Comparison · Earbuds · Desk research
AirPods (1st generation) vs AirPods Pro (1st generation)
Quick Answer
AirPods (1st generation) and AirPods Pro (1st generation) are two discontinued Apple earbuds, not a 2026 new-buy fork. The stem pair uses Apple’s W1 chip, weighs 4 g each, and claims up to 5 hours of listening (more than 24 hours with the Lightning Charging Case). The Pro (1st generation) pair uses the H1 headphone chip, silicone tips in three sizes, Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency, and Adaptive EQ, at 5.4 g each, with up to 4.5 hours of listening with.
The verdict
keep AirPods (1st generation) for open stems; buy used AirPods Pro (1st generation) only if you need a seal, ANC, and silicone tips
Why: This is Megg’s old-vs-old example, not a current-hub. AirPods (1st generation) are W1 stem buds with no ANC. AirPods Pro (1st generation, 2019) add H1, Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency, Adaptive EQ, IPX4 buds, and three-size silicone tips. Both use Lightning cases. The paid fork is sealing and Apple’s ANC claim — not a chip race against Pro 2 or Pro 3.
Buy AirPods (1st generation) if
You want the original open-ear stem AirPods, a 5-hour single-charge listening claim, and you do not need tips or Active Noise Cancellation.
Buy AirPods Pro (1st generation) if
You are shopping used/refurb first-gen Pros specifically for ANC, Transparency, Adaptive EQ, and a silicone seal — and you can live with Lightning and IPX4 buds only.
Spec comparison
OEM rows only. AirPods (1st generation) numbers are from Apple Support — AirPods 1 Tech Specs. AirPods Pro (1st generation) numbers are from the Wireless Charging Case and MagSafe Charging Case Support pages. Cells Apple does not publish stay marked.
| Spec | AirPods (1st generation) | AirPods Pro (1st generation) |
|---|---|---|
| Year / era (OEM) | Battery footnotes dated August 2016; Support title “AirPods 1” | 2019 buds (October 2019 testing); MagSafe case SKU year introduced 2021 |
| Form | Open stem | In-ear with silicone tips (three sizes) |
| Chip | Apple W1 | H1 headphone chip |
| ANC / Transparency / Adaptive EQ | Not listed | Active Noise Cancellation; Transparency mode; Adaptive EQ |
| Spatial audio | Not listed on the AirPods 1 page | Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking (footnote: Spatialize Stereo needs iOS 15 or later) |
| Weight (each bud) | 4 g (0.14 oz) | 5.4 g (0.19 oz) |
| Bud size | 16.5 × 18.0 × 40.5 mm | 30.9 × 21.8 × 24.0 mm |
| Case weight | 38 g (1.34 oz) | 45.6 g (1.61 oz) |
| Case size | 44.3 × 21.3 × 53.5 mm | 45.2 × 60.6 × 21.7 mm |
| Case connector | Lightning | Lightning plus Qi (Wireless Charging Case); MagSafe + Qi + Lightning (2021 MagSafe SKU) |
| Listening, single charge | Up to 5 hours | Up to 4.5 hours with ANC (up to 5 hours with ANC and Transparency off) |
| Listening with case | More than 24 hours | More than 24 hours |
| Quick charge | 15 min in case = 3 hours listening | 5 min in case ≈ 1 hour listening |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth (version not numbered on that page) | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Mics / sensors | Dual beamforming mics; dual optical sensors; motion + speech accelerometers | Dual beamforming mics; inward-facing mic; dual optical sensors; motion + speech accelerometers; force sensor |
| Water / sweat | Not listed | IPX4 buds (IEC 60529). Cases are not sweat or water resistant |
| Controls | Double-tap (Siri / playback as worded on that page) | Force sensor press / press-and-hold for ANC ↔ Transparency; “Hey Siri” |
| Original system requirements | iOS 10 / watchOS 3 / macOS Sierra (plus iCloud for the setup footnote) | Latest iOS / iPadOS / watchOS / macOS / tvOS on the live Support page; limited Bluetooth use on earlier software |
| ANC dB | Not published | Not published |
Who each pair is for
AirPods (1st generation) are the original open-ear stem buds. If the pair still connects and you only need tap-to-play and a Lightning case, Apple’s own 5-hour / 24-hour-with-case table is the whole battery story.
AirPods Pro (1st generation) are the first Apple in-ear ANC buds. The reason to pay used-Pro money is the seal: tips, ANC, Transparency, Adaptive EQ, and IPX4 on the buds. It is not a substitute for AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods Pro 3.
What’s shared (do not invent a chip war)
Both are Lightning-era Apple earbuds with dual beamforming microphones and a “more than 24 hours with case” listening claim. That is not the same chip. W1 stays on AirPods (1st generation). H1 stays on AirPods Pro (1st generation).
Battery and charging
Copy Apple’s mode names. Stems: up to 5 hours; 15 minutes in the case equals 3 hours. Pro (1st generation): up to 4.5 hours with ANC, or up to 5 hours with ANC and Transparency off; 5 minutes in the case provides around 1 hour. Both claim more than 24 hours with their cases. These are Apple listening tests (256-Kbps AAC, 50% volume), not mixed-use lab numbers.
ANC, tips, and water
This is the hardware fork. AirPods (1st generation) have no ANC row and no silicone tips. AirPods Pro (1st generation) list ANC, Transparency, Adaptive EQ, a vent system, and IPX4 on the buds only. Do not write a decibel gap. Do not upgrade the Pro case to IPX4.
Price
Apple no longer publishes a current US start price for either SKU on these Support pages. Date any street or refurb ticket. This page is not a “buy new at Apple” comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Does either pair use the H1 chip?
Only AirPods Pro (1st generation). Apple’s Pro Support pages list the H1 headphone chip. AirPods (1st generation) Support lists the custom Apple W1 chip. Do not write H1 on the original stem AirPods.
Do AirPods (1st generation) have Active Noise Cancellation?
No. The AirPods 1 Tech Specs page does not list ANC, Transparency, or Adaptive EQ. Those rows appear on the AirPods Pro (1st generation) Support pages.
Is this AirPods Pro 2 or Pro 3?
Neither. This slug is AirPods (1st generation, W1, 2016-era Support footnotes) versus AirPods Pro (1st generation, H1, October 2019 battery testing / 2021 MagSafe case SKU). Pro 2 and Pro 3 live on other /earbuds/ URLs.
Lightning or wireless charging?
AirPods (1st generation) ship with a Lightning Charging Case only on the Support page. AirPods Pro (1st generation) has two case SKUs: Wireless Charging Case (Qi-certified chargers or Lightning) and the later MagSafe Charging Case (MagSafe, Qi, or Lightning). Both Pro cases still use Lightning as the wired connector.