As predicted, Apple quietly up to date its second-generation AirPods Professional this week with a brand new case that swaps out the standard Lightning port for a brand new USB-C port. Nevertheless, it seems that’s not all that’s modified on this newest AirPods Professional refresh.
Within the weeks main as much as Apple’s Wonderlust occasion, a number of dependable sources predicted the AirPods Professional would get the USB-C therapy alongside the introduction of Apple’s first USB-C telephones. Nevertheless, most believed that the brand new USB-C case would find yourself being the one distinction — that, as with the change to MagSafe charging two years in the past, Apple would quietly take the prevailing AirPods Professional earbuds and put them in a brand new case with a USB-C port.
That’s primarily what Apple did, but it surely seems the corporate additionally used the chance to sneak in a number of different small modifications. Neither of those is sufficient to represent a big improve, however they look like enhancements distinctive to the second-generation AirPods Professional that include the USB-C case and don’t sound like they’ll be out there to those that already personal Lightning-equipped AirPods Professional.
AirPods Professional (2nd technology) are upgraded with USB?C charging capabilities, further mud resistance, and Lossless Audio with Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional.
Apple
USB-C AirPods Professional Are Now Mud Resistant
In a newsroom put up saying the “new AirPods Professional (2nd technology) with USB-C charging capabilities,” Apple notes that the brand new model now presents a dust-resistance score, which is conspicuously absent from the AirPods Professional 2 with a Lightning case, which solely has an IPX4 water-resistance score.
An improved IP54 score for the earbuds and case additionally presents further mud resistance, so customers can carry them on their favourite rugged adventures.
Apple
Whereas this will likely have been introduced out by a slight change within the manufacturing course of for the brand new USB-C AirPods Professional, it’s additionally doable that the earbuds had been able to attaining an IP54 score all alongside, and it was the Lightning case that held them again.
Additional, it’s necessary to do not forget that IP scores are based mostly solely on what testing a product goes by means of, not essentially what a product is definitely constructed to resist. An “X” in both the mud or water a part of the IP score doesn’t imply the product isn’t proof against that component — it merely means it hasn’t been examined for it.
In different phrases, we don’t know for certain at this level if Apple has made any modifications in any respect to the AirPods Professional earbuds — it might be Apple simply determined to place the AirPods Professional — and their new USB-C case — by means of dust-resistance testing this time round. Apple might have additionally identified that its authentic Lightning case wasn’t dust-resistant and didn’t trouble testing it or assigning a score for it.
Lossless Audio with Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional
One other new characteristic that Apple is saying for the brand new AirPods Professional that has us curious is lossless audio help for the brand new Imaginative and prescient Professional. Once more, Apple is selling this as a novel functionality it’s added completely to the brand new AirPods Professional which are being launched this month, but it additionally refers to it as a perform of the H2 chip that was launched within the second-generation AirPods Professional final yr.
AirPods Professional (2nd technology) with MagSafe Charging Case (USB?C) will allow Lossless Audio with ultra-low latency to ship the right true wi-fi resolution with Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional. The H2 chip within the newest AirPods Professional and Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional, mixed with a groundbreaking wi-fi audio protocol, unlocks highly effective 20-bit, 48 kHz Lossless Audio with a large discount in audio latency.
Apple
Whereas this can be a advertising spin, there is also different elements past the H2 chip which are crucial to speak with the Imaginative and prescient Professional headset that weren’t included within the authentic second-generation AirPods Professional, and Apple is utilizing the USB-C repackaging as a chance to make these tweaks. It’s additionally doable that Apple has barely upgraded the H2 chip with out altering the quantity, though that will be extra uncommon.
Both approach, even when these two modifications are restricted to Apple’s very newest AirPods Professional with USB-C, neither are price tossing out your previous Lightning AirPods Professional 2 and upgrading except you’re planning on shopping for a $3,500 Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional headset, through which case spending an additional $250 to switch your AirPods most likely isn’t a giant drawback. “In for a penny,” as they are saying.
Can I Purchase the USB-C Case by Itself?
Sadly, the one actually helpful characteristic that the brand new AirPods Professional 2 is delivering is one thing that you’ll have to improve to get. As with the MagSafe charging case two years in the past, Apple is just not promoting the USB-C case alone — a minimum of not by means of regular retail channels.
Two years in the past, some of us had luck getting the brand new MagSafe case by means of Apple Help, significantly if they’d AppleCare+ on their AirPods, and we’ve been seeing a number of anecdotal reviews that Apple help that this is also doable this yr.
Apple may additionally start promoting the case individually in some unspecified time in the future, however that’s not one thing we’d rely on. In any case, if the brand new AirPods Professional 2 with USB-C actually produce other modifications inside, Apple most likely needs to keep away from muddying the waters since a mere USB-C case won’t flip your previous AirPods Professional into the “new AirPods Professional (2nd technology) with USB-C charging capabilities.”
The excellent news is that even in the event you can’t improve to the brand new USB-C case, the iPhone 15 ought to nonetheless have the ability to cost your Lightning AirPods Professional case utilizing a USB-C to Lightning cable like what Apple confirmed us for the USB-C AirPods Professional throughout its occasion earlier this week. We received’t know for certain till somebody tries it with an iPhone 15, but it surely’s been doable with Apple’s USB-C iPads for years, so there’s no purpose to imagine the iPhone 15 shall be any completely different.