Any guess what version of the second generation AirPods Pro this is?
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Hidden in iPhone event cover 15 Apple introduced a new version of the second generation AirPods Pro, and the headphones are not the same on the inside, identical on the outside and have different functions.
On Tuesday, Apple released the second-generation AirPods Pro with a USB-C charging case. This is a good move considering the USB-C charging case.
What's not good is that there are now two second-generation AirPods Pro models with different capabilities. And they cannot be distinguished at first glance.
We and other sites noted on Tuesday that there are differences in features, but otherwise the list of specifications is identical. Both have an H2 processor, both have the same audio range, and so on.
Protection against dust penetration is different — which may result from additional testing of the existing design. What won't be there, however, is lossless audio in 2024 when Apple's Vision Pro launches.
We contacted Apple about this, but did not receive a response — that's ok because it was a busy day. However, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman did.
Apple explicitly told Gurman that “the new Vision Pro lossless audio feature for AirPods requires the second-generation USB-C AirPods Pro announced yesterday and does not work with last year's second-generation AirPods Pro. “
Why is not clear. Perhaps it is a small update to the H2 chip that gives the AirPods Pro a “revolutionary new format”, or maybe it is somehow an updated Bluetooth chip.
For what it's worth, this revolutionary new format delivers 20-bit lossless at 48 kilohertz with lower latency than now, slightly less than Apple's 24-bit lossless at up to 192 kilohertz.
