Device hub · Earbuds · Desk research
AirPods (2nd generation)
AirPods (2nd generation) is the long-stem H1 open-ear: Hey Siri, double-tap, no ANC, no published IP rating, Lightning or Qi Wireless Charging Case.
Product images
Placeholder — OEM press not licensedAirPods (2nd generation)
Credit: GadgetShowdown labeled placeholder (not an Apple asset). View official product image
Studio still only. Manufacturer press JPEGs are not hosted here. See the official product page for the real product photo.
Placeholder — OEM press not licensedAirPods (2nd generation)
Credit: GadgetShowdown labeled placeholder (not an Apple asset). View official product image
Studio still only. Manufacturer press JPEGs are not hosted here. See the official product page for the real product photo.
In short
AirPods (2nd generation) is the long-stem H1 open-ear: Hey Siri, double-tap, no ANC, no published IP rating, Lightning or Qi Wireless Charging Case. Buy it only as an old-vs-old / compare-page record against AirPods 1st generation (W1, no Hey Siri) and AirPods 3 (short stem, Spatial, IPX4). Launch prices were $159 (Lightning case) and $199 (Wireless Charging Case) in 2019.
Who it is for
- Old-vs-old writers comparing AirPods (2nd generation) to AirPods (1st generation): H1 and Hey Siri versus W1 and double-tap Siri only.
- Shoppers who still see AirPods 2 on leftover Apple compare columns as of 2026-09-19 and need an earbuds-v1 table instead of a forum post.
- Used / leftover buyers who want the long-stem open-ear and will accept no ANC and no published IP rating.
- People identifying A2032 / A2031 buds with Lightning case A1602 or Wireless Charging Case A1938 (Identify 109525).
Who should skip it
- Anyone who wants ANC, Transparency, or silicone tips. Support 111856 lists none of those. That job is a Pro hub.
- Anyone who wants Hearing Aid. That footnote family is AirPods Pro 2 and later.
- Anyone who wants the 2021 short stem, Personalized Spatial Audio on the audio list, force sensor, or IPX4. That is AirPods 3.
- Android-first buyers who want LDAC or a first-class Google / Samsung app. Apple lists Bluetooth use on non-Apple devices with limited functionality.
Key differentiators
- H1 and Hey Siri — the named 2019 hop versus AirPods (1st generation)’s W1 and double-tap-to-Siri (not Hey Siri).
- Double-tap stem, dual optical sensors, no force sensor, no skin-detect. Long 40.5 mm stem versus AirPods 3’s 30.79 mm.
- No ANC, no Transparency, no IP rating published. Keep those keys. Do not copy AirPods 3’s IPX4 footnote onto this sheet.
- Battery: up to 5 hours; more than 24 hours with either case; 15 minutes ≈ 3 hours. Fast-charge window is longer than the later 5-minute ≈ 1-hour Pro / AirPods 3 table.
Caveats
- Support 111856 has no Audio Technology section in the sheet we pulled. Drivers, ANC, Transparency, and Spatial are not published as named audio rows — keep the keys and say so.
- Footnotes on 111856 that mention AirPods 3 / Pro 2 IPX4 or Spatial template language are not AirPods 2 claims. Do not promote them into the first table.
- Two case SKUs: Lightning Charging Case or Wireless Charging Case (Qi + Lightning). Same 53.5 × 44.3 × 21.3 mm / 38.2 g table.
- Apple product photography is not hosted here. Third-party IP guidelines and Newsroom “editorial use” language do not give a commercial gadget site a clear redistribution license.
Earbud-category specs
Same manufacturer rows on every earbud page.
| Attribute | Value | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | Open-ear long stem (no silicone tips) | Apple Support 111856 |
| Fit / tips / wings | One-size open-ear; no ear tips in the box | Apple Support 111856 (In the Box) |
| Driver / acoustic architecture (OEM) | Not published | Apple Support 111856 |
| Chip / processor | H1 headphone chip | Apple Support 111856 |
| Active noise cancellation (OEM) | No — Active Noise Cancellation is not listed on Support 111856 (accessed 2026-09-19) | Apple Support 111856 |
| Transparency / ambient (OEM) | No — Transparency mode is not listed on Support 111856 (accessed 2026-09-19) | Apple Support 111856 |
| Spatial / 360 audio (OEM) | Not published | Apple Support 111856Support 111856 does not list Personalized Spatial Audio in the main feature list we pulled. Do not invent a Spatial row from compare-template footnotes. |
| Hearing features (OEM) | Not published | Apple Support 111856; Pro 2 Support 111834 footnotes |
| Battery — buds (OEM) | Up to 5 hours of listening time with a single charge | Apple Support 111856Apple February 2019 test footnotes (256 kbps AAC, 50% volume, iPhone Xs Max). |
| Battery — with case (OEM) | More than 24 hours of listening time with Lightning Charging Case or Wireless Charging Case | Apple Support 111856 |
| Charging (OEM) | Lightning on both case SKUs. 15 minutes in the case provides up to 3 hours of listening time. Lightning to USB-A Cable in the box. | Apple Support 111856 |
| Wireless charging | Wireless Charging Case: Qi-certified chargers or Lightning. Lightning Charging Case: Lightning only — no wireless charging. | Apple Support 111856 |
| Water / dust — buds | Not published | Apple Support 111856Do not copy the 111856 footnote that names AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro 2 IPX4 onto AirPods 2. |
| Water / dust — case | Not published | Apple Support 111856 |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology | Apple Support 111856 |
| Codecs (OEM) | Not published | Apple Support 111856 footnotesApple’s battery footnotes use 256 kbps AAC test tracks. Do not invent LDAC. |
| Microphones / calls (OEM) | Dual beamforming microphones | Apple Support 111856 |
| On-bud controls | Double-tap to play, skip forward, or answer a phone call; say “Hey Siri” | Apple Support 111856 |
| Multipoint / device switching | Automatic switching across devices on the same Apple Account. Not a named Android-style two-device multipoint toggle. | Apple Support 111856 system requirements / product language |
| Sensors (OEM) | Dual beamforming microphones; dual optical sensors; motion-detecting accelerometer; speech-detecting accelerometer | Apple Support 111856 |
| Weight — one bud | 4 g (0.14 oz) | Apple Support 111856 |
| Weight — case | 38.2 g (1.35 oz) — Lightning Charging Case or Wireless Charging Case | Apple Support 111856 |
| Dimensions — one bud | 40.5 × 16.5 × 18.0 mm (H × W × D) | Apple Support 111856 |
| Dimensions — case | 53.5 × 44.3 × 21.3 mm (H × W × D) | Apple Support 111856 |
| Finishes | White (the spec sheet does not list additional colorways) | Apple Support 111856 |
| Phone / OS compatibility | Latest iOS / iPadOS / watchOS / macOS / tvOS for full features on the current Support sheet. Usable as Bluetooth headphones on earlier Apple OS and non-Apple devices with limited functionality. | Apple Support 111856 |
| Find / Fast Pair / UWB | Not published | Apple Support 111856 |
| Companion app / firmware | iOS Settings (no third-party app). Firmware via Apple OS updates. Hey Siri is the named H1 extra versus 1st generation. | Apple Support 111856 |
| US MSRP (launch) | $159 with Lightning Charging Case; $199 with Wireless Charging Case (US, 2019) | Apple Newsroom 2019-03-20Apple Newsroom, 20 March 2019. Street and leftover prices go stale. |
| Price band | Midrange true-wireless ($150–$200 US launch) | Derived from Apple $159 / $199 start |
| Announced | 2019 (year introduced on Support 111856); Newsroom 20 March 2019 | Apple Support 111856; Apple Newsroom |
| Availability | Leftover / old-vs-old. apple.com/airpods merchandises AirPods 5, Pro 3, and Max 2 as of 2026-09-19 re-check. Compare HTML still carries an AirPods (2nd generation) column. This hub stays. | Apple AirPods compare; Support 111856 |
AirPods (2nd generation) extras
Unique to this line or SKU. Other earbuds keep the first table aligned and swap this extras list.
| Attribute | Value | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| Lightning vs Wireless Charging Case | Lightning Charging Case works with the Lightning connector. Wireless Charging Case works with Qi-certified chargers or Lightning. Support 111856 prints one size/weight table for both (38.2 g). | Apple Support 111856 |
| Identify | AirPods 2 — year introduced 2019. Bud models A2032, A2031. Lightning case A1602 (shared family with 1st generation, year 2016). Wireless Charging Case A1938 (2019; also listed as working with AirPods 1). | Apple Support 109525 |
| In the box | AirPods 2; Lightning Charging Case or Wireless Charging Case; Lightning to USB-A Cable; documentation. No ear tips. | Apple Support 111856 |
| Hey Siri | Say “Hey Siri” — the named H1 control extra versus AirPods (1st generation), which is double-tap to activate Siri only. | Apple Support 111856; Support 111855 |
| Accessibility features | Live Listen, Headphone levels, Headphone Accommodations | Apple Support 111856 |
Overview
AirPods (2nd generation) is the March 2019 long-stem open-ear. Apple’s own framing on Support 111856 is H1, Hey Siri, double-tap, and a Lightning or Wireless Charging Case. There are no silicone tips, no ANC, no Transparency, and no IP rating on the sheet we pulled. apple.com/airpods now merchandises AirPods 5 / Pro 3 / Max 2 (re-check 19 September 2026); compare HTML still carries a 2nd-generation column, which is why this old-vs-old hub stays.
This hub exists so later earbud writers can clone one honest device record instead of collapsing AirPods 2 into AirPods 3 or into 1st generation. The first spec table is earbuds-v1 — the same keys belong on AirPods 1, Galaxy Buds2 Pro, Sony WF-1000XM5, and Pixel Buds Pro. It is not a sitewide gadget schema and it is not watches-v1. Comparison URLs stay on their own -vs- slugs under /earbuds/…. This page’s public path is locked at /earbuds/airpods-2/.
We do not claim we wore these on a commute or a run. Where Apple omits a driver diameter or an IP code, we keep the key and write “not published.”
Fit, tips, and form factor
AirPods 2 is an open-ear long stem. Support 111856’s in-the-box list is buds, a Lightning or Wireless Charging Case, a Lightning to USB-A cable, and documentation — no tips.
Dimensions are 40.5 × 16.5 × 18.0 mm per bud, 4 g. AirPods (1st generation) prints 16.5 × 18.0 × 40.5 mm / 4 g — same box, different axis order on the 1st-generation sheet. AirPods 3 is 30.79 × 18.26 × 19.21 mm / 4.28 g. Quote the sheet you are on.
ANC, transparency, and spatial (OEM claims only)
Copy Apple’s names. There are almost none.
- ANC: No. Not listed on 111856.
- Transparency: No. Not listed on 111856.
- Spatial: not published on the main 111856 feature list we pulled. Do not invent Personalized Spatial Audio.
A Pro page keeps the same anc key and writes the OEM ANC name. AirPods 3 writes No for ANC and Yes for Personalized Spatial Audio.
Battery and charging (OEM table only)
Copy this table, do not invent rundown curves:
| Mode (Apple’s words) | AirPods 2 claim |
|---|---|
| Listening | Up to 5 hours |
| With Lightning or Wireless Charging Case | More than 24 hours |
| Fast charge | 15 minutes in the case ≈ 3 hours |
In the box: buds, Lightning Charging Case or Wireless Charging Case, Lightning to USB-A cable, documentation. Qi wireless charging exists only on the Wireless Charging Case SKU.
ANC, fit, and battery
anc, fit_system, and battery_buds are earbuds-v1 rows: every later earbud page should fill them, even when the OEM only publishes “not listed.”
AirPods 2 fit is the no-tip long stem with no published IP. Battery is the 5 / more-than-24 table. ANC is the explicit No. That trio is the vs-page payload.
Codecs, Bluetooth, and switching
Apple printed Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology and used AAC tracks in the battery footnote. It did not print LDAC, LC3, or SSC on Support 111856 we pulled. Keep codecs and write “not published.” Automatic switching is the Apple Account behavior, not a two-device Android multipoint toggle — keep multipoint and say so.
Hearing features and what not to invent
Hearing Aid is not on AirPods 2. Keep hearing_health and write “Not published on the spec sheet (accessed 2026-09-19).” Apple’s later footnotes say Hearing Test / Aid / Protection are AirPods Pro 2 and later.
Accessibility on 111856 lists Live Listen, Headphone levels, and Headphone Accommodations. That is not Hearing Aid. No medical advice.
Software, Find My, and compatibility
Full features: latest Apple OS family on the current Support sheet. Support 111856 does not list U1, a case speaker, or a lanyard loop. Hey Siri is the software-facing H1 extra versus 1st generation.
The Wireless Charging Case accessory (Support 111860) is Qi + Lightning, year introduced 2019, model A1938, and Apple says it works with AirPods 1 and 2. The standalone accessory weight on 111860 is 40 g — do not overwrite the 38.2 g combo-case row on 111856.
Price and SKUs
US launch is $159 with Lightning Charging Case and $199 with Wireless Charging Case (Newsroom, 20 March 2019). Year introduced 2019 on Support 111856. Leftover / old-vs-old: apple.com/airpods merchandises AirPods 5 / Pro 3 / Max 2 as of 2026-09-19; compare HTML still carries a 2nd-generation column.
SKU split (do not merge ports)
| SKU | Year introduced (Identify 109525) | Bud models | Case model | Wireless charging |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AirPods 2 + Lightning Charging Case | 2019 buds; case family 2016 | A2032, A2031 | A1602 | Lightning only |
| AirPods 2 + Wireless Charging Case | 2019 | A2032, A2031 | A1938 | Qi + Lightning |
In the box (Support 111856)
| Item | Present |
|---|---|
| AirPods 2 | Yes |
| Lightning Charging Case or Wireless Charging Case | One of the two |
| Lightning to USB-A Cable | Yes |
| Ear tips | No |
| Documentation | Yes |
Do not invent independent scores, Amazon star averages, or “we wore them for a week.” If you need a winner against AirPods 1st generation or AirPods 3, that is a future /earbuds/…-vs-…/ page — this hub only describes one product.
Sources
- Apple Newsroom — Apple introduces the new AirPods — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple Support — AirPods 2 tech specs (111856) — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple Support — Identify your AirPods (109525) — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple Support — AirPods (2 and earlier) Wireless Charging Case (111860) — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple — AirPods compare — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple — Guidelines for Using Apple Trademarks and Copyrights — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Do AirPods 2 have ANC or an IP rating?
Neither is published on Support 111856. Keep anc, transparency, water_resistance, and case_ingress and write No / not published. Do not borrow AirPods 3’s IPX4 footnote.
What is actually new versus AirPods (1st generation)?
H1 instead of W1, Hey Siri instead of double-tap-only Siri, Bluetooth 5.0 printed, optional Wireless Charging Case at launch ($199), and a 38.2 g case table versus the 1st-generation 38 g Lightning case. Battery hours are the same class: 5 hours and more than 24 hours; 15 minutes ≈ 3 hours.
Is Spatial Audio on this spec sheet?
Not as a named audio-technology row on Support 111856 we pulled on 19 September 2026. Keep spatial_audio as “not published.” Do not invent Personalized Spatial Audio from leftover compare footnotes.
Lightning case or Wireless Charging Case?
Both are on Support 111856 with one size and weight table (53.5 × 44.3 × 21.3 mm, 38.2 g). Wireless adds Qi. Identify: Lightning case A1602, Wireless case A1938 (also sold for AirPods 1 — Support 111860).
Is the $159 / $199 price a street price?
No. Those are Apple’s published US launch prices in March 2019. Compare-page leftover pricing is not launch MSRP.
Did Apple publish a codec list?
Not as an SBC/AAC/LDAC list. Battery footnotes use 256 kbps AAC test tracks. Keep the codecs row and write “not published” rather than inventing LDAC.
Official product page: AirPods (2nd generation). Tech specs: AirPods (2nd generation) specs.