AirPods Pro 2 Charging Case Can Broadcast Battery Status With or Without AirPods Inside

[MacRumors]

Apple's second-generation AirPods Pro are now in the hands of customers, and one notable new tidbit that has come to light is that the MagSafe Charging Case can broadcast its charging status to the iOS Battery widget even when the AirPods are in your ears.

With other AirPods models, including the first-generation AirPods Pro, users have to place the earbuds in the Charging Case to get a reading of the battery status of the case itself. With AirPods Pro 2, the Battery widget will now show you the status of both the Charging Case and the AirPods, regardless of whether the earbuds are in the case.

The AirPods Pro 2 case includes a built-in U1 chip that enables Find My with Precision Finding so that it can be exactly located. It seems likely therefore that the U1 chip is enabling the Charging Case to broadcast its battery status over high-frequency Ultra Wideband, rather than having to rely on a Bluetooth connection via the AirPods.

Priced at $249, AirPods Pro 2 are available to order from Apple's website and to pick up at Apple Stores. Are you a new owner of AirPods Pro 2? Let us know what your initial impressions are in the comments.

Article Link: AirPods Pro 2 Charging Case Can Broadcast Battery Status With or Without AirPods Inside

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Why didn't they advertise this during the Apple Event?

 

[MayaUser]

Very nice little touch

 

[UltimateSyn]

Finally! That's awesome.

Why didn't they advertise this during the Apple Event?

Because it would just make people think "Wait, why didn't it do that before?"

 

[mansplains]

I guess I never noticed that the case battery only appears when the pods are in with mine, and I've had them since release.. I don't think mine have ever died, but I've heard of others who have short battery life on theirs. It's interesting to know my battery's still going fine as a user with 3-6 hours of listen time daily.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Really want to see more use of the U1. I think it’s out there enough now that they can make some big features with it.

They had hinted about getting higher bandwidth audio and I think people hoped / assumed they meant using the U1, but they might have just meant Bluetooth 5.3.

 

[GigabitEthernet]

Shame they still fall out of my ears, why oh why don't Apple do foam tips.

 

[Wolfson]

Now make it possible to see this on MacOS too, please.
Also, why is my iPad not broadcasting battery status?

 

[ShadowJade]

Shame they still fall out of my ears, why oh why don't Apple do foam tips.

Comply Foam Tips Compatible with Apple Airpods Pro

Treat your ears with Comply Foam tips specifically designed to deliver an elevated listening experience, snug and secure fit and block unwanted noise for AirPods Pro.

www.complyfoam.com

Been using these foam tips since day 1 on my first Generation Airpods Pro. You're welcome.

 

[System603]

Shame they still fall out of my ears, why oh why don't Apple do foam tips.

Because they make Beats Fit Pro where you don't need them ☺️

(sorry, just hyping my beloved BFPs and ShadowJade provided helpful answer already)

 

[Shin-Ra]

Wouldn’t be surprised if Apple just put another Bluetooth radio in the case.

 

[applicious84]

Shame they still fall out of my ears, why oh why don't Apple do foam tips.

Probably not what you care about because they don't do noise isolation, but I use (non-pro) Airpods 2 because they fit and are the most comfortable for me. The Airpods 3 kept popping out, and I want the natural ambient sound

 

[Mizouse]

I’m confused, I have 1st gen APP and on the widget in iOS 14.8 it shows the battery of both the AirPods and MagSafe case when the AirPods are in my ears. 🤔

 

[sjperformance]

I’m confused, I have 1st gen APP and on the widget in iOS 14.8 it shows the battery of both the AirPods and MagSafe case. 🤔

View attachment 2076840

Take them out of the case.

 

[Mizouse]

Take them out of the case.

I should’ve clarified they’re in my ears with that screenshot.

 

[Jakewilk]

This was possible before, you just had to open the AirPods case for it to show in the widget

 

[Tyler O'Bannon]

Nice touch. Definitely think we will see the U1 on more products, with find my support and nice touches like this.

 

[murdoc2k]

Really want to see more use of the U1. I think it’s out there enough now that they can make some big features with it.

They had hinted about getting higher bandwidth audio and I think people hoped / assumed they meant using the U1, but they might have just meant Bluetooth 5.3.

I believe U1 chip is used to determine the direction and distance of nearby devices. It's not used to transmit or receive audio; That is still done via bluetooth. Hopefully with new bluetooth standards that support more audio bandwidth with Bluetooth LE, we'll be able to get lossless audio at some point.

 

[Eldaerenth Faexidor]

Great stuff this. I have the APP2 in my ears for 5 hours straight now and they are definitely more comfortable than the APP. Spatial audio is so nice in combinatie with ATV4K. I absolutely love them!

 

[Shippo7]

Deleted

 

[Logic368]

Great stuff this. I have the APP2 in my ears for 5 hours straight now and they are definitely more comfortable than the APP. Spatial audio is so nice in combinatie with ATV4K. I absolutely love them!

Wait, are they differently shaped than the 1st generation? Or are you just using the XS tips?

 

[CarAnalogy]

I believe U1 chip is used to determine the direction and distance of nearby devices. It's not used to transmit or receive audio; That is still done via bluetooth. Hopefully with new bluetooth standards that support more audio bandwidth with Bluetooth LE, we'll be able to get lossless audio at some point.

I don’t know enough about it and not sure where to find out, but is it theoretically possible to use it for data transmission? U1 clearly transmits some small amount of data, I just wonder if its lack of wider use is due to a technology limitation or just hasn’t been fully utilized due to lack of widespread adoption.

 

[GigabitEthernet]

Comply Foam Tips Compatible with Apple Airpods Pro

Treat your ears with Comply Foam tips specifically designed to deliver an elevated listening experience, snug and secure fit and block unwanted noise for AirPods Pro.

www.complyfoam.com

Been using these foam tips since day 1 on my first Generation Airpods Pro. You're welcome.

That's what I use. But this should not be necessary.

 

[dannyyankou]

That alone might make it worth an upgrade for me, lol

 

[dannyyankou]

I’m confused, I have 1st gen APP and on the widget in iOS 14.8 it shows the battery of both the AirPods and MagSafe case when the AirPods are in my ears. 🤔

View attachment 2076840

Since the AirPods in your screenshot are at 100%, you probably just took them out of the case. The brief moment they were open, they sent the battery status of the case to your iPhone. It stays there for a little bit, but after keeping the AirPods in your ears for about a minute the case charging status disappears.