Three years ago, Apple finally gave people what they wanted: active noise cancellation (ANC) in a line Of AirPods. This first-generation model retained the general appearance of the company’s classic headphones, but added an earplug for sound insulation, as well as a superior fit. After a complete redesign of the “normal” AirPods last year and the introduction of some noise-canceling over-ear headphones Apple has finally unveiled its recent high-end headphones alongside the iPhone 14: the second generation AirPods Pro (249).

For Version 2.0, Apple has not completely rewritten the formula. If you were hoping for an updated design for the new AirPods Pro, Apple has certainly disappointed you. Instead of a complete redesign, the company instead focused on the internal components, adding new features and refining what was already there using a new silicon. Although Apple has not rejected its aesthetics, these AirPods Pro are still very different from the previous edition.

We now have our fifth set of headphones from the company and so far only the look of the “normal” AirPods has been tweaked – and this was only in the third generation. Even then, the company retained its Stickbuds look, a polarizing design element that has become the hallmark of Apple’s True Wireless line. Expecting the people of Cupertino to reject the stem at this point is probably a pointless exercise, but hey, I applaud Apple for proving me wrong.

Even with the usual optics, there are some minor but significant changes. The first is something you can’t see: the new swipe gesture. The AirPods Pro stem is still clickable for the main controls (play/Pause, skip track, sound modes and Siri), but now the page in this panel accepts swipes. This touch gesture is used to control the volume and is mirrored on both sides. Unfortunately, you can’t just slide on it, otherwise the earphone will fall out of your ear. You need to support the rod with your thumb, as you would if you pressed the main catch. An addition that you can see is the extra-small size (XS) of the earplugs, which improves the fit (not to mention the passive noise reduction) for even more people. It should be noted that Apple customizes these AirPods for small ears in order to increase overall performance and comfort.

The other major design changes concern the AirPods Pro powering matter. First of all, this time it has a built-in speaker that makes it easier to listen to Pings when you are looking for the headphones or turn on the sounds for low battery, powering and pairing. As a result, the grid is now visible at the bottom. The matter is IPX4 certified, just like the AirPods Pro, which means that it is also sweat and water resistant. In addition, there is now a lanyard loop on one side. In Apple’s way, none are included in the package, so the extra convenience will cost you more. The company is currently selling a lanyard in its In matter online store for 13, but you can expect other accessory manufacturers to offer alternatives soon enough.

Software and features

All the features of the AirPods Pro are integrated with iOS, so there is no need to download a separate application to make changes. That’s why the headphones pair seamlessly with your phone when you open the matter and tap the pop-up window on the screen. Just like before, you can quickly access noise cancellation, transparency, spatial Audio and head tracking by long pressing the volume catch on the control center.

In iOS 16, there is now a shortcut in the main settings view of your iPhone, which saves you from having to press the Bluetooth menu more. Once you have reached the AirPods Pro settings page, you will see the battery numbers for the headphones and the matter (one number for both). The noise control options for ANC, transparency and disabling both are just below with the possibility of reconfiguring long presses to activate Siri instead of scrolling through these sound modes. Apple’s Headphone Fit Test can also be found in this menu, as can the sliders to disable adaptive transparency, in-ear detection, powering matter sounds for optimized powering and Find My.