10 Reasons to Avoid Overpaying for Apple AirPods Pro: A Tech Expert‘s Perspective

As a digital technology expert with over a decade of experience covering consumer audio gear, I‘ve closely followed the explosive growth of the wireless earbud market. Few products have made as big a splash as Apple‘s AirPods Pro since their introduction in 2019. With their iconic white stems, active noise cancellation, Apple ecosystem integration, and typical Apple premium pricing, they‘ve become a status symbol and default choice for many.

However, after extensively testing the AirPods Pro along with dozens of competitors, I believe they represent poor value for money for most consumers. Here are ten reasons why you should think twice before dropping $249 on a pair of AirPods Pro.

1. Exorbitant Apple Tax

Let‘s start with the obvious – the biggest reason to avoid the AirPods Pro is the enormous Apple Tax built into their price. With a U.S. MSRP of $249, they‘re one of the most expensive sets of wireless earbuds on the market, notably costlier than competitors like the Sony WF-1000XM4 ($279), Bose QuietComfort Earbuds ($219), and Jabra Elite 85t ($229).

What are you getting for that extra outlay? Not a whole lot beyond the Apple logo and cachet. The tech giant has long been known for premium pricing that has little to do with the actual bill of materials and manufacturing costs. In fact, a 2019 teardown by analyst firm ABI Research estimated the AirPods Pro‘s hardware costs at just $67, meaning Apple is charging nearly a 400% markup!

Compare that to other flagship buds like the Sony WF-1000XM4, which offer superior sound quality, noise cancelling, battery life, and feature set for around $50 less. You don‘t have to be a mathematician to see how much of the AirPods Pro‘s cost is pure profit for Apple rather than actual value for the consumer.

2. Missing Premium Features

Speaking of value, the AirPods Pro package feels downright spartan compared to many competitors given the price point. Despite costing more than most rivals, they lack several premium features that audiophiles and power users appreciate, such as:

High-res Bluetooth codec support (aptX, LDAC, etc.)
Equalizer adjustments
Multipoint pairing
Wireless charging case (included with many cheaper buds)
Earfins/hooks, foam tips for secure fit
Bluetooth transmitter for use with non-BT devices
Adjustable ANC/transparency mode levels
Auto play/pause based on wear detection
Voice assistant support beyond Siri

The lack of high-res codec support stings especially hard now that Apple Music offers lossless audio on many tracks. Users can‘t enjoy the full quality of their music library due to Apple‘s refusal to license better codecs from the likes of Qualcomm. For audiophiles, the AirPods Pro just can‘t compete with high-end buds from Sony, Sennheiser, Shure, and others that deliver superior sonic detail and resolution.

3. Poor Repairability and Sustainability

iFixit‘s teardown of the AirPods Pro delivered a grim assessment of their repairability, scoring them just 0 out of 10. The earbuds and charging case are all hermetically sealed with copious amounts of glue, making battery replacements or repairs virtually impossible without destroying the products.

This design edict means that AirPods Pro are essentially disposable products with a lifespan limited by their lithium-ion batteries. Once the batteries inevitably degrade after a few years, owners are faced with the prospect of shelling out another $249 for a new pair or coughing up $89 per earbud and $99 for the case in out-of-warranty service fees. For a premium-priced product, this planned obsolescence is frustrating and terrible for the environment given the e-waste generated.

Many true wireless earbuds suffer from similar repairability concerns, but some like the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro use standard screws and have official repair guides available. Apple does not publish any such guides for the AirPods Pro.

4. Locked into the Apple Ecosystem

While the AirPods Pro can technically work with any Bluetooth audio capable device, they really only deliver their full functionality and user experience when paired with other Apple products. Many of the AirPods Pro‘s headline features don‘t work with Android phones or Windows PCs, such as:

Customizable touch controls
"Hey Siri" voice activation
Audio Sharing
Spatial Audio with head tracking
Automatic switching between iCloud devices
Pairing/battery status pop-ups
Find My support for lost buds

There‘s also no companion app for non-Apple operating systems to access firmware updates, fit tests, and detailed customization options. You can use the AirPods Pro as plain old Bluetooth earbuds on other platforms, but you miss out on much of what makes them unique – a poor value proposition at this price tier.

In contrast, competitors like Sony, Jabra, and Sennheiser offer feature-rich companion apps for both iOS and Android that provide extensive control over the user experience. In an age of cross-platform households, Apple‘s walled garden approach feels increasingly limiting and anti-consumer.

5. Second Generation, First Class Price

The second generation AirPods Pro launched in September 2022 with virtually no design changes and only a smattering of incremental feature updates over the 1st gen from 2019. The chief improvements include:

Slightly better active noise cancellation
New XS ear tip size
Swipe volume controls
Longer battery life (6h vs. 4.5h)
U1 chip for precise tracking via Find My
Adaptive Transparency mode
Bluetooth 5.3 support
Speaker and lanyard loop on case

These are all nice tweaks, but they hardly justify the $249 price point being carried over from the 1st gen – there are no major new hardware capabilities or form factor changes. It feels like change for the sake of change rather than meaningful innovation, a common criticism of Apple these days.

6. One Size Doesn‘t Fit All

The AirPods Pro‘s universal hard plastic earpiece and eartips come in four sizes, but still won‘t fit all ear anatomies securely or comfortably. The open design lacking earhooks/fins and a fairly shallow insertion depth means the buds can easily dislodge or fall out entirely during vigorous movement.

Aftermarket earhoooks and tips can help, but they add extra cost to an already expensive product (and may interfere with the charging case). Competitors like the Beats Powerbeats Pro and Bose Sport Open Earbuds feature more stable designs for high-intensity activities.

7. Potential Audio Health Risks

There is growing concern among health experts that the prolonged use of in-ear wireless earbuds like the AirPods Pro may be detrimental to ear health. A 2021 study published in the journal Scientific Reports found that in-ear buds can boost electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the wearer‘s head, with unknown long-term effects.

Wearing in-ear buds for long stretches could also increase ear wax build-up and raise the risk of ear infections for some people. Over-the-ear headphones avoid these issues by resting on the outer ear rather than being inserted into the ear canal. The popular bundled-in silicone tips on the AirPods Pro could also pose an ingestion/choking hazard for small children.

8. Mediocre Microphone Quality

While fine for casual voice calls, the AirPods Pro mics leave something to be desired for professional applications like podcasting, vlogging, and live streaming. Many users report that they sound thin, compressed, and prone to picking up background noise compared to boom or lapel mics.

This may be an unavoidable limitation of the small earbud form factor, but it‘s worth noting that some cheaper competitors like the Jabra Elite 7 Pro deliver superior mic clarity. For creators looking to record high-quality audio on the go, a dedicated USB or XLR microphone setup is still a better bet than the jack-of-all-trades AirPods Pro.

9. Lack of Advanced Sensors

In an age where smartwatches pack heart rate monitors, pulse oximeters, ECGs, and other health sensors, the AirPods Pro hardware feels a bit basic. Besides the accelerometers, optical sensors, and microphones needed for their core functionality, the buds don‘t include any extra sensors for fitness tracking or wellness monitoring.

Some rival products like the Amazfit PowerBuds have built-in heart rate sensors for workout tracking. The Bose SoundControl Hearing Aids even have FDA clearance to act as an self-fitting hearing aid solution alongside typical earbud functions. As Apple continues to push deeper into health tech, it‘s surprising that the AirPods Pro lack this type of sensor integration so far.

10. Questionable Long-Term Value

Adding up the initial purchase price, AppleCare+ extended warranty fees, and out-of-warranty repair/replace costs, the total cost of ownership for a set of AirPods Pro can easily exceed $500 over a 2-3 year span. That‘s a hefty chunk of change for a product with such limited repairability and no upgrade path short of buying a new set.

In contrast, many over-ear wireless headphones from brands like Sony, Bose, and Sennheiser offer better long-term value with replaceable ear pads, optional wired connections, more durable designs, and similar rich feature sets. Audiophiles may also consider custom IEMs (in-ear monitors) that deliver personalized fit and superb sound quality with detachable cables for future-proofing.

Competitor Comparison

Earbuds	Price	Playtime	ANC	Codec	Wireless Charging
AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)	$249	6 hrs	Yes	AAC	Yes
Sony WF-1000XM4	$279	8 hrs	Yes	LDAC	Yes
Bose QuietComfort	$219	6 hrs	Yes	AAC	Yes
Jabra Elite 85t	$229	5.5 hrs	Yes	AAC	Yes
Sennheiser Momentum TW3	$199	7 hrs	Yes	aptX	No
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro	$199	5 hrs	Yes	SSC	Yes

ANC = Active Noise Cancellation

As you can see, the AirPods Pro pricing remains on the high end even after the second gen refresh. Top competitors offer longer battery life, high-res codecs, wireless charging, and comparable ANC performance for less money. Samsung‘s buds are particularly compelling for Android phone owners, with exclusive features like 24-bit audio and head tracking spatial audio.

Final Thoughts

None of this is to say that the AirPods Pro are bad wireless earbuds. They deliver above average sound quality, noise cancellation, and creature comforts for Apple ecosystem users. The design and user experience showcase typical Apple polish.

However, they are far from the only game in town for premium wireless earbuds, and the Apple Tax on their price is hard to swallow for many. Unless you are a diehard iOS/macOS user and appreciate the Apple brand cachet, I strongly recommend cross-shopping the AirPods Pro against the many compelling alternatives from the Sonys, Boses, and Samsungs of the world.

Spending $249+ on a product with limited repairability, upgradability, and cross-platform support is a tough pill to swallow in today‘s economic climate, cute as those white stems may be. With the Bluetooth LE Audio standard on the horizon and the potential for more advanced biometric sensors in future earbuds, it might be wise to wait for a more future-proof design from Apple. Vote with your wallet for products that offer better long-term value.