After using my Apple AirPods Pro 2 for a 3 years now, I thought it would be worthwhile to write a long term review of how it has held up to daily use since then (specially the battery). Although these have now been replaced by the new AirPods Pro 3, they might still be worth considering if you’re on a budget and looking to save some money. I don’t always buy the latest release because sometimes you can save a lot of money by buying one generation behind. I did the same thing with my Sony Noise Cancelling headphones and only only bought them when a newer version was released
My Apple Airpods Pro 2 with the case
Call Quality
Let’s start with the call quality since I initially bought these Airpods to use for work calls. I attend a lot of Microsoft Teams Calls during the week and while I used to use my Sony Noise Cancelling headphones, I found them cumbersome since they’re large and feel heavy after several hours of meetings. I had tried several other bluetooth headphones but always found the quality unacceptable until one day, I noticed the voice quality of my colleague’s Airpods during a call. They were good enough that I decided to buy a pair.
These AirPods initially worked very well for Teams calls but at some point Microsoft updated Teams and it caused severe sound issues with my Airpods. The person on the other side of the call kept telling me that I sounded unintelligible and the audio was broken. Unfortunately, I couldn't fix it (even after trying to turn off noise isolation in Teams) and had to resort to using a different headset until Microsoft fixed the issue. This lasted for several months so keep that in mind if you are buying AirPods primarily to use for Teams work calls. Essentially when they work, they work very well but if there are any bugs with Teams then they can become unusable. I haven’t had any issues for the past few months and I hope it stays that way. I have had absolutely no issues at all for regular phone calls though, even when only using one side.
Sound Quality
One thing that pleasantly surprised me when upgrading from the Airpods Pro 1 is how much stronger the bass is. The audio sounds fuller and deeper and I have no complaints here at all. They sound just as good as when I purchased them.
Battery Life
According to Apple, the battery should last around 6 hours for listening. When my AirPods were new, they would last approximately 5 hours when used for phone calls (or Teams calls) and only slightly longer when used for listening only (with the noise cancelling turned on). 3 years later, it comes as no surprise that the battery life has decreased. After a 73 minute call, the battery now drops to around 72%, which extrapolated would give us around 250 minutes or 4 hours and 10 minutes for a full charge. To summarize:
Battery Life New: 5 hours for calls (Real-Life)
Battery Life After 3 Years: 4 hr 10 mins
Battery degradation: ~24% (Estimated Battery Health ~75%)
The calculations above roughly matches my day-to-day experience, these usually give me about 4 hours of use before needed a charge. Despite the drop, I am still happy with the performance because it allows me to attend most work calls and place them back in the case for quick charging in between. Since these batteries are not user replaceable, the AirPods are essentially junk once the battery has degraded. Keep in mind that the values above are based on my experience on using them almost daily for work calls.
Noise Cancellation
The active noise cancellation works quite well and I haven’t noticed degraded performance. They are fine for day to day use like in an office or while commuting but for flights, I highly recommend getting proper over the ear headphones like these as they are just far superior.
The Case
The case has started to show signs of wear and tear and gets easily scratched. It is made out of cheap plastic and feels very un-apple like but even after years of use, it hasn’t loosened up or broken and is holding up fine. I have dropped it a few times and the headphones often popup when it hits the ground. If you are worried about scratches, I’d suggest adding a protective case.
Wireless Charger & USB-C
In true apple fashion, these were not updated to the latest USB-C even though it was ubiquitous at the time of release. Instead, apple waited to add that into the AirPods Pro 3 to give you a reason to upgrade. I don’t have a use for a lightning cable anymore but I found that charging these are a lot simpler if you get a wireless charger. Simply store your case on the charger and it will keep it fully charged at all times. The light flashes orange when charging begins and will flash green once full.
Apple Extras & Updates
1. FindMy
The addition of these in the FindMy App have been a useful feature in case you forget them behind. I haven’t had to use them but I do appreciate the feature that Apple has added to make them ring when you cannot locate them.
2. Apple Updates
With the latest update of iOS, my MacBook and iPhone now get a notification when my AirPods are fully charged. It’s a nice easter egg that was not there before and it is great to see Apple still supporting their older products.
3. Using AirPods for Sleep
As a light sleeper, I tried using these to sleep when I was travelling and it was unbearable because when the battery runs out in the middle of the night, they would screech this unbearably loud notification that would jolt me awake. I learned my lesson the hard way and had to use other headphones while sleeping instead. In one of the newer updates, Apple has fixed this bug and they no longer screech when the battery is low. I can now wear them to sleep and they just turn off in the middle of the night when the battery dies. (I wouldn’t recommend wearing them to sleep every day as there are risks of ear infection).
In summary after 3 years:
✅ Battery still holding up (approx 75% battery health)
✅ No signs of damage
✅ Still receiving updates
✅ No sound/ANC issues
Given the above, I would buy them again. I hope they last me beyond 5 years and I do have hope since my 2013 Macbook Air still works and can hold a charge!!
Related Posts:
