Certainly- I have a Lightning mic plugged into my phone- and that doesn't have a line-out, but through the app I can use my headphone port as a line out, so I'm good. If I keep the same mic on the 7, I'm on Bluetooth, which is less than adequate for my purposes. I either need a hub, as was mentioned in a previous reply, or...something. And the dongle for the headphone use with the mic will make mic operation a bit awkward, but I'll live (I started using way back when ancient audio gear weighed 75kg).
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AirPods Impressions: Potential 'Game-Changer' With Good Design, but Will They Stay in the Ear?
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Certainly- I have a Lightning mic plugged into my phone- and that doesn't have a line-out, but through the app I can use my headphone port as a line out, so I'm good. If I keep the same mic on the 7, I'm on Bluetooth, which is less than adequate for my purposes. I either need a hub, as was mentioned in a previous reply, or...something. And the dongle for the headphone use with the mic will make mic operation a bit awkward, but I'll live (I started using way back when ancient audio gear weighed 75kg).
I think they look great and I loved the demonstration.
5 hours seem plenty of time. What was the last time you used headphones for so long? Mine hurts after 2 hours.
When you put them back to the box, it'll start charging again. 24hours is not enough? Geez.
I just wish they were a little cheaper. $99 would be great INHO.
Curious to know how it sounds. Hopefully better than the ones who comes with my iPhone.
5 hours seem plenty of time. What was the last time you used headphones for so long? Mine hurts after 2 hours.
When you put them back to the box, it'll start charging again. 24hours is not enough? Geez.
I just wish they were a little cheaper. $99 would be great INHO.
Curious to know how it sounds. Hopefully better than the ones who comes with my iPhone.
One minute they talk about removing the head phone jack for needed room, and the next they do it for courage and because it was just time. Which is it? Or was the courage just, "God I hope people like this."
I think we'll see them drop to $99 this time next year. Basically as manufacturing ramps up and they are no longer the "new" product the prices will drop. I'd expect by 2020 or so that the supply chain will be mature enough that regular AirPods will be included, with an upsell for the future versions that include fitness tracking and other features.
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I don't think you'll be able to charge them ever again after doing so, but time will tell.
But hopefully Apple has set the bar for how easy it should be to connect Bluetooth headphones, and how responsive they should be.
The problem is 3rd party companies won't be able to copy the ease of bluetooth connections, because 3rd party bluetooth headphone connections will be forced to connect the same way they always have. This new magic auto connect, will only work Apple headphones and the new Apple Beats headphones and utilize iCloud. So unless Apple opens up the at feature to 3rd parties (which it won't), then competitors can't improve easy of use but can focus on comfort, audio quality, style and fit as an edge.
Just like how apple's phone battery pack will always have the edge of native remaining battery amount built into the os, with 3rd party battery's will not.
These AirPods will certainly not fit in most ears, since that is why ever other in ear headphone brand includes adapters for small, medium and large since people's ears differ so widely. Instead Apple is aiming for simplicity and aiming at presumably the most common ear size while leaving out the rest of the world to have to get other products. Beats could fill in that gap, but there new solo wireless in ear line wasn't even upgraded to thunderbolt for charging but still requires you to carry a micro-usb cable, rather than just thunderbolt and usb-c.
The problem is 3rd party companies won't be able to copy the ease of bluetooth connections, because 3rd party bluetooth headphone connections will be forced to connect the same way they always have. This new magic auto connect, will only work Apple headphones and the new Apple Beats headphones and utilize iCloud. So unless Apple opens up the at feature to 3rd parties (which it won't), then competitors can't improve easy of use but can focus on comfort, audio quality, style and fit as an edge.
Just like how apple's phone battery pack will always have the edge of native remaining battery amount built into the os, with 3rd party battery's will not.
These AirPods will certainly not fit in most ears, since that is why ever other in ear headphone brand includes adapters for small, medium and large since people's ears differ so widely. Instead Apple is aiming for simplicity and aiming at presumably the most common ear size while leaving out the rest of the world to have to get other products. Beats could fill in that gap, but there new solo wireless in ear line wasn't even upgraded to thunderbolt for charging but still requires you to carry a micro-usb cable, rather than just thunderbolt and usb-c.
Uh....If you watched the keynote both of those statements were made in the same paragraph. I guess technically more then a minute passed but I suspect you are purposely being obtuse...
Hated the earpods, they were completely unusable for me as they wouldn't stay in my ear. Doubt I will ever even try these.
I would have loved to do the same, however that most likely won't be an option since these are custom fitted to fit into the charge with lid closed. Meaning you would have to take off your custom molds each and every day which would be a bit of a nightmare. Had that made the charge case differently to support custom molds then that would have been great and opened up a world of third party custom mold solutions.
Personally I think these will be fantastic, with zero reservations. Let me explain...
People complaining about the battery life: do you really ever keep earbuds in your ear for more than 5 hours straight? Not to mention that a 15-min pocket charge is 3 more hours of use. I can't stand even the most comfortable over-the-ear cans on my head for more than about 4 hours.
People claiming the sound will suck because it's traditional bluetooth audio: why would Apple create their own chip and claim "It produces extremely efficient wireless for a better connection and improved sound" if it were just a traditional bluetooth audio connection? I have no idea how their claims will stack up in real life, but I'm sure it has at least some theoretical improvements over standard bluetooth audio.
People claiming they won't fit well: earphone shape has always been (and will always be) hit-and-miss based on various ear shapes. Apple has done their research (watch original earpod intro), and I'm fairly sure this design will fit more people's ears than any single other earphone design.
People claiming the design is stupid or ugly: looks are quite subjective of course (personally I think they look a hell of a lot better than many of the other wireless phones on the market... I mean, seriously, have you seen some of those hideous things?), but you can't argue with the functionality. The 'stems' optimally direct the microphones, give minimalistic housing for the cylindrical batteries, and serve as 'handles' for a very familiar (user-friendly) feel when placing/removing/adjusting. It also allows for the part that actually goes in your ear to be much smaller, which should yield less fitting and comfort issues.
People claiming they will be lost too easily: this is true of all small wireless electronics, and is completely unavoidable. Including an extremely svelte pocket charging case is really a great remedy for this problem, because you will always have a place to put them as long as you keep the case nearby.
Lastly, people who complain about the price: they are priced cheaper than many other bluetooth sets, and they have a lot of added functionality and features that others don't. I'm actually surprised they aren't $199 based on typical Apple markups.
People complaining about the battery life: do you really ever keep earbuds in your ear for more than 5 hours straight? Not to mention that a 15-min pocket charge is 3 more hours of use. I can't stand even the most comfortable over-the-ear cans on my head for more than about 4 hours.
People claiming the sound will suck because it's traditional bluetooth audio: why would Apple create their own chip and claim "It produces extremely efficient wireless for a better connection and improved sound" if it were just a traditional bluetooth audio connection? I have no idea how their claims will stack up in real life, but I'm sure it has at least some theoretical improvements over standard bluetooth audio.
People claiming they won't fit well: earphone shape has always been (and will always be) hit-and-miss based on various ear shapes. Apple has done their research (watch original earpod intro), and I'm fairly sure this design will fit more people's ears than any single other earphone design.
People claiming the design is stupid or ugly: looks are quite subjective of course (personally I think they look a hell of a lot better than many of the other wireless phones on the market... I mean, seriously, have you seen some of those hideous things?), but you can't argue with the functionality. The 'stems' optimally direct the microphones, give minimalistic housing for the cylindrical batteries, and serve as 'handles' for a very familiar (user-friendly) feel when placing/removing/adjusting. It also allows for the part that actually goes in your ear to be much smaller, which should yield less fitting and comfort issues.
People claiming they will be lost too easily: this is true of all small wireless electronics, and is completely unavoidable. Including an extremely svelte pocket charging case is really a great remedy for this problem, because you will always have a place to put them as long as you keep the case nearby.
Lastly, people who complain about the price: they are priced cheaper than many other bluetooth sets, and they have a lot of added functionality and features that others don't. I'm actually surprised they aren't $199 based on typical Apple markups.
If you would take the time to read the first comments you could have saved the time to post the question...
You are most certainly not alone, all earbuds are a question of personal fit. They either work for you or they don't.
Apple is part of the (slow moving) Bluetooth committee. I suspect they just added onto the Bluetooth protocol and let their W1 chip handle them in hardware.
I wouldn't be surprised if this quick pairing technology was implemented in future bluetooth protocols, and then it's up to manufacturers to come up with their own equivalent of whatever processing the W1 is doing. But what you're laying out seems highly unlikely to me.
If I were to get these, they would become the most expensive kitty toy ever. I know my cat. The moment one of these falls out of my ear, the cat will swat it under the refrigerator before I even know it was missing. It doesn't matter if I lose it in the bathroom. All small swattable things end up under the fridge courtesy of kitteh.
I have the in ear noise cancellating bose and they are incredible. The downside being they require a custom micro-usb charging cable which i never have on hand, since I only carry thunderbolt and usb-c.Interested to see what Bose comes out with as a competing product. People love to hate on Bose but their SoundSport earphones ($100) are a great upgrade. And most likely Bose will have black or grey.
If they release updated versions with a thunderbolt cable in the near future I think those will sell like hot cakes. For people who don't use then primary at work/flights, and don't need the noise cancellation, such as for workouts, then the new SoundSport Wireless models will be a solid option. The down side being also they don't use a thunderbolt charger so another cable to carry. If they release an updated apple model with thunderbolt charger than I also see those selling very well since they fit relatively well compared to the competition. Though it should be noted the new Wireless Bose Sound Sports are very large, that is the part that sticks out your ear is abnormally large in person and is the main downside at the cost of great relative quality.
I'll be interested to read the reviews of these and the posts of users' experiences. The current EarPods don't stay in my ears when I jog, but I find it difficult to believe that Apple, which usually pays great attention to ergonomics (with exceptions like the "hockey puck" mouse) would release a $159 product that falls out of the majority of people's ears. I'm sure they did extensive testing with many different people, with many different ear sizes. With the EarPods, it's not such a big deal, because they come free with the iPhone.
One thing nobody has mentioned yet: if the AirPods become a status item, they'll be very easy for thieves to steal in a crowd -- just yank and run.
I suspect there will be aftermarket bands that clip to the AirPods for people who want that extra level of security (I would). I used to wonder why Apple doesn't design their iPhones so they don't need a case: using a material that isn't slippery, and putting a lip around the glass so that the screen won't hit the ground if the iPhone is dropped. I know the reasons: I wouldn't look as sleek, and people would complain that it's "fugly." Plenty of people prefer to use their iPhones without a case, despite the greater risk of damage. And the aftermarket case industry is huge. I'm guessing that plenty of people won't want to use a safety band with their AirPods, and bands will be available for those who do.
As for sound quality, I'm expecting mid-level. I have a pair of LG Tone Ultra Bluetooth ear buds. They're the 2015 model, which I got on clearance at half-price ($44 vs. $99) six months ago after the new model came out. They sound really good, especially compared to the Apple EarPods. They don't sound as good as my wired Sennheiser headphones, but they sound much better than I expected. If the AirPods sound as good, they'll be good enough for most people.
As for whether the AirPods look dorky, well, are they any dorkier than having a pair of wires hanging out of your ears, or a Bluetooth earpiece clipped to one ear? The only reason those don't seem dorky is because we're used to them. I thought earpieces looked really weird when they first came out, but I don't anymore.
As someone else mentioned to those complaining about the 5-hour battery life, a 15-minute quick charge in the charger gives the AirPods an additional 3 hours of battery life, and you can charge the AirPods up to 5 times for the charger before you need to recharge the charger. I think that's fine.
All that said, I don't yet see how the AirPods are an improvement over my LG Tone Ultras. The LG Tones come with three different sizes of silicone ear buds, one of which fits my ears perfectly. The sound quality exceeds my expectations for a pair of ear buds. The band wraps around my neck, and the buds come out on retractable wires, so there's no chance of losing them. I've been jogging with them for six months, so they've gotten sweaty many times, and they still work fine. I can't recall how long the rated charge life is (10 hours?), but I typically recharge them once a week, and the charge level usually is still at medium when I recharge them. If and when they eventually die, I'll consider the AirPods, but only if the reviews have been good and they offer better sound quality to justify their $60 premium over the LG Tone Ultras.
One thing nobody has mentioned yet: if the AirPods become a status item, they'll be very easy for thieves to steal in a crowd -- just yank and run.
I suspect there will be aftermarket bands that clip to the AirPods for people who want that extra level of security (I would). I used to wonder why Apple doesn't design their iPhones so they don't need a case: using a material that isn't slippery, and putting a lip around the glass so that the screen won't hit the ground if the iPhone is dropped. I know the reasons: I wouldn't look as sleek, and people would complain that it's "fugly." Plenty of people prefer to use their iPhones without a case, despite the greater risk of damage. And the aftermarket case industry is huge. I'm guessing that plenty of people won't want to use a safety band with their AirPods, and bands will be available for those who do.
As for sound quality, I'm expecting mid-level. I have a pair of LG Tone Ultra Bluetooth ear buds. They're the 2015 model, which I got on clearance at half-price ($44 vs. $99) six months ago after the new model came out. They sound really good, especially compared to the Apple EarPods. They don't sound as good as my wired Sennheiser headphones, but they sound much better than I expected. If the AirPods sound as good, they'll be good enough for most people.
As for whether the AirPods look dorky, well, are they any dorkier than having a pair of wires hanging out of your ears, or a Bluetooth earpiece clipped to one ear? The only reason those don't seem dorky is because we're used to them. I thought earpieces looked really weird when they first came out, but I don't anymore.
As someone else mentioned to those complaining about the 5-hour battery life, a 15-minute quick charge in the charger gives the AirPods an additional 3 hours of battery life, and you can charge the AirPods up to 5 times for the charger before you need to recharge the charger. I think that's fine.
All that said, I don't yet see how the AirPods are an improvement over my LG Tone Ultras. The LG Tones come with three different sizes of silicone ear buds, one of which fits my ears perfectly. The sound quality exceeds my expectations for a pair of ear buds. The band wraps around my neck, and the buds come out on retractable wires, so there's no chance of losing them. I've been jogging with them for six months, so they've gotten sweaty many times, and they still work fine. I can't recall how long the rated charge life is (10 hours?), but I typically recharge them once a week, and the charge level usually is still at medium when I recharge them. If and when they eventually die, I'll consider the AirPods, but only if the reviews have been good and they offer better sound quality to justify their $60 premium over the LG Tone Ultras.
Interested to see what Bose comes out with as a competing product. People love to hate on Bose but their SoundSport earphones ($100) are a great upgrade. And most likely Bose will have black or grey.
Agree with this and the designs are perfect where it is more inner in the ear to not fall or drop. AirPod no wire great idea but design terrible they kept the same crappy design which really ever stays in ear while a workout especially when start sweating plus disgusting ear wax which is not easy to clean up. AirPod price is ridiculous just because it is made by Apple does not mean their competitors don't have a better product and I can't make sense why they are selling it separate instead making this official part of the iPhone and promote the concept of no wired ear phones.
The way phones were shrinking when Minority Report was made, it looked as though the future was going to be phones tiny enough to fit in your ear.
That it didn't turn out that way is one of the pitfalls of predicting the near future.
1999:
2001:
2015:
Thanks to iPhone, we took a detour to smart phones and phablets. Maybe tiny phones are still the future. We can guess what the future will be like, but we don't know.
A 5 hour battery life, with a 15 minute fast re-charge good for 3 hours, and up to 5 charges by the charger itself good for 24 hours before needing an outlet. Yeah, such pathetic battery life.
Yes, that is pathetic. Even PowerBeats3 from Apple have 12 hour of battery life:
http://www.apple.com/shop/product/M...56da38eeca06d99f66e805b9061ca78458f88c3817c42
