First generation AirPods Pro are getting a cool AirPods Pro 2 feature

AirPods Pro 2 on a mosaic table
AirPods Pro 2 on a mosaic table (Image credit: Gerald Lynch / Future)

If you've been holding out on upgrading to AirPods Pro 2, Apple just gave you one more reason to stick with the first-generation earbuds.

As spotted by MacRumors, someone posted on Reddit that the first generation AirPods Pro seem to be getting one of the features that everyone thought Apple was reserving for its second generation Pro earbuds. Apple released the latest developer beta of iOS 16.1 two days ago and it appears to come with a surprise for the original AirPods Pro.

With the latest iOS 16.1 beta, someone posted on Reddit that their first-generation AirPods Pro now featured Adaptive Transparency, something that Apple revealed as a new feature for the second-generation AirPods Pro when it announced the new earbuds earlier this month at its iPhone 14 event.

ios_161b3_adaptive_transparency_is_available_for from r/iOSBeta

The feature was originally just for AirPods Pro 2

Airpods Pro Rock And Roll In Hand

Airpods Pro Rock And Roll In Hand (Image credit: Rene Ritchie / iMore)

Adaptive Transparency, before today, was thought to be a feature reserved for only the second-generation AirPods Pro. If you're familiar with AirPods Pro, you're likely aware that the earbuds have supported Transparency Mode, which will bring outside sounds in more clearly. The mode is useful if you have your earbuds on and are trying to hear people around you or need to listen for cars, etc while you're on a walk or run.

With AirPods Pro 2, Apple announced Adaptive Transparency, which will automatically reduce loud noises around you like "a passing vehicle siren, construction tools, or even loud speakers."

Transparency mode makes it possible for listeners to stay connected to and aware of the world around them. Now, Adaptive Transparency takes this customer-loved feature even further. The powerful H2 chip enables on-device processing, which reduces loud environmental noise — like a passing vehicle siren, construction tools, or even loud speakers at a concert — for more comfortable everyday listening.

Apple didn't make mention that the feature would be coming to the first-generation AirPods Pro but, according to the latest iOS 16.1 beta, that seems to be the case. So, if you still have a pair of first-generation AirPods Pro, congrats! You just got an AirPods Pro 2 feature.

Joe Wituschek
Contributor

Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.