Apple announces AirPods Pro: New design, higher price

After the swirl of rumors yesterday, Apple officially announced AirPods Pro earlier today. The new wireless earbuds feature a revamped design, noise-canceling, and a significantly higher price tag.

Announced in a press release this morning, AirPods Pro have an “Adaptive EQ” feature that Apple says will “[take] the magic even further.” The buds have flexible ear tips that should help them fit better in the users’ ears. The tips are made of soft silicone and will come in three sizes. Those tips will also help with the flagship feature of AirPods Pro: active noise cancellation.

AirPods Pro use a dual microphone array and “advanced software” to remove background noise and improve the listening experience. One microphone faces outward to detect and analyze ambient noise. The second microphone faces the wearer’s ears to cancel out any remaining noise. According to Apple, AirPods Pro “adapts the sound signal 200 times per second.”

AirPods Pro also have a Transparency mode that allows the wearer to hear environmental noise while listening to music. The buds allow noises to pass through their shell and into the wearer’s ears so they don’t miss important announcements, traffic, or other sounds.

Apple claims AirPods Pro will provide up to five hours of listening time in their standard mode and four and a half hours in their Active Noise Cancellation mode. The buds will ship with a wireless charging case that allows for a total of 24 hours of listening time and 18 hours of talk time.

AirPods Pro will be available in one color (White) for US $249 starting October 30th. Compared to the AirPods' $159 price tag, that's a significant premium to pay for a new design and noise cancellation.