Do we need yet another device which requires electricity to work when the previous device didn't. This is a step backwards Apple for the environment and simple practical use.
Are you asking us to answer that question for you? The answer, of course, depends on your use case. Do you need or would you derive value from wireless? Then yes. If not, then no. If you're asking whether wireless should exist, or should be an option for anyone, then I'm left scratching my head. Of course it should. In my usage (ex: gym), wireless is much more enjoyable than being on a short tether.
"Since the AirPods die whenever one of the two batteries does, we need to replace both. That's immediately a $98 total charge or 60 percent of the cost of buying a new pair."
...this is faulty logic. Because of mic assignment, it is entirely possible for one of your APs to be more depleted than the other. Therefore, it is entirely possible that you only need to replace that pod. Like the author's, my L is much more depleted than my R. So that's $69 to replace the one. (The article is less clear than it could be -- having spoken to Apple support personally, unless the battery is defective and in-warranty, the cost to replace it is $69. Practically no one will have an in-warranty and defective battery. Normal depletion from usage hours is not considered defective. FYI)
I've had mine from Day 1, and use them daily. At least one of my pods is toast, as batteries are a consumable component. I do wish they were easier/cheaper for Apple to service. But my SO is a runner, and good running shoes cost as much (usually more!) than AirPods, and also last much less with daily use -- 6 months! Yet runners don't have this expectation that their purchase last FOREVER, the way some tech people do.)
The $49 appears to be even after the 1-year warranty has expired, at least according to some of the people inside Apple we've spoken to. As addressed in the article, this needs to be clarified.
This makes no sense to me. If it’s under warranty aren’t you supposed to get everything for free? I’ve never heard of a warranty that requires you to pay. It’s no longer a warranty then?
also, it’s worth noting that a battery replacement is essentially a full replacement as you can’t replace the battery without destroying the bud. So essentially you’re getting a new bud for $49/69.
Do we need yet another device which requires electricity to work when the previous device didn't. This is a step backwards Apple for the environment and simple practical use.
The reason that the wired earbuds have wires is because they “require electricity to work,” which they get from the phone.
I’ve had my wireless Airpods from day 1, now well over two years, and they’re still working just fine. By now I would have gone through at least one set of wired earbuds because they get caught on a door handle or in a car door and ripped out of the phone.
I remember wired buds as being a constant hassle. A mess. I’ve enjoyed more than two years of freedom from that. Well worth the $160 I paid, even if they died tomorrow. I do hope that Apple will take them back for recycling or safe disposal, though. Same with the wired ones!!!
No. Never. Will not buy. This product is disposable in much worse a way than even the Pencil. Thanks for letting us know that these perform like this, even this short of a time after they were released.
You’d better not get them. They might make you happy, and that would be a disaster. For you.
Won’t the new iPods use Bluetooth 5 and won’t this make the batteries last longer?
my 28 month old ones have a phone call talk time of less than 30 minutes. They have had a lot of use. And me occasionally falling asleep with them in my ears hasn’t helped their battery life. But overall I’m very happy with them.
Do we need yet another device which requires electricity to work when the previous device didn't. This is a step backwards Apple for the environment and simple practical use.
Are you asking us to answer that question for you? The answer, of course, depends on your use case. Do you need or would you derive value from wireless? Then yes. If not, then no. If you're asking whether wireless should exist, or should be an option for anyone, then I'm left scratching my head. Of course it should. In my usage (ex: gym), wireless is much more enjoyable than being on a short tether.
"Since the AirPods die whenever one of the two batteries does, we need to replace both. That's immediately a $98 total charge or 60 percent of the cost of buying a new pair."
...this is faulty logic. Because of mic assignment, it is entirely possible for one of your APs to be more depleted than the other. Therefore, it is entirely possible that you only need to replace that pod. Like the author's, my L is much more depleted than my R. So that's $69 to replace the one. (The article is less clear than it could be -- having spoken to Apple support personally, unless the battery is defective and in-warranty, the cost to replace it is $69. Practically no one will have an in-warranty and defective battery. Normal depletion from usage hours is not considered defective. FYI)
I've had mine from Day 1, and use them daily. At least one of my pods is toast, as batteries are a consumable component. I do wish they were easier/cheaper for Apple to service. But my SO is a runner, and good running shoes cost as much (usually more!) than AirPods, and also last much less with daily use -- 6 months! Yet runners don't have this expectation that their purchase last FOREVER, the way some tech people do.)
The $49 appears to be even after the 1-year warranty has expired, at least according to some of the people inside Apple we've spoken to. As addressed in the article, this needs to be clarified.
This makes no sense to me. If it’s under warranty aren’t you supposed to get everything for free? I’ve never heard of a warranty that requires you to pay. It’s no longer a warranty then?
Warranty only covers manufacturing defects, not consumables. So if you bought a new pair and used them 24-hours a day until they were used up, that isn’t considered defective. Just normal use. Apple will replace them for $49 under that circumstance.
I went to the Genius Bar a couple of months ago complaining of poor battery performance. I told him I thought it was time to replace the batteries. The Genius spent some time researching AirPods in his system. He told me my only option was a service replacement at $69/each to replace the buds. I asked if there was a lower price for just a battery swap, and was told "no," $138 to swap the ear pieces ($69/each) or $159 to buy new AirPods at retail.
For the $21 extra I ended up paying $159 and bought a new set.
I am very annoyed that the Genius was unable to provide accurate information. However, even at $49/each, I find it an appalling price to pay for new batteries. That's over 60% of the cost of a new unit for an expected, and normal, maintenance issue. Replacing all three batteries at $49 each is over 90% of the cost of a new unit.
Apple really should be better at disclosing that these are intended to be disposable units with an approximately 2 year service life. I suspect most buyers think they are buying something that lasts longer and can be serviced.
You're appalled because Apple normally charges a very reasonable "at cost" price for out of warranty repairs? It seems just the opposite, with ANYTHING that Apple sells is neither reasonable or value. So, it comes as no surprise that this price is not far off from just buying a new set.
Many people don't seem to have a good sense of business finance and economics. Apple is not likely making money on the battery replacement. There's more than the battery cost, which Apple has to not only purchase, pay to inventory, track, etc., but Apple has substantial labor costs to deal with the person brining in their AirPod, making the repair, and dealing with the pick up and payment, including paying a processing fee when you pay with a credit card, etc.
Won’t the new iPods use Bluetooth 5 and won’t this make the batteries last longer?
my 28 month old ones have a phone call talk time of less than 30 minutes. They have had a lot of use. And me occasionally falling asleep with them in my ears hasn’t helped their battery life. But overall I’m very happy with them.
Ill just wait wait for the new ones.
Yeah I’ve enjoyed the wireless freedom so much that I use them watching netflix on the ipad when I go to bed most nights. Probably not a great idea when it comes to conservation tho, as they remain connected for a long while. But I don’t have to worry about my cats chewing the wires — tradeoffs!
I am yet again surprised by the folks who feel depletable battery chemistry is a mustache-twirling conspiracy by Apple. lol. Like I said, nice running shoes cost more and don’t last as long. “Conspiracy! I won’t buy running shoes!”
Mine are just behaving strangely. After about 20 or 30 minutes of use, or following a pause, the left bud stops working. Nothing seems to bring it back. Checking the charge on the paired phone shows lower charge on left, but not dead. When I put them back in the case to check the charges that way, it still shows very low on left. Repeating this a couple of times shows nearly full charge on both! Later, both work again. Called support and they said there were no known issues like this.
And this is another example of why Apple’s decision to remove the headphone jack and force Bluetooth on people is so misguided. We’re essentially seeing that a $170 pair of BT headphones is meant to be disposable after 2-3 years.
The one advantage of Bluetooth is that it is wireless (and, indirectly, no wires to break). Don’t get me wrong, for some purposes and some people this is a huge advantage, but there are many people who just don’t care of where this is a drawback.
Disadvantageds of Bluetooth:
You can only pair one device at a time. I can get a $4 splitter so both my son and I can watch a movie together on the plane.
Batteries - they need to be recharged (of course.) The last trip I took, I decided to bring a pair of my Bluetooth headphones. They were charged before I left and died halfway through the trip. Batteries also wear out. For a company that prides itself on being green, throwing away your airpods every 2-3 years is remarkably un-greeen. There’s also the environmental cost of lithium, something no one ever seems to discuss. One of the easiest ways of being green is using items that don’t need to be recharged and have a long lifespan.
Connection troubles. Switching and managing connections is a PITA. Better iOS design could help this, but I’m still waiting. There’s also the question of who’s device is connected to what. We have a. BT speaker in the kitchen that we share - my wife’s phone routinely takes it over when I’m listening to music. Or my phone connects to the bedroom radio without my knowledge. Wired connections are always clear. Yes, the W1 chip also makes it easier, but you’re also limited to select Apple/beats headphones and pay extra for this and Apple doesn’t seem to be eager to license the technology to anyone else.
Connection lag - I’ve routinely had issues with audio and video not being in sync using BT. Maybe it was a poor quality device, but it never happens with wired devices.
Less portability. Again 3.5mm jacks are universal. I take a plane trip and the entertainment system has a 3.5mm jack, not a lightning jack. Yes, I can pay Apple an extra $10 for an adapter which I now have to keep track of, but frankly it’s a pain to do so. Use the adapter for my iphone, then take it off so I can use the headphones with my laptop. Also, our 2011 minivan doesn’t have Bluetooth. Because GPS sucks so much power I was forced to buy a $40 adapter so we could listen to podcasts and keep the phone charged at the same time.
Not all of these issues applies to everyone in every circumstance, but they’re all problems I’ve encounter with some regularity. Like I said, the convenience of wireless is worth it in many cases for many people, and in come cases critical, but Apple seems to have made the decision that everyone should have to pay extra for a feature that they may not need and also has routine drawbacks.
And this is another example of why Apple’s decision to remove the headphone jack and force Bluetooth on people is so misguided. We’re essentially seeing that a $170 pair of BT headphones is meant to be disposable after 2-3 years.
You're making up nonsense, I'm afraid.
- the legacy analog port was removed, but there is still a digital headphone port - as such, no one is forced (forced!) to use BT at all, whatsoever. In fact, they still ship with wired headphones, doh! - you are free to use any BT headphones you wish, including $20 cheapies from Amazon - AirPods are $159, not $170 - all batteries are consumable and non-infinite sources of power - even $20 cheapies off Amazon have batteries that will run out, except then you'll pay 100% to replace them
And this is another example of why Apple’s decision to remove the headphone jack and force Bluetooth on people is so misguided. We’re essentially seeing that a $170 pair of BT headphones is meant to be disposable after 2-3 years.
The one advantage of Bluetooth is that it is wireless (and, indirectly, no wires to break). Don’t get me wrong, for some purposes and some people this is a huge advantage, but there are many people who just don’t care of where this is a drawback.
Disadvantageds of Bluetooth:
You can only pair one device at a time. I can get a $4 splitter so both my son and I can watch a movie together on the plane.
Batteries - they need to be recharged (of course.) The last trip I took, I decided to bring a pair of my Bluetooth headphones. They were charged before I left and died halfway through the trip. Batteries also wear out. For a company that prides itself on being green, throwing away your airpods every 2-3 years is remarkably un-greeen. There’s also the environmental cost of lithium, something no one ever seems to discuss. One of the easiest ways of being green is using items that don’t need to be recharged and have a long lifespan.
Connection troubles. Switching and managing connections is a PITA. Better iOS design could help this, but I’m still waiting. There’s also the question of who’s device is connected to what. We have a. BT speaker in the kitchen that we share - my wife’s phone routinely takes it over when I’m listening to music. Or my phone connects to the bedroom radio without my knowledge. Wired connections are always clear. Yes, the W1 chip also makes it easier, but you’re also limited to select Apple/beats headphones and pay extra for this and Apple doesn’t seem to be eager to license the technology to anyone else.
Connection lag - I’ve routinely had issues with audio and video not being in sync using BT. Maybe it was a poor quality device, but it never happens with wired devices.
Less portability. Again 3.5mm jacks are universal. I take a plane trip and the entertainment system has a 3.5mm jack, not a lightning jack. Yes, I can pay Apple an extra $10 for an adapter which I now have to keep track of, but frankly it’s a pain to do so. Use the adapter for my iphone, then take it off so I can use the headphones with my laptop. Also, our 2011 minivan doesn’t have Bluetooth. Because GPS sucks so much power I was forced to buy a $40 adapter so we could listen to podcasts and keep the phone charged at the same time.
Not all of these issues applies to everyone in every circumstance, but they’re all problems I’ve encounter with some regularity. Like I said, the convenience of wireless is worth it in many cases for many people, and in come cases critical, but Apple seems to have made the decision that everyone should have to pay extra for a feature that they may not need and also has routine drawbacks.
"Not all of these issues applies to everyone in every circumstance" LOL. They don't apply to most people in most circumstances. As others have pointed out, so much what I will generously call "misunderstanding" in your post, starting with "Apple seems to have the decision that everyone should have to pay extra for a feature that they may not need." Again, LOL. Apple gives away wired headphones with every purchase, so no one needs to buy AirPods, and no you never have to throw away any product as Apple takes every product back for free and recycles the materials, and AirPods work with all the smart phones, and not just Apple/Beats, and Apple gave out about half a billion adaptors.
It sounds like you don't want to join Apple's wireless world right now, which is fine and Apple is still taking care of you with wired Airbuds, etc., , but the vast majority of headphone sales are wireless, ditto home speakers, and pretty much every car manufactured has Bluetooth and has had for several years, so no Apple isn't going to design its products around your 2011 minivan and deny the rest of its customers the benefits of its industry leading AirPods, HomePods, etc. There's a reason Apple is now the leading seller of wireless headphones in the world and tens of millions of people are voluntarily buying the AirPods.
The Plantronics Bluetooth headset I bought about the time the AirPods came out still have about 7 hours of battery life and they are used 5-6 days a week. So my Plantronics headset is just as old, heavily used and has much better battery life.
And this is another example of why Apple’s decision to remove the headphone jack and force Bluetooth on people is so misguided. We’re essentially seeing that a $170 pair of BT headphones is meant to be disposable after 2-3 years.
You're making up nonsense, I'm afraid.
- the legacyindustry standard analog port was removed, but there is still a digital headphone port Which has significant drawbacks, as I explained.
- as such, no one is forced (forced!) to use BT at all, whatsoever. In fact, they still ship with wired headphones, doh! See above. Apple was clear when they removed the headphone jack that they expected people to use bluetooth. They have a workaround but it has significant drawbacks.
- you are free to use any BT headphones you wish, including $20 cheapies from Amazon See comments about the hassles of connecting, disconnecting and other drawbacks with BT
- AirPods are $159, not $170 my bad - I was off by $11. I'll correct my statement that Apple is selling $159 headphones that they apparently expect you to throw out in 2-3 years
- all batteries are consumable and non-infinite sources of power True, but there is no way to replace the batteries in AirPods, thus meaning they need to be discarded when the batteries get old, as the article explains.
- even $20 cheapies off Amazon have batteries that will run out, except then you'll pay 100% to replace them Exactly. Thank you for repeating my point.
...talk about "misguided", good grief.
If you're going to respond, please at least read the entire post or do not intentionally ignore the parts that don't fit your view.
Thank you for the correction however the previous ear plugs worked on the fly, did not a require a separate charging accessory and were included with the price of a new iPhone.
So you're saying that you prefer the old, wired style ear buds -- so therefor we should not be allowed to buy wireless AirPods. Got it.
My grandson disagrees: He wouldn't wear the ear buds but can hardly be separated from his AirPods.
Personally I picked up on the "were included with the price of a new iPhone." part of the post, because I doubt people would care as much if they were included with the phone, or at least some sort of "accessory discount" when you buy a new phone. That takes the sting out a little less. Also, Apple probably pays what, $4 for a battery (if that), so that's like what, a 94% profit margin?
And this is another example of why Apple’s decision to remove the headphone jack and force Bluetooth on people is so misguided. We’re essentially seeing that a $170 pair of BT headphones is meant to be disposable after 2-3 years.
The one advantage of Bluetooth is that it is wireless (and, indirectly, no wires to break). Don’t get me wrong, for some purposes and some people this is a huge advantage, but there are many people who just don’t care of where this is a drawback.
Disadvantageds of Bluetooth:
You can only pair one device at a time. I can get a $4 splitter so both my son and I can watch a movie together on the plane.
Batteries - they need to be recharged (of course.) The last trip I took, I decided to bring a pair of my Bluetooth headphones. They were charged before I left and died halfway through the trip. Batteries also wear out. For a company that prides itself on being green, throwing away your airpods every 2-3 years is remarkably un-greeen. There’s also the environmental cost of lithium, something no one ever seems to discuss. One of the easiest ways of being green is using items that don’t need to be recharged and have a long lifespan.
Connection troubles. Switching and managing connections is a PITA. Better iOS design could help this, but I’m still waiting. There’s also the question of who’s device is connected to what. We have a. BT speaker in the kitchen that we share - my wife’s phone routinely takes it over when I’m listening to music. Or my phone connects to the bedroom radio without my knowledge. Wired connections are always clear. Yes, the W1 chip also makes it easier, but you’re also limited to select Apple/beats headphones and pay extra for this and Apple doesn’t seem to be eager to license the technology to anyone else.
Connection lag - I’ve routinely had issues with audio and video not being in sync using BT. Maybe it was a poor quality device, but it never happens with wired devices.
Less portability. Again 3.5mm jacks are universal. I take a plane trip and the entertainment system has a 3.5mm jack, not a lightning jack. Yes, I can pay Apple an extra $10 for an adapter which I now have to keep track of, but frankly it’s a pain to do so. Use the adapter for my iphone, then take it off so I can use the headphones with my laptop. Also, our 2011 minivan doesn’t have Bluetooth. Because GPS sucks so much power I was forced to buy a $40 adapter so we could listen to podcasts and keep the phone charged at the same time.
Not all of these issues applies to everyone in every circumstance, but they’re all problems I’ve encounter with some regularity. Like I said, the convenience of wireless is worth it in many cases for many people, and in come cases critical, but Apple seems to have made the decision that everyone should have to pay extra for a feature that they may not need and also has routine drawbacks.
"Not all of these issues applies to everyone in every circumstance" LOL. They don't apply to most people in most circumstances. As others have pointed out, so much what I will generously call "misunderstanding" in your post, starting with "Apple seems to have the decision that everyone should have to pay extra for a feature that they may not need." Again, LOL. Apple gives away wired headphones with every purchase, so no one needs to buy AirPods, and no you never have to throw away any product as Apple takes every product back for free and recycles the materials, and AirPods work with all the smart phones, and not just Apple/Beats, and Apple gave out about half a billion adaptors.
It sounds like you don't want to join Apple's wireless world right now, which is fine and Apple is still taking care of you with wired Airbuds, etc., , but the vast majority of headphone sales are wireless, ditto home speakers, and pretty much every car manufactured has Bluetooth and has had for several years, so no Apple isn't going to design its products around your 2011 minivan and deny the rest of its customers the benefits of its industry leading AirPods, HomePods, etc. There's a reason Apple is now the leading seller of wireless headphones in the world and tens of millions of people are voluntarily buying the AirPods.
Yes, Apple 'gives' you lightning headphones. Except they are not compatible with anything else in the world outside of iPhones and iPads, and there is no female lightning to 3.5mm male adaptor. Every single one of my points comes from personal experience after owning an iPhone XS for 4 months. Yes, there are workarounds for all of the problems I listed above. I'm not anti-bluetooth; I use it on a regular basis, but there are many circumstances where a plain, wired connection is just simpler and better.
After dealing with the hassles, I was actually considering shelling out $170 $159 for a set of AirPods, but after reading this article I'm glad I didn't. After spending over $1000 on a phone, I'm stuck spending more money on adapters and dealing with workarounds. My comment about paying extra stems from the fact that no matter what, I need to shell out more money to get my XS to do what my 6s did out of the box. I love my XS - it's a great phone, and I have no interest in switching to android, but I resent the fact that it was a step backwards in terms of convenience.
Edit- I think a better route for Apple to go would be to give the original owner/registrant a $20 Apple Store credit towards headphones. You could get the plain Apple ones that they ship for 'free' or apply it towards a better pair of Beats or AirPods.
I'm not categorically opposed to 'Apple's wireless world,' there are just many cases were it either doesn't work, is significantly less convenient or significantly more expensive. That's what I'm opposed to.
Thank you for the correction however the previous ear plugs worked on the fly, did not a require a separate charging accessory and were included with the price of a new iPhone.
So you're saying that you prefer the old, wired style ear buds -- so therefor we should not be allowed to buy wireless AirPods. Got it.
My grandson disagrees: He wouldn't wear the ear buds but can hardly be separated from his AirPods.
Yes I prefer the old style air buds since they don't need charging, do not contain batteries which will need to be replaced etc... However I don't believe I said you or anyone else should "no be allowed" to but them. When you meet a person that does not eat meat do you assume they are trying to take away cows from you too?
Thank you for the correction however the previous ear plugs worked on the fly, did not a require a separate charging accessory and were included with the price of a new iPhone.
So you're saying that you prefer the old, wired style ear buds -- so therefor we should not be allowed to buy wireless AirPods. Got it.
My grandson disagrees: He wouldn't wear the ear buds but can hardly be separated from his AirPods.
Yes I prefer the old style air buds since they don't need charging, do not contain batteries which will need to be replaced etc... However I don't believe I said you or anyone else should "no be allowed" to but them. When you meet a person that does not eat meat do you assume they are trying to take away cows from you too?
This article almost represents my experience with my 2016 air pods. The key difference being that when my left air pod died, the right continued for some time. I wanted to be empirical about this so i did some exhaustive testing listening to my favorite music - all in the name of science. :-)
I won't bore you with the details but I did log the % of left/right pods at every % point drop and recorded the time since first play alongside. The left and right started off at 98% & 99% respectively. The left quickly dropped at a much faster rate than the right indicating that it is working harder and maybe receiving and transmitting to the right air pod, whereas the right was only receiving.
After 1 hour and 46 mins the left air pod died and I took it out of my ear and laid it on the table. The right continued to play and died after 2 hours and 23 mins. I took it out and laid it alongside the left air pod and replaced them both in the charger. Then some magic happened. Immediately upon placing the dead air pods back in the case the widget on my iPhone 7 showed the battery %s at 68% for the left and 44% for the right!
This took me by surprise and I whipped them both out and replaced them in my ears and they continued to work. The air pods were in the case for maybe a second possibly 2 but no longer. This time the right air pod died after a further 11 minutes and the left continued to play for 24 minutes.
Curious to see if the same would happen again I put the pods back in the case for a second only and saw the widget record 68% on the left and 46% on the right. Again no more than a second or two in the case. Placing them back in my ears again gave another 10 minutes for the right and 21 for the left. I dare say the same would have happened again but I gave up at this point and contacted Apple Support.
The only solution they offered was to replace the pods. I live in NZ where a new set of air pods costs NZ $269. The replacement offer was NZ $218 - hardly a worthwhile offer. So I will hang on until version 2 comes out and get a new set. I guess it's a case of having to live with a 2 year replacement cycle.
Comments
also, it’s worth noting that a battery replacement is essentially a full replacement as you can’t replace the battery without destroying the bud. So essentially you’re getting a new bud for $49/69.
I’ve had my wireless Airpods from day 1, now well over two years, and they’re still working just fine. By now I would have gone through at least one set of wired earbuds because they get caught on a door handle or in a car door and ripped out of the phone.
I remember wired buds as being a constant hassle. A mess. I’ve enjoyed more than two years of freedom from that. Well worth the $160 I paid, even if they died tomorrow. I do hope that Apple will take them back for recycling or safe disposal, though. Same with the wired ones!!!
dysamoria said: You’d better not get them. They might make you happy, and that would be a disaster. For you.
my 28 month old ones have a phone call talk time of less than 30 minutes. They have had a lot of use. And me occasionally falling asleep with them in my ears hasn’t helped their battery life. But overall I’m very happy with them.
Ill just wait wait for the new ones.
As far as I know that is definitely not how it works.
Yeah I’ve enjoyed the wireless freedom so much that I use them watching netflix on the ipad when I go to bed most nights. Probably not a great idea when it comes to conservation tho, as they remain connected for a long while. But I don’t have to worry about my cats chewing the wires — tradeoffs!
I am yet again surprised by the folks who feel depletable battery chemistry is a mustache-twirling conspiracy by Apple. lol. Like I said, nice running shoes cost more and don’t last as long. “Conspiracy! I won’t buy running shoes!”
The one advantage of Bluetooth is that it is wireless (and, indirectly, no wires to break). Don’t get me wrong, for some purposes and some people this is a huge advantage, but there are many people who just don’t care of where this is a drawback.
Disadvantageds of Bluetooth:
- You can only pair one device at a time. I can get a $4 splitter so both my son and I can watch a movie together on the plane.
- Batteries - they need to be recharged (of course.) The last trip I took, I decided to bring a pair of my Bluetooth headphones. They were charged before I left and died halfway through the trip. Batteries also wear out. For a company that prides itself on being green, throwing away your airpods every 2-3 years is remarkably un-greeen. There’s also the environmental cost of lithium, something no one ever seems to discuss. One of the easiest ways of being green is using items that don’t need to be recharged and have a long lifespan.
- Connection troubles. Switching and managing connections is a PITA. Better iOS design could help this, but I’m still waiting. There’s also the question of who’s device is connected to what. We have a. BT speaker in the kitchen that we share - my wife’s phone routinely takes it over when I’m listening to music. Or my phone connects to the bedroom radio without my knowledge. Wired connections are always clear. Yes, the W1 chip also makes it easier, but you’re also limited to select Apple/beats headphones and pay extra for this and Apple doesn’t seem to be eager to license the technology to anyone else.
- Connection lag - I’ve routinely had issues with audio and video not being in sync using BT. Maybe it was a poor quality device, but it never happens with wired devices.
- Less portability. Again 3.5mm jacks are universal. I take a plane trip and the entertainment system has a 3.5mm jack, not a lightning jack. Yes, I can pay Apple an extra $10 for an adapter which I now have to keep track of, but frankly it’s a pain to do so. Use the adapter for my iphone, then take it off so I can use the headphones with my laptop. Also, our 2011 minivan doesn’t have Bluetooth. Because GPS sucks so much power I was forced to buy a $40 adapter so we could listen to podcasts and keep the phone charged at the same time.
Not all of these issues applies to everyone in every circumstance, but they’re all problems I’ve encounter with some regularity. Like I said, the convenience of wireless is worth it in many cases for many people, and in come cases critical, but Apple seems to have made the decision that everyone should have to pay extra for a feature that they may not need and also has routine drawbacks.People are idiots.
- the legacy analog port was removed, but there is still a digital headphone port
- as such, no one is forced (forced!) to use BT at all, whatsoever. In fact, they still ship with wired headphones, doh!
- you are free to use any BT headphones you wish, including $20 cheapies from Amazon
- AirPods are $159, not $170
- all batteries are consumable and non-infinite sources of power
- even $20 cheapies off Amazon have batteries that will run out, except then you'll pay 100% to replace them
...talk about "misguided", good grief.
It sounds like you don't want to join Apple's wireless world right now, which is fine and Apple is still taking care of you with wired Airbuds, etc., , but the vast majority of headphone sales are wireless, ditto home speakers, and pretty much every car manufactured has Bluetooth and has had for several years, so no Apple isn't going to design its products around your 2011 minivan and deny the rest of its customers the benefits of its industry leading AirPods, HomePods, etc. There's a reason Apple is now the leading seller of wireless headphones in the world and tens of millions of people are voluntarily buying the AirPods.
Yes, Apple 'gives' you lightning headphones. Except they are not compatible with anything else in the world outside of iPhones and iPads, and there is no female lightning to 3.5mm male adaptor. Every single one of my points comes from personal experience after owning an iPhone XS for 4 months. Yes, there are workarounds for all of the problems I listed above. I'm not anti-bluetooth; I use it on a regular basis, but there are many circumstances where a plain, wired connection is just simpler and better.
After dealing with the hassles, I was actually considering shelling out $170 $159 for a set of AirPods, but after reading this article I'm glad I didn't. After spending over $1000 on a phone, I'm stuck spending more money on adapters and dealing with workarounds. My comment about paying extra stems from the fact that no matter what, I need to shell out more money to get my XS to do what my 6s did out of the box. I love my XS - it's a great phone, and I have no interest in switching to android, but I resent the fact that it was a step backwards in terms of convenience.
Edit- I think a better route for Apple to go would be to give the original owner/registrant a $20 Apple Store credit towards headphones. You could get the plain Apple ones that they ship for 'free' or apply it towards a better pair of Beats or AirPods.
I'm not categorically opposed to 'Apple's wireless world,' there are just many cases were it either doesn't work, is significantly less convenient or significantly more expensive. That's what I'm opposed to.
I won't bore you with the details but I did log the % of left/right pods at every % point drop and recorded the time since first play alongside. The left and right started off at 98% & 99% respectively. The left quickly dropped at a much faster rate than the right indicating that it is working harder and maybe receiving and transmitting to the right air pod, whereas the right was only receiving.
After 1 hour and 46 mins the left air pod died and I took it out of my ear and laid it on the table. The right continued to play and died after 2 hours and 23 mins. I took it out and laid it alongside the left air pod and replaced them both in the charger. Then some magic happened. Immediately upon placing the dead air pods back in the case the widget on my iPhone 7 showed the battery %s at 68% for the left and 44% for the right!
This took me by surprise and I whipped them both out and replaced them in my ears and they continued to work. The air pods were in the case for maybe a second possibly 2 but no longer. This time the right air pod died after a further 11 minutes and the left continued to play for 24 minutes.
Curious to see if the same would happen again I put the pods back in the case for a second only and saw the widget record 68% on the left and 46% on the right. Again no more than a second or two in the case. Placing them back in my ears again gave another 10 minutes for the right and 21 for the left. I dare say the same would have happened again but I gave up at this point and contacted Apple Support.
The only solution they offered was to replace the pods. I live in NZ where a new set of air pods costs NZ $269. The replacement offer was NZ $218 - hardly a worthwhile offer. So I will hang on until version 2 comes out and get a new set. I guess it's a case of having to live with a 2 year replacement cycle.