Don’t forget that iPhones and Macs typically still have some resale value even after a few years. AirPods will have practically zero resale after that time because their battery is practically crap. And it makes sense for iPhones to cost more because they are used more.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
AirPods 3 Reviews: Better Comfort, Snugger Fit, Improved Sound and Compelling Price Point
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Don’t forget that iPhones and Macs typically still have some resale value even after a few years. AirPods will have practically zero resale after that time because their battery is practically crap. And it makes sense for iPhones to cost more because they are used more.
Sure, but AirPods are such a cost effective long term investment that you don’t need to sell them, you get what you paid for.
Usage is subjective in the end. If they last less than two years then sure, they’re a waste of money. I use the AirPods for everything from listening to music, podcasts, audiobooks, YouTube to hands free phone calls and FaceTime calls.
Many get more hours listening time per day than screen on time on their iPhone. People need to stop looking at the initial price and look at the long term value they bring.
Damn. The difference in size is pretty big. These might end up hurting my ears after a couple of hours of use I reckon.
Darth Tulhu
macrumors 68020
I am well aware AirPods are (EXTREMELY) popular, but this is irrelevant to me. I don't buy products (or anything else really) based on that.
Comparing AirPods to an iPhone is also not equivalent; An iPhone does WAY more than AirPods, which is part of my point.
They're basically a single function device (pump audio to your ears), one that is dependent on other hardware as well.
At the end of the day, I can listen to music, answer phone calls, and even access Siri with cheap $30 wireless headphones. They pair easily enough to all my devices because Apple made standard Bluetooth connectivity a breeze in their software already.
So really, the missing functions that I'd maybe care for are noise cancellation & transparency mode, and I just don't think they're worth the at least $100 premium because I would not have these things in my head frequently enough to really use them.
For me I'd have to get the Pro ones too, because my ears just don't like the AirPod shape.
So again, perceived value. It's a personal thing, but AirPods don't do anything for me that I can't live without.
They're like Apple monitors. Cool, for sure, but not worth it to me and not required to get the Apple "experience".
I wasn't comparing them. I only brought it up because you said:
yet you own a $1000 (minimum) phone. But now that I re-read that I think I may have misunderstood what you were saying. I think you may have been saying you view $180 headphones like others view $1000 phones (but you yourself see the value in $1000 phones). Before I thought you meant you ALSO didn't see the value in $1000 phones.
Darth Tulhu
macrumors 68020
The flaw in that logic is that neither AirPods nor AppleTV are that unique for what they do at their core.
I NEED an iPhone, a Mac, an iPad, an Apple Watch, and even AirTags if I want to integrate those device categories to the Apple iCloud ecosystem fully.
I don't really need an AppleTV for that, it's for watching TV. A FireStick 4k and the AppleTV app will suffice. Hell, my smart TV alone will suffice.
Same with AirPods. I can access ALL the auditory content of ALL my Apple devices and ecosystem with ANY headphones. Although, I concede that the FindMy feature of these set them a bit apart from non-Apple ones and are easier to justify (but not enough for me to pay a $100-$200 premium).
Like I said in a different post, they occupy the same space in Apple's ecosystem as Apple's first-party monitors. Cool to have, but not really a part of the ecosystem.
Just got my AirPods 3 today and I must say they sound fantastic and fit great.