Adaptive Transparency showing up on AirPods Pro and AirPods Max 'is a bug'

I guess we're all going to have to buy AirPods Pro 2 then.

Last week, people spotted that the Adaptive Transparency feature that was announced for AirPods Pro 2 was showing up for older models like the original AirPods Pro and AirPods Max in the iOS 16.1 developer beta. This lead many to hope that Apple, while marketing the feature for its newest earbuds, would bring it to existing models as well.

Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman took to Twitter to destroy everyone's hopes and dreams saying that he's been told that the feature showing up as an option for other models "is a bug."

Better buy those AirPods Pro 2

If you're familiar with the original AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, you're likely aware that the earbuds and headphones have supported Transparency Mode, which will bring outside sounds in more clearly. The mode is useful if you have your earbuds on and are trying to hear people around you or need to listen for cars, etc while you're on a walk or run.

With AirPods Pro 2, Apple announced Adaptive Transparency, which will automatically reduce loud noises around you like "a passing vehicle siren, construction tools, or even loud speakers."

Transparency mode makes it possible for listeners to stay connected to and aware of the world around them. Now, Adaptive Transparency takes this customer-loved feature even further. The powerful H2 chip enables on-device processing, which reduces loud environmental noise — like a passing vehicle siren, construction tools, or even loud speakers at a concert — for more comfortable everyday listening.

While it's disappointing to see that the feature showing up for older models is a bug, it does make sense. The feature appears to only be possible due to the faster processing of the new H2 chip which was debuted on the new AirPods Pro 2.