Apple’s latest AirPods Pro with USB-C have returned to their all-time low

2024-05-01 02:17:33

It’s time to say goodbye to Lightning.

Earlier today, Beats announced the Solo 4 alongside the forthcoming Solo Buds. The latter joins a burgeoning lineup of wireless earbuds under the Beats brand, though, despite being an Apple product, they don’t offer noise cancellation and the kind of deep ecosystem tricks afforded by the latest AirPods Pro with USB-C. Fortunately, Apple’s second-gen earbuds are currently matching their all-time low of $179 ($70 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart.

Whereas the entry-level Solo Buds are geared toward both Android and iOS, the premium AirPods Pro are aimed squarely at Apple users. The refreshed earbuds continue to offer top-tier ANC, refined sound, and the same feature set as the second-gen model from 2022, save for some added dust resistance and an improved USB-C charging case that ditches Apple’s aging Lightning connector. What’s more, they offer Apple’s full suite of ecosystem tricks, including support for head-tracking spatial audio, audio sharing, and automatic switching between Apple devices. Newer modes like Conversation Awareness and Adaptive Audio — which rolled out via a software update in the fall — help round out the excellent feature set, allowing you to automatically dial back the volume when speaking or cancel unwanted distractions only when needed.

The second-gen AirPods Pro improve upon Apple’s original pair with much better noise cancellation, improved sound quality, and onboard volume controls. The latest refresh also ships with a USB-C charging case, as opposed to Lightning.

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