AirPods Now Shipping to Customers Around the World

[Coffee50]

I am interested in knowing how these can work with Apple-TV 4. How do you adjust the volume levels (if it can be used with ATV, that is)? Is it good the experience with the Airpods and ATV 4?

I don't think The AirPods will work with the Apple TV.

It's not listed as one of the compatible Apple devices on the product page ( only the phone, watch, & mac)

 

[WRChris]

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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You're my new super hero of snark

Yep that sounds about right...I've only used it online to pay with my credit card. If my local bank supported Apple Pay I would for sure seek out business' that accept it.
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Yep, that's what I said - you (like Tim Cook) obviously don't really care about the mac - so you can be dimissive to those who do.

But let me ask you this: You talk about the 'maturing' of the iPad hardware, but you still have to use an OS created for a phone that's just been expanded to a giant screen. Even a simple thing like copying and pasting can be a huge pain in the ass using a clumsy finger compared to the precision and ease of a mouse. Then think about the need for precision cuts down the the 1/30th sec you might want to do make with any professional video editing software, and the fine tuning of audio tracks and adding sound effects, etc. you might want to do. So what exactly is making the hardware of the iPad Pro "better" (it's already as fast as some macs) going to help you do exactly?

Younger generations have used iPads their whole life and feel right at home on it. You and I want OS X but I don't think we are in the majority anymore.

 

[nocturnum]

Just for completeness:
- Apple is so doomed.
- Tim Cook needs to be uninstalled.
- This never would have happened if Steve were still alive.
/s

UPDATE: I'm a long time Apple fan but might switch to [Brand X] because [x, y, z].
/s

You do realize the unbeatable quality of your retarded remark?

 

[DribbleCastle]

I don't think The AirPods will work with the Apple TV.

It's not listed as one of the compatible Apple devices on the product page ( only the phone, watch, & mac)

That's surprising but I'm guessing you could still pair it manually as a simple Bluetooth device? If the AirPods can pair with and Android phone they should work with the AppleTV, might just not be the fancy pairing via iCloud.

 

[AJ5790]

I see the Amazon echo as a lightweight, single-purpose device which sold well, but will ultimately suffer from high abandonment rates and whose functionality will eventually be swallowed by smartphones (Siri for ios and / or Google Now for Android).

The Amazon echo has no future. Not in its current incarnation, at least.



I am not buying airpods solely for the purpose of being able to hail an Uber using Siri while outdoors. It's just one of many possible advantages to having Siri at your ear.

At the end of the day, why would I want to fragment my AI experience between Alexa at home and Siri / Google Now outside? Might as well consolidate around one standard, and that's where Alexa ultimately loses out because Amazon has no mobile presence whatsoever.

What exactly is the value add of Amazon's cloud services in this regard?


IMO, each company has its own challenges.

Apple's challenge is improving Siri at a quick-enough rate within the constraints of their self-imposed privacy limitations. But otherwise, Apple will have no problems earning from this through their hardware sales (i.e.: more iPhones / Apple watches / iPads / EarPods sold).

Google's challenge is in successfully monetizing their AI services, because Google currently has a very bad record of profitability when it comes to their various investments.

But ultimately, I expect Apple and Google to converge on the same point. They are simply starting from opposite starting points, that's all.

As for Amazon, like I said, they lack a platform to sustain them beyond shopping and cloud services. Likewise, you just raised a very valid point. AI isn't Amazon's core business, so what exactly is the benefit to Amazon here apart from selling more echo devices (they are probably being sold at cost anyways, so profit is minimal) and hoping people will use them to buy more stuff online?



You make it sound like a bad thing.

Truth was the iPad was working better for me than a Mac in my line of work anyways. It was lighter, had longer battery life, the form factor was more convenient, and when I saw AirPlay mirroring being demoed on an Apple TV, I knew there was no going back.

At the end of the day, it's not about iPad vs the MacBook. It's about using the best device for the job, and as a teacher, the iPad simply works better for me than any laptop for the things I want it to do. There are still tasks I prefer to do on my 27” iMac (like working on massive spreadsheets), but I am getting more done on my iOS devices every day.

And if I have to adjust my workflow a little, so be it. Contrast with the Mac, where no amount of finagling will allow me to do on the Mac what I am doing with ease on my iPad.

As a fellow teacher, I couldn't agree with you more about the iPad being better in the classroom.

 

[Applefan4515]

That's surprising but I'm guessing you could still pair it manually as a simple Bluetooth device? If the AirPods can pair with and Android phone they should work with the AppleTV, might just not be the fancy pairing via iCloud.

Everything that I have read, they will work with the atv4, but you have to pair them the standard Bluetooth way

 

[R3k]

Like this one?

Lol! a particularly slow and uninteresting marble run you have there.

 

[hans1972]

Maybe you like the two product lines apple has actually updated in the past two years (the watch, the macbook).
So anyone who's pissed about the various products neglected or cancelled - is being frivolous. Yep.

iPod: iPod Touch (6th generation)
iPhone: iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus
iPad: iPad Mini 4, iPad Pro 12.9", iPad Pro 9.7"

Apple Watch: Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch Edition, Apple Watch Series 1, Apple Watch Series 2, Apple Watch Hermès Series 2, Apple Watch Edition Series 2, Apple Watch Nike+ Series 2,

Apple TV: Apple TV 4

Accessories: Smart Keyboard, Apple Pencil, Siri Remote, Magic Mouse 2, Magic Trackpad 2, Magic Keyboard

iMac: Retina iMac 5k 27", iMac 21.5", Retina iMac 4k 21.5", Retina iMac 5k 27"
Macbook Air: MBA 11", MBA 13"
Macbook: rMB (early 2015), rMb (early 2016)
Macbook Pro: rMBP 13", rMBP 15", MBP 13" nonTB, MBP 13" TB, MBP 15" TB

So in the last two years we have had 1 iPod, 5 iPhones, 3 iPads, 8 Apple Watches, 1 Apple TV, 6 Apple accessories, 4 iMacs, 2 MacBook Airs, 2 MacBooks and 5 MacBook Pros being introduced.

 

[Abazigal]

Why should the customer care about how much profit is made out of a device? Do you feel like you're getting a better experience with your iPhone because Apple are making a huge margin? It isn't as if Amazon are going anywhere. This is exactly Apples problem they are so busy trying to wring more out of the customer with every transaction that the value proposition dwindles. 5gb of free storage in 2016, seriously?

Google just spun off their self-driving car project to another company. Precisely because the heads at Google felt it wasn't profitable enough.

Pebble has been acquired by Fitbit. Lenovo is reportedly not releasing android wear watches this year.

Apple, for all its faults and criticism, either chooses to not enter a market or when it does, Apple will stick around for the long run, however bleak the outlook may be. This is possible precisely because Apple has the resources to keep developing and promoting their products even in the face of falling sales.

And Apple wouldn't be the financial juggernaut it is today if they didn't have a viable business model and if their products weren't profitable.

No company does this sort of thing for free or out of charity. You want your company to continue supporting and developing these products and services that you want to use, you had better hope that company remains profitable and financially healthy for a good many years to come.

 

[EndlessBuffoonery]

It raised more of a smile than your humbug posts.

As it turns out, my comment wasn't trying to me humorous. A bit like complaining that a root canal didn't make you laugh. Sad.

 

[Col4bin]

Yes and no.

My EarPods have no problems staying in my ears and I can wear them comfortably for hours on end with no issues. If they do fall out, it's likely because of the wires tugging on them. Something I don't expect to be an issue with the Airpods.

I also have no issues with the sound from my EarPods. Yes, better ones exist, but that doesn't mean the EarPods are bad in an absolute sense.

Saying the Airpods are "just" wireless EarPods is like saying the iPhone was "just" another phone in 2007. Or that the iPod was "just" another MP3 player back in 2001. It completely ignores the technology inside them which makes them possible, and it completely overlooks the paradigm shift that they represent.

That sounds all fancy but if they are basically the same pair that gets thrown into the boxes, but is just wireless, I don't understand the hype when there's much more comfortable options out there. IMHO of course. Enjoy.
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Yes essentially but you can use Siri if you hate yourself enough to waste your time with that!

Haha--Siri and I had a falling out some time ago and we're no longer on speaking terms. Deactivated!
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No, not according to people who have them.

Good to know. Haven't seen them in the Apple Store yet so wanted to check them out or at least hear firsthand.
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Nope.
Nice try though.

Nice try with what exactly, asking a legit question about a product that is seemingly very popular and in high demand, and trying to understand the primary value proposition beyond them just being wireless and made by Apple? Care to tell?

 

[Abazigal]

The MacBook also supports AirPlay Mirroring.

But has the wrong form factor.

With the iPad, I can walk around the classroom with tablet in one hand and type / write with the other hand. Try doing this with a laptop of any sort.

Outside of class, I handle light work such as emails and reviewing of lesson plans. My files are uploaded to Dropbox, which are then synced to documents and portioned in Notability as well.

Just last month, I did a stock take of my school's social studies material and all the necessary data was keyed into Bear Notes running on my iPad, for subsequent review.

At home, it's my reading (reeder, machash, Tapatalk, reedit, safari), entertainment (Apple music, overcast, protube, Netflix) and light gaming device.

As I mentioned earlier, my iPad also has the battery life to last a day of use without needing to be recharge. I also like the inbuilt 4g capabilities and the instant on, which is a real convenience.

Not gonna lie, but I am somewhat tempted by the dual-iPad lifestyle. Heart says yes, brain and wallet say no.

 

[Rob_2811]

Google just spun off their self-driving car project to another company. Precisely because the heads at Google felt it wasn't profitable enough.

Pebble has been acquired by Fitbit. Lenovo is reportedly not releasing android wear watches this year.

Apple, for all its faults and criticism, either chooses to not enter a market or when it does, Apple will stick around for the long run, however bleak the outlook may be. This is possible precisely because Apple has the resources to keep developing and promoting their products even in the face of falling sales.

And Apple wouldn't be the financial juggernaut it is today if they didn't have a viable business model and if their products weren't profitable.

No company does this sort of thing for free or out of charity. You want your company to continue supporting and developing these products and services that you want to use, you had better hope that company remains profitable and financially healthy for a good many years to come.

Seriously I don't know where you got your information from on the Google Car Project but you might want to double check it. It has been spun off into its own stand alone company within the Alphabet Group. They haven't, as you have just implied, given up and sold it.

In any case Google Car project isn't even a commercial product it is nothing more than an R&D project at the moment, i'm not sure how that differs from Apples failed attempts at a TV service or their own faltering car project.

Apple have got the resources to continue development. Great, so have Amazon and Google. Not sure what your point is there. Sure Apple has theoretically got deeper pockets but that isn't much good while the majority is overseas and they can't/won't repatriate it.

Nobody is expecting Apple to do anything for free but there is free and then there is a staunch insistence on huge margins on everything they sell. Unfortunately along with that greed comes a reduced value proposition for the customer.

 

[Bacillus]

Google just spun off their self-driving car project to another company. Precisely because the heads at Google felt it wasn't profitable enough.
No company does this sort of thing for free or out of charity. You want your company to continue supporting and developing these products and services that you want to use, you had better hope that company remains profitable and financially healthy for a good many years to come.

Apple CPU business is (/was) healthy and best of its class.
Google is having a zillion startups under its umbrella - all startup businesses that now just cost to invest. So why even compare?
Even their both notions of profitable projects are incomparable.
But Apple CPU end-users are letdown more than (unexisting) GoogleCar customers and have ample reason to be angry. Their current management betrayed their visionary founder. Many had to leave for less misconduct.

 

[iGeek2014]

Hey Guys,

Launch Day!

I did a little write up on my first hands on impressions of the AirPods, check it out here:
https://growthis.blog/2016/12/19/apple-airpods/

Let me know what you think!

Great review/videos. Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[Lancer]

I'll have to wait for Santa on the 25th to deliver me some... and a new iPhone would be good also Santa if you're reading this

 

[alecgold]

...
Not gonna lie, but I am somewhat tempted by the dual-iPad lifestyle. Heart says yes, brain and wallet say no.

Im living my dreamed dual-iPad lifestyle. Even in dual iPad Pro and it is great! TBH I wouldn't buy again two pros, just the 12.9 and an air. I use the 9.7 for reading and the 12.9 as an almost a4 sized notepad. Or for typing with a full sized keyboard. It really workes very nicely.

OT I'm waiting for the AirPods to be delivered tomorrow. Really wondering how they will function in my iOS eco-system of iPhone and two iPads! I also have the Bose qc35 which is brilliant, but large and hot and seals you completely. Sometimes you just want to have some music/accept phone calls and/or regular buds. The EarPods fit nicely, but it's the wire that is always harassing me. Strangling, getting stuck behind doorknobs, just tickling, irritating and annoying my skin.
I know, first world problem, but I really look forward to them.

 

[Abazigal]

Im living my dreamed dual-iPad lifestyle. Even in dual iPad Pro and it is great! TBH I wouldn't buy again two pros, just the 12.9 and an air. I use the 9.7 for reading and the 12.9 as an almost a4 sized notepad. Or for typing with a full sized keyboard. It really workes very nicely.

Well, Apple Pencil compatibility is a must for me as a teacher. The idea is to use the smaller iPad Pro in the classroom, and the larger Pro for the rest of my prep work at my desk, where size and portability isn't really a concern.

That said, I likely won't make this move until I am certain the iPad can do 100% of what I need to do.

 

[democracyrules]

Got my AirPods just recently!! Thanks, Apple!

 

[supersalo]

Same thing with me. Got 1/30/17 as the delivery date as well. I am thinking about trying to get one in the Apple store. I see that it looks like they will have the "Pick up in store" option. I am wondering if that option will go live tomorrow, and if so, when it is likely to do that???

I waited in line this morning and they ran out 10 people ahead of me :-(

 

[aleni]

An Apple fan on Macrumors? You don't say. You don't even buy these if the average EarPods don't fit in your ear (mine fit perfectly, never fall out) so this entire argument is essentially void. Seriously, why would you buy AirPods which are the exact dimensions where it counts as the EarPods if the EarPods never fit you? People like you just have to get the Beats earphones if you want those sweet W1 chip benefits. Simple.
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I'm glad at least one person here gets it.

Because it was my dream to have a true wireless earphones without any wire at all. I have been dreaming this since 2004. Just wish apple would sell the airpods in additional sizes just like tshirt.