The original AirPods Pro defined the premium true-wireless earbud category — active noise cancellation, Transparency mode, and IPX4 water resistance. Apple replaced them with the AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C) in 2022. These are the modern options worth considering today.
AirPods Pro 2 deliver 2x stronger ANC, a new H2 chip, USB-C charging, Adaptive Audio, Personalized Spatial Audio, and conversation-aware features. Battery life jumped from 4.5 to 6 hours per charge. The 1st-gen Pros still sound good, but the gap in feature set is significant.
The AirPods Pro (1st gen) was discontinued in 2022. AirPods Pro 2 deliver 2x stronger ANC, a new H2 chip, USB-C charging, Adaptive Audio, Personalized Spatial Audio, and conversation-aware features. Battery life jumped from 4.5 to 6 hours per charge. The 1st-gen Pros still sound good, but the gap in feature set is significant. If you find one new or refurbished at a deep discount, it can still be a sensible buy — otherwise the alternatives below offer meaningful upgrades for the same money.
AirPods Pro 2 deliver 2x stronger ANC, a new H2 chip, USB-C charging, Adaptive Audio, Personalized Spatial Audio, and conversation-aware features. Battery life jumped from 4.5 to 6 hours per charge. The 1st-gen Pros still sound good, but the gap in feature set is significant. Manufacturers typically retire a flagship after two to three generations to focus engineering and software updates on newer hardware.
Apple no longer makes a direct successor in the same tier; the alternatives listed below are the closest matches from other manufacturers in our scored database.
Apple typically provides software support for several years after retiring a product, but new feature rollouts (such as on-device AI capabilities) are generally exclusive to the newest hardware. Check Apple's official support pages for the current update window.
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