That's fine, but if you read the article, or pay attention to the AirPods, the big difference now is that there's truly non wires. It's a significant difference in the design and operation of AirPods compared to other traditional bluetooth headsets.
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AirPods and Apple Watch Called 'Underpriced' to Bring New Users Into Apple Ecosystem
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That's fine, but if you read the article, or pay attention to the AirPods, the big difference now is that there's truly non wires. It's a significant difference in the design and operation of AirPods compared to other traditional bluetooth headsets.
Yeah I get that ... which is why they shouldn't use such a sweeping generalisation such as "wireless headphones"....
But still - you've missed the entire point of the article. He's comparing AirPods to other completely wireless buds. Not to the hundreds of bluetooth connected by wire headsets that are out there.
Just because there's no better way to categorize them as 'wireless headphones' doesn't mean there isn't merit to the article.
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That's an interesting point as well - though I feel like a slightly different topic. With computing we seem to be heading towards miniaturization of components. I mean, look at some teardown of the Watch and the AirPods that are essentially full computers. Being able to do that AND produce at scale is quite impressive. There really isn't anyone else that is operating at that level.
That suggests a reason why they are underpriced, it doesn't necessarily mean that they aren't underpriced.
Also, if this clown doesn't have a clue about the economy of scale that Apple brings to market, why did he mention it in his article as one reason why these products might be underpriced?
You've got a point there to be honest. I wouldn't buy or use Airpods for this exact reason.
One thing the iPhone 7 has done for me is make me look at DAC options and now i'm using an Audioquest DragonFly Red with my Sennheiser IE80's and Apple have done me a favour really - the sound coming from my iPhone is now much better than when I just used the built in headphone jack.
Cheaper non wired BT ear pods from a quick Amazon search.
Rowkin Bit Charge $130
Wireless Earbud, QCY Q29 $65
Simenmax Bluetooth $22
Nothing is touching the AirPods. But I prefer the design just like the Rowkin Bit. If that had as good of battery life as the Airpods, I would buy it.
Wired BT earbuds I use
I personally used this one below, it's been working great, has great sound, good battery life, not delicate, and cheap as hell. Yea it has a wire between the two pods, but I only use it for audio, not talking. I personally don't see the big deal yet between wired and non wired BT earbuds.
TaoTronics Bluetooth Earbuds $30
Rowkin Bit Charge $130
Wireless Earbud, QCY Q29 $65
Simenmax Bluetooth $22
Nothing is touching the AirPods. But I prefer the design just like the Rowkin Bit. If that had as good of battery life as the Airpods, I would buy it.
Wired BT earbuds I use
I personally used this one below, it's been working great, has great sound, good battery life, not delicate, and cheap as hell. Yea it has a wire between the two pods, but I only use it for audio, not talking. I personally don't see the big deal yet between wired and non wired BT earbuds.
TaoTronics Bluetooth Earbuds $30
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This is ridiculous analysis. AW and AirPods both require expensive Apple products. It like saying BMW grabs M4 buyers by offering a free double clutch transmission (they don't, but if they did). People don't buy products to get access to the accessories or options.
I would say neither the AW nor the AirPods are low priced. In fact other than regular Sport AW, the AW is quite overpriced for what it is and that it's a piece of planned obsolescence tech that buy Apple's own standards won't be supported more than 5-7 years. And it's not a Garmin Forerunner or Fenix. Stupid comparison if you own one of these watches. (I own and use both a Forerunner 630 and a 1st gen AW).
Sonically, the AirPods are wireless EarPods. I have a pair and, yes, cool tech. But they are not worth more than $149 once you push out the earlier adopters. Just because other makers overprice theres more than Apple's doesn't make Apple's inexpensive, just inexpensive by comparison.
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There is a place for both but BT earbuds are quite freeing, especially for runs, walks, or doing other exercise. I don't see them being used in studios but that's not their purpose in life.
I would say neither the AW nor the AirPods are low priced. In fact other than regular Sport AW, the AW is quite overpriced for what it is and that it's a piece of planned obsolescence tech that buy Apple's own standards won't be supported more than 5-7 years. And it's not a Garmin Forerunner or Fenix. Stupid comparison if you own one of these watches. (I own and use both a Forerunner 630 and a 1st gen AW).
Sonically, the AirPods are wireless EarPods. I have a pair and, yes, cool tech. But they are not worth more than $149 once you push out the earlier adopters. Just because other makers overprice theres more than Apple's doesn't make Apple's inexpensive, just inexpensive by comparison.
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There is a place for both but BT earbuds are quite freeing, especially for runs, walks, or doing other exercise. I don't see them being used in studios but that's not their purpose in life.
I would expect that most of the people buying AirPods already own an Apple product. At the same time, it wouldn't surprise me if quite a few people buying AirPods (or receiving them as gifts) don't already own an Apple product.
AirPods address a need that some people have, to include some people not already in the Apple ecosystem. And it's one that isn't well addressed (for those people's particular needs or wants) by already existing products, at least not by popular products that those people would likely already own. So the buzz around AirPods, to the extent that there is some, and their fairly attractive pricing make them something that those not-already-Apple-using people might consider - or something that their Apple-using friends might consider for them as gifts.
Apple lists those products as system requirements because they are the Apple products which allow you to take full advantage of all of the functionality that the AirPods offer. Other Apple products will work with AirPods, as well non-Apple products. You just lose, e.g., the super easy pairing. AirPods would still be a nice answer to a need that some (non-Apple) people believe they have.
There are a couple of people that I'd consider giving AirPods to as gifts even if they didn't already use Apple products, as I think AirPods are something they'd use a lot - something that fits in well with what they care about and how they do things. But they already use Apple products, as do most of the people I know, so if (or when) I do give them AirPods they'll get the added benefits that using AirPods with other Apple products affords.
I finally got to take a bike ride the other day before the snowstorms with my Airpods. It's the most freeing way to ride ever, no more annoying cable to deal with.
To make your life miserable, obviously.
You do know there are more wireless headphones out there than just Apple, right? What differentiates them is sound quality, ergonomics and price. This article implies Apple has the latter. I'm saying it utterly lacks the former so WHO CARES what the price is? I'm not going to go buy a can of Bush beans for $100 a can just because they will deliver it to my front door for that price (convenient). It's still just a can of Bush beans worth maybe $1-3 at most. Having it appear on my front door step doesn't change the contents of that can anymore than putting wireless in an earpod changes that earpod's ability to fit in your ear or its sound quality. Convenience alone is meaningless unless it happens to fit your ear and all you listen to is podcasts and the news.
Hating one product does not mean I hate ALL Apple products (obviously I've had AppleTV and iPod Touch models in the past and still own multiple Macs), but lately Tim Cook does seem to be taking the company in that direction. But then on the other end of the spectrum we have the Apple FANATICS that buy ANYTHING Apple puts out because they're in LOVE with Apple. $12,000 Mac Pro. Gotta Have it! $400 more for a useless Touch Bar! Oh man! Oh man! I gots to have the latest Macbook Pro. My 2015 model doesn't have a Touch Bar!!! Oh man! Maybe I can cash in my children's college fund and upgrade! LOL. As if they had a college fund for their children....
How do you get rid of Apple fanatics that ruin these forums with their incessant lack of logic and need to defend every bonehead move Apple makes?
There's a fine line between sarcasm and outright lies.
Oh my god. That is like saying, "It's the people who keep complaining about the driveability and acceleration of this car that don't get it! It's all about the paint job dude! Just LOOK at that shade of red!!!! OMG! I'm in love dude! I simply MUST have that shade of red! $60,000 with a 60HP 3 cylinder engine, drum brakes, no leg room, no back seat and no trunk space! Those trolling jerks just don't GET IT! Those things don't matter at all to some of us! It's Italian ART! It's all about that BEAUTIFUL shade of red!!!!" (FACE PALM)
My mistake. AM Radio was killer! Who cares about the sound quality? It's amplitude modulation dude! Totally retro and awesome!
Yeah, it's totally convenient having those earpods fall out of your ears every 2 minutes.... (which unlike with a corded version means you're going to be looking for it on the ground and/or lose them all the time)
I still don't really get it. I use the wired ones for the same purpose and more, the wire sits behind my neck and is never in the way nor tangles. Feels like the wire is not even there. But to each there own. I just feel like non-wired is being used as a marketing ploy vs having any true overall advantage besides preference.
I do that on my 6S, just plug in my Chord Mojo and use that as the DAC/AMP. The Airpods are awesome for gym, but sound like £29 headphones....rubbish when you are used to using a setup like yours.
I felt like you until curiosity bit and I bought a pair of BT. I have an exceptionally great pair of wired buds (Shure 535s). I'll keep using them on planes but I'll never run wired again. It's not marketing.
I think the watch is the thing that tempts people into the ecosystem, air pods are more to keep people in it if were going to make that general argument. I really don't think either watch or headphone are intended to get people to switch though I think they're both generally to keep people.
Yea, that's sounds like how I felt about wireless charging. Didn't know how nice it was until I tried it. And I can't wait for it to be implemented on the iPhone. I might give the Airpods a try, probably in the summer time.
Take a look at the case, that gives the airpods another 20 hours of battery life...
What happens if your phone is 3" too far away for you to pickup without moving, duh!
Apple shipped more than 200 million iPhones last year. It's not about providing it for free but even getting out that much quantities of said product in the first place.