Whats the difference between 1st gen and 2nd gen airpods

With a couple of simple actions, you can use AirPods (1st or 2nd generation) to listen to your favorite audio on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch, Mac, or Apple TV in next to no time. Before you begin, make sure that your devices are up to date and Bluetooth is on.

Whats the difference between 1st gen and 2nd gen airpods

Pair AirPods (1st or 2nd generation) with your iPhone or other device

Open the case with your AirPods inside, hold it next to your iPhone or iPad, then follow the onscreen instructions.

To connect to other devices, press and hold the setup button on the back of the AirPods case for about five seconds, or until the status light flashes white. Then go to Settings

Whats the difference between 1st gen and 2nd gen airpods
 > Bluetooth, and select AirPods.

Whats the difference between 1st gen and 2nd gen airpods

Listen to audio

Wear your AirPods, then open an audio app on your device—for example, Apple Music, the Apple TV app, or Podcasts—and play something. To change the volume, use the onscreen controls or the volume buttons on your device.

Whats the difference between 1st gen and 2nd gen airpods

Use Siri

If your device has Siri enabled, you can use Siri with your AirPods any time your paired device is connected to the internet. With AirPods (2nd generation), just say “Hey Siri,” or double-tap either of your AirPods (1st or 2nd generation), then make your request.

See also

Pair AirPods

Play audio

AirPods controls

Set up Siri

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Apple in March debuted second-generation AirPods, featuring several updates over the original massively popular wireless earbuds of the same name.

So what's improved in the new AirPods compared to the older model, and what's stayed the same? Read on to find out.

Whats the difference between 1st gen and 2nd gen airpods

Price of New AirPods vs. Old AirPods

Buying Apple's original AirPods was straightforward as they came with a single $159 price tag, but that's changed with the second-generation models.

The new AirPods still start at the same price, but customers now have the option to buy the earbuds with a Wireless Charging Case for $199.

Whats the difference between 1st gen and 2nd gen airpods

Apple is also offering the Wireless Charging Case separately for $79, so if you already own first-generation AirPods you can buy the case and charge your earbuds using any Qi-compatible charging mat. The Wireless Charging Case still includes a Lightning port so you can charge your AirPods via cable if you prefer.

Apple's new AirPods can be ordered on Apple's website and will be available in Apple Stores and resellers from March 26, 2019. Apple no longer lists first-generation AirPods on its website, but you should be able to find them elsewhere online at a lower price now that the new AirPods are available.

Design of New AirPods vs. Old AirPods

Apple's new AirPods look identical to the first-generation models, save for a single LED on the front of the Wireless Charging Case. This light simply tells you the charging status of the AirPods when you place them on a Qi-compatible charging mat. On the standard charging case, which came with the original AirPods, the LED was inside the lid between where the two AirPods go.

Otherwise, both versions of AirPods have the same dimensions and weight, and both are only available in white.

Processor in New AirPods vs. Old AirPods

Apple's second-generation AirPods use a new proprietary chip called the H1, whereas the original AirPods run on the W1 chip.

Both chips are responsible for the earbuds' seamless one-tap pairing process, but Apple claims the H1 allows the new AirPods to connect to calls up to 1.5 times faster and generally provide a more stable wireless connection to devices like iPhones and iPads, while making them up to twice as fast when switching between active devices.

In addition, the H1 chip delivers up to 30 percent lower latency, which means you should experience fewer delays between onscreen events and their accompanying audio when playing games.

Using Siri With New AirPods vs. Old AirPods

One of the headline features of the new AirPods is the ability to invoke Siri handsfree when you're wearing them, thanks to Apple's new H1 chip.

Whats the difference between 1st gen and 2nd gen airpods

With the first-generation AirPods you have to double tap the earbuds before you can talk to the personal assistant, but the new models allow you to say simply "Hey ‌Siri‌" for it to register your spoken query or command. This is particularly neat if you wear them when your hands are busy or you want to exclusively control your music using ‌Siri‌ commands.

Battery life in New AirPods vs. Old AirPods

Apple's new AirPods offer the same overall battery life as the original AirPods, which is 5 hours on a single charge and over 24 hours of additional battery capacity in the charging case. According to Apple, the second-generation AirPods offer 50 percent more talk time due to the H1 chip.

In other words, the new AirPods get up to three hours of talk time per charge, compared to up to two hours with the previous generation. So that's something to think about if you'd be using them to take a lot of calls.


Bottom Line

Apple's second-generation AirPods aren't an earth-shattering upgrade over its original wireless earbuds, with the company seemingly holding rumored features like health monitoring, noise cancellation, and water resistance for the next generation, expected in 2020.

That said, new features like handsfree "Hey ‌Siri‌" activation and wireless charging are still welcome improvements, and even if you're not convinced they present a worthwhile upgrade over your first-generation AirPods, you still have the option to buy the new wireless case to charge your existing earbuds using a Qi-compatible charging pad.

Whatever you decide, be sure to check out our complete guide to AirPods to learn a lot more about what AirPods can do and how you can make the most of them, and read our roundup for more details on the new second-generation AirPods.

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What is the difference between Airpod 1st and 2nd generation?

While the two AirPods Pro models seem very similar, and indeed they are, the 2nd generation model makes some changes under the hood with an upgraded H2 chip in the earbuds and a U1 chip in the charging case.

Are AirPods 1 and 2 the same?

What's the Difference Between AirPods 1 and 2? With a quick look, you won't see any visual differences between the two base models of AirPods. They're the same size and weight. But the 2019 AirPods 2 have some updated hardware inside, making them worth trading up to if you already own the 2016 model.