The difference between H1 chip and Apple W1 chip

Like W1 in the original AirPods, the second-generation H1 in AirPods handles quick pairing with Apple devices, maintaining Bluetooth connectivity and more. But H1 uses a newer version of Bluetooth so it has better connectivity and faster capabilities, adding support for "Hey Siri" as well as better power management features to increase talktime.

Apple's H1 chip is equipped with important upgrades compared to W1

Apple's W1 chip, originally released with Beats X, Beast Solo3 Wireless, Beats Studio3 Wireless and Apple AirPods, allows easy pairing between headphones and Apple devices, managing the connection between the two headsets and handling Audio signal sent by device. The W1 chip also manages a reliable Bluetooth connection and works with integrated sensors, such as accelerometer and optical sensor, to know when users actually put the AirPod in your ears, and therefore, know when they should connect or when to pause.

The new H1 chip found in second-generation AirPods does all the same things but in a better way (even a lot better in some cases). H1 supports the newer Bluetooth version, which allows longer talk time than W1 and supports "Hey Siri" for voice commands.

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Here is a table comparing H1 chip and W1 chip of Apple:

Apple H1 (In AirPods) Apple W1 (In AirPods) Battery life (Overall) 5 hours 5 hours Talk time 3 hours 2 hours Bluetooth Bluetooth version 5 Bluetooth 4.2 Siri connection Voice activated or double-tap Double Requires iOS iOS 12.2 or later system iOS 10 and above Requires system watchOS watchOS 5.2 or more watchOS 3 and above Requires macOS macOS system 10.14.4 or more macOS 10.12 or higher Support Apple TV Yes Yes

This list does not include elements that are more difficult to quantify. For example, H1 is said to be able to switch AirPods connections between Apple devices that are operating twice as fast, 30% lower gaming latency and more stable Bluetooth connectivity than W1. All of this is difficult to determine because many factors are merely based on personal experience. In addition, Apple does not provide data such as "gaming audio lag will be less than X milliseconds" or "AirPods will convert the device in 2 seconds, not 5 seconds as before".

Energy management

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Perhaps the biggest advantage H1 has over W1 is its ability to manage energy. H1 does everything W1 has done, but it also helps AirPod continuously listen to the "Hey Siri" command and increase the talk time to about 50%. Obviously, with the same battery life as above W1, H1 can do more work.

Second-generation AirPods use the same battery size as the first generation and are all lithium batteries. With the available materials, Apple's talented hardware and software engineers cannot do anything to improve the situation. That's why power management is so important, because it allows Apple to make the most of available resources until better battery technology appears.

Should choose H1 or W1?

The second generation H1 AirPods offer some impressive new capabilities, but should they be selected instead of the original AirPods with W1? If you don't care about "Hey Siri", the conversation time improves or you think Bluetooth connectivity on the original generation AirPods is good enough, why not save some money and choose Generation AirPods First one?

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In the long run, the savings will not be worth it. Although the first generation AirPods are still available at some retail stores (Apple does not sell them anymore), the price is only reduced by about $ 10 (VND 230,000). If you're willing to spend an additional $ 10, you'll get a better product. You get Bluetooth technology and better connectivity on your devices. Besides, the new "Hey Siri" feature and longer talk time will also be helpful to you in some cases.