Apple 2019 — Talking Tech — Mitchell Millennial

Since the debut of the original AirPods a few years ago, fans have been wondering what the pioneers of truly wireless earbuds would bring to the table with the Airpod’s next iteration. After briefly testing out the AirPods Pro however, all I have to say is: a lot.

For your discretion, I must make it clear that the following impressions were based on a short in-store demo given at the Apple Store in my local area. I haven’t bought, or received the device, making my first impressions genuine and unbiased. With that said: For as much as I hate to admit it, Apple has just created what are in my opinion the best premium truly wireless earbuds.

Feature wise, the AirPods Pro finally add one much needed feature: noise cancellation. Being an owner of the previous generation AirPods for a while, my biggest complaint was simply just how much outside noise was able to penetrate my music listening experience. With the new technology it packs, the AirPods Pro allow for what is a much quieter and personal listening experience.

Unfortunately this comes with one big caveat. Whilst I was sure that the predecessors would stick in most people’s ears, as it used Apple’s tried and true headphone design, the new silicone tip feels oddly un-Apple like, and leaves me worried that the same universal magic is lost in transition.

As for sound itself, the AirPods Pro sound clearly better than its predecessors. For comparison sake, I would rank it as well as the Samsung Galaxy Buds, except that I felt that the AirPods Pro had a bit clearer base that is so typical with modern Apple and Beats audio products.

One concern of mine that was gladly solved upon first impressions was the charging case itself. In videos and marketing materials, the case can often look oversized, which made me rather worried that the AirPods Pro would not fit a regular person’s pocked. Upon inspection however, I came to a quick relief upon realising that the case is roughly the same size as that of its predecessor, simply trading length for height.

A concern that sadly wasn’t answered during my testings though, were with the earbuds themselves: they’re just so tiny. Don’t get me wrong, I love this new, minimalistic design, as it not only looks better in the ear, but can more easily blend in to most outfits. This however, does not make me less worried that the individual buds will be incredibly easy to lose, and - knowing Apple - very expensive to replace.

Before concluding my first impressions, I’d like to bring some emphasis to one specific word in my original statement: premium. For those of us who can afford to spend between $150 and $300 for audio, I’d truly recommend the AirPods Pro for their great audio quality, and slew of sleek features it provides. For those of us who need every penny justified however, it becomes simply impossible to ignore offerings such as the Awei T10Cs.