Review of wireless headphones Apple Air Pods 2 with key features

In the spring of 2019, Apple presented a number of new devices. Not in the last position among them are the new Apple Air Pods 2 wireless headphones, the advantages and disadvantages of which are discussed in this article.

The first generation of headphones came out about 2 years ago and, despite the overpriced, according to buyers, cost, it has become one of the company's most successful devices.

Positioning

Representatives of the corporation call the novelty the most popular wireless headphones in the world. Perhaps there are reasons for this, and in fact, on the streets there is an opportunity to often see users with this model in their ears, however, the main thing is that this is actually a successful gadget in terms of a number of characteristics: the case with headphones is quite comfortable to take with you, because it fits in any pocket.

The device itself is as comfortable as Ear Pods, comfortable to wear (but there are users for whom the form factor of these models is absolutely not suitable).You rarely need to recharge, and due to the battery integrated into the case, this is done without interrupting playing your favorite tracks.

Simply put, the user, while listening to the tracks, has the opportunity to restore the charge of the case, and then, after stopping playback, put the device in the case and, after taking it out after a certain period of time, get already charged headphones ready for work.

In addition, they really have high sound quality and excellent functionality within the proprietary ecosystem: the user has the opportunity, for example, to use Air Pods 2 along with the branded Watch without an iPhone or listen to tracks on a smartphone, but control the process through the watch. Well, of course, the other devices of the corporation with the OS are also connected to the headphones.

Specifications

Equipment

The box of the novelty is completely identical to the packaging of its predecessor. It is small, square in shape, designed in a light minimalist style.

The key difference lies in the inscription Wireless Charging Case under the name of the device. It is clear why this is necessary: ​​to distinguish the version with a wireless charging case, since, if you remember, it is possible to purchase the novelty with the case of the first version.

Inside, everything is similar to its predecessor: a case in which the headphones are located, in an envelope there is a pack of leaflets, and under a pallet of cardboard materials there is a Lightning cord. By the way, look at the name - it is identical to the first model, there is no number "2" in the name.

Appearance of headphones and case

The design of the novelty has not changed at all. Simply put, if you put the previous version and the second generation model side by side, the user, even with tremendous efforts, is not able to distinguish between them.

This is a disadvantage, in particular, for those users who love any innovations, however, this is also the advantage of the device - compatibility has remained. In other words, consumers have the opportunity to purchase only a case with a wireless charging option, and a novelty with an old case, using it as an auxiliary battery.

In general, the differences in the appearance of the novelty relate exclusively to the case with the wireless charging option. The main thing is that the placement of the pointer on the case has changed.

Before that, he was under the cover, next to the headphone heads, and from now on he was moved to the front cover of the case. This move is clear: when the user puts the case on wireless charging, there is a desire to see if the process has started.

The fact is that a common disadvantage of wireless chargers is that sometimes there is a need to put the gadget on them in a specific way so that everything works. In other words, not every position starts the charge recovery process, and therefore the presence of a pointer is a very useful thing.

When testing a new case with 2 wireless chargers, in two cases the process started well, but on the condition that the case was located directly in the center. If you put it closer to the end of the surface, then it will not charge.

The second and final difference in the appearance of the case is the displacement of the key located at the back a little closer to the middle.Using this button, it is possible to turn on the pointer, however, in everyday life you have to use it infrequently, so you can’t rank this move as advantages or disadvantages - this is unlikely to have an impact on user experience and is most likely caused by any distinctive features of the design.

As for the headphones themselves, as mentioned before, their appearance has remained the same. The novelty is comfortable to fit, does not fall out of the ears, does not cause discomfort, and the design is made in the best possible way.

Synchronization and operation

The first synchronization with devices running the iOS operating system for headphones is carried out in a similar way to its predecessor: you need to open the case, a window immediately appears on the smartphone, in which the owner of the device is offered to synchronize the gadget. No crashes or lags were found during testing.

The process will take no more than a couple of seconds, and here the novelty in conjunction with the iPhone really has no competitors, however, we saw this in the first version of the headphones. What has changed?

Representatives of the company say that the speed of the transition of Air Pods 2 between devices. For example, a user started watching a video on a smartphone, then took a tablet and plans to continue the process on it. With the first version of the headphones, all this took the owner a certain number of seconds. From now on, theoretically, everything is carried out much faster. In reality, the differences are not particularly felt.

It was checked this way: the headphones were synchronized with the XS Max smartphone, after that they were connected to the MacBook Pro 13 with macOS High Sierra, and then to the iPad mini tablet, which was released this year.

The time it took to synchronize in all cases was a couple of seconds and, for the two versions of the headphones, it was approximately identical.

On the other hand, if you initially talk on a smartphone using the integrated speaker, and then switch to Air Pods, then the process is actually carried out almost instantly - in this scenario, the increase in connection speed is really noticeable.

Another improvement that Apple claims is to improve the sound quality when talking on a smartphone, but in testing, all of this applies solely to external noise cancellation. In general, if you properly study the characteristics on the official website of the company, then everything is so.

For example, the site writes that when a user communicates on the iPhone or uses a voice assistant, the auxiliary accelerometer for establishing voice activity, as well as microphones with a calculated sound pattern, eliminate external extraneous sounds and guarantee a clear sound of the user's voice.

This means that if the user is in a relatively calm environment (for example, at home or office), there are no differences between the headphones of the first and second versions at all. In any case, the experts did not find them either from the side of the user receiving the call, or from the side of the caller. One can only assume that in crowded places, differences can already be noticeable.

What is really new in the headphones is the voice assistant Siri. Before, for this purpose, it was necessary to click on any of the headphones 2 times, and now you just need to say: “Hi, Siri.”

To what extent this innovation is significant lies solely in personal wishes and how often the user generally uses the voice assistant, however, again, it only concerns use outside the home, because if the user is in the same position and the iPhone with which they are synchronized Air Pods 2 is located next to it, then it is already possible to turn it on by voice.

In the end, the last thing Apple focuses on is improved autonomy while talking on a smartphone. It is clear that this moment is difficult to test: hardly any of the users will communicate without stopping for several hours, declared by the manufacturer, and if you stop, then the accuracy of the test will be violated.

In addition, all users admit that talking on a smartphone takes them less time when it comes to using headphones, and compared with playing tracks or watching videos.

The reason is clear: hardly anyone will walk around the whole day with headphones in their ears, but they call users unexpectedly and just as suddenly there is a need to call someone.

In addition, the percentage of the likelihood that any of the users will insert headphones into their ears for a short conversation on a smartphone is even less likely, and long-term calls scheduled in advance, as a rule, rarely occur.

Actually, an increase in autonomy, even in one mode, is one way or another an advantage. To say that this will have a major impact on how often users have to recharge their headphones is something to be cautious about.

Average price:

• without case - 9 450 RUB;

• with a case - 11,200 RUB.

• auto-activation and synchronization;
• intuitive setup to function with any Apple device;
• instant access to the voice assistant: you just need to say: “Hey Siri” or adjust access by double-clicking;
• double press to play or skip to the next song;
• charge quickly in the case.

• partly weak LF spectrum;
• lack of passive type insulation;
• minor upgrade compared to its predecessor.

Conclusion

The highly successful Air Pods just got a little better. It is in this way that it is possible to characterize the release of a novelty. Innovations related directly to the device are minor, and in everyday life users may not find them at all, however, the ability to wirelessly charge the case is a very useful improvement.

More details about the new Apple Air Pods 2 can be found in the video: