AirPods have one big disadvantage (and it’s time for Apple to solve it)

Apple regularly provides AirPods with updates, but the ears still have one big disadvantage. This function is not (yet) working properly.

Disadvantage of the AirPods

It has been a while since Apple has released new AirPods. The AirPods 4 appeared in September 2024, the newest generation of the AirPods Pro even dates from 2022. In the meantime, Apple has regularly released updates for the ears. For example, the AirPods Pro 2 have been given many functions in iOS 17 and iOS 18. Yet Apple still has not remedied the main disadvantage of the AirPods.

Almost all wireless ears and headphones suffer from a delay in the sound. This also applies to the AirPods, which means that the image on your iPhone is often not the same with the audio in the ears. You notice this especially when editing music videos or playing games. You can hear what happens on the screen a little later in the AirPods. This is an important disadvantage with the AirPods, so it’s time for Apple to come up with a solution.

Apple is working on solution (s)

The delay in the AirPods audio has long been a disadvantage that Apple is trying to solve. Earlier research has shown that the newer generations of the ears have much less trouble with the delay. The AirPods Pro 2 have a delay of 126 milliseconds, while the first generation of the AirPods was still 296 milliseconds. That is about a halving in the audio delay.

Apple has been trying to remedy the biggest disadvantage of the AirPods for some time, but is still not entirely successful in this. With iOS 18, iPados 18 and macOS Sonoma, Apple has introduced the game mode. In this mode, the latency with Bluetooth connections is reduced. This applies to connected controllers with your Mac, but also to the audio connection of your AirPods. The game mode only reduces the delay of the AirPods Pro 2.

AirPods Pro 3 are coming

It is therefore clear that Apple is aware of the audio delay at the AirPods and tries to resolve that disadvantage. Later this year the AirPods Pro 3, the new generation of Apple’s best ears, will be published. It is expected that the new version of the AirPods Pro will suffer from delays in the audio even less. Possibly there is no more latency at all, which means that image and audio run almost even.

Incidentally, it is good to know that the AirPods Pro 2 has little delay, compared to the built -in speakers of, for example, an iPhone. The AirPods Pro 2 only respond 43 milliseconds later, which may be even less with the new generation of the AirPods Pro. Do you want to know more about the new ears? Read all about the AirPods Pro 3 here. Are you now looking for new AirPods with as little audio delay as possible? In that case, view the lowest prices of the AirPods Pro 2 here: