Apple Airpods Pro : Top of the line, great quality in-ear headphones with active noise cancellation
I am back writing about Apple products after almost 4 years. It was when Apple launched their 1st Watch edition. To a large extent, I would like to put the blame on Apple not launching any exciting stuff for this long rather than just my laziness. Off late competition has not only closed the gap with Apple but taken a lead in some features, although Apple still retains superiority in terms of overall ecosystem and highly consistent & reliable products & features. I might do another article on that, here solely want to concentrate on the newly launched Airpods Pro.
I was never a great fan of 1st & 2nd generation Airpods as they lacked an essential feature I always desired – Noise cancellation. Added to that was the ‘iconic’ visual weirdness of long arms which never appealed to me. Although I did liked their surprisingly sturdy in-ear fit and sound quality, but without noise cancellation it was a total no-go for me. I adopted Bose QC-35 II which I believe were one of the best headsets at the time.
With launch of latest Airpods Pro Apple reignited that inner fan boy in me. So mush so that they are now in the league of products I purchased on Day 1 of launch.
Coming to the most important part of this article – reviewing the new Airpods Pro. This review is after 4 days of usage of the new Airpods Pro.
- Packaging – The white Airpods box looks very Appleseque. So, full marks there. Once you open packaging you have charging box, instruction manual, charging cable with USB-C adapter and 3 sets of ear buds inside it. The charging box is slightly wider and shorter than previous one. This is mainly since new Airpods Pro have tips that go deeper in your ear canal and have shorter arms.
My only concern with this extra charging box (compared to over the ear headsets) is that it adds to ‘stuff’ I need to carry around all the time. And I am a person who likes to keep minimum items to carry when leaving my house. Don’t know the solution but a new fluid form factor which can fit into my mobile would be ideal. Obviously, that needs a totally new mobile design thinking and material as well.
Rating – 9/10
2. Connectivity – I think this is one of the best feature of Airpods. Their super quick pairing with iPhones when you take them out of the charging box for the first time and also on subsequent usage. Its a flawless integration which creates an effortless experience for the user. Airpods immediately identifies their position – whether you put them in ear or remove them, they respond quickly. Even when only one Airpod is removed, transition is super neat.
Rating - 10/10
3. Physical form factor – The new Airpods have shorter arms than previous ones. And this is a welcome delight as I was never a fan of those. This gives them a much better look. Also since they have extra buds that go deeper in ear canals, they are wider. Once you wear them there’s a nice utility which allows you to test which buds fit you well and whether they are properly worn. This makes sure noise cancellation works perfect. Another impressive aspect is super light feel of Airpods even after long hours of usage, which definitely wasn’t the case with my Bose headsets. One of the main reasons for considering Airpods was that I usually have long calls while commuting to work and after some time Bose headsets were becoming a bit of irritation. Felt heavy and messing with my hair. My only fear is that one day I might drop one of the Airpods and won’t even realise they are not there.
Rating – 9/10
4. Sound quality – Sound quality is top of the line. Excellent bass, clear beats even at low volume, which is impressive. Even in crowded space (like Sydney trains) you can enjoy your music or have conversations. I think addition of ear buds and noise cancellation have enhanced the sound experience multiple notches for Airpods. Coming to noise cancellation, this is one of the key changes over previous Airpods and a much awaited one. Good news is active noise cancellation is effective, it kills background crowd noise and city traffic very well. I can only hear a murmur. But still lacks behind Bose. I believe that has more to do with form factor (in ear vs over the ear) than technology.
Although on a lighter note, in Sydney winter I will miss my Bose headsets as they also acted as my ear muffs. Lets see how good Airpods buds are in winters.
Rating – 8/10
5. Battery life – So far satisfactory performance in terms of batteries. I am yet to test them for my long calls, but otherwise didn’t need to charge them often. Charging box provides upto 24 hours of backup and 5min charge for 1 hour usage is a good feature.
Rating – 8/10
6. Price – They are available in Australia for $399. Definitely one of the most expensive in the category but considering the fact that now they have noise cancellation, better design and comes with wireless charging box, I don’t mind paying that much. I have a philosophy of not compromising on things which I have to use on a daily basis. And these, I would probably use on an hourly basis.
Rating – 7/10
7. Colors – Apple has only launched Airpods with white color, which is disappointing. I was expecting more colors in line with iphone 11. How difficult it is to bring out more colours, why only white? Quality and trendiness can always go together. I hope they come out with more color options soon.
Rating – 6/10
8. User experience – Listing down few aspects which I experienced during my 4 days usage. After first usage, when I removed left Airpod it did not connect automatically to my phone. I had to put it back in charging box multiple times before it connected. Slight irritation but I will monitor it further in case it continues. Also, new Airpods have specific area where you need to touch to operate rather than tap option in previous versions. This needs a bit of practice as I sometimes pinch my ear auricle (soft muscle tissue at the bottom) while changing songs. Also, one of the regular issue faced by in-ear buds and with new Airpods further enhanced is ear wax getting stuck on tip of the bud. Not a very pleasing sight and something which you need to clean quite often. Don’t think there’s a solution to it in current form factor.
Rating – 7/10
Overall I would rate these new Airpods Pro quite high, with superior quality sound, excellent design and above average noise cancellation. More color options could have resulted in a higher rating. And yes they work with Android phones as well.
Final rating – 8/10.