New tool enables technicians to manually update AirPods Pro

AppleInsider

Starting the week of December 13, Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers will add a tool to their arsenal allowing technicians to update AirPods Pro to the latest firmware.

The new tool gives access to Apple Service Toolkit 2, allowing technicians to update the firmware on customers' AirPods Pro. Unfortunately, certain scenarios can cause over-the-air updates to fail.

Reasons for failure include customers using non-iOS devices, if a left or right AirPods Pro fails to update, or if the customer received a replacement with a different firmware version than their existing hardware.

According to an internal memo obtained by MacRumors, the tool is compatible with AirPods Pro with a wireless charging case or a MagSafe charging case. However, it is unknown whether the tool works with other AirPods models.

Currently, there is no way to update AirPods firmware manually, as the device should automatically update when paired to an iPhone or iPad.

Apple recently released AirPods firmware 4.2 for all models, and customers can check their firmware version by heading to Settings > General > About and tapping the AirPods they wish to view.

Read on AppleInsider

GeorgeBMac

This is good!  Apple stores keep getting improved service abilities for iPods.  The last time I had mine there they were able to test their sound with a new machine they had recently installed.

That helps us, the customers.

Now, I wish they could do the same for the watch.

Louisr

It’s very easy to update, go here:
https://youtu.be/nVfWXFI-yLw

Japhey

Louisr said:

It’s very easy to update, go here:
https://youtu.be/nVfWXFI-yLw

Thanks. He even calls for an Apple Watch style app for AirPods, which would be most welcome. 

dewme

Not sure why personal device management is such a convoluted mess with Apple. The widely disparate update models, tooling, and device update and management processes for Apple Watch, AirPods, most Apple Home enabled devices (including HomePod), Apple TV, and AirTags is truly a dog's breakfast.

You'd think that a company so enamored with the concept of "ecosystem" and product lines and product families would come up with some commonality and quality of service and first class UX expectations about managing all of their devices that are part of their so-called ecosystem. This would only enhanced the value of the ecosystem and increase stickiness for staying in the ecosystem. But no, Apple totally flubs this collective need in a very embarrassingly halfhearted way.

I'm sure they'd prefer that everything "just works" magically in the background and with zero end user involvement, but it doesn't. Spreading the ugliness around in a dozen different places and hiding it in dark corners that don't really make sense but were chosen because some engineer could "shoehorn it in" does not help in the least.

C'mon Apple, get you act together and give this the attention it deserves.

GeorgeBMac

dewme said:

Not sure why personal device management is such a convoluted mess with Apple. The widely disparate update models, tooling, and device update and management processes for Apple Watch, AirPods, most Apple Home enabled devices (including HomePod), Apple TV, and AirTags is truly a dog's breakfast.

You'd think that a company so enamored with the concept of "ecosystem" and product lines and product families would come up with some commonality and quality of service and first class UX expectations about managing all of their devices that are part of their so-called ecosystem. This would only enhanced the value of the ecosystem and increase stickiness for staying in the ecosystem. But no, Apple totally flubs this collective need in a very embarrassingly halfhearted way.

I'm sure they'd prefer that everything "just works" magically in the background and with zero end user involvement, but it doesn't. Spreading the ugliness around in a dozen different places and hiding it in dark corners that don't really make sense but were chosen because some engineer could "shoehorn it in" does not help in the least.

C'mon Apple, get you act together and give this the attention it deserves.

Actually, they DO "prefer that everything "just works" magically in the background and with zero end user involvement'   And, fortunately, it usually does.  That's one of the reasons why people with no technical background or inclination gravitate to Apple products.

But, I know what you mean:  that approach has its drawbacks as well.  I think that Steve would agree with you as well -- but he also preferred the other way.   Here he is responding to a similar challenge about OpenDoc.

dewme

GeorgeBMac said:

dewme said:

Not sure why personal device management is such a convoluted mess with Apple. The widely disparate update models, tooling, and device update and management processes for Apple Watch, AirPods, most Apple Home enabled devices (including HomePod), Apple TV, and AirTags is truly a dog's breakfast.

You'd think that a company so enamored with the concept of "ecosystem" and product lines and product families would come up with some commonality and quality of service and first class UX expectations about managing all of their devices that are part of their so-called ecosystem. This would only enhanced the value of the ecosystem and increase stickiness for staying in the ecosystem. But no, Apple totally flubs this collective need in a very embarrassingly halfhearted way.

I'm sure they'd prefer that everything "just works" magically in the background and with zero end user involvement, but it doesn't. Spreading the ugliness around in a dozen different places and hiding it in dark corners that don't really make sense but were chosen because some engineer could "shoehorn it in" does not help in the least.

C'mon Apple, get you act together and give this the attention it deserves.

Actually, they DO "prefer that everything "just works" magically in the background and with zero end user involvement'   And, fortunately, it usually does.  That's one of the reasons why people with no technical background or inclination gravitate to Apple products.

But, I know what you mean:  that approach has its drawbacks as well.  I think that Steve would agree with you as well -- but he also preferred the other way.   Here he is responding to a similar challenge about OpenDoc.

It's not like there aren't hints in parts of Apple's user facing UX regarding the management of devices that Apple associates with you. You can go to your Apple ID account settings and under Devices see a list of the devices associated with your Apple ID account. Thus feature shows serial numbers, firmware versions, and model numbers. I'd like to see a similar capability available via a cross platform app, maybe like the Home app, but also include warranty information, Apple Care information, list of available firmware updates, device health, other important device-specific related information (e.g., phone and watch carrier information), functions for triggering device backup and restore, updating device firmware, and when possible (due to signing constraints) rolling back to a previous version to recover from a failed update/upgrade. 

Like I said, the Apple ID portal and the Home app provide a few hints about what Apple can do, but most of it is read-only and very incomplete and haphazard. I'm simply asking for Apple to take the next steps towards making this kind of device management more consolidated and functional for customers who want more control over their devices and who don't want to be digging around in weird places like Bluetooth settings or General settings, some of which are currently ephemeral, for detailed information about a device they own. I would find a one-stop-shop for this kind of personal device management to be extremely useful on many levels, including providing one place to maintain a coherent inventory of all the Apple crap I own, which would scare some people.

GeorgeBMac

dewme said:

GeorgeBMac said:

dewme said:

Not sure why personal device management is such a convoluted mess with Apple. The widely disparate update models, tooling, and device update and management processes for Apple Watch, AirPods, most Apple Home enabled devices (including HomePod), Apple TV, and AirTags is truly a dog's breakfast.

You'd think that a company so enamored with the concept of "ecosystem" and product lines and product families would come up with some commonality and quality of service and first class UX expectations about managing all of their devices that are part of their so-called ecosystem. This would only enhanced the value of the ecosystem and increase stickiness for staying in the ecosystem. But no, Apple totally flubs this collective need in a very embarrassingly halfhearted way.

I'm sure they'd prefer that everything "just works" magically in the background and with zero end user involvement, but it doesn't. Spreading the ugliness around in a dozen different places and hiding it in dark corners that don't really make sense but were chosen because some engineer could "shoehorn it in" does not help in the least.

C'mon Apple, get you act together and give this the attention it deserves.

Actually, they DO "prefer that everything "just works" magically in the background and with zero end user involvement'   And, fortunately, it usually does.  That's one of the reasons why people with no technical background or inclination gravitate to Apple products.

But, I know what you mean:  that approach has its drawbacks as well.  I think that Steve would agree with you as well -- but he also preferred the other way.   Here he is responding to a similar challenge about OpenDoc.

It's not like there aren't hints in parts of Apple's user facing UX regarding the management of devices that Apple associates with you. You can go to your Apple ID account settings and under Devices see a list of the devices associated with your Apple ID account. Thus feature shows serial numbers, firmware versions, and model numbers. I'd like to see a similar capability available via a cross platform app, maybe like the Home app, but also include warranty information, Apple Care information, list of available firmware updates, device health, other important device-specific related information (e.g., phone and watch carrier information), functions for triggering device backup and restore, updating device firmware, and when possible (due to signing constraints) rolling back to a previous version to recover from a failed update/upgrade. 

Like I said, the Apple ID portal and the Home app provide a few hints about what Apple can do, but most of it is read-only and very incomplete and haphazard. I'm simply asking for Apple to take the next steps towards making this kind of device management more consolidated and functional for customers who want more control over their devices and who don't want to be digging around in weird places like Bluetooth settings or General settings, some of which are currently ephemeral, for detailed information about a device they own. I would find a one-stop-shop for this kind of personal device management to be extremely useful on many levels, including providing one place to maintain a coherent inventory of all the Apple crap I own, which would scare some people.

Yeh, that makes sense.

I think I misunderstood what you meant when I responded to your previous post.