AirPods Pro 2 vs AirPods Pro (1st generation)

Apple announced AirPods Pro (1st generation) on 28 October 2019 at $249, then AirPods Pro 2 on 7 September 2022 at the same $249, and kept that price when Pro 2 moved to a USB-C case on 12 September 2023. The buds have the same silhouette and the same published size, 30.9 × 21.8 × 24.0 mm. Neither is Apple’s current Pro: the 2019 pair is discontinued, and Pro 2 is the previous model, so you’re most likely shopping used or for remaining stock.

Pro 2 and the 2019 Pro side by side

Spec	AirPods Pro 2	AirPods Pro (1st generation)
Announced	7 September 2022; USB-C case 12 September 2023	28 October 2019
US launch price	$249	$249
Chip	H2 in the buds; U1 in the USB-C MagSafe case	H1
Listening modes	Noise cancellation, Transparency, Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness	Noise cancellation, Transparency
Hearing Test, Hearing Aid, Hearing Protection	Yes	No
Listening, single charge	Up to 6 hours	Up to 4.5 hours with noise cancellation
With the case	Up to 30 hours with the USB-C case	More than 24 hours with the Wireless Charging Case
Dust and water	IP54, buds and USB-C case	IPX4 buds; case not sweat or water resistant
Tips	Four sizes: XS, S, M, L	Three sizes
Weight, one bud	5.3 g	5.4 g
Case weight	50.8 g (USB-C, with speaker and lanyard loop)	45.6 g
Case charging	USB-C, MagSafe, Apple Watch charger or Qi	Lightning or Qi; the 2021 MagSafe case adds MagSafe
Controls	Touch, with volume swipe	Force sensor
Bluetooth	5.3	5.0

The hearing features are the clearest upgrade

AirPods Pro 2 support Apple’s Hearing Test, Hearing Aid and Hearing Protection, plus Loud Sound Reduction. They need current firmware and iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 or later, or macOS Sequoia or later on a Mac. The Hearing Aid is for people 18 and older with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, and it isn’t offered in every country. It’s a hearing feature, not a medical diagnosis.

The 2019 pair has none of this, and no firmware update will add it to the H1 buds. Its accessibility settings do include Conversation Boost, but that’s a different feature from the Conversation Awareness on Pro 2.

Noise cancellation gained a smart mode

Both pairs have Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency. On the 2019 pair that comes with Adaptive EQ, and later software added spatial audio with dynamic head tracking. Pro 2 go further with Adaptive Audio, which Apple describes as a blend of Transparency and noise cancellation, plus Conversation Awareness and Personalized Volume. Apple says Pro 2 cancel up to twice as much noise as the first generation and as AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation; it gives no decibel figure for either pair.

Battery, and a case you can get wet

Pro 2 last up to 6 hours per charge, or 5.5 with Spatial Audio and head tracking, and up to 4 hours of lossless audio with Apple Vision Pro. The USB-C case brings the total to up to 30 hours. The 2019 pair lasts up to 4.5 hours with noise cancellation on, or 5 with noise cancellation and Transparency off, and more than 24 hours with the Wireless Charging Case. On both, five minutes in the case gives about an hour of listening.

Water is the cleaner split. The 2019 buds are IPX4, which covers sweat and water during non-water sports, but Apple says the Wireless Charging Case and the later MagSafe case for that generation aren’t sweat or water resistant. Pro 2 with the USB-C case are rated IP54 for the buds and the case, dust included. Neither rating covers swimming, and Apple says the protection isn’t permanent. The hours and the IP54 rating are for the USB-C model; Apple doesn’t give separate figures for the 2022 Lightning case.

Charging and the case

The 2019 case charges over Lightning or on a Qi pad, and its box has a Lightning to USB-C cable. A 2021 MagSafe case for the same buds added MagSafe charging and kept Lightning. Pro 2 launched in 2022 with a Lightning MagSafe case. The USB-C version charges over USB-C, MagSafe, an Apple Watch charger or Qi, with a USB-C cable in the box, and adds a speaker, a lanyard loop and the U1 chip. With those extras it weighs 50.8 grams, against 45.6 for the 2019 case.

Fit and controls

The 2019 box has three tip sizes; Pro 2 come with four, from extra small to large. If the 2019 medium never quite fit, Pro 2’s extra small is a new option to try, not a guarantee. AirPods Pro 3 later added an XXS foam-infused tip.

The 2019 stem is a force sensor: press for play and calls, press and hold to switch between noise cancellation and Transparency, and “Hey Siri” for voice. Pro 2 use touch controls, with a swipe for volume and press and hold for listening modes, and they answer to both “Siri” and “Hey Siri”. Pro 2’s microphones also add Voice Isolation.

Buying either one now

From 2019 to 2023 the launch price never moved, but what you’ll pay now depends on the seller, since one pair is discontinued and the other is previous-generation stock. A low price on the 2019 pair is only a deal if you won’t miss H2, the hearing features or a case you can get wet. Shop by the full name, too: “AirPods Pro” on Apple’s site today means a newer model, not the 2019 pair.

The 2019 box has the buds, the Wireless Charging Case, three tip sizes, a Lightning to USB-C cable and documentation. The USB-C Pro 2 box has four tip sizes and a USB-C cable. Apple lists both pairs in white only. Both give you every feature on Apple devices and work as Bluetooth headphones with limited features on other phones. Check the model name and the port before you pay.

If you’re buying new, AirPods Pro 3 add IP57, five tip sizes and a heart-rate sensor for workouts; AirPods Pro 2 vs AirPods Pro 3 covers that step. And if in-ear tips don’t suit you, neither of these will either.