Zac Hall, 9to5Mac:
New AirPods pair just as easily as the originals which still feels neat. Upgraders will probably want to rename the new AirPods though. My original AirPods were called ‘Zac’s AirPods’ so the new AirPods defaulted to ‘Zac’s AirPods #2’ since the new ones were paired before the old ones were removed.
I removed the original AirPods from my Bluetooth device list, then dropped the #2 from the new AirPods.
In my experience (colored by a run down battery, no doubt), the new AirPods paired much more quickly and consistently than Gen 1.
As to renaming, I went through the same process Zac did, but added Gen2 to my new ones to keep both around, each with a distinct name. Why? I know I will use the old ones at some point and want to avoid the name collision.
“Hey Siri” support is the most noticeable new feature of second-gen AirPods for upgraders. Activating Siri before required a double-tap on an AirPod or using Hey Siri on a paired device. Activating Siri with a voice command on AirPods is really natural and fast.
And:
“Hey Siri” on new AirPods even works with the Apple Watch when you’re away from your iPhone as long as there’s a network connection (like Wi-Fi or LTE). I’ve been testing this with indoor and outdoor runs and I’m hooked.
And:
Being in motion and activating Siri with a voice command without breaking your stride or worrying about where your wrist is positioned is just one less point of friction.
Hey Siri on AirPods is a home run feature for me. That, snappier connects, and way longer talk time made the new AirPods well worth the cost of admission.
Side note: AirPower or not, I am happy to have the charging case. Plenty of Qi options to choose from.
You’re like the inverse of Marco Arment, re: Apple. You always put the positive forward in a well written and thoughtful way, and look at the bright side of the negative. I can’t even listen to ATP anymore.
I know this doesn’t relate to “Hey Dingus” but I’ve noticed two huge improvements with my AirPods 2.
The maximum distance for the AirPods to device connectivity is far greater. They used to choke going out to the attached garage. Now I have to leave the house before they start to stutter.
Battery life is fantastic. My old ones were dying on video conferencing at around 35 minutes (just over an hour when new). I just finished a 1 hour Zoom conference and both pods had 75% battery levels.
Agreed, Marco Arment’s Techie Echo Chamber of Doom, Worry, and Concern ™ is simply a drag. not interested.
the second point is just the result of new batteries, since all rechargeable batteries have a finite useful lifespan. Even new 1st gens would show this improvement.
i returned the wireless charging case when AirPower was canceled, since they don’t require frequent charging and i don’t want a Qi charger that doesn’t do multiple devices or doesn’t use Lightning and isn’t the size of the AirPower. (still bummed but oh well.)
They put better batteries in the AirPods 1? Cool!