According to Bloomberg writer Mark Gurman, the long-awaited AirPods Pro 2 will be part of this coming Wednesday's Apple event. The original premium version of Apple's true wireless earbuds was released on October 30, 2019. The "Pro" model includes Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), a feature that removes ambient background noises.
The AirPods Pro 2 will feature Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode
It also features Transparency Mode which allows users to hear noises in the background while using their AirPods Pro. This comes in handy if you find yourself listening to loud music while walking in the city. With the Transparency Mode on, important sounds like an ambulance or police car siren can be heard allowing you to move out of the way of a fast-moving vehicle. The new version should continue to include ANC and Transparency Mode. We should see a big jump in battery life with the new model since the original AirPods Pro offers more than 24 hours of listening time and 18 hours of talk time with multiple charges for the carrying case. With the AirPods 3, total battery use (including the carrying case) exceeds 30 hours. Why should you pay more for lower battery life? This is why Apple will no doubt be telling us on Wednesday about a big jump in the capabilities of the battery for the AirPods Pro 2. While there was some talk about the AirPods Pro 2 losing the iconic stem, that doesn't seem to be in the works because the stem is where Apple places the chips for the earbuds and the Active Noise Cancellation feature. While we could see a smaller charger case, it is expected to include a new feature that will allow it to emit a sound when the Find My app is used to locate it. And despite those pesky rumors (the ones that don't come out in the wash), the AirPods Pro 2 charging case will continue to use a Lightning port, not a USB-C port, according to TF International's reliable Ming-Chi Kuo.
The sequel to the AirPods Pro could be priced at $249
While you can find the currently available AirPods Pro priced at under $200 online, we could see Apple price the sequel at the same $249 that the OG model originally cost. Besides increased battery life, Apple will replace the H1 chip with one codenamed B698 to improve the experience of using the device. There had been some speculation that the AirPods Pro 2 might carry some health-related features but that rumor has been shot down. While Apple did test out the use of such sensors on the wearable, it appears that this is something that might be reserved for future versions of the device.
Apple has filed a patent application for technology that would allow users to use gestures with their hands to control certain AirPods Pro 2 functions although we have yet to see any indication that this will be offered on the AirPods Pro 2. We should see, however, Bluetooth 5.2 replacing the 5.0 version used with the original AirPods Pro. If so, it will be the first Apple product to feature that version of Bluetooth.
What else will Apple introduce on Wednesday?
Besides introducing the AirPods Pro 2 this coming Wednesday, September 7th, Apple will officially unveil the four new iPhone 14 models which will include the 6.1-inch iPhone 14, the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus (as Mark Gurman referred to it today), the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro, and the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max. In addition, Apple will reveal the Apple Watch Series 8, the more affordable Apple Watch SE (2022), and the Apple Watch Pro. The latter will feature a larger display, a beefier battery, and more capabilities. The event (titled "Far out" by Apple due to the possibility that the tech giant will announce satellite connectivity for the new iPhone models) will take place Wednesday, September 7th starting at 10 am PDT (1 pm EDT). You can view the live stream from the Apple website at Apple.com or via the Apple Channel on YouTube. We could see the AirPods Pro 2 made available for purchase as soon as September 16th.
