All the New Features the H2 Chip Brings to the AirPods Pro 2

Apple today introduced the second-generation AirPods Pro, which are equipped with an all-new H2 chip. The H2 is the successor to the H1, and it enables new features like improved noise cancellation, a new transparency mode, and better sound.

airpods pro

  • Active Noise Cancellation - The H2 chip in the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 cancels twice as much noise compared to the original ‌AirPods Pro‌.
  • Adaptive Transparency Mode - The H2 chip allows for on-device processing that reduces loud environmental sounds like a siren, construction work, or loud speakers at a concert without silencing noise entirely.
  • Improved Acoustics - Apple says the H2 chip provides an "exceptional acoustic experience" when paired with the new low-distortion audio driver and custom amplifier. The ‌AirPods Pro‌ offer richer bass and clearer sound across a wider range of frequencies.
  • Personalized Spatial Audio - Apple touted personalized spatial audio as an ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 highlight, with the feature being introduced in iOS 16. This isn't an AirPods 2 exclusive as it uses the TrueDepth camera on the iPhone, but it does work with the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2.

Other ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 features include touch controls for adjusting volume right on the AirPods themselves, an improved skin detect sensor that more accurately turns playback on and off, and an improved battery that lasts for a total of 6 hours, up 1.5 hours from the prior-generation model.

The ‌AirPods Pro‌ case also features IPX4 sweat and water resistance along with a lanyard loop, Memoji customization, Find My improvements, and a built-in speaker for locating the case should it be lost.

Notably, the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 do not feature support for lossless audio as was rumored because they still use Bluetooth functionality that does not offer the ability to play Apple Lossless Audio Codec files.

Related Roundup: AirPods Pro
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: AirPods

Top Rated Comments

dannys1 Avatar
21 months ago
Someone will mention lossless audio and that means they won't buy it. Ignore them, you can't hear the difference. You can't hear the difference on a £10,000 mastering studio setup with golden ears, it's been proven time and time again by the worlds best ears. No one here has the worlds best ears, despite what placebo they think - the upgrades to the drivers and processing are much much much more important and impactful.

If they tell you otherwise, they're wrong.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Return Zero Avatar
21 months ago
The volume control is the feature I care most about. The others are nice-to-haves, but that alone is worth the upgrade.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Phuz01 Avatar
21 months ago
This is a major disappointment. Apple used to be on the cutting edge with hardware development, but now a competitor is going to beat Apple to market with headphones that take advantage of advancements in Bluetooth technology. Given the bandwidth Apple Music has devoted to making its library lossless, it’s a bit strange that the only piece of hardware that allows listeners to fully take advantage of this upgrade is the Apple TV.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Pfchangsgavemetheshits Avatar
21 months ago
They didn't even go with the contact sensor to know its in your ear. Bugs me when things start playing when I put the AirPods into a pocket or on a table
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
szw-mapple fan Avatar
21 months ago
I find it hilarious that people here think they can hear the difference of lossless with a tiny ear bud.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lozion Avatar
21 months ago
Any new codecs supported?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
General Apps Messages

Google Reveals When to Expect RCS Support on iPhone for Improved Texting With Android Users

Friday March 29, 2024 7:14 am PDT by
In November, Apple announced that the iPhone would support the cross-platform messaging standard RCS (Rich Communication Services) in the Messages app starting "later" in 2024, and Google has now revealed a more narrow timeframe. In a since-deleted section of the revamped Google Messages web page, spotted by 9to5Google, Google said that Apple would be adopting RCS on the iPhone in the "fall...
airtag new orange

Criminals in Montreal Using AirTags to Steal Vehicles

Friday March 29, 2024 12:50 pm PDT by
Thieves in Montreal, Canada have been using Apple's AirTags to facilitate vehicle theft, according to a report from Vermont news sites WCAX and NBC5 (via 9to5Mac). Police officers in Burlington, Vermont have issued a warning about AirTags for drivers who recently visited Canada. Two Burlington residents found Apple AirTags in their vehicles after returning from trips to Montreal, and these...
top stories 30mar2024

Top Stories: WWDC 2024 Announced, New iPads Delayed, and More

Saturday March 30, 2024 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's WWDC 2024 dates have been announced, giving us timing for the unveiling of the company's next round of major operating system updates and likely some other announcements. This week also saw some disappointing news on the iPad front, with update timing for the iPad Pro and iPad Air pushed back from previous rumors. We did hear some new tidbits about what might be coming in iOS 18 and...
iphone 16 cases sonny dickson 1

First iPhone 16 Cases Outline New Rear Vertical Camera Bump

Friday March 29, 2024 4:09 am PDT by
Photos of the first iPhone 16 cases have been shared online, offering another preview of the rumored new vertical rear camera arrangement on the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. Image credit: Accessory leaker Sonny Dickson Over the last few months, Apple has been experimenting with different camera bump designs for the standard iPhone 16 models, all of which have featured a vertical ...
Apple iPhone 15 Pro spatial video capture lifestyle

$3 App Shoots Better Quality Spatial Video Than iPhone's Camera App

Friday March 29, 2024 4:48 am PDT by
A $3 third-party app can now record spatial video on iPhone 15 Pro models in a higher resolution than Apple's very own Camera app. Thanks to an update first spotted by UploadVR, Spatialify can now record spatial videos with HDR in 1080p at 60fps or in 4K at 30fps. In comparison, Apple's native Camera app is limited to recording spatial video in 1080p at 30fps. Shortly after Apple's Vision ...