It was officially unveiled at the end of October last year, but its launch in Taiwan was postponed due to supply shortages.AirPods ProThe author finally got this true wireless headset with active noise reduction and in-ear earplug design. After a period of actual use experience, I judged what kind of people this true wireless headset is suitable for.
Compared to the AirPods, which were jokingly called bean sprouts, the later launched AirPods Pro were jokingly called hair dryers or the peashooters in the game "Plants vs. Zombies". The two are also obviously different in overall design and usage.
Among them, the wearing experience of AirPods is closer to the EarPods wired earphones that originally came with the iPhone box, and it is emphasized that it will not easily fall off as the head turns. AirPods Pro uses in-ear earplugs to ensure a better sealing effect, and the active noise reduction function allows users to maintain clear hearing in noisy environments without continuously amplifying the headphone output sound to avoid affecting the ear's hearing.
After the launch of AirPods Pro, Apple's true wireless earphones products have more options. There are a total of three combinations of charging box accessories that support wireless charging. The lowest entry price of AirPods is NT$3, and the version with a charging box that supports wireless charging is NT$5290. The AirPods Pro itself is equipped with a charging box that supports wireless charging, and the suggested retail price is NT$6490.
AirPods
The AirPods currently available on the market should be those that came later.Update H1 chip versionNot only does it support waking up the Siri digital assistant service on the iPhone directly through the "Hey, Siri" voice command, but it also increases battery life by about 50% compared to the originally launched AirPods. When the earphones are fully charged, they can be listened to for up to 5 hours, and the overall music listening time is about more than 24 hours (with the charging box to recharge the power). Other changes are the movement of the power indicator light from the inside of the charging box to the outside, making it easier for users to check the power status.
The advantage is its relatively low price. Aside from the noise cancellation feature and the one-size-fits-all design, the user experience is largely the same as with the AirPods Pro. The earbuds even offer longer listening time on a single charge, and their physical size is also significantly smaller. Tapping the earbuds to activate Siri, play/pause, and skip to the previous or next song remains the same as with the original AirPods.
AirPods Pro
AirPods Pro are designed with shorter earphones and a more sealed design that is waterproof and sweat-resistant. They are also less obtrusive when worn on the ears. The in-ear earplugs not only ensure a better seal, but also make the wearing effect more stable.
A capacitive force sensor is incorporated into the slightly recessed area at the bottom edge of the earphones, allowing users to directly activate Siri or adjust noise cancellation settings. The noise cancellation function can also be configured through the iOS operating system menu, including a noise cancellation mode that blocks most sounds, or a transparency mode that allows you to hear nearby sounds without affecting the music listening experience.
As for the different operation method from AirPods, it is mainly because AirPods Pro uses in-ear earbuds. When the earphones are fixed in a tight manner, if the original tapping operation gesture is maintained, it will cause auditory discomfort to the user. Even though the AirPods Pro earphone design has additional openings to reduce the pressure in the ear when worn by negative pressure exhaust, it will still cause an unnecessary "stethoscope effect" and produce a noisy and harsh feeling. Therefore, changing to a pressing operation method can relatively reduce ear discomfort and also correspond to more accurate operation.
However, due to the support for noise reduction and transparency mode, and the relatively small size of the headphones themselves, the maximum listening time is only 4.5 hours. However, when replenished with a charging box that also supports wireless charging, the maximum usage time can still exceed 24 hours. It also supports the H1 chip, so it can be quickly paired with the iPhone, and supports voice control to directly activate the Siri digital assistant service.
It is particularly important to note that the in-ear earbud design used by AirPods Pro is different from the earbud design used in general in-ear headphones. It is basically not interchangeable with replacement accessories sold on the market and must be replaced with accessories of different sizes included in the original Apple box.
Why do iPhone users need AirPods?
Starting from the iPhone 7 series, Apple stopped providing 3.5mm headphone jack on new iPhones, and even stopped providing Lightning to 8mm headphone jack accessories on models after the iPhone 3.5 series, causing many users to start looking for suitable Bluetooth headphones.
However, Bluetooth headsets generally still face challenges such as ease of pairing and convenience in waking up for immediate use. Furthermore, factors such as adequate standby battery life and smooth iOS compatibility are crucial. While most commercially available Bluetooth headsets can pair with an iPhone, whether they allow users to activate the Siri digital assistant directly via voice commands or quickly establish a connection upon putting on the headset depends on the design of the individual brand.
As for the design of AirPods, since it is designed by Apple itself, it can provide the best user experience with the iPhone, and it is even easy to use from the moment you pair it.
At the same time, as more and more mobile phone interaction modes are operated through voice control, headphones have become the most commonly used accessories for current mobile phones, and even iPhones are no exception. Many people not only use headphones to listen to music, watch videos, or play games, but more and more people use their phones to input voice messages, have conversations, or use voice recognition functions to issue voice control commands, etc. Therefore, a set of convenient and easy-to-use headphones is definitely the best match for mobile phones.
Of course, there are many brands on the market that produce true wireless Bluetooth headsets. Among them, many brands produce products that can quickly pair with iPhones like AirPods, and quickly connect during use. The overall standby time is also quite long, but the actual price may also be similar to AirPods. Therefore, for iPhone users, the price setting of AirPods is actually not too high. Even with the price setting of AirPods Pro, which has additional active noise reduction, waterproof and sweat-resistant functions, it is relatively cost-effective compared to the same-level headset products of major brands in the market, which are often priced close to NT$10,000 (or even more).
Do you need to choose AirPods Pro?
In the past, adding active noise cancellation (ANC) to true wireless Bluetooth earbuds wasn't easy. After all, maintaining the lightweight design of the earbuds while incorporating an ANC module, ensuring sufficient power and wearing comfort, and achieving adequate noise cancellation, all proved challenging.
Therefore, most of the active noise-canceling headphones that can be seen on the market are built in the form of full-face headphones. Although many true wireless Bluetooth headphones have also begun to add active noise-canceling functions, it will inevitably make the size of the headphones larger, making them appear abrupt when worn.
Even Sony's WF-1000XM3 true wireless Bluetooth noise-canceling earphones, while easy to connect and wear, feature active noise cancellation and ambient sound transparency, and are priced similarly to the AirPods Pro, are larger in both the charging case and the earphones. Their advantage lies in their compatibility with both Android and iPhone devices, while also offering Sony's guarantee for sound quality.
However, if the user also owns Apple devices such as MacBook and iPad, then choosing to use AirPods or AirPods Pro has the advantage of easily switching connected devices without having to re-pair and connect.
If you only use an iPhone and don't have any other specific needs, you might want to go for the AirPods Pro! After all, for a relatively affordable price, they offer additional features like water resistance, active noise cancellation, and ambient sound transparency. They even analyze the airtightness while wearing the earbuds to optimize sound output, and the charging case even supports wireless charging.
Unless there are budget considerations or ear comfort issues, at least you can choose AirPods with universal wearing specifications, and you can choose whether to include a charging box version that supports wireless charging according to your needs.
