Apple AirPods Pro Coming Oct. 30 with Active Cancelling for $249

Apple just confirmed the long-awaited AirPods Pro wireless earbuds, complete with noise cancellation, water- and sweat-resistance and a new design. Here's everything you need to know about Apple's high-end earbuds, including the release date, how much they cost and why Apple thinks you'll pay a pretty penny extra to get them.

Editors' Note: We have redirected today's earlier rumor article about the AirPods Pro colors and release date to this news hub.

Announced on Monday (Oct. 28), Apple's AirPods Pro will arrive in Apple Stores and Apple.com on Wednesday, Oct. 30.

AirPods Pro cost $249, and include a Qi-wireless charging case (which you need to pay extra for with Gen 2. AirPods). By comparison, the AirPods 2 cost $159 without the wireless charging case and $199 with the wireless charging case.

AirPods Pro design and water resistance

AirPods Pro feature a new, curvier design — with rubber tips — that looks a lot like the leaked looks. Wondering about how they'll fit? Apple will include three sizes of flexible silicon ear tips. Apple says that the ear tip provide a comfy fit and superior seal.

Apple also includes an Ear Tip Fit Test (we're guessing in the app) that will test "the quality of the seal and identifying the best ear tip size" using advanced algorithms that use the microphones in each AirPod to measure the sound level in the ear and compare it to what is coming from the speaker driver.

Apple notes that the AirPods Pro are "sweat- and water- resistant for non-water sports and exercise. The wireless earbuds have a rating of IPX4.

The biggest new feature for travelers is that Apple's finally adding active noise cancelling. The headphones use two microphones with "advanced software" to adapt sound to both your ear and their fit in your ear. Those mics allow Apple to remove background noise, which solves the major problem in regular earbuds where you can still hear most everything going on around you, and just focus on your music, movie, call or podcasts.

Apple claims that the noise cancellation continuously adapts the sound signal 200 times per second.

The AirPods Pro are not the first wireless earbuds to offer noise cancellation; that would be the Sony WF-1000xM3, which earned 4 out of 5 stars in our review. They cost $228 right now.

AirPods Pro sound quality and transparency

Apple's added an Adaptive EQ, which will adjust low- and mid-range frequency audio to fit the shape of the ears they're in. The tech in the headphones includes a high dynamic range amplifier and 20Hz drivers.

Apple's press release notes that Transparency Mode should help you not miss important audio details going on around you — like when my local train became an express late last night.

AirPods Pro are rated for 5 hours of listening time and 4.5 with Active Noise Cancellation mode enabled or 3.5 hours of talk time. This rating is somewhat disappointing, given that the AirPods 2 max out at 5 hours of listening time. The PowerBeats Pro have 9 hours of rated battery life.

With a full charging case, you'll extend battery life to "over 24 hours of listening time or over 18 hours of talk time." Qi charging comes standard this time, a given considering the high price.

The AirPods Pro have three other interesting features. Voice-activated Siri and Audio Sharing are carried over from Gen 2 AirPods. There's also a trick called Announce Messages, where the AirPods will speak the text of messages as they arrive.