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Apple recently launched AirPods Pro, the upgraded version of its wireless Bluetooth earbuds. At $249, AirPods Pro are pricier than the non-pro AirPods at $159 and many other wireless Bluetooth earbuds but the added features may make the investment worthwhile.
Are the features that AirPods Pro offer worth the investment? Early reviews of AirPods Pro are very positive, but that doesn’t mean they’re the best choice for you.
Here’s what to consider when deciding whether to get a pair of AirPods Pro:
Why You May Want to Get AirPods Pro
Noise Cancellation and Transparency
AirPods Pro tune out the world around you with their noise cancellation feature. You can immerse yourself in your music or the spoken word with audiobooks and podcasts.
Noise cancellation truly does eliminate outside sound to a great extent. While walking my dog and listening to an audiobook using AirPods Pro, I was surprised when a pickup truck drove past me. I hadn’t heard it at all. Later, when inside my home, I was startled when my husband tapped me on the shoulder as I hadn’t heard him come into the room.
I soon learned to appreciate the usefulness of noise cancellation. A neighbor using his leaf blower near me? I can still hear my audiobook with my AirPods Pro. Nor did my hair dryer drown out the sound of the narrator.
But if you need to be aware of your surroundings, you can turn off noise cancellation by turning on transparency. This setting uses the microphone to bring the outside world in and helps you listen to your environment.
The transparency setting is helpful when you’re listening for announcements on public transportation or on airplane flights, when you’re running, walking or biking on streets or busy paths, and when you’re listening for your order to be called at a coffee shop.
To switch between noise cancellation and transparency, you can squeeze the stem of the earbud, use Control Center on your iPhone, or ask Siri to switch between the two.
Sound
I’m not an audiophile, and I usually listen to audiobooks and podcasts, rather than music. To me the AirPods Pro sound is amazing, but don’t take my word for it. Reviews of the sound quality have been positive and a Reddit user posted a helpful comparison between AirPods Pro vs. Powerbeats Pro vs. Sony WF-1000XM3 vs. Sony WH-1000XM3.
Splash and Sweat Proof
If you like to use earbuds when you exercise, then AirPods Pro could be a good choice for you. These earbuds are sweat and splash-proof, which makes them useful when you exercise, unless your workout involves swimming as you shouldn’t submerge them.
Their water-resistance is an improvement over previous AirPods which don’t have that feature.
Fit Test
In Settings on your iPhone, you can perform a Fit Test for the AirPods Pro to ensure they form a seal in your ears. Go to Settings => Bluetooth and tap the i next to the AirPods Pro, then scroll down to Ear Tip Fit Test on the next screen.
Your iPhone will guide you through the steps to ensure a proper seal for maximum music enjoyment and best noise cancellation effect.
Silicone Tips
My ears must be weird. I honestly never thought of my ears as weird until I tried to shove Apple’s wired earbuds that come with iPhones into my ears.
They don’t fit. Not at all. They’re uncomfortable in my ears and fall out almost instantly. I learned to be quite quick at catching them by their attached wire as they plummet to the ground.
So when AirPods were first introduced with the same earbud design as the wired Apple earbuds, I knew they weren’t for me. With no wire as a lifeline to catch them, AirPods in my ears would stick around as long as hot Krispy Kreme donuts near my family.
So when I learned that AirPods Pro came with silicone tips in three sizes to meld to my ears, I decided to try them. They do fit well, and I was able to get a positive Fit Test result for medium and small tips in my ears. I chose the smaller ones for comfort and so far, they have stayed in my ears for the most part…
Last week I used them during a video conference call and one fell out while I was talking. But my training at catching wayward earbuds came in handy as I was able to grab it on the way down. Yesterday I had them in while eating and one fell out. So perhaps jaw movements help dislodge them, or maybe I need to try medium-sized tips for my weird ears.
Update: I discovered a solution to this issue. Check out => An Easy Solution to AirPods Pro Falling Out of Your Ears
Seamless Pairing
AirPods Pro pair easily and instantly with nearby Apple products. No need to manually go through the steps to pair your AirPods Pro, your iPhone and other devices will recognize them automatically.
Just open the case next to your iPhone and your screen will offer to connect to your AirPods Pro.
With other Apple devices you can connect AirPods Pro as you would any other Bluetooth headset.
AirPods Pro have sensors that detect when they’re in your ears. You’ll hear a chime when your device is connected as you place the pods in your ears. Audio pauses automatically when you remove AirPods Pro from your ears.
Integration with Apple Products
If you have plenty of Apple products, such as an iPhone, iPad, Mac computer, Apple TV and Apple Watch, then you’ll get the most benefit from AirPods Pro. While they can connect to other non-Apple products via Bluetooth, they offer more features when paired with Apple devices.
If You Tend to Lose Stuff
Some people have a hard time keeping track of their stuff. They’re frequently looking for something they can’t find, such as their keys, phone, glasses, etc.
AirPods Pro seem to have the potential to be easily misplaced. They’re small and could potentially fall out of your ears without you realizing it, if you aren’t playing sound through them.
The good news is that Apple has a feature called Find My AirPods that lets you locate a missing AirPod. Using either the Find My app or icloud.com you can see where your AirPod is on a map and make it play a sound so you can hear it, in case it has fallen in a place such as under your sofa where you can’t see it.
You can also buy AppleCare+ for $29, which reduces the price of replacing a single AirPods Pro earbud from $89 to $29. Well worth the investment, if only for your peace of mind.
Works with Siri
If you’re a fan of Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, you’ll be pleased to know that you can use Siri with AirPods Pro to do things such as make a phone call, sent a text message, skip songs, and perform other Siri commands.
If you turn on Announce Messages with Siri, you’ll hear Siri announce incoming text messages and phone calls through your AirPods Pro.
Audio Sharing
Sharing is caring and you can connect two sets of AirPods with Audio Sharing.
Listening to a song or watching a video you want to share with someone? They can connect their AirPods to your iPhone to listen along with you.
Check out this helpful video from Rene Ritchie => 15 AirPods Pro Hacks in 3 Minutes
Why Not to Get AirPods Pro
While the features of AirPods Pro may be compelling, they may not be the best choice for you.
If You Change Volume A Lot
AirPods Pro don’t have any way to control the volume on them, you must either ask Siri or change volume on the source of the sound. This can be as easy as pressing the volume up or down button on your iPhone or as difficult as fiddling with the volume on your computer.
If not having volume controls on AirPods Pro would bother you, then you might want to wait for a future version of AirPods or choose different earbuds.
If You Listen for Long Periods of Time
The battery life on the AirPods Pro won’t set any records. Apple says the battery life is 5 hours, but with noise cancellation turned on the duration drops to 4.5 hours. The case can provide up to 24 hours of battery life with multiple AirPods Pro charges. And you can get an extra hour of battery life with a 5-minute charge.
But if you’re on a long plane flight know that your listening with AirPods Pro will probably be interrupted by multiple charges.
If Your Budget Is Limited
AirPods Pro are pricier than other earbuds and you may not need all of the features to enjoy your music, podcasts, or audiobooks. Factor in AppleCare+ and the cost is quite a bit over other earbuds.
It is unfortunate that i don’t have enough budget for the airpods. But on second thought, i don’t think i really need it. Thanks for sharing, Carolyn!
Hi Bintang, Exactly. AirPods Pro aren’t for everyone, and you may not need nor want them. If they’re the best choice for you, great. If not, then save your money.
Hello, thanks for this information on the air pods and becasue of this, I know I will not be needing them if I already have the first generations. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Darren, Yes, if you have the original AirPods and are pleased with them, you don’t need to get the most recent version of them. But for those who don’t have AirPods yet, the AirPods Pro may work well for them.