Remember when we bumped into an OEM Case Maker in Hong Kong and confirmed the AirPods Pro will be coming? Well, the long wait is over as Apple quietly revealed the AirPods Pro through their website. The latest AirPods completes Apple’s “Pro” lineup for 2019 — iPhone 11 Pro, iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, Mac Pro, and the Pro Display XDR.

You can find a plethora of wireless earbuds around, from major brands, down to clone makers. In fact, Sony launched the first true noise-cancelling earbuds with the WF-1000XM3. Other major companies (such as Microsoft with the Surface Buds and Google’s New Pixel Buds) followed the wireless buds “trend”– so what’s with the AirPods Pro hype?

What’s new?

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Other than the new design (that honestly looks like a miniaturized hair blower) and a wider case, it’s packed with serious audio tech. A lot of audiophiles have been loving their AirPods, what more with the AirPods Pro?

If you’re one among those people who use the good ol’ AirPods (including me), you can still hear your surroundings around, even if you max out the volume of your music. With the AirPods Pro, you don’t have to worry as it now has Active Noise Cancellation.

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It’s possible thanks to the H1 chip and sensors, capable of delivering immersive audio experience in a small bud package. The opposing inward and outward-facing microphones equal the amount of unwanted external sound through Anti-Noise.

Not used to complete music isolation? You can press and hold the Force Sensor on the stem to switch to Transparency Mode — ideal for a more natural environment, especially when you want to hear people around you. The sensor also lets you switch between songs and answer calls in between.

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Apple promises that you’ll feel your music more than the headphones as they incorporated air vents to alleviate the pressure. The microphone also features an expanded mesh that improves the quality of calls even in windy situations.

With comfort in mind, there are three different earbud tips that cater to various ear sizes. Adaptive EQ also helps in tuning the music to the shape of your ear, for a richer and clearer listening experience. For fitness freaks, it’s now a perfect gym partner as it features IPX4 sweat and water resistance.

The features we love are still here

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Just like the older AirPods, you can activate “Hey Siri” hands-free with your voice. You can switch between music, answer calls, ask for directions, all without lifting your finger. Audio Sharing is also present, so you can wirelessly share the music or podcast to someone (and dongles should be a thing of the past).

With a single charge, expect up to 4.5 hours of listening and 3.5 hours with talking. A 15-minute charge with the case will get you another hour of listening and talking. You can expect more than 24 hours of usage with a fully-charged wireless charging case. It’s also Qi-compatible, so you can charge it wirelessly wherever you go.

Pricing and availability

It retails for US$ 249 in the United States and SG$ 379 in Singapore. In the Philippines, it sells for PhP 14,990, which is worth PhP 3,000 more than the recent AirPods 2 with wireless charging case.

It’s currently available for pre-order in the United States and 25 other countries (such as Singapore, Japan, and Hong Kong) while in-store availability will roll out later this week. Apple will start shipping out orders on October 30, 2019.

Availability in other regions are yet to be followed.