Apple AirPods, charging case hold up to torture test with nothing but cosmetic damage

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV
Apple's AirPods have been put through the wringer in a variety of tests, and have been found to be incredibly durable devices, beyond what has been promised.




Prolific device tester EverythingApplePro has published a video on YouTube documenting his experiments with the AirPods. A series of falls both with and without charging case were performed from waist-high, to head-high, up to a 10-foot fall on concrete resulted in no damage, other than scuffs.

Following the drop testing, the same units including charging case were run through a full 32-minute wash cycle with detergent and clothing, following a run through the dryer alongside a regular pair of Apple Lightning earbuds.

The Lightning earbuds emerged relatively intact, with the audio being only slightly more fuzzy than normal, but pretty close to the original sound. The AirPods and charging case survived entirely intact, minus some battering to the case.

The final test was sinking the AirPods removed from the charging case in a foot of water. During the testing, the AirBuds continued to play, and completely survived the 5-minute submersion in the tank.





Apple makes no claims about water or impact resistance for the AirPods at all.

Apple's AirPods include the W1 chip for easy pairing and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as beam-forming microphones, accelerometers, and a small charging and carrying case. AppleInsider went hands-on with the $159 wireless headphones and came away impressed with their advanced technology and ease of use.

The fully wireless headphones come with a one-year warranty that covers audio defects and battery problems. Outside of that period, standard repairs are $69, battery service is $49, and replacement buds in the event of one being lost will cost $69 each.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 25
    elijahgelijahg Posts: 2,759member
    This is good news, I'm glad Apple's making their devices a bit tougher these days!
    caliwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 25
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,283member
    And this is exactly why they're not serviceable.
    baconstangStrangeDayscaliwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 3 of 25
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    mike1 said:
    And this is exactly why they're not serviceable.
    Exactly. 

    I'm not sure I've ever come across a pair of in-ear phones that are serviceable to be honest.
    StrangeDayscaliirelandpscooter63watto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 4 of 25

    Following the drop testing, the same units including charging case were run through a full 32-minute wash cycle with detergent and clothing, following a run through the dryer alongside a regular pair of Apple Lightning earbuds.

    The Lightning earbuds emerged relatively intact, with the audio being only slightly more fuzzy than normal, but pretty close to the original sound. The AirPods and charging case survived entirely intact, minus some battering to the case.
    Accidentally leaving the Airpods in my pocket and having them go through the washer/dryer has been my number 1 concern since Tim introduced them in September...glad to see someone actually tested for this!

    So far, my Airpods have been worth the price. I miss the easy controls for pause/play/volume but the trade-off has been worth it.

    Pro-tip: to change volume, simply invoke Siri and either say "louder" or "lower" (no need to say "turn volume up/down") and Siri will know to change the volume accordingly. For some reason "softer" doesn't work.
    peterhartapple jockeychromosmike1ration alStrangeDayscalipscooter63watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 25
    sog35 said:
    Pro-tip: to change volume, simply invoke Siri and either say "louder" or "lower" (no need to say "turn volume up/down") and Siri will know to change the volume accordingly. For some reason "softer" doesn't work.
    can you use a Watch to lower volume?
    I have used my Apple Watch to control volume on my iPhone while it plays music and this does not change when listening via AirPods. :)

    @jamesthelesser - good tips, and would saying 'quieter' work? I myself haven't quite gotten the "touch" down pat yet to invoke Siri all the time...
    ration al
  • Reply 6 of 25
    sog35 said:
    can you use a Watch to lower volume?
    You can, but you have to switch to the Now Playing app and use the digital crown to do it.

    It would be great if you could just adjust volume from the Watch Face though.
    StrangeDaysstuffe
  • Reply 7 of 25

    Following the drop testing, the same units including charging case were run through a full 32-minute wash cycle with detergent and clothing, following a run through the dryer alongside a regular pair of Apple Lightning earbuds.

    The Lightning earbuds emerged relatively intact, with the audio being only slightly more fuzzy than normal, but pretty close to the original sound. The AirPods and charging case survived entirely intact, minus some battering to the case.
    Accidentally leaving the Airpods in my pocket and having them go through the washer/dryer has been my number 1 concern since Tim introduced them in September...glad to see someone actually tested for this!

    So far, my Airpods have been worth the price. I miss the easy controls for pause/play/volume but the trade-off has been worth it.

    Pro-tip: to change volume, simply invoke Siri and either say "louder" or "lower" (no need to say "turn volume up/down") and Siri will know to change the volume accordingly. For some reason "softer" doesn't work.
    If using AirPods without an iPhone (e.g., connected to Apple Watch or a non-iPhone music source), does Siri still work?  i.e., can Siri run disconnected from iPhone?  I'm assuming not (unfortunately).
  • Reply 8 of 25
    peterhart said:
    sog35 said:
    Pro-tip: to change volume, simply invoke Siri and either say "louder" or "lower" (no need to say "turn volume up/down") and Siri will know to change the volume accordingly. For some reason "softer" doesn't work.
    can you use a Watch to lower volume?
    I have used my Apple Watch to control volume on my iPhone while it plays music and this does not change when listening via AirPods. :)

    @jamesthelesser - good tips, and would saying 'quieter' work? I myself haven't quite gotten the "touch" down pat yet to invoke Siri all the time...
    "Quieter" does work! Duh, don't know why I didn't think of that. :blush: 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 25

    If using AirPods without an iPhone (e.g., connected to Apple Watch or a non-iPhone music source), does Siri still work?  i.e., can Siri run disconnected from iPhone?  I'm assuming not (unfortunately).
    Interesting question. I just starting playing a playlist from my Apple Watch to my AirPods, and the double-tap did not invoke Siri....it simply paused/played the music. I assume it would be the same if your AirPods were connect to anything else besides an iPhone too.
    slprescott
  • Reply 10 of 25
    Rayz2016 said:
    mike1 said:
    And this is exactly why they're not serviceable.
    Exactly. 

    I'm not sure I've ever come across a pair of in-ear phones that are serviceable to be honest.
    Yeah, I can't seem to recall ever talking about servicing modern consumer electronics headphones at home before. But since it's Apple now it's apparently a new (imaginary) problem.
    calipscooter63Rayz2016watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 25
    vahancouvervahancouver Posts: 14unconfirmed, member
    What happened to the guy's comments that had sound drop issues ? 
    Well, I'm having those issues as well, both from my iPhone 6S and MacBook Pro... Anyone else is having the same problem? especially when the volume is set to maximum.

    And yes it's OK to talk about issues here, maybe it's a global issue. Just like my iPhone 6S's battery that got replaces last weekend. 
    elijahg
  • Reply 12 of 25
    Worth noting that if you plug in normal earbuds, then switch the output to be your AirPods, you can still use the inline controls on the wired headphones for volume, track skipping etc. Might seem like a futile exercise, but I reckon there's nothing to stop you from cutting the actual earbuds off after the inline controls, leaving you with nothing more than a control stick on a couple of feet of cable, which might be useful for using at the gym on the treadmill etc (as 1 example, others probably exist)
  • Reply 13 of 25
    jSnivelyjSnively Posts: 429administrator
    What happened to the guy's comments that had sound drop issues ? 
    Well, I'm having those issues as well, both from my iPhone 6S and MacBook Pro... Anyone else is having the same problem? especially when the volume is set to maximum.

    And yes it's OK to talk about issues here, maybe it's a global issue. Just like my iPhone 6S's battery that got replaces last weekend. 
    Too early on in the thread to be that off-topic and distracting. Had to remove a handufl of posts replying to it; more trouble than it was worth.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 25
    I'm in the process of sending my AirPods back to Apple. I've had them only a day, and I discovered a hairline crack on the right pod. There is a subtle seam around the pod and I can see where a crack developed. Doesn't affect the sound, but it doesn't matter. Better check yours carefully. They will be expediting a return and I should have a new pair the end of December.
  • Reply 15 of 25
    I went to Apple store yesterday and today, couldn't secure any set unfortunately. I was late to the store late yesterday, so I went there early and saw a 3 person line at 6:50am. Unfortunately there was no shipment coming today at all.

    I was really excited that Apple puts in an accelerometer in the AirPods, and I was hoping that you can nod or shake your head to pick up a call or reject a call, but they don't do that :(
  • Reply 16 of 25
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    sog35 said:

    Following the drop testing, the same units including charging case were run through a full 32-minute wash cycle with detergent and clothing, following a run through the dryer alongside a regular pair of Apple Lightning earbuds.

    The Lightning earbuds emerged relatively intact, with the audio being only slightly more fuzzy than normal, but pretty close to the original sound. The AirPods and charging case survived entirely intact, minus some battering to the case.
    Accidentally leaving the Airpods in my pocket and having them go through the washer/dryer has been my number 1 concern since Tim introduced them in September...glad to see someone actually tested for this!

    So far, my Airpods have been worth the price. I miss the easy controls for pause/play/volume but the trade-off has been worth it.

    Pro-tip: to change volume, simply invoke Siri and either say "louder" or "lower" (no need to say "turn volume up/down") and Siri will know to change the volume accordingly. For some reason "softer" doesn't work.
    can you use a Watch to lower volume?
    Don't you mean 'fire Tim Cook' for producing the best and most reliable truly wireless earphones on the market?
    edited December 2016 slprescottRayz2016watto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 25
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    getvoxoa said:
    I went to Apple store yesterday and today, couldn't secure any set unfortunately. I was late to the store late yesterday, so I went there early and saw a 3 person line at 6:50am. Unfortunately there was no shipment coming today at all.

    I was really excited that Apple puts in an accelerometer in the AirPods, and I was hoping that you can nod or shake your head to pick up a call or reject a call, but they don't do that :(
    And thank goodness for that. That would be ridiculous and potentially dangerous. 
    StrangeDays
  • Reply 18 of 25
    ireland said:
    getvoxoa said:
    I was really excited that Apple puts in an accelerometer in the AirPods, and I was hoping that you can nod or shake your head to pick up a call or reject a call, but they don't do that :(
    And thank goodness for that. That would be ridiculous and potentially dangerous. 
    Why would it be dangerous to use nodding or shaking head? I tested a prototype of such UI from Plantronics in CES a few years ago, it was really cool.
  • Reply 19 of 25
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    What happened to the guy's comments that had sound drop issues ? 
    Well, I'm having those issues as well, both from my iPhone 6S and MacBook Pro... Anyone else is having the same problem? especially when the volume is set to maximum.

    And yes it's OK to talk about issues here, maybe it's a global issue. Just like my iPhone 6S's battery that got replaces last weekend. 
    If it's a global issue then Apple will get wind of it much sooner if people report it directly to them. A load of defective products being returned will get them moving faster than a group whinge  in a forum. The fella who had his post deleted said he was going to wait to see if a solution presented itself on line. My advice to you is the same I gave to him: don't wait. Take it straight back to Apple for a refund or a replacement. That is how Apple finds out if there is a defective product in the wild. They do not bother with complaints on forums because half the people complaining about a defective product don't actually own it. 

    If you're suffering from dropouts then this is something that you shouldn't be hunting for workarounds for. It could be a defect, and Apple should be told about it.
    edited December 2016 StrangeDays
  • Reply 20 of 25
    jSnively said:
    What happened to the guy's comments that had sound drop issues ? 
    Well, I'm having those issues as well, both from my iPhone 6S and MacBook Pro... Anyone else is having the same problem? especially when the volume is set to maximum.

    And yes it's OK to talk about issues here, maybe it's a global issue. Just like my iPhone 6S's battery that got replaces last weekend. 
    Too early on in the thread to be that off-topic and distracting. Had to remove a handufl of posts replying to it; more trouble than it was worth.
    Too many posts are getting deleted on this forum lately, in any case it would be considerate to at least send a PM to let them know you deleted their work.
    StrangeDays
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