Apple Announces AirPods Pro

Today Apple announced an additional option for in-ear headphones, the AirPods Pro. The AirPods Pro add a new feature that is not available on standard AirPods. That feature is Active Noise Cancellation

The AirPods Pro is able to achieve Active Noise Cancellation through two microphones on each AirPod. The microphone in the front will listen for external noises and create a sound that will cancel out the external sounds. The internal microphone will perform the same on any noise coming from the inside of the ear. This process is done 200 times per second, which should make any audio sound pretty good.

In order to produce the best noise cancellation for you, the AirPods come with different tips that will allow you to get the best fit specifically for your ears. When you perform the setup an algorithm will be able to see which tips will not only fit the best, but also provide the best noise cancellation.

There are times when you need to be able to hear the things around you. For these times there is "Transparency Mode". Transparency mode will reduce the amount of noise cancellation so you can hear the environment around you. This is accomplished by tapping on the "sensor" on the AirPod to switch between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode.

Apple states that the AirPods Pro will last for 4.5 hours on a single charge, 5 hours if you turn off Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode. When you need to charge you can use the AirPods case, which is the Wireless Charging Case, so you can charge them with any Qi-compatible charger.

The AirPods Pro are run by the H1 chipset and are capable of Audio Sharing, using "Hey Siri", and announcing any messages.

AirPods Pro will require iOS 13.2, watchOS 6.1, or macOS Catalina 15.1 and are available to order today and will begin arriving on October 30th. If you do decide to order a pair they will cost $249, including the wireless charging case.

Source: Apple.com