AirPods Now Shipping to Customers Around the World

[WRChris]

I don't use over-ear headphones because I find them too inconvenient to take out and keep. Plus I wear spectacles, so it's hard to find a pair which is comfortable for longer periods of wear. Believe it or not, the two pairs I have found so far are my Sony hear.on headphones and the stock EarPods.

I agree that looks are subjective, but people are the ultimate arbiters of what looks okay and what doesn't, and public perception isn't set in stone. I have never understood why it's considered acceptable to have a giant pair of cans muffling your ears while walking around but having two tiny, almost imperceptible white sticks poking out of your ear is considered a fashion faux pas?

Heck, for women with longer hair, the Airpods would be practically invisible!

Yeah I don't have a problem with you or others wearing them, they just wouldn't work for me. I just thought it was interesting that you were so excited about them. I live in a small town and still get people asking if my Apple Watch is a phone watch thingy. I wouldn't even think about wearing wireless headphones and having a smartphone and a phone watch all at the same time in public.

I'm not sure why it's fashionable to wear giant headphones around but I can tell you that I like the way they sound.

 

[Abazigal]

Yeah I don't have a problem with you or others wearing them, they just wouldn't work for me. I just thought it was interesting that you were so excited about them. I live in a small town and still get people asking if my Apple Watch is a phone watch thingy. I wouldn't even think about wearing wireless headphones and having a smartphone and a phone watch all at the same time in public.

I'm not sure why it's fashionable to wear giant headphones around but I can tell you that I like the way they sound.

Well, as I mentioned above, I am stoked at the possibility of the Airpods being the "Apple Pencil" of earbuds. Just like the Apple Pencil made the writing experience on an iPad sublime by removing all the traditional pain points of using a conventional stylus, I am hoping that Apple can do the same for wireless earbuds as well.

I embraced the Apple ecosystem on the promise of an integrated computing solution which just works out of the box. I haven't been disappointed yet. The Airpods represent precisely the sort of solution I am paying Apple to provide.

 

[Mac 128]

Don't bet on it. To my knowledge Apple has never allowed in store pickup when quantity was limited at launch. If they handed what few units they had out to people who ordered from the app while stiffing the poor saps that had been standing in line since 7am, they'd have a riot on their hands.

I doubt there will be people lined up at 7AM on Monday morning to buy these. Or if they are, there won't be many. Who outside of the tech blogs even knows about them? It took over an hour to sell out of stock online, despite the entire tech community knowing about it as soon as it happened -- that certainly can't be because Apple has more stock than they do with iPhone launches.

And what about how unfair it was of Apple not to send out a notice that the AirPods would go on sale last Tuesday morning, after telling customers they would first be released in Late October, essentially catching everyone off guard, and denying average customers, the kind who don't read tech blogs, who were eagerly awaiting the release an opportunity to play the AIrPod lottery with the rest of the world who happened to stumble upon the unannounced release?

 

[robeddie]

Maybe if people keep posting this same video it might eventually be funny. It wasn't the first 500 times, but maybe 501 is the trick.

Got news for you: It actually is hilarious. Too bad a few remaining fanboys are still so deep in the cult they can't even laugh.

 

[AJ5790]

I'd love to buy myself a pair, but the fact that you have to use Siri to change the volume is a total dealbreaker for me. Would it be possible for Apple to push more gesture/tap based controls through a software update, or am I better off waiting for AirPods 2.0?

To each his own, I know, but the reviewers said a whisper or barely audible command was sufficient to get Siri to do your bidding. Not sure why, but when I hear people talk about gesture based controls, I see myself looking at someone whose eyes are slightly out of focus as they try to remember what to do to make their music skip backward a track, and then reaching up and touching their ear rather awkwardly...

 

[WRChris]

Well, as I mentioned above, I am stoked at the possibility of the Airpods being the "Apple Pencil" of earbuds. Just like the Apple Pencil made the writing experience on an iPad sublime by removing all the traditional pain points of using a conventional stylus, I am hoping that Apple can do the same for wireless earbuds as well.

I embraced the Apple ecosystem on the promise of an integrated computing solution which just works out of the box. I haven't been disappointed yet. The Airpods represent precisely the sort of solution I am paying Apple to provide.

Hope you're not let down by these headphones. They will probably be cool but I can't imagine them sounding good or being easy to control tracks, volume or Siri. If they do all of those things well, 5hr battery life shouldn't be a problem.

 

[robeddie]

Well, as I mentioned above, I am stoked at the possibility of the Airpods being the "Apple Pencil" of earbuds. Just like the Apple Pencil made the writing experience on an iPad sublime by removing all the traditional pain points of using a conventional stylus, I am hoping that Apple can do the same for wireless earbuds as well.

I embraced the Apple ecosystem on the promise of an integrated computing solution which just works out of the box. I haven't been disappointed yet. The Airpods represent precisely the sort of solution I am paying Apple to provide.

With the apple displays gone, the apple wireless routers gone, the mac pro effectively gone, along with all mac desktops, and the ipod touch abandoned and the macbook pro neutered ... your 'ecosystem' is basically a phone, a couple of wireless earpods and a pencil. Congrats.

I guess you got the 3 things you wanted ... but the rest of us lost.

 

[aleni]

I really want to purchase this but the current free earpods doesnt fit in my ear, without too much movement it still falls off my ear. So the airpods will be gone missing within 2 days if i use that. And sound doesnt sound great too especially the bass, it's almost non existent.

 

[AJ5790]

I really want to purchase this but the current free earpods doesnt fit in my ear, without too much movement it still falls off my ear. So the airpods will be gone missing within 2 days if i use that. And sound doesnt sound great too especially the bass, it's almost non existent.

AirPods are bigger according to Apple Insider. Don't assume, try them out first.

 

[busyscott]

Mine shipped. Coming a day early. I blame Tim Cook.

(Had to fit in with the average irrational MacRumors poster.)

I think you spelled "two months late" wrong.

 

[Abazigal]

Hope you're not let down by these headphones. They will probably be cool but I can't imagine them sounding good or being easy to control tracks, volume or Siri. If they do all of those things well, 5hr battery life shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks.

I like the idea of being able to pop them out of the case (which I will likely be keeping in my front shirt pocket) when I want to use them, then putting them away just as readily when I am done with them.

I should be able to control track volume with my Apple Watch. I am prepared to sacrifice on sound volume, but will let you know how they sound when I get them next week.

It's this convenience which should let me use them more.

With the apple displays gone, the apple wireless routers gone, the mac pro effectively gone, along with all mac desktops, and the ipod touch abandoned and the macbook pro neutered ... your 'ecosystem' is basically a phone, a couple of wireless earpods and a pencil. Congrats.

I guess you got the 3 things you wanted ... but the rest of us lost.

Well, I don't use Apple displays, airport routers, Mac Pros, and both my Macs are still going strong. I do have a 2011 27” iMac and 2012 11” MBA but am using them less these days as I find myself getting more of my work done on my iPad. My Macs are still going strong, and when it is time to replace them, I expect Apple to have ironed out the current kinks in their Mac lineup, plus the USB-C ecosystem should have matured.

Heck, I won't discount my next Mac being another iPad Pro if the hardware gets mature enough.

At the same time, I find myself heavily favoring the iOS side of things, such as using an iPad in the classroom and mirroring that to an Apple TV. As such, I have benefited from Apple's renewed focus on iOS productivity such as split-screen multitasking, iOS 8 bringing peer to peer AirPlay to the Apple TV, and yes, the Apple Pencil.

I have an iPhone 6S+, just got a series 2 Apple Watch last week, and am looking to rounding out this ecosystem (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch) with the AirPods.

I am not here to gloat at people who feel they have been shafted by the absence of "Pro" Apple laptops. Just pointing out that there are people who have legitimately benefited from Apple's product roadmap thus far.

 

[Nanotyrns]

Yeah I don't have a problem with you or others wearing them, they just wouldn't work for me. I just thought it was interesting that you were so excited about them. I live in a small town and still get people asking if my Apple Watch is a phone watch thingy. I wouldn't even think about wearing wireless headphones and having a smartphone and a phone watch all at the same time in public.

I'm not sure why it's fashionable to wear giant headphones around but I can tell you that I like the way they sound.

I used Apple Pay at a gas station a few months ago and the 19 year old kid behind the counter sounded like he'd never heard of it. It's been around, for what, two years now?
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I think you spelled "two months late" wrong.

You're my new super hero of snark

 

[vertsix]

Spot on man.
People need to be #1 when it comes to apple purchases so they can "show off" to their pals probably. I'm with you, over priced, easy to loose and I bet the sound is inferior to cheaper options. I have the jay birds and they would great. People just like to buy into hype and brag

Finally some common sense. Thank you!

 

[Nanotyrns]

Spot on man.
People need to be #1 when it comes to apple purchases so they can "show off" to their pals probably. I'm with you, over priced, easy to loose and I bet the sound is inferior to cheaper options. I have the jay birds and they would great. People just like to buy into hype and brag

I don't know anyone that would be impressed by me having Air Pods, or anything else, first among my friends. I buy Apple products because I enjoy them and have gotten good service from them. That's why I keep coming back.

In this kind world of internet snobbery (Thanks a lot Steve Jobs and Al Gore) half of it is populated by people genuinely communicating about things they like and half by people that want to stop the other half for a moment and tell them they shouldn't and oh yeah here's 42 reasons why the things you like are stupid.

But do keep coming here to tell us all how wrong we are.

 

[LDN]

I still cannot understand why anyone would buy these as they are substantially inferior in sound compared to most other wireless earbuds.

Not only that, they are a heck of a lot more expensive too!

Plus you can lose them!

And then pay an additional $70 to replace one! Ridiculous.

It just boggles me. I have the Jaybird X2's which I got for $80 and they've been serving me incredibly well with exceptional sound, and they have a band around both earpieces so you don't lose them.

This is how the AirPods should've been, Apple.

I'm guessing you don't talk on the phone with anyone much. Have you tried having a phone call with your Jaybirds? Yeah that underwater voice echoing inside your skull is very unpleasant. Want to just put 1 in for your terrible phone call? You'll have another dangling around. Damage that cord in between? Both earpieces are now totally useless, go out and buy a new set. Don't even talk about losing things. I know a doctor who loses her keys once every 3 months like clockwork. If you're prone to losing one thing you can lose anything. Those Jaybirds are not any more loss-prone than the AirPods. You seem to think a small wire can prevent this somehow. People lose wired EarPods all the time. When was the last time you used EarPods? Open designs are much better for natural sound. Also, what's unreasonable about $69 to replace one when the whole set of 3 (Lightning cable too, 4) costs $159? Have you ever bought a replacement for anything? They're always slightly more expensive than the original when the price is broken down.

I've been wanting AirPods since I first saw and used the EarPods. As have many other people.

 

[Bubba Satori]

Maybe if people keep posting this same video it might eventually be funny. It wasn't the first 500 times, but maybe 501 is the trick.

Here ya go..

 

[Apple2007]

Sigh. Didn't see that they were available for order until about 2pm EST... not scheduled for delivery until Jan 12!

Yup. Same here. January it is unless it ships earlier as sometimes happenes.
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Soo excited. Tim made my year.

You mean he made your ear!

 

[EndlessBuffoonery]

Here ya go..

Also not really funny. It's sad that people are so bad at this.

 

[ryanwarsaw]

Well mine originally were supposed to deliver yesterday but are coming tomorrow. Must have got caught in the efficient agency known as Thai customs. Going to see Star Wars rogue in a bit so happy they aren't coming today.

 

[ani4ani]

I'm in this first wave. Apple says delivers the 21st but FedEx says the 20th. We shall see.

Perhaps they're both right, one each day?

 

[michelepri]

I bet they are great, but nothing about Apple affirming a particular identity or expertise. One month it's computers, the next one it's iPhones, then Apple Music, then iPads, then headphones, and we forgive them for pushing those ugly Beats things on us. I hope Apple keeps inspiring people and doesn't do down Sony's ugly route of buying celebrities and messing up everything else.

 

[The Game 161]

shipped in UK yep

 

[iCloudStrife]

Tracking says my pair is in Sydney now. Apple says I should get mine by tomorrow (the 19th here in Australia). I wonder if they'll really get to Melbourne (+/- an hour or so) by then.

 

[kis]

The SAR (RF emission) rating is 0.4 - that's double as much as the Pixel XL, and you'll likely be wearing these for hours at a time. Have fun roasting your brains!

 

[aleni]

AirPods are bigger according to Apple Insider. Don't assume, try them out first.

Cant try. No apple store here which sucks. Still wouldnt buy it if the sound quality similar to the earpods though. Lack of deep bass.