I think they said - hey we did a lot of research designing the newer version of the EarPods (vs the old round ones) - so let's just clip the wires as the shape etc is symbolic as well. OK, now let's figure out how to make that work.... Given the need for frequent recharging, the charging case was critical.
No, I think they found the design still valid, and don’t do change for change’s sake.
Frequent recharging is relative. For ultra portables, 5 hours of music playback is good. When launched two years ago I’m not aware of wireless buds that did better.
Touchy touchy. Chill. I specifically wrote what you wrote in a different way. There is no "No". That they spent a lot of time and money on the EarPods shape and sound. That they are symbolic / iconic as well. So they kept that.
I doubt anyone would disagree that the charging case was needed and a very very important part of the AirPod experience and adoption. Without the charging case, AirPods would not have been nearly as successful.
Yeah no, my post was entirely factual and not touchy in the slightest. Sounds like you’re hyper-sensitive. Take the personal stuff and go home.
As to the rest of what you’ve said, really don’t understand the point since it would be physically impossible to have wireless buds without a vehicle for recharging due the size. There is no way around that. Of course they have them.
I think they said - hey we did a lot of research designing the newer version of the EarPods (vs the old round ones) - so let's just clip the wires as the shape etc is symbolic as well. OK, now let's figure out how to make that work.... Given the need for frequent recharging, the charging case was critical.
No, I think they found the design still valid, and don’t do change for change’s sake.
Frequent recharging is relative. For ultra portables, 5 hours of music playback is good. When launched two years ago I’m not aware of wireless buds that did better.
Touchy touchy. Chill. I specifically wrote what you wrote in a different way. There is no "No". That they spent a lot of time and money on the EarPods shape and sound. That they are symbolic / iconic as well. So they kept that.
I doubt anyone would disagree that the charging case was needed and a very very important part of the AirPod experience and adoption. Without the charging case, AirPods would not have been nearly as successful.
Yeah no, my post was entirely factual and not touchy in the slightest. Sounds like you’re hyper-sensitive. Take the personal stuff and go home.
As to the rest of what you’ve said, really don’t understand the point since it would be physically impossible to have wireless buds without a vehicle for recharging due the size. There is no way around that. Of course they have them.
Clearly I was commenting on the charging case that you can charge them via the case WITHOUT plugging into an electrical outlet - that is, they are portable with much longer battery life because of the charging case. Maybe you don't own AirPods? The charging case has a battery that can charge the AirPods even when not plugged into an electrical outlet. That is a key feature to their success. Who would disagree with that?
I made it in first batch as early as 27March delivery. Grown normally sane man awaiting shipping notice as eagerly/impatiently as a 3 year old. Apple one of the few companies who can do this.
Me too. I was up working until a little before 6am and had just checked the Apple site before walking away, went to bed and happened to glance at AI on my phone as I was settling into bed and saw they had been announced, and went to order at Apple right away at like 6:08 or so. Can’t wait.
When AirPods launched in 2016, pundits and critics were divided as to what to make of Apple's latest gadget. With a high price tag, middling sound quality and an unorthodox design reminiscent of a pair of EarPods with the wire cut off, AirPods were for some an anomaly.
Over time, however, a sea of customers would vote with their money, as others lauded AirPods as one of the best products to come out of Cupertino in recent years.
I’m beating a dead horse but this once again shows the divide between tech blog comment sections and the real world. Almost every new product announced or released by Apple is immediately declared insufficient, disappointing, garbage, substandard, too expensive, and any other invective you can think of. This was the case when AirPods were released as it is now with Apple’s streaming service. The service hasn’t even been announced yet but it is being savaged in these forums. The new iMacs? DOA. The new iPads? Disappointing. It’s so typical of the mentality here and elsewhere. Consider this the next time the family nerd trashes Apple
A perfect (and recent) example being the Huawei fandroids whining about how much better Huawei's products are... and then the (arrested) CFO is found to be carrying all Apple products during her travels.... and yet strangely, not a peep from those same people.
Who cares? That’s like complaining that Apple’s engineering labs are filled with Windows and Linux PCs because of the limits on the current Mac line.
No, scientists didn’t sign anything about the dangers of Airpods
The scientist declaration referenced in all the news posts is actually from 2015, and was an appeal to governments to take seriously the potential health threats of the type of non-ionizing radiofrequency radiation emitted by cell phones and other wireless devices. Yes, those include Bluetooth devices, like Airpods.
For all you good fellas and ladies with the right shaped ears...they're great !!! Yes. But AirPods keep falling out of my ears. No little closed lobes or something that keeps them in place. So I have to struggle putting on these rubbery wiggly things (earhoox) to make sure they stay in. Not happy Jan ! (Are you listening Jonny?).
And then you have to rip off the rubbery wiggly things or the sleeves to charge the AirPods. Good grief. Jonny, dear Jonny, is there something you can do for us dear sods? With different shaped ears??
I think they said - hey we did a lot of research designing the newer version of the EarPods (vs the old round ones) - so let's just clip the wires as the shape etc is symbolic as well. OK, now let's figure out how to make that work.... Given the need for frequent recharging, the charging case was critical.
No, I think they found the design still valid, and don’t do change for change’s sake.
Frequent recharging is relative. For ultra portables, 5 hours of music playback is good. When launched two years ago I’m not aware of wireless buds that did better.
Touchy touchy. Chill. I specifically wrote what you wrote in a different way. There is no "No". That they spent a lot of time and money on the EarPods shape and sound. That they are symbolic / iconic as well. So they kept that.
I doubt anyone would disagree that the charging case was needed and a very very important part of the AirPod experience and adoption. Without the charging case, AirPods would not have been nearly as successful.
Don’t worry - he gets like that as soon as anyone says anything that might imply that Apple might be in the least bit less than abosolutely perfect. Pretty sure he works for Apple.
When AirPods launched in 2016, pundits and critics were divided as to what to make of Apple's latest gadget. With a high price tag, middling sound quality and an unorthodox design reminiscent of a pair of EarPods with the wire cut off, AirPods were for some an anomaly.
Over time, however, a sea of customers would vote with their money, as others lauded AirPods as one of the best products to come out of Cupertino in recent years.
I’m beating a dead horse but this once again shows the divide between tech blog comment sections and the real world. Almost every new product announced or released by Apple is immediately declared insufficient, disappointing, garbage, substandard, too expensive, and any other invective you can think of. This was the case when AirPods were released as it is now with Apple’s streaming service. The service hasn’t even been announced yet but it is being savaged in these forums. The new iMacs? DOA. The new iPads? Disappointing. It’s so typical of the mentality here and elsewhere. Consider this the next time the family nerd trashes Apple
A perfect (and recent) example being the Huawei fandroids whining about how much better Huawei's products are... and then the (arrested) CFO is found to be carrying all Apple products during her travels.... and yet strangely, not a peep from those same people.
Who cares? That’s like complaining that Apple’s engineering labs are filled with Windows and Linux PCs because of the limits on the current Mac line.
In my view, there are 2 ways Apple could have significantly improved the design of the AirPods + case.
1. Incorporate a simple mechanical lifting mechanism such that when the lid is opened, the AirPods rise out of the case. This would make them far easier to remove from the case. 2. The fact that the left and right AirPods share the same lower cylindrical shape makes it possible for the user to insert the AirPod most of the way into the incorrect charging 'slot' in the case. This issue could easily have been eliminated by making the cylinder 'tear drop' shaped so that the left and right AirPods could only be inserted in the correct slots.
My only complaint about AirPods is that because of the shape of my ear canals, they fit more comfortably with the left one in my right ear and the right one in my left ear, but there's no way to reverse the channels. A software switch to do this should not be hard.
I would be perfectly happy with them if they just sold the AirPos with just a Chi-Charging case but no battery in the case so that its smaller and lighter. Just Charge up the AirPods and I am good as I only use them occasionally. Here and there when I'm out in the public. Usually only 2-3 per day when used.
When AirPods launched in 2016, pundits and critics were divided as to what to make of Apple's latest gadget. With a high price tag, middling sound quality and an unorthodox design reminiscent of a pair of EarPods with the wire cut off, AirPods were for some an anomaly.
Over time, however, a sea of customers would vote with their money, as others lauded AirPods as one of the best products to come out of Cupertino in recent years.
I’m beating a dead horse but this once again shows the divide between tech blog comment sections and the real world. Almost every new product announced or released by Apple is immediately declared insufficient, disappointing, garbage, substandard, too expensive, and any other invective you can think of. This was the case when AirPods were released as it is now with Apple’s streaming service. The service hasn’t even been announced yet but it is being savaged in these forums. The new iMacs? DOA. The new iPads? Disappointing. It’s so typical of the mentality here and elsewhere. Consider this the next time the family nerd trashes Apple
It's been like this for decades actually. I remember so often reading and listening to things after Apple would release updated iMac G3/G4, or the PowerBook G4 Titanium, along with software it releases. There's always been the naysayers and immediately turn it down as crap, even in the Steve Jobs era. Some people just want to be negative. I think part of that is because negativity brings attention which is what they want.
I guarantee you that when Apple announces the new Mac Pro, people are gonna immediately shit all over it for one reason or another just like they did with the iMac Pro, and well hell, even the newest iMac update.
And the sad thing is the negative naysayers get all the attention. Negativity sells newspapers. Watch the news (say NBC) and see all the carnage, grumbling, anger, rage. Then for the final report they always put up some feel good piece like an inner city kid planting a garden amid his squalor.
Apple's AirPods are a classic case of a product design that considers almost all facets of the total user experience over a wide range of the product's life-cycle from cradle to grave. In fact, many of Jony Ive's designs share similar design sensibilities and qualities. But no design is ever perfect for all use cases over the entire life-cycle. The one area where Apple's designs are still not totally closing the loop (and they are not alone) is on the end-of-life part of the life-cycle, largely because of the wear-out of non-replaceable or difficult/expensive to replace batteries. I simply wish that their battery dependent products simply lasted longer or could be cost-effectively renewed with fresh batteries.
Yeah, yeah, I totally understand that achieving many of the user experience goals led Apple to paint us into a corner on the end-of-life part of the life-cycle that arrives too soon for our liking. The AirPods are an extreme case, to the point that they are effectively a consumable product like a printer toner cartridge, or for you SCOTUS fans, a can of beer. You buy the beer, drink it, and throw away the can. No complaints. Whether you want that same model for headphones, or not, is one thing, but why not just accept that AirPods is a "can of beer" and have everyone plan accordingly?
In fact, why not bake the AirPods-as-a-can-of-beer model right into the sales and consumption model and sell it as a subscription? For example, every 12-months (or ?? months) when you re-up your Apple Music subscription you get a new set of AirPods at a subsidized price and with a "recycling deposit" added to the subscription price. If you renew your subscription after the preset term you get a new set of AirPods, turn in your old ones for recycling, and Apple continues to hold your deposit. If you do not renew your Apple Music subscription you turn in your AirPods and Apple gives you back your deposit. If you don't turn the AirPods back in, Apple keeps your deposit.
I'm not saying that the consumable or can-of-beer model is what anyone really wants. But with non-user-replaceable batteries being the norm for more and more products, this is simply the reality we live in. You can complain about it all you want, and you can switch to products that don't follow this model, but deluding yourself into thinking that you are actually purchasing a durable product that will last indefinitely when it's days are numbered as soon as you unbox it serves no purpose either. May as well make the purchasing (or subscription) model match the reality of the consumption model. Nobody likes to be holding an empty beer can.
I sympathize Dewme. But Not everyone who subscribes to AppkeMusic wants AirPods. Many greens probably would prefer their free wired ones. And you'll likely have price stratification with new Airpod health features, etc. so the options will get more diverse like AppleWatch, no? But yeah, Apple and others should review their battery policies, and maybe offer wired trackpads, eg.
I sympathize Dewme. But Not everyone who subscribes to AppkeMusic wants AirPods. Many greens probably would prefer their free wired ones. And you'll likely have price stratification with new Airpod health features, etc. so the options will get more diverse like AppleWatch, no? But yeah, Apple and others should review their battery policies, and maybe offer wired trackpads, eg.
AirPods bundling does not have to be exclusive to Apple Music. However, Apple Music subscribers would be able to get a subsidized pair of AirPods for, say $5.00 per month if they commit to a 12 month Apple Music subscription, with some sort of up-front deposit, say $20.00, that would be refunded when the AirPods are returned for recycling at the end of the subscription period. If you renew your Apple Music + AirPods bundle you'd receive a new pair of AirPods and the $20.00 deposit would stay on the books with Apple. If you cancel your Apple Music subscription and send in the AirPods, you'd get your $20.00 deposit back. The net effect is that Apple Music subscribers effectively get AirPods at a substantial discount. If current AirPods start degrading substantially after a year, you're effectively paying more than $10.00 a month today to "own" them. Those who return the AirPods after one year got to rent them for $40.00 for one year of use. Apple still makes plenty of money because you shelled out $120.00 for the Apple Music subscription. These are just numbers I pulled out of my ass, but this is the kind of subsidy that would reduce the pain of seeing your $160.00 or $200.00 hardware purchase reduced to a paperweight when the batteries reach end-of-life.
I don't know why Apple doesn't try to be more creative with "hardware + services" bundles, especially when the revenue contribution from services continues to improve as they flesh out their ecosystem. Maybe we'll something new tomorrow?
Well if you had read the article, which obviously you didn’t, AirPods were used as an example of ALL wireless earbuds. And the conclusion was that, like cellphone concerns, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim. Like the anti-vaccers it’s all FUD at this point. So to answer your attempted smear, no, Apple will not be saying anything about “this”. Maybe Samsung will have something to say since they make wireless earbuds too.
Well if you had read the article, which obviously you didn’t, AirPods were used as an example of ALL wireless earbuds. And the conclusion was that, like cellphone concerns, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim. Like the anti-vaccers it’s all FUD at this point. So to answer your attempted smear, no, Apple will not be saying anything about “this”. Maybe Samsung will have something to say since they make wireless earbuds too.
Actually, there is no uncertainty about vaccines. Just ignorance and lies by the antivaxers.
Well if you had read the article, which obviously you didn’t, AirPods were used as an example of ALL wireless earbuds. And the conclusion was that, like cellphone concerns, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim. Like the anti-vaccers it’s all FUD at this point. So to answer your attempted smear, no, Apple will not be saying anything about “this”. Maybe Samsung will have something to say since they make wireless earbuds too.
Actually, there is no uncertainty about vaccines. Just ignorance and lies by the antivaxers.
I am a physician. I dual-specialized in Pediatrics and Internal Medicine. As a pediatrition, I have to keep up with all significant studies on vaccines.that being said, I take my kids to get all their vaccinations. I feel that it be stupid not to get them the vaccines since they help avoid crippling or fatal diseases. Antivaxxers get away with it sometimes due to “herd immunity” (look it up), but they are playing Russian Roulette with their kids’ health.
I’m a pediatrition and I vax my kids. I think that kinda sums up my beliefs on the issue.
Comments
As to the rest of what you’ve said, really don’t understand the point since it would be physically impossible to have wireless buds without a vehicle for recharging due the size. There is no way around that. Of course they have them.
Everything today causes cancer apparently....Why would Apple respond to this?
No, scientists didn’t sign anything about the dangers of Airpods
The scientist declaration referenced in all the news posts is actually from 2015, and was an appeal to governments to take seriously the potential health threats of the type of non-ionizing radiofrequency radiation emitted by cell phones and other wireless devices. Yes, those include Bluetooth devices, like Airpods.
My only other alternative is to get custom sleeves to plant them in my ear canal which cost about $200. Argh.... https://www.noiseguard.com.au/iphoneandroid/iphone-custom/
And then you have to rip off the rubbery wiggly things or the sleeves to charge the AirPods. Good grief. Jonny, dear Jonny, is there something you can do for us dear sods? With different shaped ears??
1. Incorporate a simple mechanical lifting mechanism such that when the lid is opened, the AirPods rise out of the case. This would make them far easier to remove from the case.
2. The fact that the left and right AirPods share the same lower cylindrical shape makes it possible for the user to insert the AirPod most of the way into the incorrect charging 'slot' in the case. This issue could easily have been eliminated by making the cylinder 'tear drop' shaped so that the left and right AirPods could only be inserted in the correct slots.
Im a little upset this wasn’t thought about with the new $80 (I think that’s what it cost when purchased separately) charging case.
I’m a pediatrition and I vax my kids. I think that kinda sums up my beliefs on the issue.