Apple AirPods Pro Price in Singapore & Specifications

After multiple iterations, Apple has finally released a pair of headphones that provides a snug fit and active noise cancellation. Released on 30 October 2019 worldwide, the AirPods Pro is deemed one of the best wireless headphones for multiple reasons, notwithstanding its exorbitant price - an accepted norm for all Apple products. Let’s take a deep dive into what refinements Apple has integrated into these sleek earbuds.

Design

Apple AirPods Pro stand out with shorter stems than its predecessors, which also contributes to its lightweight. The svelte earbuds are so light that a wearer can hardly feel anything different when they fit them in their ears. Thanks to its memory foam ear tips, they provide a comfortable fit, and that also means it’s less likely for the earbuds to slip out of your ears as opposed to the regular AirPods that aren’t compatible with certain ear shapes and might hurt a little when worn for an extended period of time. However, it’s not a guarantee that they will stay in the ears securely when you’re working out and sweating at the same time. The good news is Apple AirPods Pro is IPX4 water-resistant, so sweat and water won’t result in any hiccup in the headphones.

Functions

Instead of tapping the body of the AirPods to skip tracks or activate Siri as one would normally do with regular AirPods, users are required to squeeze the small ridge on any of the AirPods Pro to activate noise-cancelling or Transparency mode, skip or pause tracks. This is because the capacitive force sensor is situated in the stems. While finding the ridge may be a bit tricky given the shorter stems, it only takes a short while to get accustomed to this triggering method. Configuring the touch setting is no hassle at all with the AirPods Pro. You can choose “controlling Siri” as the function when squeezing the ridge, or “noise cancelling” on one earbud, and “controlling Siri” on the other. The only thing missing in the stems, though, is a haptic click that signals touch confirmation to the user; but to us, this isn’t a huge dealbreaker.

Audio Quality - Active Noise Cancellation & Transparency Mode

In terms of how Apple AirPods Pro is doing in sound quality, Apple claimed that the buds deliver improved bass, “clear and detailed mid and high frequencies”, as well as come with an adaptive equaliser. The bass and sound are richer and more solid than the AirPods 2, which is consistent throughout all genres. However, when put on the test alongside a more premium pair of wireless earbuds, the Apple AirPods Pro falls short of producing clear details in the music. That said, the water-resistant earbuds provide a good blend of music quality that is pleasing to the auditory sense. The Apple AirPods Pro has even received a firmware update with its new Spatial Audio feature that delivers Dolby Atmos immersive sound to the earbuds

To activate noise cancellation, you can either squeeze any capacitive stem of the AirPods Pro or head to the volume section of your iPhone swipe to the left icon that says “noise cancellation”. If your AirPods Pro is connected to your Apple Watch, simply toggle it and turn the feature on or off according to your wish. When noise cancellation is on, all noises around you will be shut out when you’re walking on the streets or commuting on a train.

On the other end of the noise-cancelling spectrum is the transparency mode that enables external sounds to pass through the headphones. With this mode on, you can hear people talking to you even with your music on (only if your volume isn’t especially high). This handy feature is useful when you don’t want to miss an announcement in the airport or if you want to be more attuned to the sounds surrounding you while you’re walking across busy pedestrian lanes.

Battery Life

Apple AirPods Pro give 5 hours of listening time on a full charge, but 4.5 hours with active noise cancellation or Transparency mode on, or 3.5 hours if they are used as a hands-free mic for calling. As for its wireless charging case, it offers 24 hours of listening time. In case your AirPods Pro totally run out of battery, plug them into the charging case for 5 minutes, and you’ll have one hour of listening time. The small LED on the front of the charging case displays either green or amber to signal its remaining power. Should you need to charge the case, plug in a Lightning cable, or simply place it on a wireless charging pad to juice it up. Getting a Qi-certified wireless charging pad to recharge all your Apple devices would be a worthwhile investment as you’re incorporating the Apple ecosystem into your lifestyle.

If there’s one thing we hope the AirPods charging case can be improved is an indicator that shows battery percentage, so we know when to charge it in advance. This can save every AirPods user the hassle of removing the AirPods from the case and checking their iPhone’s battery widget to know how much battery is left.