AirPods Pro now available in Apple Stores worldwide

AppleInsider · October 30, 2019 12:03PM

Apple's new noise-cancelling AirPods Pro have gone on sale in Apple Stores across the globe.

AirPods Pro go on sale in Apple Stores in Shanghai

After briefly being only available to order online, Apple's AirPods Pro have now gone on sale in Apple Stores around the world. Ahead of US stores opening, Apple has been promoting the launch with images from stores in Shanghai, and Tokyo.

AirPods Pro, launched on Monday, represent the first redesign of the headphones' form fact. The new, shorter-stem headphones improve the audio quality and also introduce noise cancellation.

Compared to the previous model, the new AirPods Pro also cost more to repair or replace.

Those looking to order AirPods Pro online can also shop at Best Buy, with units expected to begin shipping on Oct. 31.

MikeTradr · October 30, 2019 1:18PM

Can you answer phone call by saying "Answer" as Q2 bluetooth one can(10years ago)??? Apple surely should add that in there software geez, simple. When a call rings, have Siri listen for "answer" or "ignore". if hears "answer" then answer call hands free!

sapporobabyrtrns · October 30, 2019 1:19PM

How do you define better audio quality? Do you mean musicality or the fact that they have a better seal?

freethinking · October 30, 2019 1:57PM

apple is doing to the word “pro” what internet service providers did to the word “unlimited”. that is making the term meaningless in the context of their business. all the while laughing all the way to the bank,

lkrupp · October 30, 2019 2:29PM

freethinking said:

apple is doing to the word “pro” what internet service providers did to the word “unlimited”. that is making the term meaningless in the context of their business. all the while laughing all the way to the bank,

Yes, and I love that it triggers self-anointed “Pro” users. I don’t know what labeling oneself a Pro does to the psyche but they love doing it.

StrangeDays · October 30, 2019 2:54PM

freethinking said:

apple is doing to the word “pro” what internet service providers did to the word “unlimited”. that is making the term meaningless in the context of their business. all the while laughing all the way to the bank,

You must be new to Apple. You should know that in Apple parlance, pro almost always means "premium". The top tier in the good/better/best offerings. Lots of students have MacBook Pros, for example, and lots of hobbyists had the old Mac Pro. Aside from the new Mac Pro workstations, I can't think of a product where this wasn't the case.

Thus, the term does have meaning. Just not the one you think it should.

foregoneconclusion · October 30, 2019 3:40PM

sapporobabyrtrns said:

How do you define better audio quality? Do you mean musicality or the fact that they have a better seal?

I would assume they mean the reproduction quality. The seal only matters for noise cancelling. That can help you hear the music more clearly, but it doesn't actually improve how well the speakers work for reproduction.

sonypc100 · October 30, 2019 4:24PM

Mine have stopped working already. I’m pressing to switch from NC to off mode to Transparency and they are unresponsive.

They are also unresponsive when I try the above mode selections via the Bluetooth setting on my iPhone.

MacPro · October 30, 2019 4:27PM

I am very sad that Apple went back to the more traditional ear canal fitting design. I can wear the last-gen AirPods without discomfort but the designs with the rubber caps hurt my ears after a short time for some reason I cannot explain whatever size I try.

MacPro · October 30, 2019 4:34PM

lkrupp said:

freethinking said:

apple is doing to the word “pro” what internet service providers did to the word “unlimited”. that is making the term meaningless in the context of their business. all the while laughing all the way to the bank,

Yes, and I love that it triggers self-anointed “Pro” users. I don’t know what labeling oneself a Pro does to the psyche but they love doing it.

So you mention a lot. I agree in this case it is pure marketing but lots of people use Macs and Apple equipment for professional work and the prefix makes sense there, you know, as opposed to consumer-level and prosumer. Apple didn't invent this nomenclature it's been around in video gear for example for a long time. My Sony Betacam SP tape decks cost $12,000 and were dubbed (no pun intended) pro decks. BVW Betacam cameras were in the $40-60,000 bracket also pro gear. No one bought this stuff to help their psyches and no one whined about it either.

philboogie · October 30, 2019 4:51PM

Thank you Apple; these don't fall out of my ears like the 1st gen did. Well, one ear to be accurate. No comment on the sound quality; that's a different topic. I will say that mine don't simply switch over to my 2016 12" MacBook. Neither did the 1st gen. Perhaps that W1 chip isn't 'just working?' It actually does work when connecting it as a regular BT device...(yes, the MB has Internet access).

OT: but no stickers included. Also, the S and L letters on the silicon tips packaging aren't aligned. (yeah, yeah, cry me a river and all that...)

stageofhistory · October 30, 2019 4:53PM

I had mine delivered to work today and I'm in love with them already. These are my first pair of APs and I've only had a short time with them, but to me they sound amazing - I have a handful of other BT headphones and much cheaper BT earbuds to compare them too, but my first thought is that they’re the best sounding of the bunch.

MacPro said:

I am very sad that Apple went back to the more traditional ear canal fitting design. I can wear the last-gen AirPods without discomfort but the designs with the rubber caps hurt my ears after a short time for some reason I cannot explain whatever size I try.

I hear what you say and have the same trouble normally, as I think my canals are unusually small, but I took a punt anyway. The silicon/rubber caps are on these are very soft, to the point where I'm worried about how easily they'll tear. I’ve haven’t had any discomfort after wearing them for a couple of hours to this point.

The ANC is also noticeably better than both my on-ear Plantronics BB Pro2 and JBL 650BTNC headphones; particularly remarkable as I consider the latter to be an excellent performer anyway. The miniaturisation of this tech is incredible and in my mind worth the extra price that Apple is asking for them over competitors’ similar products or larger headphones… I’m very happy I waited, but still wish they were black or Space Grey

dcgoo · October 30, 2019 4:53PM

I picked up a set this morning. From a sound quality standpoint, they are absolutely terrible. Highs are quite clear but the low end is gone. I am going to fiddle around with them more to make sure I am not doing something wrong. But I suspect they are going back to the store. The previous version provides vastly better sound, by far.

Oops. I was doing something wrong. I just gave the tips a sight twist in my ears, pointing them ever so slightly forward. The seal came up and Bingo, ENORMOUS improvement. I take back all the negatives above.

agilealtitude · October 30, 2019 5:33PM

For nearly $400 CDN (with Apple Care), I’m going to wait until I read overwhelmingly exceptional reviews. My AirPods never seem to switch reliably to any device. Takes up to 30 seconds for my iPhone to pick them up. And with my Apple TV, I need to go into settings, bluetooth, and connect manually—every time. Not the convenience I was led to expect.

My house is, without a doubt, an Apple Store. I like high-quality things, and Apple usually delivers. The AirPods, for me, have been a disappointing exception. Let’s see how the reviews come in.

Appleish · October 30, 2019 5:34PM

I was in my first line in years at an Apple Store today. At my suburban store there were about ten of us waiting. The one in the city had a line around the block, I hear.

They sound great, for semi-closed buds. The noise cancellation is pretty incredible. Went to a noisy Whole Foods and shopped while experimenting. The squeeze to toggle between noise cancelation and "transparency" works really well. At the cashier, I clicked once to cut off Music, then squeezed to hear her.

The controls are different. I have tapped a couple of times, but I will get used to it. I'll be keeping my standard pair for using around home, but taking my Pros out on the street and to the gym.

StrangeDays · October 30, 2019 6:18PM

MacPro said:

I am very sad that Apple went back to the more traditional ear canal fitting design. I can wear the last-gen AirPods without discomfort but the designs with the rubber caps hurt my ears after a short time for some reason I cannot explain whatever size I try.

I imagine they will keep both. But the prior buds don’t lend themselves to ANC.

StrangeDays · October 30, 2019 6:20PM

agilealtitude said:

For nearly $400 CDN (with Apple Care), I’m going to wait until I read overwhelmingly exceptional reviews. My AirPods never seem to switch reliably to any device. Takes up to 30 seconds for my iPhone to pick them up. And with my Apple TV, I need to go into settings, bluetooth, and connect manually—every time. Not the convenience I was led to expect.

Not normal behavior. Exchange if possible.

AppleExposed · October 30, 2019 7:23PM

Appleish said:

I was in my first line in years at an Apple Store today. At my suburban store there were about ten of us waiting. The one in the city had a line around the block, I hear.

They sound great, for semi-closed buds. The noise cancellation is pretty incredible. Went to a noisy Whole Foods and shopped while experimenting. The squeeze to toggle between noise cancelation and "transparency" works really well. At the cashier, I clicked once to cut off Music, then squeezed to hear her.

The controls are different. I have tapped a couple of times, but I will get used to it. I'll be keeping my standard pair for using around home, but taking my Pros out on the street and to the gym.

Hype would have been better if Apple gave people more notice.

thanx_al · October 30, 2019 10:20PM

Just got mine and the ANC is frighteningly good, as in, loud people walking up behind me at work and I can't hear them. The sound quality is much improved as well, although the trolls will jump on this just to be trolls. I always had problems with my old AirPods and my left ear. Don't know why, but it didn't fit as well as the right. That problem has been solved with the new AirPods. As soon as I tapped between ANC and Transparency, I felt like a Pro.

dewme · October 31, 2019 12:13AM

MacPro said:

I am very sad that Apple went back to the more traditional ear canal fitting design. I can wear the last-gen AirPods without discomfort but the designs with the rubber caps hurt my ears after a short time for some reason I cannot explain whatever size I try.

You’ll want to test drive the Pros before committing to them. Earphones with ANC can create an uncomfortable feeling of pressure inside your ear canal due to the sound pressure the earphone is constantly generating to beat down the noise, and for some brands a certain level of white noise is mixed in. Apple specifically incorporated small slits in the AirPod Pro earpieces to reduce the internal pressure buildup but different people are more or less sensitive to sound pressure levels inside their ear canals. Perhaps you’re one of those people who has an elevated sensitivity to in-ear sound pressure and any in-ear headphone with ANC will be uncomfortable.

I’m not sure whether I’ll get the Pros. Wearing any headphone that isolates me from my surroundings freaks me out to some degree, unless I’m in a very controlled environment where I don’t need situational awareness. But I do use ANC headphones when I fly and they’ve been lifesaver for my sanity. But when relaxing at home, open back headphones or original AirPods are perfect.

philboogie · October 31, 2019 7:30AM

agilealtitude said:

My AirPods never seem to switch reliably to any device. Takes up to 30 seconds for my iPhone to pick them up. And with my Apple TV, I need to go into settings, bluetooth, and connect manually—every time. Not the convenience I was led to expect.

Same for me when switching over to my MacBook. They do switch to my iPad though. Awkward.

AirPods Pro now available in Apple Stores worldwide

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