Even though I personally prefer to use over-ear headphones (like the AirPods Max), I'll admit that they may not be the best choice to wear while working out. When I go out on a walk or do a workout routine with my best Apple Watch, I usually go to my AirPods Pro instead.
The AirPods Pro are our number one pick for best true wireless earbuds, and for good reason. For me, because of the silicone ear tips, they have a much better fit that stays secure in my ears, regardless of movement. And the Active Noise Cancelation is amazing for the size, and Transparency Mode is just icing on the cake. And considering the small package, the AirPods Pro sound amazing too, especially with Spatial Audio support.
But the AirPods Pro are getting a bit long in the tooth — they came out in 2019 and haven't received an update since. It's time for Apple to give us the next generation of AirPods Pro 2, and here's what I'm hoping to see.
A smaller charging case
One of my qualms with the current iteration of the AirPods Pro is the charging case — it's wide and fat. Of course, I'm used to it by this point, but I honestly liked the style of the original AirPods charging case, where it was slimmer and taller. Plus, if the case was more similar to the original AirPods case, that means more possible choices of interchangeable cases, which would be a win for everyone. I have seen some original AirPods cases that I wish I could get for my AirPods Pro but unfortunately were not available.
Get rid of the stem
While all models of AirPods have become iconic with the stem hanging off the buds themselves, I still don't really care for it. A lot of wireless earbuds these days are just that — earbuds that are in your ear, with no weird stems hanging off it. If you want examples of what I'm talking about, take a look at the Google Pixel Buds A-Series or Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 2 Earbuds. These earbuds just fit snuggly in your ear, and you control your audio through touch and gestures. I'm sure that Apple could figure out a way to implement that into AirPods Pro, right?
Better ear tips and more colors
Even though I love how the AirPods Pro fit in my ears with the silicone ear tips over the regular AirPods, I think that there is still room for improvement — the current silicone tips can feel a little flimsy. I remember when the AirPods Pro first came out, many people were modding their pairs with Comply Foam Tips, which can give them an even more snug fit without sacrificing sound quality and even reduce ear pain. I never made this modification with my AirPods Pro, but surely Apple can improve the ear tips in the next version.
And I would also love to see more colors other than white. But I know, this is Apple we're talking about — white is pretty much its bread and butter. Still, it would be cool to have maybe a Space Gray (or Graphite, or whatever the heck Apple calls it) or even some colors like the AirPods Max, right?
A focus on health
I mentioned it earlier, but like many people, I primarily go to my AirPods Pro when I want some earbuds while working out. This would be a great opportunity for Apple to implement some health-centric features in the next AirPods Pro 2, which have already hit the rumor mill.
According to a report back in May, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says that AirPods Pro 2 may be smaller and have motion sensors for fitness tracking. There are other wireless earbuds out there that already have such sensors integrated within, and these will measure your heart rate and may even give you activity coaching and training. With Apple having such a focus on health lately, adding this as a feature is a no-brainer.
What do you want in AirPods Pro 2?
Recent reports point to a next-generation AirPods Pro 2 sometime in 2022, so we are still a ways off. However, these are just some of the things I'm hoping for whenever we get AirPods Pro 2, though a few may be wishful thinking.
What do you want to see Apple add to the AirPods Pro 2? Let us know in the comments.
