While some may be annoyed to hear that the AirPods Pro 2 is in development and that its arrival will be delayed to Q1 2022, I am more than happy This is because I hope that Apple will take as much time as necessary to mimic the best features of Samsung's newly announced Galaxy Buds Pro

Yes, even I, who is rarely swayed by Samsung, can admit when the Seoul-based company beats Cupertino And Samsung's Galaxy Buds Pro is almost certain to make our Best Wireless Earphones ranking

The AirPods Pro has similar features to the Galaxy Buds Pro (active noise cancellation (ANC) and an ambient sound mode that amplifies nearby noise), but Samsung has a new trick

Titled Voice Direct, the Galaxy Buds Pro can dynamically shift volume or enable ambient sound by detecting what you speak For example, if you are using ANC, Buds Pro will switch to ambient sound

This is a cool personal feature because it reduces social conflicts when using wireless earbuds If you don't pause or turn down the volume ahead of time, you'll stumble into a conversation and have to listen again to what the other person said

When this happens, you will naturally feel that you have been too confined to your own world, that you have not been considerate of those around you, and that they think you are a self-centered jerk

Annoyingly, no such feature was heard in the AirPods Pro 2 rumors we tracked down Instead, there is talk of an improved transparency mode to warn of impending danger, and compatibility with the oft-rumored AirTags

And I could see a world where Apple could not find a way to match Voice Detect First of all, the fine print in Samsung's press release (its estimated battery life is at "default settings with Bixby Voice Wakeup and Voice Detect turned off") suggests that battery life could be shorter, which is too high a cost for Apple might be

Also, Samsung may have patented the technology and may be unwilling to license it to Apple (and Apple may be unwilling to pay for it) And if Apple does not get the technology, I would like to see the $249 AirPods Pro drop in price a bit more, since the Galaxy Buds Pro is $50 cheaper at $199

Furthermore, Apple may not see the need for this feature as much as I do; the AirPods Pro only needs this feature to prevent users from switching, and most iPhone owners would prefer the ease of use of AirPods, which are made for Apple devices Most iPhone owners will prefer the ease of use of AirPods made for Apple devices Buds Pro is similarly designed to work best with Samsung devices However, the Galaxy Buds Pro uses Bluetooth, which also works with iPhones, and is worth a try

If Apple wants to remain the king of this segment, it cannot afford to miss Voice Detect This is a feature that makes socializing with true wireless headphones frictionless