TL;DR – Sadly, no black AirPods yet.
After months of rumors and much speculation, Apple’s AirPods 2 are finally here!
At first glance, they look very much identical to the original Apple AirPods.
Described as the world’s most popular wireless headphones, the new-and-refreshed in-ear buds are said to be more powerful, boasting improved battery life, smart Siri assistant functionality and an optional Wireless Charging Case.
Improved battery life
Need a quick charge? No problem. Just put the AirPods back in the case for 15 minutes and you’ll get up to three hours of listening time and two hours of talk time – thanks to the charging case that holds multiple charges for more than 24 hours of listening time.
The newly-designed H1 chip which Apple has built specifically for the headphones is said to be capable of improving connectivity pairing times, as well as the efficiency of the battery life, hence giving users up to 50% more hands-free talk time than the original AirPods.
Hands-free “Hey, Siri”
The hands-free “Hey Siri” functionality is perhaps the most significant addition to the second-generation AirPods.
Users can now activate the voice assistant simply by saying “Hey Siri”, without having to tap on one of the ear buds or pull their iPhones out.
Wireless-charging option
The new AirPods come with either a standard Charging Case or a new Wireless Charging Case.
The Wireless Charging Case is designed to offer the freedom of wireless charging with Qi-compatible charging solutions. It comes with an LED light indicator located on the front of the case to conveniently display the charge status.
Price
We’re not quite sure when the new headphones and charging case will be launched for sale here in Singapore – hopefully soon! – but we do know how much they will cost.
The AirPods with Wireless Charging Case cost SGD $299, while the AirPods with standard Charging Case cost SGD $239.
Existing AirPods customers can also purchase the standalone Wireless Charging Case for SGD $119.
