Why You Probably Don’t Need to Buy “New” AirPods Pro

Today may seem like we’re talking about the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro , but Apple has made plenty of other noteworthy announcements. One of them concerns AirPods Pro. While the company hasn’t revolutionized its premium wireless earbuds, there is one big change coming: USB-C charging support.

AirPods Pro now supports USB-C

The biggest change in this version of the AirPods Pro is the charging case, which now features a USB-C charging port instead of a Lightning port . This transition follows Apple’s move from Lightning to USB-C on the iPhone 15, a circumstance forced on the company by the EU .

Apple may have been reluctant to add USB-C to its devices, but it’s a big change for us nonetheless. The more USB-C compatible devices you have, the fewer cables you need to lug around. This is especially nice for those new to the Apple ecosystem (or looking to upgrade everything at once), as iPhone 15 owners will be able to use the same cable to charge their phone and their headphones. (Both their MacBooks and their iPads.)

What else is new in AirPods Pro?

Not much really. These headphones now have dust resistance, which was not the case with the previous version (the new models are rated IP54 compared to the old ones IPX4). And if you have one of the new iPhone 15 models, you can charge AirPods Pro (2nd generation) directly from your phone using a USB-C to USB-C cable.

The headphones themselves have not changed: they are still the same AirPods Pro (2nd generation) that were released last year along with the iPhone 14 series. This is not bad, since the second generation pros have many advantages. The case features a built-in speaker, a U1 chip with precision search (which makes it easy to find AirPods Pro using the Find My app), a lanyard loop, and support for Qi-certified wireless charging and MagSafe charging . Of course, you can also charge using a wired connection to the USB-C port. Battery life is good too: you’ll get up to 30 hours of listening time from the charging case and up to six hours on the headphones themselves.

The headphones are equipped with an Apple Silicon H2 chip with an adaptive equalizer that automatically adjusts music to the shape of your ear. They also offer active noise cancellation, transparency mode, touch controls, and spatial audio support with dynamic head tracking.

When you use these AirPods Pro with an iPhone running iOS 17, you’ll have access to features like Adaptive Audio, a new listening mode that combines Transparency mode and Active Noise Cancellation so noise levels are adjusted based on your surroundings.

There’s also a Conversation Awareness feature that lowers the volume of audio content and amplifies the voices in front of you when you’re talking to someone. The new Personalized Volume feature uses machine learning to better understand your environment and predict the volume you typically set your AirPods to, so it can provide you with a better listening experience over time.

Are the new AirPods Pro worth buying?

At the end of the day, they’re just second-generation AirPods Pro with a USB-C charging case. While it’s certainly convenient, it’s not an upgrade , at least not at $249 . If you already have a pair of second-generation AirPods Pro, or even a working pair of first-gen, you shouldn’t feel obligated to shell out money just for USB-C compatibility.

If you’re new to AirPods Pro, now is the perfect time to buy them. The USB-C charging case makes your tech life even easier, and the added dust protection is great. If you buy an iPhone 15, you might even like to charge your AirPods while you use the phone.

But at the same time, you may find discounts on AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with Lightning case, since that’s “old news.” Since the AirPods themselves are identical to the USB-C model, you won’t lose any important features. You may still have to carry a Lightning cable, but depending on the discount, the hassle may be worth it.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with USB-C are available for pre-order now for $249 and will begin shipping on September 22.