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Apple all set to reveal AirPods Pro 2, report says

By Trevor Mogg September 4, 2022

Just a few days out from Apple’s highly anticipated reveal event, a reliable leaker has shared his final predictions for what the tech giant is gearing up to announce.

While it’s all but certain that Apple will take the wraps off the iPhone 14 and new Apple Watches, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman said on Sunday that we should also expect to see an updated version of Apple’s AirPods Pro.

While there have already been plenty of reports suggesting that Apple is preparing to unveil a refreshed AirPods Pro to replace the original set released three years ago, concrete dates have been hard to come by. But Gurman is confidently predicting that Apple will show off the AirPods Pro 2 earbuds at its “Far out” event on Wednesday, September 7.

Availability and pricing, however, aren’t mentioned, so we’ll just have to wait and see on those fronts.

There’s talk of the updated earbuds sporting an all-new look that’s similar to the Beats Fit Pro, a design that would ditch the iconic stem that currently appears across the entirety of Apple’s AirPods range.

Better sound and improved battery life is also expected, and the introduction of motion sensors for basic fitness tracking could also be part of the package.

Changes could be coming to the earbuds’ charging case, too, in the form of a small speaker so that it can be easily located via Apple’s Find My app.

Besides the new smartphone, smartwatch, and earbuds, many commentators are also expecting Apple to unveil a new iPad.

For a more detailed look at what to expect from Apple’s special event on Wednesday, Digital Trends has you covered. Particularly interested in the AirPods Pro 2? Then be sure to check out this article.

Notably, this week’s event will be held in front of an audience, as well as being livestreamed. Apple dropped in-person unveiling events when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, switching instead to highly produced videos for the announcement of new products. But now it’s ready to once again invite members of the press to take a seat inside the Steve Jobs Theater at its headquarters in Cupertino, California.

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Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

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Apple has upgraded the AirPods Pro with lossless audio, sort of

Apple AirPods Pro with USB-C.

Amid the slew of new Apple products launched today, only the tiniest mention was made of the fact that Apple has also given the AirPods Pro Gen 2 wireless earbuds a not-so-minor refresh. Along with the expected addition of USB-C, making the AirPods Pro the first Apple headphones to ditch the Lightning connector, Apple has also given the iconic white noise-canceling earbuds the ability to do lossless audio wirelessly -- something that has never been seen on the AirPods family before, and is even a rarity among non-Apple wireless audio devices.

There is, however, a catch. The "groundbreaking wireless audio protocol" that allows for lossless audio at 20-bit/48 kHz (a better-than-CD-quality resolution) is powered by the AirPods Pro's H2 chip, but for now, it only works when paired with the upcoming Apple Vision Pro headset. At the moment, Qualcomm's aptX Lossless Bluetooth codec (when used with compatible wireless headphones and smartphones) is the only technology that supports lossless audio wirelessly, and even that technology is limited to 16-bit/48kHz.

Audio / Video

Second-generation AirPods Pro have USB-C now, too

Apple AirPods Pro with USB-C.

In one of the least-kept surprises of today's iPhone 15 event, Apple announced that the second-generation AirPods Pro are switching to USB-C for their charging case.

That's a big deal because they'll now use the same charger as the iPad and MacBook — and also because they can use any other USB-C cable that you've got laying around. And because we're not talking about a device with a huge battery capacity, you don't need to worry so much about whether you have the right USB-C cable. Things should charge just fine, and fast enough, given that the battery case only sports a 523 mAh battery.

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Are Apple AirPods waterproof? Everything you need to know

AirPods 3 on an athlete.

So, you just bought yourself a nice new pair of AirPods, or you're thinking about it because they're among the best wireless earbuds you can buy, and you're wondering if they're waterproof. The answer is no, AirPods are not waterproof and you should not wear them while swimming or in the shower or during a water balloon fight. But, if the pair of AirPods you've got (or got your eye on) is either the third-generation AirPods or the first or second-generation AirPods Pro, then you're in luck as they are water resistant.

We're going to get into what all that means and break down how water resistant each AirPods model is and what their water-resistance ratings mean for your daily activities. Let's go.
Water resistant vs. waterproof
As we mentioned above, none of Apple's AirPods -- AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPod Max -- are waterproof. But what is "waterproof" anyway? From an electronic device standpoint, being waterproof means that the device is watertight and can be completely submerged in water. There's a common ratings system designed for electronics to measure this (as well as dust and dirt resistance) known as the IP (Ingress Protection) rating, which we cover in our post on the water-resistance rating system.