Looking for something a little less bulky than my PowerBeats Pro, and I’m considering the AirPods Pro. Smaller case, smaller units, MagSafe charging (which is, to my understanding, Qi compatible?), much more convenient overall. They seem to be on sale a number of places right now, so it would be a good time to buy price-wise.
Is the general consensus that they have all of their issues (“rattlegate”?) pretty much sorted out? Is there any glaring reason NOT to buy them right now?
Well, there are rumors we’ll see a second-generation AirPods Pro product sometime this year.
I was looking at some articles about that. From what I can tell, it seems that “a little bit smaller”, a different wireless option for potentially playing lossless, and maybe some fitness tracking stuff may be in the works. Ming-Chi Kuo seems to think “late 2022” is the target for that.
Most of that doesn’t seem like a huge benefit to me at this point - I’m mostly interested in whether the new design is necessary to correct some glaring flaw in the existing model. 
If you’re interested and they’re on sale, I’d get a pair. IMO, they solved the design with this shape and AirPods 3 being similar confirms that. There’s a program if one of yours develops the rattling issue.
However, if you like that the PowerBeats Pro can’t fall out of your ears, you won’t feel as comfortable with physical activity with the APP.
I don’t really use them for exercising - mostly working at a standing desk and when I’m “out and about” shopping and stuff. If I’m exercising it’s typically indoors, and I have huge headphones I can wear.
Do you have them? Do you find they stick in your ears pretty well overall, as long as you’re not doing crazy exercise stuff?
Yes, I bought them when they came out and they’ve been solid over 2.2 years of use other than I had to get one replaced for rattling. I use them for the same kind of thing you describe, plus exercise (walking/jogging, and lifting–and I have lost one a few times doing this.) I’ve had to switch tips a couple of times to keep the fit ideal. Most recently I’ve been doing one of the stock tips in one ear and a foam tip from Amazon in the other ear.
The Qi charging is really nice, too; I’ve had the Nomad two-device-plus-watch charger for a few years and just set the APP next to my phone every night and never run out.
I think with the latest FW updates they are a solid buy at the moment, despite rumours of a new version later this year. The case can indeed be wirelessly charged via MagSafe or Qi
I’ve had mine for about a year and a half. I use them virtually every day during treadmill and strength workouts, around the house, and when I’m commuting to work. They never had the rattle, and the only time one has fallen out is when I’ve been stupid enough to try to take off a shirt with them still in my ears. I got them as a gift, but the day I need a new pair, I’ll buy them in a heartbeat.
I’ve done that with the regular Airpods. And then you get to play the “how far can a super-tiny little white stick possibly have gone?” game. 
You do get good at tracking the wayward pod like a federal marshal. My favorite is when the case drops and rockets one in a random direction. I get it right more than half the time now.
About my only complaint for the AirPods Pro is that, invariably, if I drop the case, the ‘pods both pop out and go skittering a long ways in opposite directions. I don’t remember that happening so reliably with ordinary AirPods, but maybe in misremembering.
AirPods Pro can charge with “MagSafe charger, Qi-certified chargers, or the Lightning connector” according to
I personally wouldn’t get new AirPods Pro right now. But I would (and did) get the Beats Fit Pro…amazing! Highly recommend. I use them for working out, of course, but tested them on 3+ hours flights recently and they were glorious. A real winner!
Is the “rattling issue” what I experience: when I first put them in, one often has a loud hissing sound like static?
The same bud in the last couple of days also sometimes has vibrations a bit like one gets with speakers that have been played with super loud bass - although I’ve never had them louder than about 75%.
For the tips, I bought and am very pleased with the Foam Masters tips which were recommended by iPhone JD. Much better fit than the standard one that came with the product. Only issue, with the white ones very quickly discoloured with “ear wax” which wasn’t a problem with the Apple supplied tips.
I would consider them a sane purchase; have had mine for a little over a year now and have experienced pretty much zero problems. Fit has been good with default tips and never experienced “rattlegate”. Dropping them does lead to a hunt for which random location they’ve ended up after flying out of the case, but I haven’t had to go through that more than once or twice (
).
I purchased my AirPod Pros the day they were released immediately after a demo test. The only “issue” I have ever had with them is that the size of the eartips were just off to fitting my ears. Solved it by purchasing the COMPLY brand foam tips.
Since this is a need vs want purchase… it sounds like you could wait a few months for next gen models.
I’ve had my Airpods Pro since August 2020. I’ve been happy with them. No rattle, no other problems.
I use them for a couple of hours a day, for phone calls, Zoom calls, and to listen to podcasts.
I haven’t heard any rumors of new Airpods Pro coming in the next couple of months. And none of the new features in the rumored new Airpods Pro seem tempting.
Check Costco if you’re a member. I got a pair of AirPods for a gift and the price was really good. They have the pros and I thought I also saw beats but not sure which ones
Don’t they have something available in that you can track your device? They even have something that works with the Apple Pencil- an app that can be found in the App Store.
Sort of. AirPods show up in Apple’s Find My app, though I haven’t ever found that terribly useful when I’ve mislaid my AirPods.
My complaint about dropping them isn’t losing them — at least, not so far — but just that they always go flying. I’d have thought the designers at Apple could have solved that. Maybe they still will.