Apple Airpods Pro 2 updated with USB-C charging, lossless audio support and IP54 rating
Purported rumors of a new Airpods 4, Airpods Max 2 or Airpods SE remained unvalidated in Apple's launch event today. However, in keeping with the new USB-C connectors on the iPhone 15 lineup, Apple has quietly updated the existing Airpods Pro 2 with a USB-C charging case, leaving everything else practically unchanged. Unfortunately, the regular Airpods and Airpods Max have not been updated with USB-C.
The new case still has MagSafe charging, but adds a convenient option to be charged directly from an iPhone 15 using a double-ended USB-C cable. This could be useful on-the-go as an alternative to needing a power-bank or laptop to top up the Airpods.
Another announcement is added support for “Lossless Audio with ultra-low latency”, but so far it seems that this feature will only be available when using the Apple Vision Pro headset. Hopefully, lossless audio with other devices will be added in a future software upgrade. Another minor improvement to the Airpods Pro 2 is added dust-resistance, with both the case and earphones now rated IP54 (up from the previous IPX4, which only promised water-resistance).
Arguably the more exciting upgrades to look forward to are the ones already described in the past iOS 17 announcement, and which will arrive on September 18. Adaptive Audio “dynamically blends Transparency mode and Active Noise Cancellation” by intelligently distinguishing between important ambient sounds and distracting noise and selectively allowing through or blocking them. Conversation Awareness detects if the wearer is speaking, then subdues the played content, enhances voices in front of them, and reduces background noise, thus eliminating the need to manually remove the earbuds for every conversation. Finally, Personalized Volume learns from the user’s surroundings and listening preferences over time to automatically adjust the sound level.
The new Airpods Pro 2 with USB-C charging will be available from September 22 for US$249. For those who prefer wired earphones, Apple has also announced new wired EarPods with USB-C connector for easier compatibility with the new iPhones, which are available now for US$19.
Buy the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II with stellar noise-cancellation on Amazon
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