How long do AirPod Pros last?
Apple has sold close to 400 million AirPods since 2017 when it first launched. The first 100 million AirPods, sold between 2017 and 2020, are likely electronic waste by now. This is because the lifespan of a battery is finite and the Apple AirPods line is notoriously hard to repair.
As AirPods users, it’s easy to get accustomed to their top-of-the-line functionality known to transform the user’s listening experience. But along with this convenience comes the nagging worry that the batteries will run out, or worse, suddenly stop working.
The truth is that AirPods and their batteries have a finite lifespan, after which they won’t work. And although this is inevitable, it can be challenging to identify the warning signs that could have helped you prepare for the worst.
Therefore, this guide will help you know how long Airpods last. It will also highlight a few tricks for stretching your AirPods’ lifespan so that you can enjoy them for a while longer.
What is the battery life of AirPods and AirPods Pro?
Officially, Apple says its first-generation AirPods offer up to five hours of listening time and up to two hours of talk time on one charge, while second-generation AirPods provide up to an extra hour of talk time.
AirPods Pro feature the same battery life as AirPods with up to five hours of listening time, but in Active Noise Cancellation mode, listening time is reduced to four and a half hours, and talk time is limited to up to three and a half hours. The Charging Cases for all models offer up to 24 hours of additional listening time or over additional 18 hours of talk time.
The phrase “up to” is of course the key qualifier that Apple elects to use here, and it is not just to account for certain usage scenarios that can sap battery life quicker. It’s also because if you’ve owned AirPods for a while and you use them pretty much every day, you may struggle to get anything near the stated battery life without recharging them a lot more often than you used to.
How long does the AirPods’ battery last?
When the battery charge of your AirPods is low, you get a notification on the screen of your iPhone or iPad. You get notifications when the charge is at 20, 10, and 5 percent remaining. You also hear a tone in one or both AirPods when the battery charge is low.
The tone sounds one time when the battery charge is at 10%, and a second time right before the AirPods turn off.
Your AirPods’ battery lifespan depends on its model and other factors like volume level and use of features.
An example is the battery life testing conducted for the 2016 (1st Gen) AirPods. To execute the same, Apple connected the AirPods to an iPhone 7 and set the volume to 50%. Then, they played a playlist of 358 unique tracks until the first AirPod went off to determine how long 1st Gen AirPods last.
The results? 1st Gen AirPods provided up to 5 hours of listening time and 2 hours of talk time. That’s all from one charge, thanks to Apple’s W1 chip. All AirPods cases, on the other hand, provide about 24 hours of listening time and 18 hours of talk time.
Here’s how many hours each AirPods model lasts:
AirPods Pro (2nd generation)
- With multiple charges in your case, you get up to 30 hours of listening time, or up to 24 hours of talk time.
- Your AirPods Pro (2nd generation) can get up to 6 hours of listening time (up to 5.5 hours with Spatial Audio and Head Tracking enabled) or up to 4.5 hours of talk time on a single charge.
If you charge your AirPods Pro (2nd generation) for 5 minutes in their case, you get around 1 hour of listening time or around 1 hour of talk time.
AirPods (3rd generation)
- With multiple charges in your case, you get up to 30 hours of listening time or up to 20 hours of talk time.
- Your AirPods (3rd generation) can get up to 6 hours of listening time (up to 5 hours with Spatial Audio enabled) or up to 4 hours of talk time on a single charge.
If you charge your AirPods (3rd generation) for 5 minutes in their case, you get around 1 hour of listening time or around 1 hour of talk time.
AirPods Pro (1st generation)
- With multiple charges in your case, you get more than 24 hours of listening time or more than 18 hours of talk time.
- Your AirPods Pro can get up to 4.5 hours of listening time or up to 3.5 hours of talk time on a single charge.
If you charge your AirPods Pro for 5 minutes in their case, you get around 1 hour of listening time or around 1 hour of talk time.
AirPods (2nd generation)
- With multiple charges in your case, you get more than 24 hours of listening time or up to 18 hours of talk time.
- Your AirPods can get up to 5 hours of listening time or 3 hours of talk time on a single charge.
If you charge your AirPods for 15 minutes in their case, you get up to 3 hours of listening time or up to 2 hours of talk time.
AirPods Pro battery life
Contrary to expectations, the AirPods Pro offer a relatively shorter battery life than the 2nd and 3rd Gen Airpods. For a single charge, the AirPods Pro gives up to 4.5 hours of listening time and 3.5 hours of talk time.
However, if you turn your Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency off, you can get up to 5 hours of listening time.
The AirPods Pro also offers more than 24 hours of accumulated use when you charge them from the case multiple times. If you need a fast charge, you can plug your AirPods Pro in for 5 minutes. This charge returns close to one hour of listening and talk time.
How long do AirPods Pros last? Their average lifespan
AirPods typically last about 2-3 years before most users feel the need to replace them. This short lifespan is because of their lithium-ion batteries.
AirPods have proven tough in several durability tests and have shown that they can withstand pressure. This means that they are durable. But, of course, they also “die”, and given the expense, AirPods don’t last nearly as long as they should because their batteries die early.
Ironically, the battery gradually deteriorates after every charge. The more you charge your AirPods, the less charge they can hold. Soon, your AirPods won’t last for the stipulated 5 hours. This happens because AirPods are equipped with lithium-ion batteries prone to faster degradation with every subsequent charge.
Lithium-ion batteries can cause an explosion when taken apart or damaged. This makes it harder for users to get the old, worn-out batteries repaired. The only solution that remains, then, is to get a replacement battery for the AirPods or their case, thus, driving up AirPods’ maintenance costs even more!
However, despite their lousy reputation regarding durability, lithium-ion batteries are still known to be the best. Apple chose them because they charge faster and last longer than regular batteries. They even have more battery life capacity.
However, lithium-ion batteries deteriorate with every charge cycle they complete. In fact, they’re known to self-discharge and typically offer less capacity even if not used for a while. Also, certain users may not use 100% from one charge, as they recharge their Airpod before it gets low. For these users, it can take days to complete a charge cycle.
However, if you regularly drain your Airpods’ batteries completely before recharging them, they’re likely to have a lower lifespan.
Why do AirPods have such short lifespans?
It’s no secret that batteries deteriorate over time, and Apple’s AirPods are no different. However, it is their small size that makes them particularly vulnerable to the physical damage that occurs over the course of every lithium-ion battery’s natural lifespan.
Consider that a speck of damage in an iPhone battery may be negligible. But the same size of speck in an AirPod battery is going to be a lot more significant because of its relatively tiny volume in comparison.
The way the AirPods battery is discharged also has an impact on the actual battery life. For example, if you make or receive a lot of phone calls over your AirPods, over time you’ll likely notice an imbalance in battery life between the left and right AirPods. That’s because, by default, only one AirPod turns on its microphone during calls.
How to maximize AirPods battery life
Keep them cased
The AirPods case itself stores 24 hours of additional charge, so it should keep you going if you use your AirPods twice daily on a long commute, for instance. Just make sure you keep your AirPods in their case when they’re not in use, and remember to connect the case to a power outlet every few days.
Don’t fiddle
Try and avoid playing with the case when you don’t intend to use the AirPods. Sure, repeatedly flipping the lid open and closed can be oddly satisfying, but every time you do so you’re activating the W1 Bluetooth chip and sapping the batteries.
Avoid extreme conditions
In general, extreme heat or cold can cause long-term damage to batteries, so avoid using them in inhospitable environmental conditions where possible. Also, try to keep your AirPods out of direct sunlight when you’re not using them.
Disable Smart features
If you don’t use the smart features on your AirPods, turn them off. For example, Automatic Ear Detection allows the audio routed from a connected device to seamlessly switch to the AirPods the moment you put them in your ears. The feature is enabled by default, but if you want to you can manually disable it once you’ve connected the AirPods to an iPhone or iPad.
Just note that once you do, you’ll have to manually play/pause audio routing to the AirPods.
Disable Noise functions
If you own AirPods Pro, consider disabling the Noise Cancellation and Transparency modes, as these features reduce battery life significantly. You can control these functions via your connected iOS device or by using the default press-and-hold gesture on the AirPod stems themselves.
Turn it down
Lastly, consider turning down the volume that you play back audio on your AirPods. Doing so should provide a small saving in terms of battery life, but it could also save your hearing in the long term.
How to extend the battery life of depleted AirPods
If your AirPods already suffer from a shorter battery capacity and you want to maximize AirPods listening or talk time, here’s a short-term fix: Instead of wearing both AirPods at once, consider using one AirPod while the other one charges inside the charging case, and switch between them when the one you’re using starts to run out of juice.
AirPods detect when only one is being worn and will automatically convert stereo audio channels to mono, so you’ll still be able to enjoy the full track recording in one ear. AirPods also pause when you take one out, reconnect, and resume playback when you put one in again, ensuring a seamless listening experience.
How to use AirPods quick charge effectively
To their credit, both AirPods and AirPods 2 models charge very quickly –- you can get two hours of listening time by putting them in their case for just 15 minutes. But if they’re continually running out of juice, this quickly gets frustrating.
As mentioned above, using AirPods to take and make lots of calls can result in a long-term imbalance in the battery capacity between the two earpieces. To mitigate this, try periodically switching the designated active AirPod microphone in settings.
Better yet, use just one AirPod instead of two, and switch between the left and right one every so often.
How to service your AirPods or AirPods Pro
If you’ve had no luck eking out a bit more life from your depleted AirPods, then it might be time to consider getting them serviced by Apple. Apple offers a $29 AppleCare+ plan that’s designed specifically for headphones like AirPods. AppleCare+ extends the warranty of AirPods to two years from the date of purchase.
It also offers replacement coverage if your AirPod or Charging Case battery holds less than 80% of its original capacity.
If you didn’t buy AppleCare+ within 60 days of buying your AirPods, they may still be covered under the standard one-year warranty that’s included with all Apple products. If your AirPods need service during that one year period, all work will be covered for free.
Bonus tip: How to check battery percentage of AirPods Pro
You can check the battery percentage of your AirPods with your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac.
On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
Open your case lid with your AirPods inside and hold your case close to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Wait a few seconds to see the charge status of your AirPods.
You can also check the charge status of your AirPods with the Batteries widget on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. The charge for your case appears only when at least one AirPod is in the case.
On your Mac
- Open the lid or take your AirPods out of the case.
- Click the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar. If you don’t see the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar, learn how to add it.
- Hover the pointer over your AirPods in the menu.
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