AirPods Pro 2 (2022) vs AirPods Pro: should you upgrade?

Apple's distinctive white AirPods might be a byword for true wireless earbuds, but they consistently only earned four out of five in our reviews. That all changed in 2022 with the AirPods Pro 2, whose combination of effortless usability and enhanced sound quality edged them into the fifth star. They remain the latest 'Pro' and are one of the best AirPods you can buy.

While the 2019-released first-gen AirPods Pro may be available to buy refurbished or second-hand, the veterans are no longer typically sold by retailers and have been thoroughly surpassed by newer, superior models, including – yes – their successors.

But are the second-gen AirPods worth upgrading to if you own the originals? Or should you skip this generation and wait for the AirPods Pro 3 in (likely) 2025? Below are the on-paper and in-practise differences between the two to help you make that decision.

AirPods Pro 2 (2022) vs AirPods Pro: price

The newer AirPods Pro launched in 2022 at the same price as the originals did three years prior – £249 / $249 / AU$399. They arrived with a Lightning charging case, but in September 2023 were relaunched with a USB-C charging case. Apart from the difference in ports (mandated by a change in EU law), the Lightning and USB-C versions are exactly the same, though Apple no longer sells the Lightning version.

Due to their age difference, there is unsurprisingly a price discrepancy between the old and new models. Second-hand or refurbished AirPods Pro (1st Gen) are available online, with prices varying between around £80 / $180 / AU$130 and £200 / $240 / AU$250. You can often get the Pro 2 for around £50 / $50 / AU$50 cheaper than their RRP, too (see the widget below for the best price).

Nevertheless, the Pro 2's price puts them among the premium cream of the crop, including the class-leading Sony WF-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, so they aren't short of competition.

AirPods Pro 2 (2022) vs AirPods Pro: design

Despite rumours of shorter stems or even stem-less designs, the AirPods Pro design stayed the same – same stem size, same bulbous body with an eartip and same all-white finish. As our in-house expert reviewers noted in our AirPods Pro 2 review, "place the two generations of AirPods Pro side by side and they’re effectively indistinguishable". But the new model isn't a carbon copy of the original.

You now get four (as opposed to three) ear tips in the box, with a smaller XS size included to give you more options to get the perfect fit and seal. That's good news if you’ve struggled with the AirPods’ fit before.

In addition to their 'force sensor' for controlling music playback and taking calls, the stems on the latest AirPods Pro now also have a touch-capacitive layer that you can swipe up and down to change the volume. On-earpiece volume control was one of the biggest things missing from the predecessors, so we're glad to see it added here.

Arguably the biggest design change in this evolution leap, however, is to the charging case: it now has a built-in speaker and a lanyard loop. The speaker emits tones to indicate charging, low battery status and to help you find it if it's been misplaced. Of course, there is now the USB-C version to look out for. The case itself remains the same small and pocketable size – it easily slips into a pocket, bag and the palm of your hand.

Both the earbuds and charging case are once again IPX4-rated for water and sweat resistance.

AirPods Pro 2 (2022) vs AirPods Pro: features

The Pro model still separates itself from the 'standard' AirPods model with one big, distinguishing feature: active noise cancellation. (That said, the 'standard' AirPods 4 launch rumoured for September 2024 could see Apple introduce both non-ANC and ANC variants.)

The sound-blocking function in the Pro 2 was dramatically improved over that of the originals, thanks to their new H2 chip as well as optimised placement of the acoustic vent and mics. We found it incredibly effective – although not quite as effective as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra. 

This H2 chip also facilitates the Adaptive Transparency mode, designed to reduce loud, harsh, high-decibel noise around you such as a passing lorry or roadworks. It seems to do a decent job of damping down high-pitched noises but can be a subtle effect.

While the original AirPods Pro were updated to support Apple's Spatial Audio with head tracking technology, the Pro 2 tailor this immersive listening to individuals. The process involves using your iPhone’s camera to capture images of your ears, but we found it to be a tricky and frustrating business, and one we hope Apple can streamline in an update.

Of course, those with an Android device still don't get access to any of these extra Apple-centric features, and there’s still no Android app either. 

Battery life is longer in the Pro 2. While the 2019 AirPods Pro offer five hours of playback in the earbuds and another 19 hours from the case, totalling 24 hours, the Pro 2 take that to six and 24 hours, totalling 30 hours – and that is with noise cancelling activated. The latter means that the Pro (2022) are now more competitive against the market-leading Sony WF-1000XM5 buds (eight hours in the buds, 24 hours in total).

We did find the new AirPods Pro (2022) charging case drains a bit more power than before during use, but it charges up swiftly. If you’re running low on battery, pop the earbuds into the case for five minutes to get an entire hour of charge.

It’s also worth noting that neither the first- nor second-gen AirPods Pro support higher-quality Bluetooth codecs, which remains at odds with the 24-bit high-res audio tracks available in Apple Music’s large catalogue.

While baby steps have been taken on the design side of things, larger ones appear to have been made in the features department in order to keep the Pros competitive and unique in the market.

AirPods Pro 2 (2022) vs AirPods Pro: sound quality

Apple has always impressed us with the clarity and tonal neutrality of its products’ audio quality, but the latest AirPods Pro bring some extra weight and detail to the party.

This is thanks in part to the new custom low-distortion, high-excursion audio driver, transducer and high dynamic range amplifier, which combined with the new H2 chip’s advanced audio algorithms, results in a sound that’s been improved in every way from the original Pro. 

We liked how the AirPods Pro sound – balanced and easygoing, their mid-range particularly packed with texture and detail. They just aren't as insightful or entertaining as the second-gen Pro, or the latest offerings from Sony, Bose and Sennheiser, and in our mind reason alone to upgrade.

AirPods Pro 2 (2022) vs AirPods Pro: verdict

The original AirPods Pro needed to be brought up to date. Since their arrival five years ago, the market has moved on significantly, with longer battery lives, customisable fits and ANC intensities, and dinkier designs.

Happily, Apple did just that – and took a big leap forward in the process. With fantastic sound, dramatically improved noise-cancelling and some clever Apple-centric features, the latest AirPods Pro 2 are much admired here at What Hi-Fi?. Sure, we would have liked to see the arrival of higher-quality Bluetooth transmission in light of Apple Music's high-quality audio library, but that doesn't detract from their all-round appeal.

The AirPods Pro 2 represent a decent evolutionary generational leap, to the extent that we may not see too many improvements brought by the AirPods Pro 3 rumoured to launch next year, save for presumably an upgraded processor and consequently (and highly rumoured) improved ANC. If you find a price you are happy to pay for the Pro 2, we would recommend you pounce on it.

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