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CALIFORNIA: Apple announced the long waited AirPods second generation with a handful new features that takes the earbuds market expectation a level up.
AirPods feature Siri control through their voice commands. “Hey Siri” feature enables user to activate Siri without tapping the AirPods. It provides hands-free feature like alternating the volume, selecting the music, asking for battery life of your phone, directions, receiving a phone call and many other options.
Few Siri commands:
• Play some new music
• Play my “Favorites” playlist
• Skip to the next song
• Turn down the volume
• Turn up the volume
• Call mom
• Pause my music
• What’s the battery life of my AirPods?
• What’s the temperature outside?
AirPods second generation is updated with H1 chip which highly improves the connectivity. AirPods connect more quickly to your devices for an even more hassle-free experience, and switching between devices while listening to music is now two times faster.
New AirPods provides efficient Bluetooth connection with an increased range, longer time talk and switching between your Mac, iPad and iPhone devices.
The H1 chip provides a key feature tied to iCloud – simple device switching. Your AirPods are tied to your iCloud account and can be paired to all devices signed into that same iCloud account with just a couple of taps.
The H1 chip features reworked audio architecture that improves synchronization. When switching between devices while listening to music on an iPhone, Apple Watch, or iPad, connect times are two times faster, and when making phone calls, your AirPods connect 1.5 times faster. Gaming latency has also been reduced by 30 percent.
Automatic switching is tied to Apple devices, but the AirPods also have a traditional Bluetooth connection so you can pair them to any Bluetooth device including Android smartphones and PCs.
AirPods pair up with iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Mac, and thanks to the H1 chip, you can easily switch between devices.
AirPods second generation comes with optional wireless charging case. It depends on the user’s personal preference.
Apple is continuing to sell the original AirPods Charging Case that does not have wireless charging capabilities for those who do not need the feature.
The Wireless Charging Case is also available on a standalone basis and can be paired with the first-generation AirPods for those who want wireless charging without having to shell out for a whole new set of AirPods. It houses the LED on the front unlike first generation AirPods which had it inside the case.
You can charge the standard Charging Case using a Lightning cable, while the Wireless Charging Case can be charged with a Qi wireless charger or a Lightning cable.
This year AirPods looks exactly same as their predecessors. Apple did not make a change in their design and went with the first generation AirPods look.
AirPods continue to give up to five hours of battery timing and the case provides an addition 24 hours battery life. New chip has let the talk time increased from two to three hours.
The AirPods last for up to five hours of non-stop music listening on a single charge, but if you are using them for phone calls, the battery drains faster.
When you open up the Charging Case, the AirPods inside connect to your device automatically, and using built-in sensors and an accelerometer, the
AirPods can detect when you put them in your ears or take them out, playing and pausing audio accordingly.
Beamforming microphones enable clear, crisp calls, and there are tap gestures built in for changing tracks, changing volume, and activating Siri if you don’t want to use the “Hey Siri” feature. A separate voice accelerometer kicks in when you’re speaking to block out ambient sound.
AirPods offer high-quality AAC audio that sounds great with everything from the songs to podcasts. You can also use both buds at once or differently if you wish to listen to just one piece while letting the other ear rest.
Even though AirPods do not offer noise canceling or sound isolating features, so you can still hear the environment around you. All new features make it a solid update for Apple’s AirPods.
With the launch of the second-generation AirPods, Apple has discontinued the first-generation model.
Apple is selling the second-generation AirPods in three different arrangements. You can get the new AirPods and no Wireless Charging Case for $159, or choose to purchase the new AirPods with Wireless Charging Case for $199.
Apple also said to be working on third-generation AirPods that will be released in 2020 with a new design and perhaps improved water resistance that will allow the AirPods to hold up to “splashes of water and rain.”
