Way overpriced considering they only last about 2 years or so before the batteries fail to recharge and become disposable trash....and the mediocre sound quality does not justify the price. But they are really working that 'Pro' word into their advertising...diminishing it with every new product release.
Apple won’t replace the batteries? I never thought about that with my Beats X... have i really purchased land fill?
edit: below info
sounded like fud and it is fud
” If your product is out of warranty or your battery wears down over time, you can get battery service through Apple or an authorized service provider. The fee includes replacement and recycling.”
Have you seen the tear downs? The batteries are not replaceable. You bring them into the Apple store and they swap them out for a new pair. Yes, they will nominally recycle the batteries, but the majority of the Air Pod will go into the landfill.
This is an issue with almost all BT headphones, so Apple is not alone in this regard, but it’s another reason I don’t like the move to make things wireless whether you really need wireless or not.
Well the reason I bought the AirPods was because every time I put my Bose pods in it made my Ears ache... now Apple has made the same thing 👎🏻 they should have done something with bone connectivity instead !!
What about folks who cannot wear the original style Airpods? IEM are all I use they have never made my ear ache?
Maybe it's the Bose themselves and not the fact that they are IEM style? I had the the original wired Bose IE's and the fit was absolutely terrible. They even reworked the rubber tips and sent them out free of charge because the original fit was so bad. It was almost impossible to get them to stay in and get a good enough seal for quality sound.
Ever bone induction set I have seen has something that connects them across the back of your head? Almost like beats X but more form fitting?
I would disagree with Tim that the only reason to buy these is for noise cancellation. The sound quality improvements alone are worth the upgrade IMO. The music has a fuller sound along with a richer bass. The noise cancellation is icing on the cake. Loving mine!
Way overpriced considering they only last about 2 years or so before the batteries fail to recharge and become disposable trash....and the mediocre sound quality does not justify the price. But they are really working that 'Pro' word into their advertising...diminishing it with every new product release.
Wrong. Literally speaking I don't think they should be thrown away, I think they should be recycled. But assuming you meant why should they no longer be functional, we can go a bit further. First, you could opt for battery service, which for the two pods is less than half ($50x2). Second, you can sell them as-is (I did this) and still get some coin for them in diminished state. Lastly, some things just get used up. Another wearable with a limited lifespan -- running shoes. For a serious daily runner they don't last much longer than 6 months, and can cost as much as the original AirPods. They go into landfill after, no service and no recycling.
While I would like a cheaper battery service (who wouldn't) or user serviceable, the reality is there are compromises in all designs. These are small, light, and water resistant. That comes at the cost of being user serviceable. Such is life.
Way overpriced considering they only last about 2 years or so before the batteries fail to recharge and become disposable trash....and the mediocre sound quality does not justify the price. But they are really working that 'Pro' word into their advertising...diminishing it with every new product release.
Apple won’t replace the batteries? I never thought about that with my Beats X... have i really purchased land fill?
edit: below info
sounded like fud and it is fud
” If your product is out of warranty or your battery wears down over time, you can get battery service through Apple or an authorized service provider. The fee includes replacement and recycling.”
Have you seen the tear downs? The batteries are not replaceable. You bring them into the Apple store and they swap them out for a new pair. Yes, they will nominally recycle the batteries, but the majority of the Air Pod will go into the landfill.
This is an issue with almost all BT headphones, so Apple is not alone in this regard, but it’s another reason I don’t like the move to make things wireless whether you really need wireless or not.
We don’t know whether they have special tools or not to service or if it’s recycled only.
After the hazardous materials are removed, the amount of mass for the remaining plastic is less than all sorts of kitchen trash. I don’t know whether they recycle the plastic or not. But considering that China is halting acceptance of US recycling, my city and state now only recycle numbers 1 and 2, meaning all sorts of plastic MUCH larger than pods are going to landfill.
Way overpriced considering they only last about 2 years or so before the batteries fail to recharge and become disposable trash....and the mediocre sound quality does not justify the price. But they are really working that 'Pro' word into their advertising...diminishing it with every new product release.
You have these and have tested the sound quality? Also in my experience if you do not have the correct fit and seal with IEM's the sound quality will suffer tremendously.
My significant other has had the originals since launch and the batteries still charge just fine. She said that she was getting around 4 hours on a charge. I picked up the wireless charging case for her birthday this past April and she noticed she was getting the full 5 hours of listening again with the new charger. Heavier users have reported the battery degrading more than that, but to say that batteries will fail to charge within 2 years and become disposable trash isn't typical.
Way overpriced considering they only last about 2 years or so before the batteries fail to recharge and become disposable trash....and the mediocre sound quality does not justify the price. But they are really working that 'Pro' word into their advertising...diminishing it with every new product release.
You have these and have tested the sound quality? Also in my experience if you do not have the correct fit and seal with IEM's the sound quality will suffer tremendously.
My significant other has had the originals since launch and the batteries still charge just fine. She said that she was getting around 4 hours on a charge. I picked up the wireless charging case for her birthday this past April and she noticed she was getting the full 5 hours of listening again with the new charger. Heavier users have reported the battery degrading more than that, but to say that batteries will fail to charge within 2 years and become disposable trash isn't typical.
Yes it varies on usage. My SO uses hers daily but not excessively and continues to use them without complaint. I used mine original pair excessively —wore them to sleep most nites, before I realized doing so drained them over the course of the nite even without audio being sent.
Way overpriced considering they only last about 2 years or so before the batteries fail to recharge and become disposable trash....and the mediocre sound quality does not justify the price. But they are really working that 'Pro' word into their advertising...diminishing it with every new product release.
1) Battery service during warranty is $0, if the $29 AppleCare+ is purchased, it’s $29/pair. Out of warranty service is $49/each.
2) Sound quality is subjective, with opinions ranging from unacceptable to excellent. For the price, I’d rank them in the upper 20-25%.
3) Apples “Pro” moniker and its overall “super premium” positioning is being extremely well executed. Users already understand Apple is a premium brand; there’s no reluctance to buying the iPhone 11, but for those who want extra features and want to buy top of the line, the option is there. Margins at the highest ASP are very healthy, and they effectively subsidize the lower end of the line, especially at the entry level price point.
There will no doubt be further expansion of this low-, mid- and high-end pricing strategy, aka good, better, best (or great, excellent, awesome if you prefer).
iPad is a good example; yes, there are three iPads in the 10-11” range; critics seem to think consumers won’t be able to decide which to buy. Hint: check the price tag. For $329, you can get a great iPad. This is the most popular model, btw. But if you can afford to throw an extra couple hundred bucks at an iPad, the $499 iPad Air is excellent, and demonstrably better. Then if you want the top-of-the-line, no compromise model—and have $799/999 to spare—the iPad Pro models are incredible. Everyone’s happy!
iPhone is similar, and about to become more so with the upcoming “SE2”. $399 for a great A13 iphone; if you’re on a budget this is the one to get, though the display is smaller than the more expensive models. But it’s still a premium-build iPhone—with same latest generation processor as the $1,100 Pro Max. At $699 you get the iPhone 11, with quite a large screen, and an excellent camera. If you want the best, there are two flagship models, $999/1,099 which differ only in display size (like iPad Pro).
In Apple Watch, you’ve got the series 3 (Fitbit killer) at $199, and the flagship at $399, with additional premium finishes. AirPods at $159/199/249. With respect to HomePod, I’m hoping a $599-799 larger, higher-end (“audiophile”) model with much better bass and other improvements, and hopefully a $149 to $199-ish entry level model.
Far from diminishing the Pro brand name, the expansion of the Pro nameplate will reinforce Apple’s positioning as the mainstream, high end, consumer electronics brand of choice. (Tim) Apple continues to knock it out of the park.
Comments
While I would like a cheaper battery service (who wouldn't) or user serviceable, the reality is there are compromises in all designs. These are small, light, and water resistant. That comes at the cost of being user serviceable. Such is life.
After the hazardous materials are removed, the amount of mass for the remaining plastic is less than all sorts of kitchen trash. I don’t know whether they recycle the plastic or not. But considering that China is halting acceptance of US recycling, my city and state now only recycle numbers 1 and 2, meaning all sorts of plastic MUCH larger than pods are going to landfill.
2) Sound quality is subjective, with opinions ranging from unacceptable to excellent. For the price, I’d rank them in the upper 20-25%.
iPhone is similar, and about to become more so with the upcoming “SE2”. $399 for a great A13 iphone; if you’re on a budget this is the one to get, though the display is smaller than the more expensive models. But it’s still a premium-build iPhone—with same latest generation processor as the $1,100 Pro Max. At $699 you get the iPhone 11, with quite a large screen, and an excellent camera. If you want the best, there are two flagship models, $999/1,099 which differ only in display size (like iPad Pro).
In Apple Watch, you’ve got the series 3 (Fitbit killer) at $199, and the flagship at $399, with additional premium finishes. AirPods at $159/199/249. With respect to HomePod, I’m hoping a $599-799 larger, higher-end (“audiophile”) model with much better bass and other improvements, and hopefully a $149 to $199-ish entry level model.