David Phelan Apple AirPods Pro are now in their second generation model, with significant new features and improvements. But one of them, surprisingly, could also come to the first generation headphones. MORE FROM FORBESApple AirPods Pro (2022) Review: Familiar Look, Great SoundBy David Phelan That’s according to first-generation AirPods Pro owners who have iOS 16.1 beta installed on their iPhones. Adaptive Transparency is one of the highlights of the second-generation AirPods Pro (although there are many), and it tries to do something revolutionary: make real lives sound better. Sure, we’re used to the excellent noise cancellation on the first generation AirPods Pro, although it’s definitely improved on the new model, but what about when you need to hear the outside world? For example, if you’re at a coffee shop and want to hear them call your name when your drink is ready, but don’t want to stop listening to music while you wait. For this, you will switch to Transparency Mode. In the new AirPods Pro, that’s adaptive transparency, which works through processing that happens 48,000 times a second to adjust for harsh environmental noise. It works well, making the harsh noises a little more tolerable, though not completely gone. All very well, but then came this surprise. People using the latest beta version of iOS, namely iOS 16.1 beta 3, find that they can also access Adaptive Transparency. Which is interesting because Apple said this feature happens because of the H2 processor, which the original AirPods Pro didn’t have. This feature requires the latest AirPods beta software, which is called build 5A304a. Of course, it’s still possible that this is just a bug, and at this stage it’s unclear if that’s all and access will disappear again before iOS 16.1 reaches general release. But if not, it could mean a real upgrade for users of the original AirPods Pro without having to spend a cent. MORE FROM FORBESApple Tim Cook Launches New Initiative: ‘It’s About Values’ by David Phelan
