AirPods 1 and 2: difference - details in the overview

The first generation of Apple AirPods was launched in December 2016. In April 2019, the second generation of wireless headphones was introduced. In addition to the normal versions, Apple also offers a Pro variant. Get an overview of the most important differences between the models.

The most important differences at a glance

Externally, a difference between the first and second generation AirPods is not really noticeable. Apart from a few minor changes to the charging case, Apple has kept the tried and tested design of the first generation. The real innovations lie in the inner workings of the wireless headphones, which is where Apple has upgraded.

• Second-generation AirPods are powered by an H1 chip, which replaces the W1 chip of the first generation. According to Apple, the new chip enables a better, more consistent and faster connection.
• Additionally, thanks to the H1 chip, you no longer have to double-tap the headphones to activate the voice assistant. Thanks to the better performance, you can now use the "Hey Siri" function instead and activate Siri via voice input.
• The new heart of the AirPods also has an effect on battery life and ensures significantly longer talk times.

In addition to the normal versions, Apple also offers a Pro variant of the headphones, which are also equipped with additional features such as active noise cancellation.

AirPods 1 and 2: Cost comparison

Price-wise, the standard version of the second-generation AirPods is 179 euros, which is the same as the predecessor model. With a wireless charging case, the price is around 229 euros. Für die Pro-Version müssen Sie bei einem Preis von 279 Euro noch etwas tiefer in die Tasche greifen.