Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro have not just introduced a USB-C charging case, but now also offer dust resistance, and a handful of new smart features (via The Verge).
During last week’s event, Apple revealed that the USB-C version of the AirPods Pro offer dust resistance, making them even more durable. The company also announced support for lossless audio.
This upgrade comes just in time for the release of the Vision Pro headset next year, which will stream true lossless audio when paired with these new USB-C AirPods Pro.
According to early testers, however, unless you are a staunch USB-C advocate, there may be little incentive to upgrade to the new AirPods Pro since functionally, they are identical to the previous model.
Nonetheless, all USB-C AirPods Pro users will benefit from the latest software features introduced alongside iOS 17.
These include Adaptive Audio, Personalized Volume, and Conversation Awareness, which promise significant improvements to the listening experience.
Adaptive Audio combines active noise cancellation and transparency, providing a mode that adjusts to your surroundings while preserving audio quality.
Meanwhile, Conversation Awareness reduces volume when you start speaking, making it easier to engage in brief conversations without removing your earbuds.
Lastly, Personalized Volume adjusts audio based on your preferences, though manual control remains an option.
The firmware update also brings convenience to calls, with the ability to mute and unmute using a press, and improvements to Automatic Switching across Apple devices.
Moreover, the update also aims to make Automatic Switching more consistent, provided you have iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma on your devices.
All these new features are expected to make their way to future iterations of regular AirPods and the next AirPods Max when they transition to USB-C.
