Apple AirPods Pro Review

The first iteration of the Apple AirPods came out in December 2016 and was the subject of a lot of trolls, memes, and criticism. Most of them were mocking the design and the price but fast-forward to 2019, it is the most popular accessory on the planet according to analysts. There’s a reason why Apple does things the way it does and it may not make sense at first. The same thing happened with the notch design on the iPhone X and we know the rest is history. The AirPods Pro comes with some much-needed improvements and has improved on almost all the fronts. Below is a full AirPods Pro review, let’s take a look at how the new variant fits in the current market.

Design and Build

First and foremost, let’s discuss what you get inside the box. The box is the familiar all-white classy packaging that you see with the iPhones and other Apple products. Inside, there’s the AirPods Pro, USB-C to lightning cable, wireless charging case and a few documents. Design-wise, the AirPods Pro is exactly like its predecessor, but with the new silicone ear tips and a slightly shorter stem. A lot of people had difficulties in fitting the AirPods, but that won’t happen with the AirPods Pro.

I can’t say it’s built like a tank because of its all-plastic design, but it is definitely very sturdy. The charging case feels good in the hand and I’m not sure how to explain this, it feels like a really well-made product. The case is slightly wider than the original but still smaller than most of the other wireless earphone cases. Thanks to the new ear tips, the isolation is awesome and there’s also a noise-canceling feature built-in.

Sound Quality

I don’t want to compare the AirPods Pro with earphones that audio professionals use. That is not the intent of this review and they are not the target audience for the AirPods. The AirPods Pro has much superior sound quality in comparison to the original AirPods and a lot has to do with the new earbuds and active noise cancellation.  

The noise cancellation is by far one of the best in the market. It cancels out most of the unwanted noises that you encounter in day-to-day scenarios. Whether you’re inside an airplane or whether it’s the hum of an air conditioner, the AirPods Pro, does a really good job.

Cool Stuff

I wanted to add in my Airpods Pro review a section for all the cool stuff that Apple has put in. Rather than tapping on the AirPods, we now have a pressure-sensitive area where you have to pinch. This may sound a little weird, but it is actually very intuitive. One pinch to play and pause, two-pinches to go forward, three to go back and a long pinch to move back and forth between noise-canceling or transparency modes.

Another little addition is the sensor at the back of the AirPods that automatically pauses the music when they are taken out of your ears. These little things add up and provide a great user experience.

A lot of reviews have heaped praises on the noise cancellation abilities, but I wanted to boast about the transparency mode. It is basically a feature that allows certain background noises to be heard. For example, you would want to hear if someone speaks to you or if there’s a vehicle honking. These frequencies are intelligently let in by the AirPods Pro.

Battery

This is one of the most important aspects of wireless earphones. Apple does a pretty decent job here, but they mess up one teeny tiny little thing. Inside the box, they have a USB-C to lightning cable. Not a normal USB to USB-C cable, but a USB-C to lightning cable. I don’t see how this makes sense when they already have plans to move to the C standard eventually. The charging case supports Qi wireless charging, but you’ll need a type-C to USB adapter if you’ve got the older chargers along with the lightning cable itself. The AirPods Pro lasts for a little over 5 hours and with the charging case can give you a whole day of music. All this is great and it would’ve been a lot better if they had just put in an industry-standard charging method.

AirPods Pro Review Conclusion

Do you want the AirPods Pro? Yes, you do! These are the best wireless earphones in the market. Maybe not in terms of sheer sound quality, but because of all the little things that add up. It’s got some amazing noise cancellation abilities, a fabulous transparency mode, the most comfortable fit for a pair of wireless earphones ever and the trusted name of Apple. You can buy the AirPods Pro review on amazon. If you are interested in the new iPhone 11, check out our full iPhone 11 review.

AirPods Pro

$249
4.7

Noise Cancellation

5.0/5

Sound

4.8/5

Comfort & Design

4.8/5

Design

5.0/5

Price

4.0/5

Pros

  • Extremely light and comfortable
  • Superb isolation and noise cancellation
  • Transparency mode works beautifully well
  • Decent battery life

Cons

  • Pricey at $250
  • Still uses lightning cable
  • Would love to see a few more colors