AirPods 2 vs. AirPods 1 Buyer's Guide

[GetSwole37]

You're looking at the case separately but not the airpods. So none of this really applies. If you knew the exact cost of the airpods minus the case you could come up with more accurate numbers. It's not as simple as starting at the $159 price and subtracting the $69 case. It may be that on the airpods with the wired charging case that the cost of the case in that bundle is almost nothing. You essentially get it at a discount because you're purchasing the airpods with. Which is different than purchasing cases separately. This applies to just about anything really.
If I were to buy a car it would be one price. But if I were to buy all the same exact parts that make up that car I would end up spending significantly more.

Reread my post.
Explain to me how Apple can sell you the new AirPods w the old tech case for the same price it was two years ago.

I'm sorry, but qi wireless charging is nothing but a gimmick to get people to spend money on something that is wholely unnecessary and significantly less efficient as wired charging.

If you feel that you must spend the extra $40 for wireless charging, that's on you, not Apple.

I agree with you 100% It’s a total gimmick and it’s sad that all these people get suckered by Apple and paying that premium for something that is cheaper everywhere else

 

[C DM]

Not at 25%!!!

It was an analogy to demonstrate the point. Exact details certainly won't line up. But the model prices can very well go up by a few thousand dollars even, so even through it might not be a 25% in terms of actual money it's way more of an increase compared to a few dozen dollars.
[doublepost=1553202880][/doublepost]

Reread my post.
Explain to me how Apple can sell you the new AirPods w the old tech case for the same price it was two years ago.

Same way a car company can still sell last year's model for the same price it sold it for last year all while they already have this year's model that is being sold too and essentially supersedes the older model.

 

[archer75]

Reread my post.
Explain to me how Apple can sell you the new AirPods w the old tech case for the same price it was two years ago.

Still irrelevant. That should make you happy. Newer tech, no price change. It's very common for companies to release a new model at the same price point.

 

[twistedpixel8]

I want the ability to re-name siri.

So my phone can be siri or whatever, my partner's can be some other name, my homepod can be eric, etc.

Now, I know this is incredibly immature for an adult in his thirties, but your post reminded me of the fun I had renaming my connected appliances in Google’s Home app. For weeks I cried with laughter at Google Home announcing that it had, “set my vagina to 68 degrees” to heat the house.

The fiancé didn’t find it as funny, specially when I made it say that when we had guests.

 

[archer75]

I'm sorry, but qi wireless charging is nothing but a gimmick to get people to spend money on something that is wholely unnecessary and significantly less efficient as wired charging.

If you feel that you must spend the extra $40 for wireless charging, that's on you, not Apple.

It is no way a gimmick. It's actually rather convenient depending on the circumstances. No, it is not "significantly" less efficient. Maybe early wireless charging tech. Not anymore.

 

[ericg301]

does anyone know of a software tool, like Coconut Battery, that will let me see the specs on my first gen AirPod battery? they've obviously taken a hit but i'd like to see the actual numbers before upgrading.

 

[31 Flavas]

Most people are saying these are down to about an hour of battery life in just a year.

So obviously the solution. Buy another pair...
Hmmm..

Or take them to apple and have the airpods replaced - that's what I did. It was simple. Make an appointment.

 

[Defthand]

Yep for sure. That tiny lipo battery must be 15mAh capacity at best! It is completely awesome tech. If anyone complains that 2 years down the road they are getting 60% of maximum capacity, they should just be grateful these things exist and thank Apple for pushing so hard to do it! This product really pushes the boundaries of what is presently producible I’d say. They are basically hand made perogies - taped and glued by girls with small hands.

Regardless of the technological intricacies, they are a poor value. Some owners are reporting unreliable connectivity after only 18 months, likely due to battery degradation. $150 for 18 months of use. That's almost $10 per month perpetually for wireless audio. I opined that if Apple can't design a replaceable battery, they should at least allow owners to trade in their used earbuds for a significant discount on a replacement pair.

 

[BuddyTronic]

"Just buy them and worry about what changed (or didn't) later on while I'm counting your $200"

-Tim

Regardless of the technological intricacies, they are a poor value. Some owners are reporting unreliable connectivity after only 18 months, likely due to battery degradation. $150 for 18 months of use. That's almost $10 per month perpetually for wireless audio. I opined that if Apple can't design a replaceable battery, they should at least allow owners to trade in their used earbuds for a significant discount on a replacement pair.

blah

 

[noraa]

Reread my post.
Explain to me how Apple can sell you the new AirPods w the old tech case for the same price it was two years ago.



I agree with you 100% It’s a total gimmick and it’s sad that all these people get suckered by Apple and paying that premium for something that is cheaper everywhere else

Oy. I guess I have to give you credit for warping my words into something they weren't.
[doublepost=1553232582][/doublepost]

It is no way a gimmick. It's actually rather convenient depending on the circumstances. No, it is not "significantly" less efficient. Maybe early wireless charging tech. Not anymore.

Qi charging takes about 15% longer than a comparable wired charger, and that's only if the coils are lined up perfectly, which is rare even when magnets are used. In addition, any form of induction charging produces excess heat that normal wired charging would not produce. Finally, the Qi coils take up additional space that could be used for a larger battery.

While wireless charging certainly has potential, induction charging barely qualifies as wireless.

 

[JCCL]

There are new features for this product... and it's the same price. You only pay extra if you want the wireless charging case... Did you even read the article?

And tha't's exactly the point. Instead of including the wireless case as an update and include it for the base price. They won't do it. If you want the best experience airpods has to offer, it is now 200, not 150

 

[ipponrg]

Regardless of the technological intricacies, they are a poor value. Some owners are reporting unreliable connectivity after only 18 months, likely due to battery degradation. $150 for 18 months of use. That's almost $10 per month perpetually for wireless audio. I opined that if Apple can't design a replaceable battery, they should at least allow owners to trade in their used earbuds for a significant discount on a replacement pair.

Kind of funny. You know that would never happen. Apple would lose money here. It pays to be a first gen adopter.

 

[Defthand]

Kind of funny. You know that would never happen. Apple would lose money here. It pays to be a first gen adopter.

Granted, Apple would resist the idea. However, it is no different than their phone upgrade program. Furthermore, they can recycle or refurbish the spent buds.

Something will have to change. I doubt customers will accept an 18 month replacement cycle considering how fast time flies for some.

 

[archer75]

Qi charging takes about 15% longer than a comparable wired charger, and that's only if the coils are lined up perfectly, which is rare even when magnets are used. In addition, any form of induction charging produces excess heat that normal wired charging would not produce. Finally, the Qi coils take up additional space that could be used for a larger battery.

While wireless charging certainly has potential, induction charging barely qualifies as wireless.

I have a fast wireless charger, I'm not seeing "15% longer". Irrelevant if you're charging over night. Hell at work I'm charging wired from my desktop computer, now that's slow!
I'm not seeing an increase in heat. Not that I much care if there were. If there is it's minor.
And the amount of space the coils take up is minor at most. Not enough to make much, if any difference, in potential battery size.
I'm ok with any trade off for convenience, in this case.

 

[T-Bob]

I have a fast wireless charger, I'm not seeing "15% longer". Irrelevant if you're charging over night. Hell at work I'm charging wired from my desktop computer, now that's slow!
I'm not seeing an increase in heat. Not that I much care if there were. If there is it's minor.
And the amount of space the coils take up is minor at most. Not enough to make much, if any difference, in potential battery size.
I'm ok with any trade off for convenience, in this case.

Iphone is max 7.5w wireless. You can charge up to about 18w wired, which is well over 15%. See more here:

https://www.macrumors.com/guide/iphone-x-fast-charging-speeds-compared/

 

[archer75]

Yes, you can. With an aftermarket charger. But the one in the box that almost everyone uses is, what, 5w? So a wireless charger can be faster if one was interested in an aftermarket replacement.
But if you're charging overnight like most people it really doesn't matter. There's no need for fast charging.

I do have a 40w USB-C fast charger but I keep that in my trailer. I really have no need to use it in my day to day life.

Wireless charging is quite convenient in phone mounts in the vehicle. And many new vehicles are coming with wireless charging built in. I also have wireless carplay so being able to wireless charge on long road trips is convenient. Having airpower would be nice as instead of having to plug in and charge 3 things I can just lay them out on the mat. However there's only so much I'm willing to spend on that. I know, first world problems.

 

[staggerlee41]

I'll continue to use my G1 AirPods until I see more than an incremental release. If I had to replace these at this point, I'd opt for the standard case. The battery life definitely seems to have degraded a little but it's nothing I can't deal with. For calls, I use only one of them anyway. For listening to music while doing yard work, airplane, gym, my preference is to use a different pair of headphones with better sound quality and better noise isolation & cancellation anyway. $40USD more or a $79 wireless case do not excite me yet. Don't get me wrong, wireless charging is nice but I can live without it.

Better controls/interaction with Apple devices aside, I'd really like them to improve the noise cancellation and sound quality, better battery life or battery longevity (if possible) and make them waterproof By comparison to the standard issue AirPods, the sound quality is better but the noise cancellation is non existent.

 

[I7guy]

Iphone is max 7.5w wireless. You can charge up to about 18w wired, which is well over 15%. See more here:

https://www.macrumors.com/guide/iphone-x-fast-charging-speeds-compared/

I wonder if there is a secret in iOS 12.2 with wireless charging and the AirPower maybe with the max or Xs. Apple has been known to spring surprises in the past.

 

[Coluch]

Why wouldn’t the just call the new chip W2? Why rename it?

W2 and W3 are already in the Apple Watch 3 & 4. The W1 was a stopgap for AirPods, which now have their own System on a Chip optimized specifically for Headphones. H(eadphone)-1, or H1 SoC.

 

[kyykesko]

I ordered a set of (non wireless) to replace my wore out gen 1. The hey siri feature is HUGE upgrade for serious runners!

Yea, the extra adrenaline will really boost your performance when you're going crazy trying to make Siri understand anything or do anything useful.

 

[ErikGrim]

Why wouldn’t the just call the new chip W2? Why rename it?

Head SoC 1*. The first in a generation that will end up in Apple's glasses. W1 and W2 are wireless connectivity focused chips. There's already a W2 in the watch. The H1 SoC has far more functionality than just wireless, hence the new name.
[doublepost=1553488107][/doublepost]

Why did they use W1 the first time around then?

Because it was the first Wireless SoC and the main focus was wireless communication and pairing. That tech continued into W2/W3 for the watch, while more advanced SoCs were needed and developed for future head wearables.

The H1 SoC basically brings the power of an iPhone 4 for each of your ears.

*Not Headphone 1. That's a red herring.

 

[jagooch]

I'm on the fence on getting these to replace an airpod ( single ) that I lost 2 days ago. I can either spend $160 for these or $70 for a single replacement airpod from Apple. Thoughts ?



What happened
2 days ago, I dropped my case while hauling Soccer gear from my car in the rain. One of my airpods apparently popped out of the case when it hit the ground, but the magnetic case closed immediately so I didn't know to look for an ejected airpod. I put the case back in my pocket and carried on. The next morning I opened the case and noticed the right airpod was missing. I figure out what happened, went back to the Soccer field, and searched the parking lot. I found the airpod! It was stuck in a crack in cement with the case cracked where it goes into the ear. It was was pretty dirty as well, so several people had probably stepped on it with muddy Soccer shoes. I don't think that I can save it , though it does charge up.

 

[GetSwole37]

I'm on the fence on getting these to replace an airpod ( single ) that I lost 2 days ago. I can either spend $160 for these or $70 for a single replacement airpod from Apple. Thoughts ?



What happened
2 days ago, I dropped my case while hauling Soccer gear from my car in the rain. One of my airpods apparently popped out of the case when it hit the ground, but the magnetic case closed immediately so I didn't know to look for an ejected airpod. I put the case back in my pocket and carried on. The next morning I opened the case and noticed the right airpod was missing. I figure out what happened, went back to the Soccer field, and searched the parking lot. I found the airpod! It was stuck in a crack in cement with the case cracked where it goes into the ear. It was was pretty dirty as well, so several people had probably stepped on it with muddy Soccer shoes. I don't think that I can save it , though it does charge up.

I would just worry about time left on the older AirPod vs the replacement. Let’s say the old one gives you 1/2 the time the new one does. It would be annoying to be somewhere listening to music and then always end up only with 1.

There are times I want to go somewhere and I fear dropping one accidentally. That’s when I would just use the one AirPod instead of two.

Also, there are some AirPod things that go over them for better fit in ear. I would consider buying some of those to see if it covers the broken pieces?

 

[jagooch]

I would just worry about time left on the older AirPod vs the replacement. Let’s say the old one gives you 1/2 the time the new one does. It would be annoying to be somewhere listening to music and then always end up only with 1.

I decided to purchase the Airpods 2 and keep my remaining airpod and case as spare parts.

There are times I want to go somewhere and I fear dropping one accidentally. That’s when I would just use the one AirPod instead of two.

Also, there are some AirPod things that go over them for better fit in ear. I would consider buying some of those to see if it covers the broken pieces?

I haven't had a problem with Airpods falling out of my ear, unless it's raining or really cold out and I have my jacket hood up. The hood has a good chance of brushing against the airpods when I put it up or down.

Also whenever I move my head while the jacket hood is up, the airpods can catch on the hood and fall out, usually it will fall into the interior of the jacket or the shirt I'm wearing underneath it. That can be a pain to find as 1) I'm wearing a jacket for a reason, I can get soaked by rain or frozen by cold weather if I take it off to search for the fallen airpod. 2) It's socially awkward to search through my jacket or shirt for the airpod while people I don't know are watching. Say at a train station on the way to work.

I tried the silicone ear attachments that promise to help keep the earpods in. They fell out more often then just the airpods themselves.

For Apple's part, they could improve the case so that it doesn't close automatically, or some other way of making it obvious that an airpod has popped out of the case. That's a very edge case and unlikely that they'll accommodate it.

They could also redesign the airpod's shape to not protrude from the ear the way it currently does, reducing the odds that it will snag on something.

For my part, just don't try to carry too much and don't be in such a hurry to get to my Soccer match. And open the case if it falls as an airpod may have ejected when it hit the ground. That too.