AirPods Delay Attributed to Apple Ensuring Both Earpieces Receive Audio at Same Time [Updated]

[robbyx]

Like Steve Jobs never had his share of missteps either.

I would argue it's all a matter of perspective. Where you see missteps by Tim Cook (implying some degree of gross incompetence), I feel it's simply growing pains by Apple. They want to grow the Apple ecosystem in a certain manner, can't show every product the same amount of love, and so some sacrifices invariably have to be made. You simply didn't like the compromises Apple has had to make so far, but that doesn't make Apple wrong for having made them.

I am not saying Tim Cook is perfect, but I do like his track record. I doubt there are many other people who can match his accomplishments, much less top them.

The problem I have is that the Apple ecosystem really isn't special anymore. I tend to agree with your overall assessment, but I also see them losing their lead. This is somewhat inevitable. No one stays the leader forever. But the past few years have been very disappointing, especially on the Mac front.

They are neglecting what made them special in the first place, the Mac, choosing instead to put most of their focus on becoming a consumer electronics giant. Unfortunately their offerings in that space aren't significantly better than the competition. The iPhone remains the best smartphone but each year sees the competition gain. When it comes to services, Apple offers nothing unique or special. iCloud features are largely available via a variety of other services. There are numerous music and video services out there. Etc.

I don't think we've reached the post-PC era. I don't think iOS tablets are going to replace laptops. If anything, Microsoft has the right idea with the Surface Book. Jobs said it himself. The computer is a truck and we'll always need trucks. But Cook's Apple doesn't seem to recognize that, focusing way too much attention on trying to make wearables happen instead of delivering amazing Mac hardware at a competitive price point.

I cringe at how lame the Mac has become compared to the Surface Studio. I was completely blown away by that machine. Touch works perfectly well on the desktop. Phil is completely full of ****. But it's not just about touch on the desktop with the Surface Studio. Microsoft re-imaged the desktop computer and created a variety of interchangeable ways of interacting with it. The user can touch the screen or use a mouse. He or she can grab the pen and write on the screen as needed or place the dial on the screen and interact that way. It's not either/or. I can hold the pen in one hand and rotate the dial with the other. It feels extremely fluid and natural and, frankly, exciting.

Cook has done a great job of riding the wave Jobs built. But that wave is cresting. Other smartphones are reaching iPhone level of polish. The Apple Watch continues to limp along but has failed to become a "must have" device. The Mac is being neglected. And Microsoft of all companies has just released a line of computer hardware that completely bests Apple in terms of design and creativity. I also have no doubt that Microsoft is working on another phone concept and if the Surface line is any indication, I think their next stab at mobile will be truly competitive.

 

[kdarling]

Apple has world class radio engineers-- you don't really think they were naive enough to just rely on open loop crystal stability, do you?

Nope, which is why I said that it would be hard to think of a manufacturing problem that would cause a synchronization issue. Others mght've been talking about something else.

I'd be stunned though if this turned out to be a fundamental oversight rather than a bug in an otherwise sound design.

Nowadays it seems that every problem... with other companies too... shows up after development testing is over, and products hit real life usage.

It's possible that develoment and testing was mostly done in ideal conditions with no interference that might delay packets, for example. Whatever, with luck, it'll be something easy to fix and all will be well soon.

To me, the bigger problem is that they just look silly

 

[Mr Staunton]

LOL

 

[Mac 128]

Apple proclaims their vision for a wireless future a year too early. They really should've waited for Bluetooth v5. AirPods is going to be like any other first-generation Apple production, rife with annoying glitches at best, completely neutered at worst.

Apple sits on the board of the BT SIG and helped draft the specs for 5.0. Most likely the W1 is BT 5.0 at least in part, along with some things Apple proposed, but wasn't adopted.

And they are delayed a bit. So what? In the end, it's no big deal. Now if they never ship or never work correctly, then yes, it's a much bigger issue. But a small delay? Who cares? They will ship soon enough, people will love them, and all of the histrionics on display by certain people will seem downright absurd in hindsight.

For someone who upgrades their iPhone every year, they have already likely had to make due with something less than optimal for replacing the headphone jack, for over 3 months, likely 4, with no actual end in sight. So anyone who bought the iPhone 7, they will likely end up using it for a third to half of its useful life to them with a makeshift solution, rather than the one Apple intended, and the one they expected when they bought the phone.

That's hardly a small delay, that's half the user experience for the life of the product.

 

[wigby]

So... please forgive me if I'm wrong, but it seems that you're saying you just made up some stuff, and for added gravitas attributed it to Apple. The data can't be that secret if you know about it and as you said, you're quoting Apple. You answered me and @kdarling with some vague questions as if we're supposed to supply our own answers to queries about your claims. I'm gonna let it go though. I only see this devolving.

I didnt realize that data has no benefit just because people know you have that data...huh? I'm trying to keep things simple for you but you outsimplified me to the point of nonsense. Congrats.

 

[69Mustang]

I didnt realize that data has no benefit just because people know you have that data...huh? I'm trying to keep things simple for you but you outsimplified me to the point of nonsense. Congrats.

You're not trying to keep things simple, you're trying to obfuscate. You clearly stated:
"I'm only quoting Apple's own reasoning. They study every single user they can and know the exact breakdown of people that use and even want wireless vs. wired... They crunched the numbers and realized they could lose all of those wired headphone users and not dent their profits"

Those are your words which you attribute to Apple. When kdarling and I asked for source material, you claimed "Apple secret data". 1. You don't know Apple's reasoning and you don't have any data. You're misrepresenting your opinion as fact and supporting it by insinuating it's Apple's reasoning.
2. You don't have any supporting evidence so you try misdirection by throwing up "data has no benefit". I'm not questioning whether data is beneficial. I'm questioning the veracity of your statement. You made up something, can't walk it back, and now you're stuck with it. It's okay. It's the internet. People do it all the time.
3. It was just your opinion, not Apple's reasoning. Nothing wrong with having an opinion. We all have them. They just come across a lot better when you don't try to make them to be something they're not.

 

[robbyx]

For someone who upgrades their iPhone every year, they have already likely had to make due with something less than optimal for replacing the headphone jack, for over 3 months, likely 4, with no actual end in sight. So anyone who bought the iPhone 7, they will likely end up using it for a third to half of its useful life to them with a makeshift solution, rather than the one Apple intended, and the one they expected when they bought the phone.

That's hardly a small delay, that's half the user experience for the life of the product.

First. World. Problems.

Most iPhone7 owners are probably using the white Lightning headphones that came with the phone...just like most previous generation iPhone owners used the white headphone jack headphones. Nothing about AirPods being delayed diminishes the iPhone 7. It's absurd to suggest otherwise. The accompanying Lightning headphones work just fine. The adapter allows you to plug in standard headphones. AirPods were ALWAYS an accessory, not a necessity. There are PLENTY of other wireless headphones out there too. Give me a break.

 

[Mac 128]

First. World. Problems.

Most iPhone7 owners are probably using the white Lightning headphones that came with the phone...just like most previous generation iPhone owners used the white headphone jack headphones. Nothing about AirPods being delayed diminishes the iPhone 7. It's absurd to suggest otherwise. The accompanying Lightning headphones work just fine. The adapter allows you to plug in standard headphones. AirPods were ALWAYS an accessory, not a necessity. There are PLENTY of other wireless headphones out there too. Give me a break.

Don't confuse opinion with fact, unless you have data to support your opinion?

 

[hdela]

None of the reviews ever mentioned this problem. Wonder why they think it is now?

Goog point. It's probably something else.
Anyway we now see that also Apple is having trouble keeping up the technological pace. It's not as desastrous as what Samsunbg had with the Note 7, but apparently Apple is not immune for glitches either.

 

[honglong1976]

Maybe they should have ensured these were ready before removing the 3.5mm jack?

And missing the xmas holiday season!

Doh!

 

[lysingur]

Apple sits on the board of the BT SIG and helped draft the specs for 5.0. Most likely the W1 is BT 5.0 at least in part, along with some things Apple proposed, but wasn't adopted.

AirPods still use BT4.2 (https://9to5mac.com/2016/09/12/apple-w1-chip-how-it-works/) and since they're backward-compatible up till iPhone 5, there is little reason to believe that W1 uses BTv5, not even "in part".

"What Apple does say – at least about the Beats Solo 3 – is that they use Class 1 Bluetooth in place of the standard Class 2 for most headphones to date, including the Solo 2. Class 1 has a lot more power, allowing much greater range. While Class 2 has a typical range of 10 metres/30 feet, Class 1 typically offers 100 metres/300 feet."

 

[blagovest]

1.Invent truly wireless earbuds that work great
2.Introduce to market
3.Enjoy high adoption rate and customer satisfaction
4.Remove headphone jack (or better don't)

Simple!

 

[DYER]

I was going to buy AirPods but they weren't actually the solution I wanted.

I use noise cancelling headphones and was making do with my Bose QC20i ones and waiting for Bose to make some bluetooth in-ears. Low and behold they released the QC30 headphones, bluetooth and noise cancelling.

This being said, by delaying so much, I won't ever bother to get some AirPods as for me they've gone from something interesting to try, to something that wasn't available when I needed it.

I wonder how many other potential buyers have been put off by the delay.

 

[honglong1976]

Maybe they should have ensured these were ready before removing the 3.5mm jack?

And missing the xmas holiday season!

Doh!

Bluetooth headphones have been out for years and now all of a sudden wireless headphones are a big deal? Try any from Sony. Really high quality and work flawlessly!

 

[malexandria]

8 hours with the charging case

Should be enough for most throughout a day

No, it's 5 hrs and you have to carry the charging case and keep them in there to get any real all day use out of them. So saying 8 hrs WITH the charging case is saying nothing. You might as well say a WEEK with the charging case.
[doublepost=1481544323][/doublepost]

I usually make it a point not to respond to original posts like yours, with open ended general pleas for explanations, and I'm reposting the entire thread of responses from you as a reason why -- it escalated quickly to reveal you apparently were just looking for a reason to climb on your soapbox and make your point in a dismissive and demeaning way to others. And it's all here in black and white.

That said, let me point out why you're wrong -- BT is not popular with many people for several major reasons:

1) it's difficult to use, mostly revolving around pairing issues
2) it suffers from reliability issues like dropouts and lag
3) they tend to be bulky, with cables linking earbuds, etc.
4) battery life tends to be limited, and unpredictable, especially on more portable models
5) they tend to be expensive
6) there tends to be a lot of low quality offerings in the low-end of the price spectrum that have turned people off
7) they offer lower quality audio than wired alternatives

In removing the headphone jack, Apple needed to offer an alternative to ameliorate the removal of the headphone jack, about which Apple was on the defensive from the moment they took the stage, and offered little legitimate support for doing. Yes Apple offered an adapter to continue using the old 3.5mm headphones -- while that mitigates the decision somewhat, it was more akin to pouring salt into the wound. Then they bundle Lightning EarPods with it, which could have been a huge positive, but the fact they can't be used with anything else -- in particular a Mac -- makes them less than an optimal replacement for the headphone jack.

So Apple made their agenda clear -- wireless is the future. Not only that, but they tell us they understand that BT is a "bag of hurt" to use a phrase Steve Jobs once applied to another popular problematic technology for Apple. In response they give us AirPods which solves 6 out of the 7 issues most people have with BT:

1) Ridiculously simplified pairing between Apple devices
2) No more dropouts or lag
3) ultra slim and compact design
4) Apple offers the longest battery life available for such a tiny device, with quick charge boosts offering 3 hours for every 15 minutes, up to 24 more hours. It also offers single pod use thus extending mono listening up to 53 more hours, without interruption.
5) For the technology offered they are somewhat reasonably priced.
6) Apple is a trusted name in quality, and has produced a product specifically designed to work with the iPhone 7

So regardless of your obvious bias here, Apple had to release this product with the removal of the headphone jack to demonstrate that wireless was indeed the future, since the existing BT market is generally not good enough to satisfy the many potential customers who have tried BT and had a bad experience and rejected it, or are confused by the offerings and limitations, or frustrated by the limitations of power, reliability, and complications of pairing. Not to mention their paucity of support for Lightning options. The AirPods are a huge step forward. The Beats offerings are likewise important -- though the only two currently available come with the added inconvenience of using micro-USB connections rather than Lightning, not to mention added bulk and expense over standard earbuds. And since Apple couldn't really address the audio quality issues and cost at this juncture, they offered an alternative via the inexpensive adapter, or Lightning (albeit limited).

Since I completely disagree with your position and the manner in which you presented it, I won't respond further to you, as this is clear and definitive refutation of your simplistic viewpoint.



You realize that 15 min. of charging gets you an additional 3 hours of use? If you are listening to your EarPods for more than 5 hours straight without interruption, and can't even take a 15 min. break, then suffice it to say, Apple is not considering you a primary target for the AirPods. Even the most diehard music lover can take 15 min to go to the bathroom without listening to music every 3 hours. The Airpods also allow mono use, which means that you could charge one Airpod at a time for 15 min. each and keep listening to your audio program in mono. heck, Apple might even sell replacement buds individually, and a savvy AirPod user could have 3 buds they rotate every 3 hours so a pair is fully charged at all times.

First, for their size, no other earbuds I've seen introduced so far comes close to offering that kind of battery life. If the AirPod's really don't fit your lifestyle, there are several other options like the PowerBeats 3, and Beats Studio 3, the latter of which gives you 40 hours on one charge.



Doubtful. All rumors point to Apple moving towards wireless charging, removing all ports from the iPhone. USB-C doesn't offer anything for the iPhone that Lightning can't already do better or as efficiently. Lightning will persist until Apple goes port-less, thus sparing their customers another massive transition form one technology to another, which based on rumor is likely only going to persist for another year or two. They also spare them the pain of trying to find a USB-C out in the wild. Maybe in two years USB-C will be a more widespread, but by that time Apple will likely have no need for it on a the iPhone.

Yes I realize that, but I don't want or should HAVE to recharge after 5 hrs (and that's assuming that timing is accurate). By your logic I can get 2 weeks or months of time. Just by, you know RECHARGING. That goes for any rechargable device.

The other comment in this post is spot on because I'm one of those people who HATES bluetooth headphones because they are unreliable, usually have poor speaker/microphone quality, disconnect when I put my phone in my purse or bag and just sucks. So I was excited that Apple addressed the issue with the W1 chip.

 

[honglong1976]

The other comment in this post is spot on because I'm one of those people who HATES bluetooth headphones because they are unreliable, usually have poor speaker/microphone quality, disconnect when I put my phone in my purse or bag and just sucks. So I was excited that Apple addressed the issue with the W1 chip.

I have tried bluetooth headphones from Sony, Philips and Etyotic. Sound quality has been superb, they have never broke up even with my phone in another area, superb mics, etc. One Sony pair I had (over head) had a 40 hour battery life.

Very early Bluetooth headphones were rubbish but since about 2007 they have been great! Pair dead easy as well.

 

[The Game 161]

No, it's 5 hrs and you have to carry the charging case and keep them in there to get any real all day use out of them. So saying 8 hrs WITH the charging case is saying nothing. You might as well say a WEEK with the charging case.
[doublepost=1481544323][/doublepost]

Yes I realize that, but I don't want or should HAVE to recharge after 5 hrs (and that's assuming that timing is accurate). By your logic I can get 2 weeks or months of time. Just by, you know RECHARGING. That goes for any rechargable device.

The other comment in this post is spot on because I'm one of those people who HATES bluetooth headphones because they are unreliable, usually have poor speaker/microphone quality, disconnect when I put my phone in my purse or bag and just sucks. So I was excited that Apple addressed the issue with the W1 chip.

But you will be carrying the case around with you to put them in.

I'm curious how long do you need to be using your music for?

 

[producer26]

The only thing i could imagine in a positive way is if they were waiting for the new bluetooth standard which is more efficient.Oh wait, they already announced their product in favor of removing the headphone jack.I like the way mr Cooksucker drives down the hill, the only company that people felt being part of it.

 

[NT1440]

No, it's 5 hrs and you have to carry the charging case and keep them in there to get any real all day use out of them. So saying 8 hrs WITH the charging case is saying nothing. You might as well say a WEEK with the charging case.
[doublepost=1481544323][/doublepost]

I'm not sure where this 8 number is coming from, Apple's site clearly states 24 hours worth of charge with the case.

 

[bjjp2]

A juvenile and snarky put-down rather than taking a bit of time putting some thought into and responding to the poster's comment with intelligent discourse. Speaks to what the poster was talking about.

Supposed to take seriously a comment that began with a conspiracy theory about everyone here being paid to criticize Apple? I treated it with the seriousness it deserved.

 

[iShater]

Since when has Apple NOT found a design issue after announcing product? Makes sense to him my foot. I think he is forgetting that Apple has recently had quite a few issues that surfaced after product are released.

 

[robbyx]

Don't confuse opinion with fact, unless you have data to support your opinion?

Let's look at the FACTS:

Every iPhone has shipped with headphones. No different with the 7. The headphones that come with the 7 just happen to be Lightning instead of the legacy headphone jack.

The iPhone 7 ships with a Lightning to legacy adapter.

AirPods are an OPTIONAL accessory, much like every other Bluetooth headphone. The iPhone 7 does not require them.

You're the one that needs to get your facts versus opinion figured out. Your OPINION that AirPods being delayed somehow devalues the iPhone is laughable.

 

[Mac 128]

AirPods still use BT4.2 (https://9to5mac.com/2016/09/12/apple-w1-chip-how-it-works/) and since they're backward-compatible up till iPhone 5, there is little reason to believe that W1 uses BTv5, not even "in part".

"What Apple does say – at least about the Beats Solo 3 – is that they use Class 1 Bluetooth in place of the standard Class 2 for most headphones to date, including the Solo 2. Class 1 has a lot more power, allowing much greater range. While Class 2 has a typical range of 10 metres/30 feet, Class 1 typically offers 100 metres/300 feet."

So you think BT 5 won't be backward compatible with any previous BT? I don't share your opinion.

No, it's 5 hrs and you have to carry the charging case and keep them in there to get any real all day use out of them. So saying 8 hrs WITH the charging case is saying nothing. You might as well say a WEEK with the charging case.
[doublepost=1481544323][/doublepost]

Yes I realize that, but I don't want or should HAVE to recharge after 5 hrs (and that's assuming that timing is accurate). By your logic I can get 2 weeks or months of time. Just by, you know RECHARGING. That goes for any rechargable device.

The other comment in this post is spot on because I'm one of those people who HATES bluetooth headphones because they are unreliable, usually have poor speaker/microphone quality, disconnect when I put my phone in my purse or bag and just sucks. So I was excited that Apple addressed the issue with the W1 chip.

You're issue seems to be with charging. I would charge my EarPods every 2 hours for 15 min if it meant I didn't have to deal with wires. Your mileage may vary. It's not a problem for me.

Let's look at the FACTS:

Every iPhone has shipped with headphones. No different with the 7. The headphones that come with the 7 just happen to be Lightning instead of the legacy headphone jack.

The iPhone 7 ships with a Lightning to legacy adapter.

AirPods are an OPTIONAL accessory, much like every other Bluetooth headphone. The iPhone 7 does not require them.

You're the one that needs to get your facts versus opinion figured out. Your OPINION that AirPods being delayed somehow devalues the iPhone is laughable.

Lightning EarPods can't be used on anything but newer iOS devices, including Macs.

If I don't have an old pair of headphones, I have to buy a pair, AND use an adapter, in order to conveniently use them on anything other than new iOS devices, including Macs, without carrying around two pairs of headphones -- one for my iPhone 7, and one for my Mac, to say nothing of everything else.

Your use of the word Optional is an opinion of yours -- for those who want a pair of native headphones that work as Relatively easily, seamlessly, and reliably as their old wired headphones, with more than just the iPhone 7, without keeping up with additional adapters, or multiple headphones for different purposes -- not to mention the ability to charge and listen at the same time, etc.; the AirPods, or other W1 chipped headphones are an essential purchase. Everything else is a band-aid.

So again, I completely disagree with your opinions, and now I disagree with your rude demeanor. I will of course continue to prove your opinions baseless as I have throughout this thread, but I won't be engaging with you further.

 

[milo]

I look forward to apple's addition of a headphone jack in future models to solve this problem.

 

[theluggage]

You are free to not buy it if you don't like it.

...and if you decide not to buy it, you're free to discuss why you chose not to buy it. There's a lot of "it works for me, so if it doesn't work for you there's something wrong with you" logic going on here.