A fascinating aspect of Apple’s AirPods is being wireless, even when it comes to charging. This extraordinary tech draws in many new users, but a pressing question is how long the pods take to power.
So, how fast does the AirPod Pro charge? Although other AirPods usually take 20-30 minutes, the AirPod Pro version takes up to an hour to charge to reach 100%. Due to the inbuilt power optimization feature, the AirPods get to 80%, and then the process slows down to protect the battery. Notably, 15 minutes means about 50% of the charge and 3 hours of use time, similar to other AirPods. However, you may have to wait as long as an hour for the Pro to charge fully; or else, detach it and use it before the charging process starts lagging.
The AirPod Pro is the latest wireless plug from Apple with better features and an improved listening experience. Many users love that they are convenient to charge since you don’t need to plug them into cords. If you are a new owner, you may want to know how this process works and how long they take to charge fully.
Many users have tested that AirPods take 20-30 minutes to charge completely, but the Pro version slows down the process when it gets to 80 percent, meaning that it can take up to an hour to reach 100%. In 15 minutes, your Pro should be at more than 50% of the power, and this reduction in charging speed is Apple’s way to improve the devices’ battery life.
Luckily, 15 minutes of charging, which is more than 50% of power, can earn you about 3 hours of use time, and equivalently, you can use your AirPod Pro for 1 hour if you have charged it for only five minutes, which is pretty impressive.
The AirPods charging system is exceptional, unlike other gadgets where you must plug into wires and monitor the process until it gets to 100%. Here, you tuck the plugs inside the charging case, and the powering is wireless and automatic.
Generally, you can expect your gadget to be complete after 20-30 minutes, depending on your batteries’ generation and state. The same case applies to the AirPod Pro but with slight differences.
The Pro is the newest and most improved version from Apple that comes with more sophisticated features. You are about to discover that even the charging process is different from older AirPods models.
If you have tested other versions, you will notice that the Pro takes longer to charge fully. While it powers up like other models, with more than 50% in about 15 minutes, the process declines as it approaches 80%, meaning that a full charge can take an hour.
It is Apple’s way to help improve the AirPod Pro battery life by maintaining the performance. The company knows that frequent recharging of the lithium-ion batteries can affect the Pro, hence the slowdown.
Besides, you don’t have to wait for a full charge before using the AirPods. Otherwise, constant charging can spoil the battery capacity, forcing you to make costly replacements. It may spare your battery life, but some users find it inconvenient when they want a full charge.
Fortunately, there are ways to bypass the system if you want your Pro to charge faster. You can temporarily disable the “Optimized Battery Charging” feature if you urgently need 100% power.
When you link your AirPods to your phone or tablet, you can navigate to the Settings and select Bluetooth. Next, click the “i” icon next to your Pro and find “Optimized Battery Charging,” and you can choose the option to disable it temporarily for a day, then disable the feature when it charges to 100%.
How Fast Does the AirPod Pro Case Charge?
The AirPods and their case go hand in hand during charging because there is no other way to power the buds wirelessly. You can plug in the deck first or power them simultaneously, especially when you are entirely out of power. Another pressing question from new users is how long the case takes to charge fully.
Generally, the AirPod Pro enclosure can charge from zero to a hundred in about an hour. However, if you have enabled the battery optimization feature on your device, the chances are high that your dock will charge for over an hour. Therefore, if you notice that the case takes longer to reach 100%, you can disable the feature from the AirPods settings either temporarily or permanently. Regardless of your charging method, the input time remains approximately one hour.
The AirPod Pro case charges fully for about an hour, provided that the default power optimization feature is disabled. The technology essentially enhances the battery life in the long run, but some settings turn the optimization off for faster charging. To remove the functionality, connect the AirPod Pro to your iPhone or iPad, then go to settings, choose Bluetooth and on the following page, click the icon next to the “AirPod Pro.”
Find the key “Optimized Battery Charging” in the open tab and disable it; fortunately, turning off the feature doesn’t damage your battery. It will still serve you like normal AirPods dry cells for the longest time.
Whether your AirPod case charges for an hour or three hours, a full battery can power your earbuds three or four times without recharging. Furthermore, the device is simple to plug with a wired link.
You can connect the lightning cable to a power outlet and the other end onto the case’s charging port. Alternatively, you can use a compatible power mat to place the dock with the charging lights facing upwards.
In both instances, amber lights mean that the power is low and you need to continue charging, but green lights indicate that your case has complete charge. Remember to close the case lid while powering whether the AirPods are inside or not.
You can also confirm the charge status from the iPhone or iPod. Since the case charges quickly, you will likely forget and leave it plugged in longer. Luckily, the earbuds cannot overcharge because the flow stops whenever the power is 100%. Still, that is no leeway to leave the dock charging for hours because constant excessive powering may slowly deteriorate the batteries in the case over time.
How Do AirPods Charge So Fast?
Apple’s AirPods are taking the in-ear headphones industry to a whole new level, from one generation to the next. It is critical to know the device’s charging speed since you may have little time to power it to total capacity, especially when you are in a hurry but desperately need them.
AirPods have smaller batteries that can easily power up within a few minutes allowing them to charge so fast. The capacity of an old generation earpiece is about 400mAh, low enough to take less time to charge fully. An iPhone charging cable also juices up the device’s battery faster than the conventional charging wires. Besides, you can link the earplugs to an iPad or iMac for even faster charging. In contrast, a faulty battery can charge and discharge quickly.
It is fascinating how you can plug your AirPods into a power source and get excellent results within the first few minutes, thanks to the small inbuilt battery that is less demanding than other versions.
The newest generation boasts about 500mAh when fully charged. On the contrary, the AirPods also have robust charging systems, enhancing the powering speed. Generally, most AirPods should have at least fifty percent in about fifteen minutes.
You will only need to wait for about twenty to thirty minutes for your earpiece to attain 100% charge. You can get a seamless charging experience using some of the best USB Apple chargers.
Primarily, ensure that the cable or charger you are using is an official Apple product; otherwise, any mismatch may compromise your batteries’ performance. The earplugs can charge at about 5W, but it is still okay to use a more powerful charger like Apple’s 20W version.
You won’t have to deal with overheating or other charging-related damages with such a charger. Luckily, the earbuds have a feature that prevents overcharging. However, although the AirPods can check on charging malfunctions, it doesn’t warrant you leaving the earplugs plugged in overnight. You may not initially notice the adverse effects, but the batteries will begin to wear and lose their capacity over time.
Therefore, it is advisable to power them as Apple recommends, and you can fully charge the case before inserting the earbuds. Remember that improper charging can cause battery malfunctions at the end.
The dry cells may begin to power unusually fast but lose charge equally quicker. If you want your AirPods to serve you longer, it is best to follow Apple’s requirements religiously; otherwise, you may have to replace your earbuds, which is pretty costly.
How Long Do AirPods Last With Charge?
Now that you know how long AirPods take to charge, a follow-up question may be how long a full battery lasts. It is also essential to understand how you can make them last longer. The following details may help you better plan how to use and take care of your AirPods.
Generally, AirPods should serve you for 4-6 hours. However, the headphone’s battery capacity depends on their model, enabled features, volume, what you use them for, and several other factors. It takes about 30 minutes for them to charge fully, and you can maximize the usage time when you are only using them for listening without additional features. Note that the lithium-ion battery lifespan slowly declines with time, but you can improve their performance by taking better care of the AirPods.
Apple has made the AirPods stand out from the competition by improving their battery performance. When they are 100%, you can use them for up to 6 hours, depending on your needs. However, each generation model has a specific capacity.
For instance, the third-generation AirPods can work for 6 hours transmitting spatial audio, 5 hours of listening, and 4 hours of talking. The AirPod Pro, on the contrary, boasts an extra 30 minutes of listening and talk time.
Luckily, even a few minutes of charging will give you up to an hour of usage, but still, it is best to charge them fully each time before use to avoid straining the battery. The charging cases will guarantee around 24 hours of listening and 18 hours of talking. Some users often complain about their AirPods running low on battery. If you want to use your AirPods longer, you can make a few adjustments to your settings and usage methods.
To conserve the batteries’ lifespan, you can reduce the AirPods’ volume and switch off the ANC whenever you are not using them. Setting too many features can also drain your battery, explaining why it is advisable sometimes to disable capabilities like ear detection and spatial audio. Others also use one earbud when they make calls while switching off the other, and it may also be helpful to turn both buds off when you are not using them.
Generally, the best way to improve your AirPods’ battery time is to avoid extreme discharges. Otherwise, you will risk irreversible alterations of the internal components or cause short-circuiting when charging.
Therefore, it is best to power your AirPods before the battery dies, preferably when the system gives you a warning at around 20%. Similarly, experts also recommend not overcharging them by frequently storing them in the case.
Constantly charging can cause mechanical strains and eventually reduce the battery life. It is the primary reason why Apple incorporated Optimized Charging in the AirPod Pro, a handy feature that prevents the earbuds batteries from frequently being at maximum. You will notice that the powering stalls at around 80-90%, and this system significantly maintains your batteries’ performance for them to serve you longer.
Wrap Up
Apple has carefully designed all the AirPods versions to power through the charging case, and it is fascinating that the process takes less than thirty minutes. You can fully charge your buds and get around six hours of use time, and it helps that you can recharge using the case around four times.
Only the AirPod Pro has an in-built charging optimization feature that stalls the process at around 80%, making it take longer to reach 100%. Regardless, the Pro still has long battery life and can serve you for up to 6 hours, the same as other AirPods models. You can also disable some intelligent features, reduce the volume, and use one bud at a time to increase the batteries’ lifespan.
