Apple AirPods Pro 2: Everything we know so far

(Paradigm credit: Laptop Magazine)

The AirPods Pro 2 take been a long fourth dimension coming. Ever since Apple tree analyst Ming-Chi Kuo forecast his predictions back in 2022, earbud fans have speculated how Apple tree will update its immensely pop AirPods Pro.

The electric current AirPods Pro are still among the best wireless earbuds thanks to their seamless pairing with popular Apple tree devices such as the iPhone or iPad, and standout features such equally racket-canceling and transparency mode. Apple's next-gen earbuds aren't expected to be much of an upgrade, but they could potentially add more wellness-focused features.

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Apple tree released a beta version of the AirPods Pro firmware so Apple tree Developer Program members could test features before officially being released. This gives united states of america a sneak peek at upcoming features that the AirPods Pro 2 are sure to have, too. September's "California Streaming" result and October'south "Unleashed" event in 2022 take already come and gone, which leaves 2022 to be the prime number year for the large announcement.

Afterwards rummaging through rumors and leaks all near the AirPods Pro two, take a look at everything we know so far, including the potential release date, cost, features and more. Equally for those itching to become their hands on the original earbuds right now, hither's why you should buy the AirPods Pro.

Apple AirPods Pro 2 price

Twitter leaker @LeakApplePro claims the AirPods Pro 2 toll the same as its predecessor, with a retail price of $249/£249. This would brand the original earbuds irrelevant. Seeing as the AirPods Pro are the middle ground between the cheaper tertiary-generation AirPods (from $179/£169) and the AirPods Max ($549/£549), it makes sense for Apple to stick with this toll.

AirPods Pro gen two-249$-Amend bombardment life-A bit amend of noise cancelling.-Ambient light sensors.Overall, a not so great update, more of like the AirPods gen ii over AirPods gen 1.Expect them to release in Q4 2022 or Q1 2022.October 19, 2022

However, there are also rumours of an AirPods Pro Lite that volition exist an entry-level pair of earbuds for the AirPods Pro, with a price point of $199. While this price is much more than appealing for wireless earbuds enthusiasts, you'll observe plenty of Apple AirPods Pro with price cuts downward to $199.

Apple AirPods Pro 2 release date

With the September Apple event and October event in 2022 all wrapped up, we now know the AirPods Pro 2 were definitely not in the cards. However, nosotros did get the AirPods 3, which are the adjacent best affair because they expect near-identical to the AirPods Pro.

Recently, the DigiTimes reported (via MacRumors) that Apple suppliers are gearing up for shipments in grooming for a 2022 launch date, which is expected to exist in the second half of this yr.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims the second-generation AirPods Pro volition exist released in the fourth quarter of 2022, meaning we may run across a similar release appointment to Apple'south recently launched AirPods 3. The third-gen AirPods launched in tardily Oct, giving us a expert indication the AirPods Pro 2 volition follow conform.

Release dates 💯AirPods iii: - 2022 Q3 ✅AirPods Pro 2:- At least 2022 Q2 ❎➡️ Inverse to 2022 Q3 https://t.co/YaP39JoC0tNovember 12, 2022

Equally previously reported, co-ordinate to Bloomberg'south Power On newsletter, Apple is expected to bring out its "widest array" of devices in 2022, and the AirPods Pro 2 will be function of the release lineup.

While Kuo claims we'll see the AirPods Pro 2 in tardily 2022, leaker FrontTron recently tweeted the AirPods Pro 2 won't release until Q3 of 2022. With this in mind, it'due south best to accept this all in with a pinch of salt. However, Kuo oft hits the nail on the head when information technology comes to rumored Apple products, and was fifty-fifty the start to forecast his predictions about the next-gen AirPods Pro back in 2022.

Insiders speaking to Bloomberg indicate the AirPods Pro 2 will release equally soon equally 2022, with the Apple AirPods 3 fix to launch in 2022. The latter came truthful. Bloomberg'due south Mark Gurman believes there won't be an AirPods Pro hardware refresh until 2022. Even so, with the recent delay of the rumored OLED iPad Air originally set up to arrive in 2022, the second-generation AirPods Pro could be pushed back at any time, also.

Co-ordinate to Kuo (via MacRumors), the second-gen AirPods Pro will launch side by side year with "innovative" health tracking features.

Originally, co-ordinate to Taiwanese media company Digitimes and Japanese web log Mac Otakara, the AirPods Pro 2 were slated to release in Apr during the Apple tree Effect. All the same, that never happened, significant the side by side set of AirPods Pro may nonetheless exist a while abroad — more towards the start of 2022.

Apple tree'south starting time pair of AirPods came on December xiii, 2022, with the updated 2nd-generation AirPods on March xx, 2022 and the third-gen AirPods appearing in October, 2022. Judging from this, in that location's good reason to believe the next pair of AirPods Pro volition be released sometime in March or October 2022.

Apple tree AirPods Pro 2 design

According to Mac Otakara, the new AirPods Pro is expected to take a more meaty pattern for its charging case, with a new case being 46mm tall and 54mm wide, although it will stay 21mm thick. Essentially, this will brand the case slightly thinner, with the current case being 45.2mm tall and 60.6mm wide.

Apple AirPods Pro 2 — (Image credit: Weibo)

A previous report from

Bloomberg

suggests Apple volition be cutting the stem off of the AirPods Pro two, while the new AirPods 3 will have a shorter stem similar the current AirPods Pro.

We may already have a sneak peek at the second-generation earbuds, equally they are expected to take a similar design to Apple's unannounced Beats Studio Pro earbuds.

Leaked by Apple itself in the iOS xiv.half-dozen and tvOS 14.6 beta (and revealed by superstar NBA role player LeBron James) the Beats earbuds are completely stemless, with charging cases that look similar to the AirPods Pro's, albeit with more of an oval-shaped design.

The stem of the AirPods Pro are host to a big feature; the squeeze mechanic to choice up phone calls or to control music. However, the next AirPods Pro could as well adopt "in-air gestures," if a recent

patent

is anything to go past. Instead of squeezing the stem, every bit you would with the AirPods Pro, you might hover your mitt over the next-gen AirPods to trigger a certain activeness.

AirPods Pro 2 case rumor — (Epitome credit: MacRumors )

As for the AirPods Pro 2'south case, MacRumors received alleged images depicting a similar instance pattern with a few tweaks. The paradigm comes from a source named "Xerxes," simply has even so to take an established rail record when it comes to leaks. According to the written report, the case volition accept speaker holes placed along the bottom, adding a new "Notice My" characteristic that will be bachelor for the example. The source claims it volition exist introduced in iOS 16.

Forth with this, there will exist a metallic hoop at the side of the case for users to add a strap. Additionally, the leaker claims the AirPods Pro volition keep the electric current design rather than ditching the stalk. MacRumors makes it a point to land that the prototype may non be accurate at all, but until Apple officially announces the next-gen AirPods, it'south hard to say otherwise.

Apple AirPods Pro 2 features

The AirPods Pro 2 are expected to have better battery life, improve the noise-canceling style, and take "ambient low-cal sensors." That last feature is expected to be for fitness, which volition be able to measure your blood oxygen levels and notice your middle rate. To back this upwards, Kuo recently stated the AirPods Pro two will have "innovative" features, including health tracking.

As pointed out by sister-site TechRadar, there's a chance that the next-gen AirPods Pro volition get all-in on lossless audio support via optical audio transmission. This was spotted by Patently Apple in a patent, with the new technology supposedly being able to work hand-in-hand with ane of Apple tree'southward rumored AR/VR headsets. With patents, however, make sure to have a helpful serving of salt close past.

Bloomberg reports the next-gen earbuds volition be equipped with move sensors and fettle tracking tech. It isn't certain if the ambient lite sensors will be the motion censors mentioned in the report.

What's more than, sources speaking to the Wall Street Journal say other wellness features will be introduced to side by side-generation AirPods, including body-temperature detectors, posture-monitoring sensors and hearing-enhancing features. Apparently, Apple tree is engineering science AirPods prototypes that can notice the wearer's core body temperature past analyzing their inner ears. The visitor may also implement posture-focused move sensors in the earbuds, allowing AirPods to alarm wearers that they're slouching.

Much like how the Apple Lookout man is catering for wellness and fitness, hence why users can get three months free when they purchase the wearable, the AirPods Pro 2 are looking to be more fettle-focused. However, Apple tree's upcoming Beats Studio Pro earbuds also comprehend the fettle attribute of Apple's line of earbuds.

Apple tree may improve the battery life of the AirPods Pro, too. Currently, they boast up to 24 hours. However, they could be better by upgrading its wireless transmission standard to Bluetooth v, as pointed out by TechRadar.

While the noise cancellation characteristic has been favoured by most, the AirPods Pro aren't the all-time on the market. Many believe the Pro 2 models will accept better noise cancellation. When the original earbuds were released, many owners complained that a firmware update fabricated the special characteristic worse, believing that Apple was trying to prolong the life of the Pro models by reducing the quality of noise cancellation (via The Verge).

Apple is now releasing beta firmware updates for Apple Developer Programme members, offering a sneak peek at new features. The beta includes improvements ready to arrive in an upcoming firmware update, including spatial sound in FaceTime, Ambience Dissonance Reduction, and Chat Boost to increment the volume of conversations. The beta firmware testing gives u.s.a. a proficient indication of what we might wait the upgraded AirPods Pro 2 will offer, too.

If in that location's room for comeback, Apple will surely improve on this feature if they release the AirPods Pro ii.

Apple AirPods Pro 2 outlook

Every bit always, despite reliable sources challenge what they know about Apple's upcoming products, have all of this with a spoonful of salt. This year has seen a global component shortage, and information technology's

even striking Apple tree

. This means many products could be indefinitely delayed, and that goes for the AirPods Pro ii.

Apple's next-generation Pro models are shaping up to be a small upgrade from the popular AirPods Pro, much similar the leap from the first AirPods to the 2nd-gen AirPods.

Darragh Murphy is fascinated by all things baroque, which usually leads to contrasted coverage varying from washing machines designed for AirPods to the mischievous world of cyberattacks. Whether it's connecting Scar from The Lion King to two-factor hallmark or turning his dearest for gadgets into a fabricated rap boxing from 8 Mile, he believes there'southward ever a quirky spin to exist made. With a Master's degree in Magazine Journalism from The University of Sheffield, along with brusk stints at Kerrang! and Exposed Mag, Darragh started his career writing about the tech industry at Time Out Dubai and ShortList Dubai, covering everything from the latest iPhone models and Huawei laptops to massive Esports events in the Middle East. Now, he tin be found proudly diving into gaming, gadgets, and letting readers know the joys of docking stations for Laptop Mag.