As Apple prepares the announcement of its AirPods Pro 2, we take stock of all the anticipated new features for audio quality, noise reduction and… health monitoring.
The AirPods Pro for illustration // Source: Frandroid
While Apple renewed its range of wireless headphones at the end of last year with the third generation AirPods, we are still waiting for the manufacturer to present a new version of its high-end headphones, the AirPods Pro. We already know that the firm intends to present new products this Tuesday, March 8 and if we are mainly expecting a new iPad Air and possibly an iPhone SE 3, we are not immune to the formalization of these products either. new AirPods Pro 2.
It must be said that, for more than a year, rumors have swelled about new noise-canceling wireless headphones from Apple. The first version was thus presented in October 2019, five months after the AirPods 2. We are now five months after the announcement of the AirPods 3 and we can reasonably expect the announcement of new wireless headphones.
Design of the AirPods Pro 2
On the design side, Apple should not revolutionize the genre with its second generation AirPods Pro. Unlike the classic AirPods, the high-end models should not be entitled to a major aesthetic overhaul. It should be noted, however, that while the AirPods 3 have indeed been entitled to a revised and corrected design – in particular with a shorter stem – certain rumors have so far indicated that the headphones could benefit from in-ear tips. Remember that Apple remains particularly protective of the design of its devices and reliable leaks are particularly rare.
Well-informed, journalist Mark Gurman, of the Bloomberg agency, ventured to indicate that the next AirPods Pro 2 from Apple would benefit from a design… without a stem. A first for wireless headphones from the American manufacturer. An idea that would have been under study at the Cupertino company and which would allow the headphones to benefit from a more discreet design, with a rounded shape.
At the end of October, a leak relayed by the MacRumors site reported new headphones with a design similar to that of the first generation AirPods Pro, with a short curved stem. However, Apple would have ignored the infrared optical sensor to detect if the headphones are positioned in the ear. This would then be replaced, as on the AirPods 3, by a skin sensor.
Still according to the same source, the case would also benefit from some improvements. This would be the case in particular by the integration of a loudspeaker allowing it to ring thanks to the Locate application from Apple. The case would also include a small hook to attach a strap to hang it for example on a key ring. However, this information should be taken with a grain of salt.
AirPods Pro 2 audio quality
Let’s get out of the simple leaks and rumors and look at the side of official statements from Apple. These already allow you to know what aspect of its headphones the American manufacturer is looking at. It must be said that last December, Gary Geaves, head of audio products at Apple, was interviewed by the WhatHiFi site. The opportunity for the executive of the firm to confide in the inherent limits of Bluetooth audio, whether for latency or for transmission quality:
Today, wireless technology is critical for the content we’re talking about, but also things like the level of latency when you move your head. If it’s too long, between turning your head and the sound changing or remaining static, it’ll make you sick, so you have to focus on getting the best out of Bluetooth technology. There are a number of tricks one can apply to maximize or overcome the limitations of Bluetooth. But obviously we want more bandwidth and… I’ll stop there. We would like more bandwidth.
The Apple official therefore confided, in a half-word, that Apple was studying a way to improve the bandwidth for its wireless audio products, and potentially the future AirPods Pro 2. It must be said that the transmission time of the music may restrict the natural rendition of spatialized audio with head movement, while the high compression has so far prevented the manufacturer from offering tracks in lossless quality on Apple Music to AirPods users.
Apple’s AirPods 3 // Source: Frandroid
A few days later, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo added his small stone to the building. According to his information, Apple has indeed worked to offer a high-definition audio codec via Bluetooth to allow listening to ALAC-encoded files on headphones. It must be said that, for its part, Qualcomm – which produces the Bluetooth chips of many competing headphones – recently announced the arrival of its aptX Lossless codec, promising CD quality on true wireless headphones.
AirPods Pro 2 Active Noise Cancellation
No change there. Passive isolation and active noise reduction are the main advantages of AirPods Pro over AirPods 2, they should remain exclusive to AirPods Pro 2 over AirPods 3.
It must be said that, if Apple was years behind Bose and Sony with this technology, the American manufacturer launched particularly successful headphones in 2019 with its first AirPods Pro. So much so that noise reduction is now one of the main functions expected by users.
Apple AirPods Max // Source: Arnaud Gelineau – Frandroid
Apple will still have to hone its weapons in order to face ever more aggressive competition on the quality of active noise reduction, including for wireless headphones for less than 100 euros. The manufacturer has, in the meantime, refined its technology and offers, with its AirPods Max headphones, one of the best active noise reductions on the market. We can always hope that the AirPods Pro 2 do a little better than their predecessor thanks to this gain in experience.
AirPods Pro 2 Health Tracking
For several months, rumors have swelled around a possible health monitoring directly on the AirPods. It must be said that several Apple competitors have entered this segment, whether Honor with its Earbuds 3 Pro, capable of taking your temperature in the ear, or Amazfit with its PowerBuds Pro, which will measure your heart rate as you run.
The heart rate monitor on the right earpiece of the Amazfit PowerBuds Pro // Source: Frandroid
On the Apple side, it seems that the manufacturer is looking to further integrate its headphones into its Apple Fitness+ ecosystem. A patent filed by the manufacturer protects the idea of sensors integrated into headphones which would make it possible to verify that the user is indeed performing the exercises offered by the Form application. To do this, the headphones would use the accelerometer to measure movements.
In recent years, there have also been rumors about health measurements performed by Apple earphones. In October, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple was investigating the possibility of tracking your posture using its headphones — a feature offered by the true-wireless from Amazfit — but also the temperature of the user. Prototypes have already been made, but these features would not be integrated as early as this year’s AirPods Pro 2 – if they are ever integrated.
AirPods Pro 2 price and release date
It is not yet known when Apple intends to officially present its new AirPods Pro 2 headphones. If it is not excluded that the firm will officially present them this Tuesday, during its keynote on March 8, the wisest forecasts aim the end of the year. For analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the AirPods Pro 2 would not be expected before the last quarter of 2022.
For the price, remember that the original AirPods Pro had been launched at a price of 279 euros. However, Apple seems to have taken note of a drop in prices on the headphone market true-wireless : while the AirPods 2 had been launched at 229 euros, the AirPods 3 were offered at 199 euros at launch. We can therefore expect a slight price drop for the AirPods Pro 2, although it would be presumptuous to imagine them at less than 250 euros.
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