Apple launched a new version of its highly popular wireless earbuds, the Apple AirPods Pro. These pair of earphones were added directly to the Apple website in late October without any big keynote.
And to everyone’s surprise, the Pro version of the Apple AirPods offers a lot of new and useful features. Due to this, a lot of AirPods users would be looking forward to the Pro version. While all of these features can be quite useful, extra features result in a higher price for the Apple AirPods Pro. And this begs for the question if the Pro version is worth the extra premium or not.
We are here with the full AirPods Pro vs AirPods comparison. You can find the key features and differences between Apple AirPods in this article. And these can be helpful whether you want to buy new wireless earphones or upgrading from the older model.
Apple AirPods Pro vs. AirPods
Before going into the detailed comparison of these earphones, here are some of the major differences between these earphones. These can be quite helpful if you just want an overview of these wireless earbuds.
| Specification | Apple AirPods Pro | Apple AirPods |
| Fit | Customizable fit | Universal fit |
| Noise Cancellation | Active Noise Cancellation | Passive Noise Reduction |
| Adaptive EQ | Available | None |
| Water Resistance | IPX4 rating | NA |
| Battery Life | Up to 4.5 hours | Up to 5 hours |
| Wireless Charging | Available | Optional |
| Product Price | $249 | $159/$199(wireless case) |
| Check Price | Amazon | Amazon |
Design and Build
The Apple AirPods Pro offers a different design than the previous ones. Its biggest difference is the in-ear design with which offers a much better fit. You get a total of three different sized tips that can be used to the perfect fit in your ear. And you can even use the AirPods setup on your iPhone to easily select the best ear tips size for you using a very handy software test.
On the other hand, the older AirPods had a fixed fit which was an issue for a lot of users. As for its weight, the AirPods Pro is slightly heavier at 5.4 grams per earphone when compared to the older AirPods which were 4 grams per earphone.
Other than that, there is an air vent on the back of the AirPods Pro. This makes using these in-ear earphones quite comfortable. Most in-ear earphones on the market create air pressure in your ear while you are inserting them. And this can be quite uncomfortable for the user.
Thankfully, that is not an issue with the AirPods Pro. Another difference between the old and the current version of AirPods is the stem length. The Pro version has a slightly shorter stem which protrudes less from your ear. And thus, it is less visible than the older AirPods.
20 Top Apple AirPods Tips You Must Know
Battery Life
One of the most important things to check in any pair of wireless earbuds is its battery life. While the older AirPods offered a very respectable battery life of 5 hours, the Pro version has slightly lower battery life. As it has Active Noise Cancellation features, it consumes more power. And thus, it is rated to have a battery life of 4.5 hours. But if you disable all noise cancellation features, it should last you as much as the regular version.
Although when it comes to the talk time, the AirPods Pro offers 3.5 hours on a single charge. This is more than the 3 hours of talk time offered by the AirPods. And this can be quite useful if you make a lot of phone calls using your Apple AirPods.
As for the charging case, if you are using the wireless charging case on your AirPods, both versions offer more than 24 hours of music playback time. You also get a fast charging option with the Apple AirPods Pro. It allows you to charge your earbuds for a few minutes and get 1 hour of music playback time.
How to Turn off Automatic Ear Detection on AirPods
Sound Quality
Sound quality is the most important difference for Apple AirPods Pro vs AirPods. When compared to the older version, Apple has certainly made a lot of improvements in terms of the sound. As the new earbuds offer a much better seal, the low end is noticeably better. And the soundstage is also better due to the mesh vent at the back.
One unique feature of the Apple AirPods Pro is that it comes with an adaptive EQ feature. it changes the sound signature of the earbuds according to the user’s ear canal shape. As a result, you can expect better audio quality with more detail in general.
Apple AirPods Pro Exclusive Feature
We have already covered most of the things in this Apple AirPods Pro vs AirPods comparison. But the new Pro version of these wireless earbuds offers a lot of new features. All of these are not present in the standard version of the AirPods. And as you would expect, the following features make the overall experience much better:
Active Noise Cancellation
One of the best Apple AirPods Pro features is the Active Noise Cancellation feature. It allows you to block out external noise using white noise. And it works pretty well when compared to other wireless earphones on the market. You get a total of three ANC modes with the AirPods Pro.
This includes ANC on, ANC off, and a transparency mode. While the first two modes are quite self-explanatory, the third one is quite different. The transparency mode allows you to hear the voices around you quite clearly even if music is playing. It simply uses the microphones present in the AirPods Pro to increase the ambient sounds. And this can be quite useful in various scenarios.
Water Resistance
The older Apple AirPods did not offer any official water resistance rating. As a result, using them in the gym or in rain was an issue. Thankfully, the new Apple AirPods Pro offers IPX4 water resistance. And this makes these wireless earbuds sweatproof as well as rainproof. It makes these wireless earbuds much more usable.
Controls
Apple’s older AirPods came with touch controls where you have to tap on the side to control them. On the other hand, the Pro version offers a slightly different control mechanism. You have to squeeze the stem of the AirPods Pro in order to control them. A single press or squeeze to play or pauses the music, long squeeze toggles ANC modes, and so on. While this control method is different than the previous it is similarly easy to use.
How to Fix Amazon Music Distortion on Apple AirPods
Pricing
Another important factor before buying anything is its pricing. Both versions of the Apple AirPods have very different pricing. You can get the new Apple AirPods Pro for $249 directly from the nearest Apple store. On the other hand, the older version of AirPods retails for $159 or up. If you want a wireless charging case, you have to spend $199. In other words, these two models of AirPods have a price difference of $50 or $90 depending on the model that you get.
Verdict
If you just want a great pair of wireless earbuds without any bells and whistles, the original Apple AirPods is still a great option. While the Pro version is slightly more expensive, you get a lot of features for the money that you pay. And if you want to have a great experience while listening to music, then the Pro version is a great choice.