The New AirPods Pro Solved Two Major Problems for Me This Week
Rumi once said, “Live your life as if everything is rigged in your favor.”
We've all had days where it just doesn't feel that way, but this week something really lucky happened.
You see, as of Monday I was AirPod-less. (I know, I know…cry me a river.) I’d accidentally left my pricey white box in a Lyft and despite excellent customer service, no dice. But to be honest with you, I wasn't exactly in love with my AirPods. A long-time athletic earbud user, Apple's ultra sleek buds took some getting used to. I actually ended up buying silicone covers on Amazon to help them feel more snug. (Though, I hold my pencil really tight so maybe I have weird sensory issues?!) I was thisclose to buying a pair of cheapo athletic earbuds again when…our friends at Popular Mechanics published the news that Apple was releasing upgraded pods: AirPods Pro.
And then I was invited to try a pair of my own. (Here’s my disclosure that I received a set of AirPods Pro for free and am writing about them. But because I’ve been honest with you so far, I hope you’ll keep reading.)
After a few rounds of sweaty runs, hectic workdays, and noisy subway commutes, I have to say that I’m fully on board with this upgraded model. And I’ve had friends test them out, too, just to make sure I’m not “drinking the Kool-Aid.” (All friends have reached a general consensus: "I approve.") My AirPods Pro have in fact solved two daily frustrations for me this week, so I’ll tell you more that way:
They feel secure in my ears when running.
Apple did a ton of work on the AirPods Pro to marry sleek design with a bud that feels snug for Netflix bingers and athletes alike. They built on thousands of 3D ear scans from people all around the world to understand where the bud should and shouldn’t make contact with your ear. Then, they included silicone tips in three different sizes so you can compare, contrast, and decide what fits best. Finally, sync your AirPods Pro to your phone and during setup you’ll get to take an Ear Fit Test—you listen to music and the inward-facing microphone compares low frequencies produced by the speaker to the low frequencies that are expected. You’ll get a green light for each ear once the algorithms have deemed the tip is right for you and that you have the best possible seal. (To do the test any time, place AirPods in both ears, go to Settings > Bluetooth > AirPods > Ear Tip Fit Test.)
Had I not lost my AirPods like a total dummy (Dear Apple: I will not lose these new ones), it would’ve resolved the issue of having to apply silicone covers to my AirPods when running and removing them again to go in the wireless charger. They’re also sweat- and water-resistant, so I have no excuse but to stick to my half marathon training plan and run all the miles.
They really, truly cancel unwanted noise.
Like most open office floor plans, there are some Chatty Cathys on my floor. (And to be fair, sometimes I am one of them.) But I can’t just wear over-ear noise-canceling headphones and tune out the world because I’m a manager, and people come to me with questions quite often throughout the day. The ideal scenario would be to cut background noise and listen to music when I want to get in the zone—editing stories or answering emails—but not so much that I can’t hear when someone is calling my name, or when my phone is ringing. Again, AirPods Pro magically do this for me. There are two options:
Noise Canceling: True noise cancellation, where external noise is matched with equal but opposite soundwaves so that I get total peace and quiet. While I’m listening to a podcast or music, my AirPods Pro are continuously adapting this sound signal up to 200 times per second. This is ideal for my commute to and from work, where I’m blissfully unaware of the jerky subway train. (And I don't even need to hear the announcements. The subway is delayed? Shocker!) In showing my AirPods Pro to friends, they literally had to tell me they could no longer hear me as I was talking.
Transparency: I can still hear some environmental sounds—meaning that if someone is nearby and calling my name, I can respond—but they won’t have to yell my name.
Of course, there are other exciting features of the AirPods Pro too:
Like regular AirPods, the AirPods Pro have a one-tap set-up to immediately pair with your iCloud account—including your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and iPod touch.
One friend asked me to play rap music for him because he wanted to hear the bass. The AirPods Pro have a bass down to 20Hz, so he was pretty pleased.
Siri has RSVP’d to your AirPods Pro. It syncs with an H1 chip to play a song, increase the volume, make a call, or get directions at your command.
You can share audio! Like when you’re on a plane with someone, and you want to watch the same movie. They just have to bring their AirPods close to your iPhone or iPad and boom! You’re connected.
Announce Messages will tell you when a loved one texts to say they landed safely or when you’re getting a call from the doctor.
Battery life is solid: Up to five hours of listening time, as with AirPods. That goes down to four hours if you use Active Noise Cancellation mode a lot, but the Wireless Charging Case is good for 24 hours.
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