“Apple's second-generation AirPods Pro will include…” voLUMe coNTRols. I know we can’t admit Siri is still a POS or that humans actually like touch controls for stuff… but come on.
All Apple would need to do is make a software change to allow what Sony do with the WF1000XM4. ie let the user (who actually pays for these things Mr. Cook and all those little secret side deals with the CCP) decide for themselves which of 3 funtionalities they want the left and right soft button to do: 1.change NC mode, 2.play/pause/answer etc 3.volume control - Press for vol up, press & hold for volume down.