AirPod Pros: The New Listening Experience

By Tasha White & Allie Kang

Recently on Wednesday, October 30, Apple discreetly released an upgraded version of its popular wireless earbuds, the AirPod. This new version of their previous best-selling AirPods now comes with a new and innovative listening technology.
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The new AirPod Pros comes with an exciting update which includes active noise cancellation and a brand new light-weight design, selling at a starting price of $249 alone and $330 when including the wireless charging case. Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Phil Schiller, claims that “The new in-ear AirPods Pro sound amazing with Adaptive EQ, fit comfortably with flexible ear tips and have innovative Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode. We think customers are going to love this new addition to the AirPods family.” The Apple company is confident that its new product will be highly sold throughout customers just as their originals AirPods have.

However, while Apple is confident that the new changes will satisfy consumers, many customers disapprove of the AirPod Pros new design. Maddy Dwyer, a Junior at Glenelg High School, expresses her thoughts on the new features, emphasizing the uncomfortable feeling when wearing any type of earbuds with a foam tip. Dwyer believes that “The AirPod Pros are so much worse. The only reason I liked the Apple earbuds was that they didn’t have the foam insert. It feels like their products are getting worse instead of better.” This sentiment is shared by others who dislike the updates Apple has made, instead of other features such as different color options for the AirPods.

While some people may dislike the upgrade, it is undeniable that the AirPod Pros have enhanced features that change the listening experience. By incorporating a foam tip, noise cancellation is more effective, especially since listeners are given the option to choose from three different sized tips. Moreover, the options between “Transparency Mode” and “Noise Cancellation” allows the individual to change the setting according to his/her environmental surroundings, making it easier to listen to phone calls or music in loud situations.

Not only are the visuals and the updates on Apple’s AirPod Pros an eye-catcher, but the high starting prices of these wireless earbuds also discourages customers from purchasing the newly released product. Freshman Claire Stern states that “I don’t think anyone will consider purchasing a product with just a couple of new differences when the prices for just the AirPod Pros itself is so high.” Many people have come to the conclusion that the little changes corresponded with a high price is irrational.

Despite the backlash, many think that there will still be high sales, similar to products such as the iPhone 11 Pro, which was also considered to be unattractive and not distinct enough when compared to the previous iPhone. Chris Morrin, a current owner of Airpods, has a strong opinion about the newly designed product saying, “I like the new design and I would consider upgrading my current Airpods with the newer ones. However, I would just wait until the prices decrease a bit more.” Since this product has just been newly released, the popularity isn’t as evidently obvious. However, as the product settles into the market, the company will have to wait and see if their sales are as high as they projected.