A Year and a Half with Apple AirPods 2: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Hello everyone!

I'm excited to share my experience with my first pair of Apple's wireless earbuds, which I've been using for over a year and a half. They arrived in 2022 and I used them until I got my Apple AirPods 4.

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Key details.

Type: wireless Bluetooth earbudsModel: Apple AirPods 2nd GenerationCountry of manufacture: ChinaBrand country: USAWhere to buy: Yandex Market, OZON, and othersPrice: 9000-10000 rublesxa0

Apple AirPods 2nd Generation are wireless Bluetooth earbuds with a built-in microphone. Apple introduced them in 2019 as an updated version of the first-generation AirPods (released in 2016). While the design remains the same, this new model brought some significant improvements:

– The H1 processor, which supports hands-free Siri

– Bluetooth 5 connectivity

– Up to 50% more talk time

– Faster device pairing

The model numbers for Apple AirPods 2 are A2032 and A2031.

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Technical specs for those interested, here's a rundown on the Apple AirPods 2nd Generation:

Main specs

Device type: wireless TWS earbuds

Build: earbuds

Attachment type: none

Wireless connection type: Bluetooth 5.0

Acoustic design: open

Sound

Impedance: 32 Ohms

Active noise cancellation: no

Minimum frequency response: 20 Hz

Maximum frequency response: 20,000 Hz

Microphone

Microphone: yes

Number of microphones: 2

Power

Case charging type: Lightning

Case battery capacity: 398 mAh

Fast charging: 15 minutes gets you 3 hours of playback or 2 hours of talk time

Playtime: 5 hours

Playtime from case battery: 24 hours

Talk time: 3 hours

Additional info

Number of drivers: 1

Profile support: AVRCP, HFP (Hands-free), A2DP, Headset

Technology: dynamic

Features: voice assistant call

Color: white

Dimensions and weight

Weight of one earbud: 4g

Weight: 38g

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Unboxing.

My Apple AirPods 2 arrived in a plain white cardboard box:

I'm not gonna sugarcoat it - Apple's design is safe, predictable, and hasn't changed much over the years. I don't see the point in going into details about the box.

All the extra packaging is wrapped in a cardboard insert - a nice touch, but not exactly revolutionary.

Design. Packaging.

Packaging is minimal, just like with any other Apple product:

– Apple Airpods 2

– Charging case

– User manual

– Lightning cable

No power adapter in the box - a small but noticeable omission.

Case is compact, smooth, and has a glossy finish that picks up fingerprints and scratches super quickly. The color is white:

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I've got to admit, I'm a bit of a design stickler when it comes to my Apple products. I've always got to have my phone in black, and my AirPods in white - there's just something about the contrast that looks right to me.

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The lid on this case is a magnetic close, which is super convenient - no more fumbling around for a latch or worrying about it flying open in your bag.

The AirPods inside the case are arranged vertically, with a little LED light that lets you know when they're connected to your device, and how much juice is left in the case itself.

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The charging port is down at the bottom of the case, which is nice and out of the way.

On the back, there's a circular sensor button that lets you connect your AirPods to external devices - like your laptop, for example.

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Case covers for the AirPods 1/2 are everywhere, from WB and AliExpress to Kari stores. I usually go for the simplest silicone covers, no fuss. For 150 rubles or 900, they all do the same job of protecting the case from scratches, and that's all I need.

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The earbuds themselves have a traditional design (in-ear), they're pretty long (over 4 cm in length), but lightweight and not at all bulky:

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Each earbud has a sensor panel on the outside, which lets you control calls and music playback.

At the bottom, there's a microphone, which also connects the earbud to the built-in charger inside the case.

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For my sanity, the manufacturer helpfully labeled each AirPod with an L and R (left and right, respectively).

The surface is plastic, glossy, and slightly slippery, but it feels nice to the touch. The earbuds, like the case, aren't exactly durable against scratches, but they're great at resisting dirt and grime.

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My experience with them.

I used AirPods 2 for two years, and overall, I was pretty happy with them, except for one annoying issue that I'll get to later.

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Connecting to devices.

Before I could use them for the first time, I had to connect them to my iPhone and set them up. The process was super intuitive and took less than a minute. The earbuds connected seamlessly to my iPhone (my main phone was the Apple iPhone 13, plus two work phones - the iPhone 6s and iPhone SE 2020), and after the initial connection, I had to come up with a name for them - I didn't bother too much and just called them AirPods (AGNIA). The iPhone also prompted me to set up actions for the earbuds.

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I've found it's super easy to check the battery level of my AirPods just by holding them close to my iPhone and opening the lid – the screen shows you the percentage charge for each earbud and the case, as well as whether they're charging or not.

The wireless range is seriously impressive, too – I've left my iPhone on the kitchen counter, met the delivery person by the lift, and walked around the flat without the sound dropping out. Even in the office, I've moved between rooms without any issues.

Switching from the speaker to my AirPods takes about a second, with a nice little chime to let you know it's happened.

As the AirPods are wireless, connecting them to devices is via Bluetooth. I've paired them with my IRBIS laptop, and it's been a bit of a faff – the round button on the back of the charging case comes in handy here. The initial pairing process takes a bit longer than with an Apple iPhone, but the main downside is that you have to manually connect them each time via the Bluetooth settings on your laptop. If I had a MacBook, this wouldn't be a problem, though.

I've also found it really convenient to use my AirPods with two iPhones – I can listen to music on one phone, and then immediately take a call on the other, with the AirPods switching seamlessly between the two. With other brands, like the Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic, you have to disconnect from one phone and then reconnect to the other – it's just not as smooth.

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Charging.

I've found that the case takes around an hour to an hour and a half to fully charge, while the earbuds themselves take just 15 minutes to top up - that's enough to last up to three hours of audio playback. The charging case is compatible with both the first and second generation earbuds, which I've personally verified.

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Battery Life.

One of the standout features of the Apple AirPods 2nd Generation is their impressive battery life. I found that the case needed to be charged 2-3 times a week, depending on how frequently I used the earbuds in talk mode (they drain faster when in use for calls or voice recordings). After two years of daily use, the earbuds themselves still held up well, and even after three years, a full charge would last for around four hours of music playback.

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Music Playback. Video Watching. Sound Quality.

The sound quality on the Apple AirPods 2 is top-notch, with a much deeper sound than many other earbuds in this price range (like the Huawei alternatives). The high frequencies are crisp and clear, the bass is powerful and well-defined, and there's no noticeable background noise. I compared them to the JBL earbuds, and in my opinion, the Apple AirPods sound better.

There's no active noise cancellation on these earbuds, which suits me just fine - I actually chose the Apple AirPods 4 without noise cancellation because I prefer to be aware of my surroundings. However, I have to say that during car rides, the AirPods 2 are incredibly effective at blocking out background noise.

I set my AirPods up to control audio/video playback by double-tapping on the left earbud to skip to the next track, and double-tapping on the right earbud to pause/play.

Double tap on the left – next trackDouble tap on the right – pause/playxa0

Phone calls.

To answer a call, you just need to tap the earbud (either left or right) once to decline, and twice to accept.

The sound quality during calls is totally fine, and the microphone gets a 10 out of 10 from me. I'm comparing these to other budget-friendly options, and I have to say that the person on the other end was way harder to hear with those. On the other hand, they had a much harder time hearing me. I've also noticed that AirPods 2 don't distort the sound at all – everyone I've talked to on these earbuds and recorded voices has commented on that.

First of all, the person on the other end is harder to hear than if I was just holding the phone up to my ear. Secondly, my voice sounds a bit distorted. Thirdly, they also have a harder time hearing me, which speaks to the not-so-great built-in microphone.

I've never accidentally switched to the external speaker during a call, which has happened to me almost daily with the Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic. I know these are in different price categories, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

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Design.

I've got super fussy ears, and any vacuum-style earbuds with ear tips just don't cut it for me. I stick to in-ear buds, and, as it turns out, Apple AirPods 2 aren't perfect for my ears. About a year into wearing them regularly, I started experiencing pain in my right ear. It felt like the earbud was pressing on something, and the constant friction was causing some serious discomfort.

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If I didn't use my earbuds for a couple of days, the pain would subside, but as soon as I put them back in, it all came flooding back. I even bought a pair of wireless earbuds from Huawei in the summer of 2024, but, as it turned out, they made my ear hurt even worse.

But with the purchase of AirPods 4, all that drama came to an end: it's now been three months since I've even thought about my ear hurting. It's like it never happened.

If I ignore that one annoying flaw, the earbuds are pretty comfortable. They're lightweight, don't fall out of my ears, and aren't easily blown away by the wind (which sometimes happens with my AirPods 4). They're also great for workouts at the gym, despite their small size. And, as you can see, they look pretty good in my ears, even up close:

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And from a distance:

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One thing that's worth noting is how versatile Apple Airpods 2 are - they suit both women and men equally well.

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Cleaning.

About a year and a half after I bought mine, my Airpods needed a deep clean of the drivers. I noticed this because the left earbud started sounding much quieter than the right one. There's plenty of YouTube videos out there on how to properly clean your Airpods - I'd recommend checking those out, and you'll be able to get your Airpods sounding like new again in no time.

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The advantages of wireless Apple Airpods 2:

They're super lightweightThey connect well with all sorts of devicesThey switch between iPhones quicklyThey produce high-quality soundThey have an amazing microphoneThey last a long time on a single chargeThey look great in your earsxa0

Downsides:

Old modelCan cause ear pain

My verdict.

I've got to say, the Apple AirPods 4 are a whole lot better - and that's not just about ergonomics, design, battery life, or sound quality. I'd definitely recommend going for the AirPods 4 over the AirPods 2. But when I had the second-gen AirPods, I thought they were pretty great. Everything about them was spot on, except for the ear pain I experienced with the right ear.

Rating - 4/5.

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Thanks for reading my review.