Sort of like the Apple Pencil debacle just last year. Device shown, support grows, interest develops, wallets open and...no show.
Tim Cook's apple.
I pretty much lost all interest in Airpods
In mean this with all sincerity, if having to wait a couple months before the announcement of a new product and its release—when nothing else on the market compares to its technological advancements (unless you bought the Beats options with the W1-chip, which I doubt you did)—then you need to get your ADHD under control as it's negatively affecting your life in other ways.
ever heard of striking when the iron is hot? iron is ice cold now.
Plus you know the other brands will build their version of the W1 chip in a few months. I might just wait for that now.
Buy on spec. Delayed. Throw toys out of pram. Threaten to buy something else on spec that would delay the purchase even further.
I see that the same stupidity you apply to your investment decisions seems to have filtered through to the rest of your life.
Article doesn't mention BeatsX which will also use the W1 chip and which are probably as hotly anticipated right now as AirPods themselves. I know I'm going for the BeatsX.
1) Beats Solo 3, too.
2) I prefer in-ear so I'm leaning toward BeatsX, but I'm going to wait to try the AirPods before making a final decision. Somehow I broke one speaker on my Bluez Aftershockz so I've been going with cabled for the last couple months. Can't wait to try AirPods so I can finally get back into BT.
Bought a pair of Beats gym things. First set of wireless headphones and I think they're great. You need to play around to get the right size ear stops for the best sound.
The negativity that has infected AI is disgusting.
And why do you think that is?
Because negativity is the fuel that powers the Internet. Major news sites and tech blogs are disabling their comments sections. IDG has disabled comments on its various tech blogs like MacWorld, PC World, Computerworld, etc. From body shaming to bullying to vicious personal attacks it’s fashionable to trash anything and everything. A family was escorting the body of their dead solider son back home and was booed by fellow passengers when the flight was slightly delayed because of it.
First time I used them, I left the changing rooms, went up a flight of stairs and went to use the equipment on the far side of the gym. Soon as I got on the treadmill, they cut out.
Well, these are crap, I thought. They cut in and out for a good five minutes before I realised they were paired to my phone, downstairs and locked away in the changing rooms. Switched over to my watch: perfect.
I generally fully support Apple, but this late delivery passed two important milestones: 1. Not available when the iPhone 7 went on sale (... and buyers were looking for Bluetooth earbuds) 2. Not available for the vast majority of Christmas shopping season (... which = much of the gift shopping for the full year)
That's bad. Someone screwed up. This product had significant financial potential, and much of that probably disappeared as customer bought alternate solutions.
It's $159 retail. Financial impact is minimal at worst. I would seriously doubt that October came and millions of people decided to buy something else. The masses probably don't even know this exists. If they do, they probably don't realize it's late. You can bet your butt that as soon as they are released Apple will advertise the heck out of them and drive the demand. The product announcements only drive the demand from a very small group of people.
From a shareholder perspective the margin on that $159 product would be awesome. That helps the bottom line considerably, and keeps Wall Street happy. If enough are sold, it would allow the possibility of slightly lower margins of mainstream products, boosting sales of those products and..peripherals like the high margin airpods. A virtuous circle.
the same is true of other highmargin peripherals (well for Apple anyway) like "it just works" routers.
The general atmosphere on AI commenting is slowly changing to more negative than positive toward Apple. I don't think that is because a majority of the commenters have turned into misogynistic people. The way Apple behaves is the main factor. Less diversity of products, products that need a lot of extra marketing to make people believe they are good, very slow upgrade cycles. What's happening at Apple?
LOL! Month's overdue and 3x more expensive than BT earbuds that blow them away.
Sound quality amongst earbuds does not vary dramatically.
LOL@anyone who buys BT earbuds that don't have the W1 chip in them, as that alone renders any other BT earbuds as inferior.
I have a pair of JBL that I really like. They're connected by a wire which I really like as I can just leave them hanging around my neck. I only use them with my iPhone. Paired once which was simple and haven't had any pairing issues since. The only problem I encounter is when watching video over WiFi or cellular the audio and video aren't in sync. Do AirPods solve this issue?
I doubt the blame lie at the very top (Tim Cook), but missing Black Friday/Cyber Monday by even a few days is a kinda a big deal. Obviously something went very wrong with Apple making a big splash about these with the iPhone 7 launch and announcing they would ship in November (or was it October?) and them still not available even for preorder. Will this have a significant impact on Apple's bottom line? Of course not. However, I have no doubt there are tens of thousands of people who are annoyed/inconvenienced by this delay. They would be more annoyed to receive a crappy product that isn't ready for prime time, but that's besides the point. I'm just saying this wasn't handled well (and still isn't being handled well). Apple or Tim could have tweeted "Really sorry for the delay, but we're working out some kinks so we'll have enough stock on hand to meet initial demand. Expect them to go on sale in mid-December and ship immediately." That's a million times better than crickets chirping and a leaked email. Or if the answer is "found a critical bug, probably won't be ready until February" say that.
Unusual bullshit from you. Apple doesn't talk about their logistics whatsoever, because those function like trade secrets, and worse, would cause no end of additional hand-wringing.
If people are upset, that's on their own little entitled egos. These are probably one of the most difficult new things to manufacture that Apple has ever done, along with the watch. Delays are not surprising.
There are two problems with the AirPods currently: 1. there is some sort of production/design issue. I'm sure they are working hard to fix that. 2. there is a communication issue. (They said they would be ready months ago; they aren't.) Do you believe the best that Apple could do to address the latter is to have the CEO reply to a random email and hope the words gets out? Apple has never been particularly good at this type of communication, but does that mean they should continue to suck at it? Like the secret to Apple's success is never acknowledging problems and letting rumor sites create the narrative? You really think it would be revealing trade secrets if someone at Apple publicly said "Sorry; things didn't go according to plans, but they'll go on sale within the next two weeks"? That's what Tim said, he just did it in a way that isn't very effective.
If I tell my wife I will be home in time for dinner and I'm late, I get a better reception if I call ahead and apologize than just showing up 3 hours late. Does my marriage suffer irreparable harm if I just show up late with no warning? Probably not, but I've annoyed someone unnecessarily. It's that simple.
Exactly right. Obviously when Apple announced these they expected them to be available for the holidays. When there were production issues with the white iPhone 4 Apple issued a press release. They should have done that here. Sometimes Apple's secrecy and lack of communication does more harm than good.
LOL! Month's overdue and 3x more expensive than BT earbuds that blow them away.
What BT earbuds that cost $53 blow away AirPods?
Mantone QY8 BT buds produce sound twice as good as Apple EarPods and cost under $20. It's a known fact Apple makes junky sounding uncomfortable ill fitting earbuds which is why discerning uses immediately replace them. Word is AirPods sound just as junky as EarPods and people are going to lose one or the other in the droves.
So you think EarPods are the same as AirPods? What word did you get about how they sound? Why not judge for yourself instead of reading a single in an article and taking it as fact?
Article doesn't mention BeatsX which will also use the W1 chip and which are probably as hotly anticipated right now as AirPods themselves. I know I'm going for the BeatsX.
1) Beats Solo 3, too.
2) I prefer in-ear so I'm leaning toward BeatsX, but I'm going to wait to try the AirPods before making a final decision. Somehow I broke one speaker on my Bluez Aftershockz so I've been going with cabled for the last couple months. Can't wait to try AirPods so I can finally get back into BT.
I had to text my one of my in-laws to find out what he's been using on the job (he lays flooring). He brags on the Sony SBH-80's. They'r older but great sound and claims he uses 'em pretty much all day. I've not personally heard them but the reviews are positive. Looking at them on Amazon they do have a cord connecting the left and right, but IMHO that would be a good thing for active users. Relatively cheap too at about $75. There's also JLab Epic 2's for about $20 more if you need solid waterproofing and 10+ hours playtime. Neither of these may have the pairing ease or range of Apple's Airpods tho sound may be better. Shouldn't be much longer before actual users can weigh in on them. I'd wager with Apple taking their time to get them right before going out that buyers will really like them overall.
LOL! Month's overdue and 3x more expensive than BT earbuds that blow them away.
What BT earbuds that cost $53 blow away AirPods?
Mantone QY8 BT buds produce sound twice as good as Apple EarPods and cost under $20. It's a known fact Apple makes junky sounding uncomfortable ill fitting earbuds which is why discerning uses immediately replace them. Word is AirPods sound just as junky as EarPods and people are going to lose one or the other in the droves.
Nice try.
But the Mantone has wires. It is not true wireless, so try again.
And course they have better sound. Do you see how massive these 'earbuds' are? LOL
For active users wouldn't connecting the left and right together be an advantage? Sitting around at home or the office the lack of wires might be a plus of course if the sound quality is up for it since it would generally be music streaming to it at home more often than not, right?
What I don't get is, if you have to tap on the Airpod each time you want to do something like ask Siri or skip song or accept call, how does this prevent them from falling out? Just seems like I'd lose them easily. I would like a rubber band that I can attach from each airpod around the back of my neck to prevent this.
LOL! Month's overdue and 3x more expensive than BT earbuds that blow them away.
What BT earbuds that cost $53 blow away AirPods?
Mantone QY8 BT buds produce sound twice as good as Apple EarPods and cost under $20. It's a known fact Apple makes junky sounding uncomfortable ill fitting earbuds which is why discerning uses immediately replace them. Word is AirPods sound just as junky as EarPods and people are going to lose one or the other in the droves.
Nice try.
But the Mantone has wires. It is not true wireless, so try again.
And course they have better sound. Do you see how massive these 'earbuds' are? LOL
For active users wouldn't connecting the left and right together be an advantage? Sitting around at home or the office the lack of wires might be a plus of course if the sound quality is up for it since it would generally be music streaming to it at home more often than not, right?
I agree. These will be niche products for Apple, I predict. At least, this first iteration.
I doubt the blame lie at the very top (Tim Cook), but missing Black Friday/Cyber Monday by even a few days is a kinda a big deal. Obviously something went very wrong with Apple making a big splash about these with the iPhone 7 launch and announcing they would ship in November (or was it October?) and them still not available even for preorder. Will this have a significant impact on Apple's bottom line? Of course not. However, I have no doubt there are tens of thousands of people who are annoyed/inconvenienced by this delay. They would be more annoyed to receive a crappy product that isn't ready for prime time, but that's besides the point. I'm just saying this wasn't handled well (and still isn't being handled well). Apple or Tim could have tweeted "Really sorry for the delay, but we're working out some kinks so we'll have enough stock on hand to meet initial demand. Expect them to go on sale in mid-December and ship immediately." That's a million times better than crickets chirping and a leaked email. Or if the answer is "found a critical bug, probably won't be ready until February" say that.
Unusual bullshit from you. Apple doesn't talk about their logistics whatsoever, because those function like trade secrets, and worse, would cause no end of additional hand-wringing.
If people are upset, that's on their own little entitled egos. These are probably one of the most difficult new things to manufacture that Apple has ever done, along with the watch. Delays are not surprising.
There are two problems with the AirPods currently: 1. there is some sort of production/design issue. I'm sure they are working hard to fix that. 2. there is a communication issue. (They said they would be ready months ago; they aren't.) Do you believe the best that Apple could do to address the latter is to have the CEO reply to a random email and hope the words gets out? Apple has never been particularly good at this type of communication, but does that mean they should continue to suck at it? Like the secret to Apple's success is never acknowledging problems and letting rumor sites create the narrative? You really think it would be revealing trade secrets if someone at Apple publicly said "Sorry; things didn't go according to plans, but they'll go on sale within the next two weeks"? That's what Tim said, he just did it in a way that isn't very effective.
If I tell my wife I will be home in time for dinner and I'm late, I get a better reception if I call ahead and apologize than just showing up 3 hours late. Does my marriage suffer irreparable harm if I just show up late with no warning? Probably not, but I've annoyed someone unnecessarily. It's that simple.
The relationship between Apple and their customers/fans has become neurotic, even pathological.. I blame this on two changes:
1) Apple's technological job has gotten much harder since the last form factor, the iPad, was released. This means there is a gap in Santa's toy supply for his kids around the world, and they are getting restless. The new difficulty in Apple's job will be explained below.
2) Meanwhile the customers, the kids, have made themselves "difficult." They're using the toys Santa gave them to organize loosely into a tweeting, muttering, self-absorbed pity party of neglected, deprived orphans and foster children, angry at Santa for not coming up with the goods in a timely manner. Imagine not having AirPods for Black Friday, America's #1 shopping day, or worse, Christmas! In the name of the Baby Jesus and all that is holy, Santa Apple owes us an explanation!
Bullshit. Apple has never given explanations, or when they do, as in the case of the white iPhone, it inevitably reflects badly on their competence. Better not to say anything official. No explanation is owed. If good news is coming, drop it quietly in an email to a customer, don't make a big deal about it, and you can count on it getting out.
Not a day goes by, with me snagging my EarPods cord on six different things during the day, that I don't wish for liberation from the damned wires. Do I blame Apple for making me wait? No, I look forward to it when it happens, that's all. They don't owe me anything.
Like the Pencil, the Watch, the amazingly thin, much brighter and more colorful IGZO screen in the MacBook Pros, the AirPods are an example of how the design and engineering job has changed fundamentally in recent years. People call them "incremental," but these are genuine revolutionary accomplishments, and clearly the result of hideously difficult work. A computer inside a pencil? Inside a Lightning connector plug? Inside your earbuds? Come on, people. Look at what your stamping your feet over! Shut up, be grateful when it comes, hope that it's foolproof, 'cause there are a lot of fools out there who will find a bendable or jammable spot.
The kids in the back seat are tired of the same old toys. They want a new form factor, like the old days, when a new one came out on average every few (actually six) years. Well, kids, we got your lap covered, your pocket, your palm and your wrist. What else you got to cover. Ears? Working on it; it's a tough one. But worth it — might have medical applications. It's gotta be very small.
Eyes? That's also a tough one. We don't like boxes on our faces. We'll see.
Slow updates, you say? Well, maybe wait till we get our new buildings up and running, new engineers can be found, new processors come to maturity, that sort of thing. But remember — we don't owe you anything. Learn to enjoy what you have.
Agree with flaneur -- there is a bizarre double standard for Apple. Does anyone spend their days whining about TV or receiver release schedules? Nope. Why not? Because it's just gear. I buy the best of what I'm interested and what's actually on the market. I don't go to AV websites and bag on manufacturer's executive leadership (by name!). That's absurd.
Yet...it's what the whiners, haters, and trolls do with Apple and on sites like this one. It's a neurosis.
Apple has inadvertently created a kind of . . . "cult" is the cliché, but it might be seen as a brood of nursling dependents who need to be weaned. I include the new full-of-themselves Apple bloggers, who also complain about upgrade pace while they never, ever acknowledge that there might be material reasons why the company doesn't deliver according to the blogger-determined release schedule.
And when Apple "finally" does deliver, the bloggers don't even see the reason why they were waiting. The MacBook Pro is a perfect example. To me, with no other information than simple logic, it's clear that the new MBP line was designed tightly around the space and energy savings newly available from the oxide-backed display. What oxide-backed display? The one they've been waiting for Sharp, Samsung, and finally LG to be able to produce for several years now. Until LG had a surplus capacity, no new MBPs. Have you seen any notice of this fact from ANY so-called Apple expert? I haven't, but I'd love to see one.
They are too busy "worrying" (Marco Arment, John Gruber) to use their powers of commonsense reasoning. And now it's open season on Apple's symptoms of malaise, including the moods of their executives. Shameful.
LOL! Month's overdue and 3x more expensive than BT earbuds that blow them away.
What BT earbuds that cost $53 blow away AirPods?
Mantone QY8 BT buds produce sound twice as good as Apple EarPods and cost under $20. It's a known fact Apple makes junky sounding uncomfortable ill fitting earbuds which is why discerning uses immediately replace them. Word is AirPods sound just as junky as EarPods and people are going to lose one or the other in the droves.
Those aren't wireless. I have several cheap BT neckbuds. None of them are wireless. Let's keep the thing the thing, here. This is about wireless earbuds, not just bluetooth earbuds of which there are many better and cheaper solutions than Airpods as well as EVERY wireless earbud on the market or promised to be available soon. Wireless earbuds require the audio between the two to have redundant and independent electronics and radios and the ability to keep sound in sync whereas wired BT buds require only much cheaper electronics and a wire for two ear audio deliver.
So is the conversation about bluetooth earbuds? Then the conversation ends here and if you can live with a wire, you'll darn well do better for your money. If it's about wireless earbuds, then Airpods hold their own and are at minimum on-par with competition.
LOL! Month's overdue and 3x more expensive than BT earbuds that blow them away.
What BT earbuds that cost $53 blow away AirPods?
Mantone QY8 BT buds produce sound twice as good as Apple EarPods and cost under $20. It's a known fact Apple makes junky sounding uncomfortable ill fitting earbuds which is why discerning uses immediately replace them. Word is AirPods sound just as junky as EarPods and people are going to lose one or the other in the droves.
Nice try.
But the Mantone has wires. It is not true wireless, so try again.
And course they have better sound. Do you see how massive these 'earbuds' are? LOL
For active users wouldn't connecting the left and right together be an advantage? Sitting around at home or the office the lack of wires might be a plus of course if the sound quality is up for it since it would generally be music streaming to it at home more often than not, right?
Possibly. I'm an occasional runner and have three different sets of wireless BT earbuds (neckbuds.) Most of the time that wire is no problem, but as I run I find that the wire on some models bounces with my step and the that tugging of the cord transfers up to the earbuds making a scuffing noise in my ear. I can usually mitigate that by tucking the cord under my shirt. Also when turning my head the cord sometimes pulls on the earbuds one way or the other. I know I'd love 100% wireless for running. I don't know if Airpods would do due to their design. Earpods stay in my ears just fine (even running.) Even then what causes earpods to fall out is the tugging or weight of the wire. When the wires are gone, nothing is pulling on them and they (should) stay in just fine. In addition to that, Earhoox are $10 and add a sport grip to any earpod. This should convert airpods into exercise buds nicely. The inconvenience being that I have to remove the Earhoox to put them back in their charger case.
But as you said, the lack of cord means that there is no place to put them when you take them out. So if you don't have a pocket or pouch of some sort on you, then I agree with the inconvenience.
I'm personally interested in Airpods for general on the go, in the office, and non-workout situations. I like the open air design that allows me to hear my surroundings. I intend to keep using my workout neckpods, but I'll certainly try the Airpods. I may or may not prefer them.
Some people complaining about the wait, saying they'll buy a competitor's version. Guess what, the fact that you're here, complaining about them, already betrays your thoughts. Honestly, I think there's a lot of lonely people that come here to complain. They so badly want to see people reply to them.
Comments
Troll overspill from Macrumors I reckon.
Delayed. Throw toys out of pram.
Threaten to buy something else on spec that would delay the purchase even further.
I see that the same stupidity you apply to your investment decisions seems to have filtered through to the rest of your life.
First time I used them, I left the changing rooms, went up a flight of stairs and went to use the equipment on the far side of the gym. Soon as I got on the treadmill, they cut out.
Well, these are crap, I thought. They cut in and out for a good five minutes before I realised they were paired to my phone, downstairs and locked away in the changing rooms. Switched over to my watch: perfect.
The range on these things is mad.
Exactly right. Obviously when Apple announced these they expected them to be available for the holidays. When there were production issues with the white iPhone 4 Apple issued a press release. They should have done that here. Sometimes Apple's secrecy and lack of communication does more harm than good.
1) Apple's technological job has gotten much harder since the last form factor, the iPad, was released. This means there is a gap in Santa's toy supply for his kids around the world, and they are getting restless. The new difficulty in Apple's job will be explained below.
2) Meanwhile the customers, the kids, have made themselves "difficult." They're using the toys Santa gave them to organize loosely into a tweeting, muttering, self-absorbed pity party of neglected, deprived orphans and foster children, angry at Santa for not coming up with the goods in a timely manner. Imagine not having AirPods for Black Friday, America's #1 shopping day, or worse, Christmas! In the name of the Baby Jesus and all that is holy, Santa Apple owes us an explanation!
Bullshit. Apple has never given explanations, or when they do, as in the case of the white iPhone, it inevitably reflects badly on their competence. Better not to say anything official. No explanation is owed. If good news is coming, drop it quietly in an email to a customer, don't make a big deal about it, and you can count on it getting out.
Not a day goes by, with me snagging my EarPods cord on six different things during the day, that I don't wish for liberation from the damned wires. Do I blame Apple for making me wait? No, I look forward to it when it happens, that's all. They don't owe me anything.
Like the Pencil, the Watch, the amazingly thin, much brighter and more colorful IGZO screen in the MacBook Pros, the AirPods are an example of how the design and engineering job has changed fundamentally in recent years. People call them "incremental," but these are genuine revolutionary accomplishments, and clearly the result of hideously difficult work. A computer inside a pencil? Inside a Lightning connector plug? Inside your earbuds? Come on, people. Look at what your stamping your feet over! Shut up, be grateful when it comes, hope that it's foolproof, 'cause there are a lot of fools out there who will find a bendable or jammable spot.
The kids in the back seat are tired of the same old toys. They want a new form factor, like the old days, when a new one came out on average every few (actually six) years. Well, kids, we got your lap covered, your pocket, your palm and your wrist. What else you got to cover. Ears? Working on it; it's a tough one. But worth it — might have medical applications. It's gotta be very small.
Eyes? That's also a tough one. We don't like boxes on our faces. We'll see.
Slow updates, you say? Well, maybe wait till we get our new buildings up and running, new engineers can be found, new processors come to maturity, that sort of thing. But remember — we don't owe you anything. Learn to enjoy what you have.
Yet...it's what the whiners, haters, and trolls do with Apple and on sites like this one. It's a neurosis.
Apple has inadvertently created a kind of . . . "cult" is the cliché, but it might be seen as a brood of nursling dependents who need to be weaned. I include the new full-of-themselves Apple bloggers, who also complain about upgrade pace while they never, ever acknowledge that there might be material reasons why the company doesn't deliver according to the blogger-determined release schedule.
And when Apple "finally" does deliver, the bloggers don't even see the reason why they were waiting. The MacBook Pro is a perfect example. To me, with no other information than simple logic, it's clear that the new MBP line was designed tightly around the space and energy savings newly available from the oxide-backed display. What oxide-backed display? The one they've been waiting for Sharp, Samsung, and finally LG to be able to produce for several years now. Until LG had a surplus capacity, no new MBPs. Have you seen any notice of this fact from ANY so-called Apple expert? I haven't, but I'd love to see one.
They are too busy "worrying" (Marco Arment, John Gruber) to use their powers of commonsense reasoning. And now it's open season on Apple's symptoms of malaise, including the moods of their executives. Shameful.
Let's keep the thing the thing, here. This is about wireless earbuds, not just bluetooth earbuds of which there are many better and cheaper solutions than Airpods as well as EVERY wireless earbud on the market or promised to be available soon. Wireless earbuds require the audio between the two to have redundant and independent electronics and radios and the ability to keep sound in sync whereas wired BT buds require only much cheaper electronics and a wire for two ear audio deliver.
So is the conversation about bluetooth earbuds? Then the conversation ends here and if you can live with a wire, you'll darn well do better for your money.
If it's about wireless earbuds, then Airpods hold their own and are at minimum on-par with competition.
I know I'd love 100% wireless for running. I don't know if Airpods would do due to their design. Earpods stay in my ears just fine (even running.) Even then what causes earpods to fall out is the tugging or weight of the wire. When the wires are gone, nothing is pulling on them and they (should) stay in just fine.
In addition to that, Earhoox are $10 and add a sport grip to any earpod. This should convert airpods into exercise buds nicely. The inconvenience being that I have to remove the Earhoox to put them back in their charger case.
But as you said, the lack of cord means that there is no place to put them when you take them out. So if you don't have a pocket or pouch of some sort on you, then I agree with the inconvenience.
I'm personally interested in Airpods for general on the go, in the office, and non-workout situations. I like the open air design that allows me to hear my surroundings. I intend to keep using my workout neckpods, but I'll certainly try the Airpods. I may or may not prefer them.