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AirPods are now available

apple.com

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Re: AirPods are now available

#51

Post by snuxoll »

DoodleBuggy wrote: post #38

Very curious how long battery life actually is. Also, will Apple include these within iPhone box to replace the clunky new lightning things?

You think Apple's going to include a pair of headphones they sell for $160 in the box, when they can provide the super-cheap lightning earpods instead to incentivize you to get so frustrated that you upgrade?

Hell, I know I ended up picking up a Jabra Halo Smart because I got so annoyed having to deal with the stupid dongle to use my $10 pair of Sony AS200's and the cheap Chinese Kinivo bluetooth headphones I had had substantially worse audio quality than even these cheap wired ones.

I thought about the AirPods, but I'd lose them in a heartbeat. I'm constantly forgetting where the hell I put my headphones as is, at least my Halo Smart is big enough that I can find it easily - if I lost one of the little AirPod's I would end up tearing my house apart looking for the dumb thing.

Re: AirPods are now available

#52

Post by agumonkey »

jjuhl wrote: post #5

To me these seem pretty stupid. Major features (to me) of ear-buds with wires and 3.5" jack are: 1) being attached with wires means I don't easily lose them when they slip out of my ear/hand/pocket. 2) the 3.5" jack actually keeps them pretty solidly attached to my phone (again, less risk of losing them). Walking around with two loose tiny objects seems less than ideal - at least to me; I'd lose them within days.

Can't speak about 1). Can't speak about 2) either; but HNers told me Apple did extensive testing to ensure pods would not fall while being in your ears (the physics hints that earplugs fall mainly because of wires).

Still 1) is a good question. I thought they came with a tiny casket, so they wouldn't fall out of your pocket like that. Still subtle when you remove them from your skull.

Re: AirPods are now available

#53

Post by FireBeyond »

AdamN wrote: post #33
FireBeyond wrote: post #7

There's like a next-level Apple marketing babble on that page: "AirPods introduce an effortless wireless listening experience packed with high-quality audio and long battery life. These magical wireless headphones use advanced technology to reinvent how we listen to music, make phone calls, enjoy TV shows and movies, play games and interact with Siri, providing a wireless audio experience not possible before." Magica…

Magical - they're beautiful in a way that is 'magical' Reinvent - well it certainly seems like a reinvention of the wireless headphone. What else would it be? Not possible before - without W1 it wasn't possible to jump between audio coming from multiple sources transparently

A re-invention. "We removed wires". Really?

Not possible before - without W1 it wasn't possible to jump between audio coming from multiple sources transparently

Uhh, I have a desk-based headset that can switch audio streams automatically.

In any case, this: http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/7/12829190/apple-w1-chip-ipho... seems to suggest that it's a refinement on Bluetooth with the NFC pairing that, well, already exists in numerous products out there.

Nice refinements? Sure. But it also likes to compare itself against a Bluetooth world that frankly, hasn't existed in several years... "poor audio quality that skips and cuts out", and "pairing that is constantly problematic, where users don't know whether they will re-pair the next time" (https://9to5mac.com/2016/09/12/apple-w1-chip-how-it-works/ )

Re: AirPods are now available

#54

Post by grandalf »

I'm very curious how this product will sell. Considering that I routinely lose or break ear phones and occasionally put them through the clothes washer, I'm very unlikely to invest $150 in a pocket sized pair (I do have some high end cans that i use now and then which are too large to be easily lost or accidentally submerged).

As the owner of an iPhone 7, I have encountered some frustration from not being able to charge and listen to headphones at the same time. I realized that if lightning cables were USB, I could just use some sort of hub.

But it seems that Apple has declined to offer a splitter, leading to many shoddy attempts for sale on Amazon, most with fewer than three star average ratings.

Viewed as an independent gizmo, these are a great idea and will appeal to some people. But viewed as an alternative to the convenience of the 1/8th inch jack on the back of the phone, a lot is left to be desired.

The picture of the futuristic woman wearing them evokes the single-ear bluetooth headset, only worn over both ears.

Re: AirPods are now available

#55

Post by mikestew »

DoodleBuggy wrote: post #38

Very curious how long battery life actually is. Also, will Apple include these within iPhone box to replace the clunky new lightning things?

Very curious how long battery life actually is.

Since no one has production units in hand, you'll have to take Apple's word for it: "a charging case that holds multiple additional charges for more than 24 hours of listening time.(3) Need a quick charge? Just 15 minutes in the case gives you 3 hours of listening time.(4)"

Also, will Apple include these within iPhone box to replace the clunky new lightning things?

A rhetorical question, I assume.

Re: AirPods are now available

#56

Post by brandon272 »

I love wireless headphones. But the main downside to these for me is that it doesn't look like they will improve upon sound quality and sound isolation (or lack thereof) in the traditional wired Apple Ear Pods.

Re: AirPods are now available

#57

Post by Cd00d »

seanwilson wrote: post #42
jjuhl wrote: post #5

To me these seem pretty stupid. Major features (to me) of ear-buds with wires and 3.5" jack are: 1) being attached with wires means I don't easily lose them when they slip out of my ear/hand/pocket. 2) the 3.5" jack actually keeps them pretty solidly attached to my phone (again, less risk of losing them). Walking around with two loose tiny objects seems less than ideal - at least to me; I'd lose them within days.

Bluetooth headphones are great. You don't have to worry about the wire snagging on things and getting in the way. Wires have been progressively eliminated everywhere else e.g. wireless networking, wireless mice, wireless keyboards, wireless phones...I'm not understanding why people are clinging to wireless headphones so hard. Your risk of losing your headphones is really that high?

I like wireless headphones for the simple situation that I switch from podcasts on my phone to video on a kindle fire and back during my commute, and pairing with various devices from a variety of manufacturers seems like it would be very slow compared to popping the jack. Though, to be fair, I've never used wireless headphones (other than xbox), so don't know what the pairing process looks like. I just know that in the past cheap bluetooth speakers have been slow to match and sometimes forget that they're friends with my phone.

Re: AirPods are now available

#58

Post by FireBeyond »

rememberlenny wrote: post #4

Ships January 12th

In limited quantities...

"AirPods will be shipping in limited quantities at launch and customers are encouraged to check online for updates on availability and estimated delivery dates."

That's like "We look like fools. At least get -something- out there".

Re: AirPods are now available

#59

Post by BryantD »

jimbokun wrote: post #40
AceJohnny2 wrote: post #26

> "No wireless. Less space than a Nomad. Lame." -- Slashdot creator CmdrTaco/Rob Malda about the iPod in 2001. I'm not saying these will have the impact of an iPod, but I am entertained by the amount of naysaying here. For one thing, how often have you fiddled with the knots in your headphone cord? It's frustrating enough to prevent me from using them in situations where I otherwise would.

Yes, but other wireless headphones already exist, no?

The reviews I've heard of these and the Beats Solo3 (which use the same chip) indicate that the wireless connection on these is absolutely rock solid. This includes a very picky friend of mine who got a set of Solo3 headphones; he's blown away. I'd like to see the AirPods in the wild for a month or so before I totally believe this, but early indications are good.

Re: AirPods are now available

#60

Post by DoodleBuggy »

snuxoll wrote: post #51
DoodleBuggy wrote: post #38

Very curious how long battery life actually is. Also, will Apple include these within iPhone box to replace the clunky new lightning things?

You think Apple's going to include a pair of headphones they sell for $160 in the box, when they can provide the super-cheap lightning earpods instead to incentivize you to get so frustrated that you upgrade? Hell, I know I ended up picking up a Jabra Halo Smart because I got so annoyed having to deal with the stupid dongle to use my $10 pair of Sony AS200's and the cheap Chinese Kinivo bluetooth headphones I had had…

Losing one in particular could be annoying. Does one work when it's pair is missing? Can you buy a single one as a replacement?
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