AirPods Pro first look: Hands-on as earbuds get biggest upgrade in years

APPLE’S new AirPods Pro are finally here – and I’ve had a sneak peek.

The next-gen wireless earbuds were unveiled at this week’s Apple event.

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I’m on the ground in California and had a chance to check them out.

From the outside, this iPhone accessory looks pretty much the same as the first-generation AirPods Pro that launched in 2019.

But they’re packed with much smarter tech.

And so they should be: the AirPods Pro are the most premium of Apple’s wireless earbuds.

There’s a new H2 chip inside to deliver better sound quality.

And Apple says sound quality is ”transformed” with a low-distortion driver and amplifier.

The AirPods Pro support spatial audio (just like the old version) so you can hear full 360-degree sound.

And there’s a new iOS 16 iPhone feature that lets you use the camera to scan your ears to personalise your sound experience.

Unsurprisingly, the AirPods Pro also ship with active noise cancellation, shutting out ambient sound – great if you’re on a noisy train or busy street.

Apple says the new model doubles the amount of noise cancelled versus the original pair.

The AirPods stems are now touch-sensitive so you can lightly swipe them to control your audio.

And Apple says a single charge offer six hours of listening time per charge – that’s 33% up on the old model.

It means you get 30 hours of total listening time with the charging case.

So how much will the AirPods Pro set you back? You’re looking at a $249/£249 bill.

They’re available to order on September 9.

And the release date is September 23.

There’s also an option to get free engraving from Apple on the case, including with Memoji.

It’s great to see Apple continuing to put effort into AirPods.

They’re a cracking product and deservedly popular.

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