Comparison · Earbuds · Desk research
AirPods Pro 2 vs AirPods Pro (1st generation)
Quick Answer
AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro (1st generation) are two sealed Apple Pros, not Pro 3. First-gen Pro Support (111861 Wireless Charging Case / 111859 MagSafe Charging Case) lists the H1 headphone chip, Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency, Adaptive EQ, IPX4 buds, three silicone tip sizes, 5.4 g each, up to 4.5 hours with ANC (up to 5 hours with ANC and Transparency off), more than 24 hours with the case, 5 minutes ≈ 1 hour, Bluetooth 5.0, Lightning plus Qi.
The verdict
AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods Pro (1st generation) — quote the two manufacturer sheets.
Why: Old-vs-old / older-pair inside Pro. AirPods Pro (1st generation, Support 111861 / 111859) is H1, ANC + Transparency + Adaptive EQ, IPX4 buds, three tip sizes, Lightning Wireless or MagSafe case, up to 4.5h ANC / 5h ANC off, more than 24h with case. Pro 2 is H2 with two case SKUs (Lightning 111851 / USB-C 111834), Hearing Test / Hearing Aid / Hearing Protection, up to 6h / 30h with case. Distinct from Pro 3 vs Pro 2.
Buy AirPods Pro 2 if
You want leftover Pro 2: H2, the Hearing Test / Hearing Aid rows, and Apple’s 6-hour / 30-hour table — and you will name Lightning vs USB-C.
Buy AirPods Pro (1st generation) if
You are shopping used first-gen Pros specifically for a seal and named ANC, and Lightning plus IPX4 buds are enough.
Spec comparison
Pro 2 = 111851 / 111834. First-gen Pro = 111861 / 111859.
| Spec | AirPods Pro 2 | AirPods Pro (1st generation) |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | H2; U1 in the MagSafe case | H1 headphone chip |
| ANC / Transparency / Adaptive EQ | ANC; Transparency / Adaptive Transparency or Adaptive Audio (SKU) | Active Noise Cancellation; Transparency; Adaptive EQ |
| Hearing Test / Hearing Aid | Listed on 111851 | Not on the 111861 / 111859 extract |
| Listening, single charge | Up to 6h (5.5h Spatial + head tracking) | Up to 4.5h with ANC (up to 5h with ANC and Transparency off) |
| Listening with case | Up to 30h | More than 24 hours |
| Quick charge | 5 min ≈ 1h | 5 min ≈ 1h |
| Weight (each bud) | Re-open Support if you need grams | 5.4 g |
| Case connector | Lightning MagSafe or USB-C MagSafe | Lightning + Qi; MagSafe on the 2021 SKU |
| Water | IPX4 Lightning page; IP54 USB-C page | IPX4 buds. Cases not sweat or water resistant |
| Bluetooth | As printed on each Pro 2 page | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Tips | XS–L on 111851 | Three sizes |
| ANC dB | Not published | Not published |
H1 versus H2
That is the pair. First-gen Pro is the 2019 H1 seal. Pro 2 is leftover H2 with hearing rows and a longer single-charge table. Pro 3 vs Pro 2 is a different URL.
Frequently asked questions
Does first-gen Pro use H2?
No. Support 111861 / 111859 list the H1 headphone chip. H2 is the Pro 2 row.
Does first-gen Pro have Hearing Aid?
The first-gen Pro Support pages we cite list ANC, Transparency, and Adaptive EQ. Hearing Test / Hearing Aid / Hearing Protection are Pro 2 Support rows (111851). Do not backport them.
Lightning or USB-C?
First-gen Pro cases use Lightning (Wireless Charging Case: Qi + Lightning; 2021 MagSafe case: MagSafe + Qi + Lightning). Pro 2 still has a Lightning SKU on 111851 and a USB-C SKU on 111834.