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AirPods are now available

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Re: AirPods are now available

#411

Post by LukeHoersten »

derefr wrote: post #308
Scriptal wrote: post #131

Why did they not make the charging port USB C? I feel like a lot of this mess with needing a different dongle and special wire for each product would have been less of a big deal if everything they did just moved to USB C all at the same time. Now if you want to charge your air pods with a macbook pro you need a cable to go from usb C to thunderbolt (not included) or an adapter to use the previous-gen-usb to lighteni…

Apple is standardizing on two cables. All of Apple's "accessories" (things that will request charge from a host over their cable: phones, tablets, keyboards and touchpads, and now headphones) have a Lightning port. All of Apple's "computers" (things that won't: computers that are wired for power, and devices that are wired for power like the Apple TV) have, or will have, USB-C ports. The vague middle case is laptops,…

I've been wondering this for quite some time. Thanks for the clearly explained response. Is this documented somewhere or just something you've observed?

Re: AirPods are now available

#412

Post by arcticbull »

neotek wrote: post #390
kbar13 wrote: post #354

Earlier quoted context omitted.

earbuds fall out all the time for me because generic earbuds are not shaped to fit everyone. it happens most often when i'm walking.

A large part of the reason they fall out is that the weight of the cable pulls them out. It's not 100% of the cause but it's definitely a major factor.

Citation needed -- the original Apple bluetooth headset for the iPhone fell out of my ears all the time.

Re: AirPods are now available

#413

Post by jbigelow76 »

amlib wrote: post #331
erikpukinskis wrote: post #304

I find this headphone war discussion a bit boring. The AirPods are much more interesting as Apple's first foray into augmented reality. If they add positioning, this product becomes Magic Leap without the visuals. I don't think they see this as a music device, they see it as a new platform for audio. Interesting things start happening when people start leaving one or both in their ears all day. Arrival times in your…

But what about the possibility of losing the earpieces? They don't have a cable and don't secure into your ear like a hearing aid or even a normal bluetooth device. If they are so comfortable to the point of the user "forgetting they are there" the rate at which people will lose these things might be huge. They don't dangle from a cable when falling like normal headphones or Bluetooth headphones that have a cable bet…

    >But what about the possibility of losing the earpieces?
It's interesting to see how many people seem want to stop the conversation at "you're bound to lose one so what's the point."

10-15 years ago people the argument could have been made about cell phones, "why carry a phone you're bound to leave at a restaurant or on a train..."

If the AirPods or wireless mini computers in your ears become so integrated into our day to day lives one falling out will become obvious pretty quick. And the price will drop, maybe not for the Apple versions, but what about Google Now in $40 wireless earbuds in two or three years?

Re: AirPods are now available

#414

Post by jen729w »

apsdsm wrote: post #352
erikpukinskis wrote: post #304

I find this headphone war discussion a bit boring. The AirPods are much more interesting as Apple's first foray into augmented reality. If they add positioning, this product becomes Magic Leap without the visuals. I don't think they see this as a music device, they see it as a new platform for audio. Interesting things start happening when people start leaving one or both in their ears all day. Arrival times in your…

I don't think they see this as a music device either. I think they see it as a way of making money from their decision to remove the audio jack from the phone. That said, you're spot on with your forecasts of how great this could be, the AR of audio is potentially awesome.

That's such a cynical, boring view. I'm sorry, but it is.

You really think that Apple removed the headphone jack to make a bit more cash? Seriously? Hand-on-heart honestly, you think that's why? Come on.

I think it's because they love cool new things. Thank fk they do because, frankly, nobody else seems to be doing anything interesting. I know, I know, they're not perfect. AirPods are late. They're expensive. I know.

But I guarantee you that, come 2020, you will be hard pushed to find a set of wired headphones that resemble those we wear today. I would bet my current net worth on it†. The time has come to do new things with headphones. You want to call them "magical"? Maybe not. But a tiny thing that sits in my ear, Star Trek style, that I can tap and talk to Siri, that detects when I'm talking, that mutes itself, that swaps between paired devices seamlessly, that charges in a little tic-tac case, that's cool. That's what the world wants. It's certainly what I want.

But hey, I guess we can just assume they're trying to scrape a few more dollars out of everyone. Yep, that's probably what this is about.

(†Not currently all that much, but hey.)

Re: AirPods are now available

#415

Post by charlesism »

peteretep wrote: post #408
charlesism wrote: post #330

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had a pair of Sony HBH-IS800 and I gave up on them after a week. Apple's product has the same drawbacks (charging, troubleshooting, ease of misplacing, price). This product category is not worth the hassle for the average user. Very few people will buy a second pair of wireless earbuds. Not enough to warrant building all the features you mention.

I bought a pair of reasonable quality Bluetooth headphones for running two years ago. Since the first time I used them, I haven't used any of my old normal ones again. The convenience and ease with which they're always in, even if not always on has just blown away the fact they're not particularly high quality. I plug them in at night when I plug my phone in. Yet to misplace them.

Everyone's different. For me, and possibly most people, buying wireless earbuds just taught me I care more about phone earbuds in theory than in practice. In practice, it isn't actually worth it for me to worry about whether they are paired, charged, and not misplaced. Life is less hassle with boring $15 earbuds.

Re: AirPods are now available

#416

Post by rplst8 »

untog wrote: post #372
erikpukinskis wrote: post #304

I find this headphone war discussion a bit boring. The AirPods are much more interesting as Apple's first foray into augmented reality. If they add positioning, this product becomes Magic Leap without the visuals. I don't think they see this as a music device, they see it as a new platform for audio. Interesting things start happening when people start leaving one or both in their ears all day. Arrival times in your…

Except this comes back to same problem most things do these days: battery life. You're going to need to return these to their case every few hours, so no one is going to wear them uninterrupted for a day.

This should be the top answer. The product is simply not ready - as evidenced by a two month delay.

Re: AirPods are now available

#417

Post by rplst8 »

lewisl9029 wrote: post #329
eridius wrote: post #299

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually they do. What's "magical" and "reinvented" is the fact that the AirPods seamlessly switch to whatever device you're currently using, so you can switch between your desktop, laptop, iPhone, and iPad without having to actually do anything to trigger the switch. In addition, it automatically pauses your music when you take your AirPods out of your ears (and resumes it if you put them back in).

> The AirPods seamlessly switch to whatever device you're currently using, so you can switch between your desktop, laptop, iPhone, and iPad without having to actually do anything to trigger the switch. Wait... Honest question: How? Does it switch based on which input source is currently playing audio? What if more than one is playing at a time?

Yeah this feature sounds rife with good intention but no basis in reality as to how people actually use their computer/devices.

Re: AirPods are now available

#418

Post by jarboot »

I just got some cheap Bluetooth headphones and they changed how I listen to audio. It's so much more immersive and convenient.

While these are expensive and may not be popular among the slashdot/hn crowd, Apple knows which way the wind blows.

Re: AirPods are now available

#419

Post by rplst8 »

usaphp wrote: post #202

A lot of people here seem to be complaining about them falling out of their ears, while non of them actually tried to wear them first. Also everyone is stating things like this "I will use them two or three times during rush hours in London, bump into a couple people". But for me personally - I only use headphones while at my desk and I love current EarPods because unlike many other in-ear headphones they do not crea…

If you have a set of headphones that put pressure on your eardrum, you either have them turned up way to loud, or some other really big problem that you should see a doctor for. No headphone should put pressure on your eardrum other than the sound it makes.
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