Yes! Apple AirPods Pro with Noise Cancellation Are Here!

Well, this happened quicker than I thought! I had a post for today about the rumors that a new pair of Apple AirPods Pro with noise cancellation would be coming soon and they are here now! For anyone with Apple devices, this is certainly good news!

Apple AirPods Pro with Noise Cancellation Are Here

Link: Apple AirPods Pro (don’t forget to use the portal promo right now – these are not currently excluded!)

Let’s look at the details about these just-announced Apple AirPods Pro earbuds:

• Cost is $249
• These Apple AirPods Pro have a an extra piece to make the fit more comfortable and secure over the current AirPods (and to create a bit of a sealing in your ear for the noise cancellation part).
• Battery life is 4.5 hours
• They come with 3 silicone tips that will conform to your ear and fit
• The charging case is wireless
• The AirPods Pro are not as long as the current AirPods
• They will be available October 30 (but can be ordered today – check out this post before ordering!)

Why The Apple AirPods Pro are Great for Apple Users

I have been a user of the Sony WF-1000XM3 (yeah, Sony stinks at naming stuff!) noise cancelling earbuds for a while now and said how much I did like them. However, there is one thing that really made me miss my Apple AirPods – seamless switching between my Apple devices. Thanks to the H1 chip inside AirPods, you can go back and forth between all your Apple devices without having to unpair/repair – once you pair, it syncs with your Apple ID and all devices with that ID will automatically work with the AirPods.

So, because I have a MacBook Pro, an iPad, and my iPhone and switch between them frequently, I missed having that seamless transition. But, I liked having noise cancelling earbuds so I kept them instead of going back to AirPods.

While the price on these is higher than the Sony earbuds ($249 vs $229), it isn’t all that much higher from what Apple was charging for the AirPods with the wireless charging case. With the Pros, you are getting the active noise cancellation as well plus more sweat resistance and a better fit.

Apple AirPods Pro vs Noise Cancelling Headphones

Last week, Apple released their Beats noise cancelling headphones and, of course, we have the incredible Sony WH-1000XM3 noise cancelling headphones and the Bose noise cancelling family of headphones.

I like having earbuds over headphones for sleeping on planes and also so that I can wear them anywhere. But, headphones provide a lot longer battery life and a way to connect to the in-flight entertainment units. The Apple AirPods Pros have 4.5 hours of listening time per charge but you do get 24 hours of listening time with just charging in the case.

Yeah, 4.5 hours is not going to cut it for long-haul flights, but the AirPods Pro will give you another 1 hour of listening time with just a 5 minute charge. That is pretty awesome and that means you could pop them in the case for just a few minutes to get some more time in-flight.

Plus, it is much easier to walk around wearing earbuds than headphones all day!

Apple AirPods Pro and Transparency

Like the Sony’s, Apple is giving these earbuds the ability to switch back and forth easily between the world around you and blocking all of it out. On my Sony earbuds, I love that. It quickly adapts to my movements and locations to give me pre-selected and customizable levels of noise cancelling and passthrough audio. The AirPods Pro should be at least as good so that is something I am looking forward to.

Are the Apple AirPods Pro a Good Buy for the Traveler?

I have a feeling that if you were thinking about AirPods, these new Pros may just make you go for them (if you are traveler). As an Apple device owner, you will likely be tempted as well!

I cannot wait to get a review going on them to test them across two areas of my life that I do not have earbuds/headphones to cover both of – running and traveling. My running earbuds are not noise canceling and my traveling earbuds are not sweat resistant. Finally, I may be able to use a single set of earbuds!

Plus, these are the 3rd generation of AirPods so you know Apple has learned a thing or two about them. If you don’t have an Apple device, just skip them as there are better alternatives if you aren’t already using Apple gear.