Design level differences
The design and comfort of these headphones is not trivial. That it is finally a decisive factor in the choice of one or the other is ultimately more personal, but we also believe it is interesting to assess what their differential points are. And it is that, even between the first and second generation AirPods, we can find differences.
Evolution in its form factor
First and second generation AirPods, referring to headphones as such, are a kind of Wireless EarPods. These were (and are) the classic wired headphones that the company integrated into the box of its iPhone. Therefore they maintain that retro design in a way, giving all the comforts of Bluetooth headphones. There is absolutely no aesthetic difference between them, although we do find that the AirPods 2 case has an LED on the front that the AirPods 1 have inside.
For their part, the third generation AirPods come to be similar to the AirPods Pro, but without ear pads. A more typical form factor of in-eaer headphones, but that nevertheless does not require the use of those mentioned pads and therefore they adapt better to the types of ear that a priori suffer more with them. The case does not change in essence, although it becomes thinner and taller than that of its predecessors.
Do they fall out of the ears? Are they good for sports?
The morphology of the ears can vary a lot and even the same person can have a different sensation in one than in another. For this reason, there is no general and conclusive answer to the first question. And it is that, we can find who the AirPods 1 and 2 were wrong and yet they feel comfortable with the 3. The opposite happens to others, also having people who feel comfortable with anyone and even with none.
And that is why in the end the sports theme depends on that comfort, since if they fall out of your ears in a normal way, doing sports you will be causing them to fall even more because of the jogging that is usually had in practically any activity physical. It is advisable that try to try them before you buy them or, if you buy them in an Apple Store, you can return them within 14 days.
Now even if they fit you, you should know that AirPods 3 are the most advisable for sports activities due to its resistance to water and sweat. The AirPods 1 and 2 do not tend to be damaged by these elements, but in the end their durability is not as guaranteed in this area as the others. With the AirPods 3 you can even do running in the rain without worrying.
Sound and overall performance of AirPods
Changes in sound quality
We start from the basis that not high-end headphones and that therefore we are going to find a very high fidelity of sound. In the end, the technological limitations of Bluetooth prevent that today you can have an experience in them the same as with cable. Now, focusing only on wireless headphones of this type, they are three great headphones.
Comparing them between them, which is at the end of what we are dealing with here, to say that in the end all three have a very balanced audio range, without distortions and that they ultimately offer a great quality to listen to music or enjoy other content such as podcasts, series , movies or audiobooks. Between the AirPods 1 and 2 there are hardly any differences despite the chip change from W1 to H1. Technically there are, but we assure you that they are practically imperceptible.
In the AirPods 3 we already find even smart equalization, which is not that the previous ones did not carry it out, but in these a system has been implemented that improves it significantly. There is no exaggerated difference with respect to its predecessors, but the improvement is evident and having a style that fits more inside the ear, makes a much deeper sound feel.
The mic goes limp in all three
Here we do find a substantial difference between the AirPods 1, 2 and 3. In the first generation the sound pickup is very bad, with excessive distortions and even cuts. In the following, it has been improved in this aspect, although they still do not shine.
You can not ask much of a Bluetooth microphone either and more when it is away from the mouth, but we can tell you that in the end it is enough to make calls and that they listen to you closely. Now if you wait record audio for podcast or something similar, We already assure you that they are not by far a recommended option.
Do you have any noise cancellation?
To cut to the chase, no, neither have this functionality that is still exclusive to the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. Now, What is the reason they do not have? Well, first of all, a factor that, despite being unpopular, makes perfect sense from a business point of view. And it is that Apple is compensated to add this as a differential factor between its range of headphones.
On the other hand, to guarantee good active noise cancellation, a specific design is required that works in its favor and the AirPods 1 and 2 do not have it. The AirPods 3, being more in-ear, do have a certain passive cancellation, but not enough or at the level of the ‘Pro’. Not having pads makes this even more difficult.
Other important features
The autonomy of these AirPods, their additional functions and compatibility with devices are other key elements to highlight about them and that we will analyze in these next sections.
How long does the battery last?
The autonomy that these headphones promise, both themselves and their own case, is marked by the following data:
- Autonomy with uninterrupted playback:
- AirPods (1st gen.): 5 hours
- AirPods (2nd gen.): 5 hours
- AirPods (3rd gen.): 6 hours
- Total autonomy with case charges:
- AirPods (1st gen.): more than 24 hours
- AirPods (2nd gen.): more than 24 hours
- AirPods (3rd gen.): more than 24 hours
- 15 minutes of recharging is equivalent to:
- AirPods (1st gen.): 3 more hours of playback
- AirPods (2nd gen.): 3 more hours of playback
- AirPods (3rd gen.): 4 more hours of playback
According to the case autonomyIt must be said that it does not consume excessive battery by itself, only when it has to recharge the hearing aids. With a daily use of between 2 and 4 hours of the AirPods, the case should be recharged 1 time a week and even 1 time every week and a half in the case of the AirPods 3, being an element to not worry about in all of them.
Now there is something to keep in mind about the battery deterioration on AirPods 1 and it is that, unfortunately, these tend to wear out very quickly. In a year of intensive use, the autonomy can be greatly reduced to the point of being reduced to almost half of the data specified above. In the next two generations there is also deterioration, something logical always, but not even close to that level and they are able to last much longer at full capacity fulfilling what was promised.
Additional functionalities
In extra functionalities, AirPods 3 win on the street. These, unlike the previous ones, have Spatial Audio compatibility, that 360º surround sound system that the company introduces for its Apple Music and Apple TV + content, which is available on more and more platforms such as Netflix.
It also has adaptive equalization and a transducer and amplifier to measure to improve the sound quality, as we have commented in a previous point. It also has a haptic button which is used to control playback, something that in this case the AirPods 1 and 2 do have, although these through touches that are not entirely intuitive.
One function that the AirPods 1 do not have, but that their two successors do have is compatibility with the voice command “Hey Siri”. And yes, in the previous ones, the assistant can also be used if it is invoked in other ways, but being able to do it only by voice without touching anything is an interesting plus for the other two.
Device compatibility
In this regard, you should know that, like all AirPods, they are more designed for the Apple device ecosystem, having in them special animations and immediate connectivity. Now they also work with Android and Windows computers, acting in the same way as other Bluetooth headsets.
Returning to connectivity with Apple computers, these are the devices you must have to be able to use any of these three generations:
- iPhone:
- iPad:
- iPad (5th gen.) and later
- iPad mini 2 and later
- iPad Air 2 and later
- iPad Pro (all models)
- iPod:
- iPod touch (6th gen.) and later
- Apple TV:
- Apple TV HD and later
- Apple Watch:
- Apple Watch (all models)
- Mac:
- MacBook 2015 and later
- MacBook Air mid-2012 and later
- MacBook Pro Late 2012 and Later
- iMac late 2012 and later
- iMac Pro from 2017
- Mac mini late 2012 and later
- Mac Pro late 2013 and later
Price and purchase recommendations
As you have already seen in the initial table, the original AirPods are discontinued. Yes, you can still find them in the second hand market and even hopefully in a store that still has some stock, but it is rare. The rest are still for sale and in the case of the AirPods 2 It should be noted that what is most sold is the version only with cable charging, the one that allows wireless charging has been discontinued. In any case, there is still stock in many stores.
The AirPods 3 meanwhile have a single version for sale in dozens of stores, including Apple itself. The difference of 50 euros in the price with respect to the ‘2’ can be decisive or not. And it is that in the end it will depend a lot on which ones you feel more comfortable with and if they really compensate you for the additional functions added in this third generation.
Obviously, if you expect us to tell you which ones are betterIt is clear that the AirPods 3. Functionally they are the most complete, with an improved battery and a significantly better sound quality than their predecessors. However, we cannot ignore what has already been said about comfort and if you are not very demanding, the AirPods 2 are still more than valid headphones and that is why Apple continues to sell them.
What we do not advise you is to buy first-generation AirPods, unless it is a new unit at a very good price. And it is that in the end the issue of your battery health can be a problem and taking into account the improvement in the second generation, they end up being much more profitable despite the few differences in aesthetics and sound. If you already have one and you are happy, we do not consider the change necessary, but if you do, it is advisable to make the leap to the third generation model.
