirPods 3 is present, and an improved custom-built driver and amplifier for the H2 chip.
| AirPods Pro 2 | AirPods Pro | AirPods 3 | AirPods 2 | |
| Dual beamforming mics | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Inward-facing mic | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Touch control (force + swipe) | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Force sensor | – | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Orig. touch control (taps) | – | – | – | ✅ |
| Skin-detect sensor | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Dual optical sensors | – | ✅ | – | ✅ |
| Motion-detecting accelerometer | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Speech-detecting accelerometer | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Custom high-excursion Apple driver | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Custom high dynamic range amplifier | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Vent system for pressure equalization | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
AirPods Pro 2 fit, size, and weight
AirPods Pro 2 are essentially identical in design to AirPods Pro. But one addition is a new XS size ear tips included in the box.
| Earbud fit/dimensions | AirPods Pro 2 | AirPods Pro | AirPods 3 | AirPods 2 |
| Fit | In-ear (4 silicone tip sizes included) | In-ear (3 silicone tip sizes included) | Outer-ear/universal fit | Outer-ear/universal fit |
| Height | 1.22 in (30.9 mm) | 1.22 in (30.9 mm) | 1.21 in ( 30.79 mm) | 1.59 in (40.5 mm) |
| Width | 0.86 in (21.8 mm) | 0.86 in (21.8 mm) | 0.72 in (18.26 mm) | 0.65 in (16.5 mm) |
| Depth | 0.94 inch (24 mm) | 0.94 inch (24 mm) | 0.76 in (19.21 mm) | 0.71 in (18 mm) |
| Weight | 0.19 oz (5.3 g) | 0.19 oz (5.4 g) | 0.15 oz (4.28 g) | 0.14 oz (4 g) |
AirPods Pro 2 vs AirPods Pro and AirPods 3 wrap-up
Normally priced at the same $249 that the original AirPods Pro came in at, AirPods Pro 2 feature impressive improvements.
From double the active noise cancellation, new adaptive transparency, increased battery life, upgraded MagSafe charging case, and more, AirPods Pro 2 are helping Apple continue its reign as maker of the most popular earphones.
Top comment by RDLink
That lanyard loop makes me nervous. Their website says you can attach it to your bag or backpack. The lid of the AirPods case comes open pretty easily with inertia. I'd be extremely nervous about tossing my backpack up on my shoulder and accidentally sending the AirPods themselves flying.
However, for those that would rather save some cash, and don’t mind skipping the new features, keep an eye out for better prices on the original AirPods Pro. Of course, if an in-ear fit isn’t your thing, AirPods 3 are the way to go.
AirPods Pro 2 are available from Apple, Amazon, Best Buy, and BH Photo.
Thanks for reading our guide on AirPods Pro 2 vs AirPods Pro, AirPods 3, and 2!
More 9to5Mac in-depth comparisons:
- M2 iPad Pro vs iPad Air: What’s the better choice?
- Apple Watch Ultra vs Series 8 vs SE: What’s the best pick?
- M2 Pro/Max vs M1 Pro/Max: How much faster are the newest Apple Silicon chips?
- 5G home internet comparison: T-Mobile vs Verizon on price, speed, incentives
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments