AirPods to be Available in Apple Retail Stores Starting Monday Morning

[yegon]

That wasn't my point, it was that a new release that is already on the market, and doesn't appear to offer anything new surely isn't more exciting than the first iPhone release. Is the untangling of wires that much of a hassle. And if it was, you would already own some.

By already own some, do you mean existing wireless (with a wire) BT earphones, or earphones that are directly comparable with the AirPods?

If you mean the latter, there is no direct, fully functioning alternative* to the AirPods currently and the AirPods clearly offer several advantages I'd consider "new". Hence excitement from people, including myself, for the AirPods. Throw in the unparalleled easy syncing, mono playback via 1 earpiece use, very easy charging on the go, and it's a real winner.

I've used BT earphones like Jaybirds for years btw, Plantronic Backbeat Go 2's mostly.

*The new Bragi's appear to be pretty good and don't suffer the multiple issues that plague every single truly wireless earbuds that have been on the market previously. Given the timing of the recent release of the new Bragi's though, and the lack of easy charging on the go, AirPods have them beat though imo.

 

[SactoGuy18]

In short, no thank you. I'd rather get a real Bluetooth in-ear monitor instead.

 

[MacBH928]

For some reason wireless earphones never became the standard, it always looked silly as opposed to wired ones(not sure why).

I remember them from the dumb-phone days with bluetooth,

 

[jonnysods]

Looking forward to a solid set of opinions from everyone here. I'm biding my time for now. Still eyeing those Bragi Headphone bluetooth headphones, only I hear bad things about range and connectivity.

 

[whsbuss]

Yeah, I wonder how many will be in a store, 3? That'll last long.

I think there will be more than just 3. Apple knows they will sell out quickly. Probably around 20 per store (or less in more rural stores).

 

[steve62388]

If people updated correctly they wouldn't have any issues.

And how does someone get an OTA update wrong?

I'm unsure how many updates I've done over the years but I've NEVER had an issue.

Well that's put that issue to bed then. One billion phones sold, you have bought (maybe) nine. That makes you a sample size of 0.0000009%.
[doublepost=1481899660][/doublepost]I like most things about these headphones but I am sad to say I will never own a pair. My ear shape just doesn't play well with this style of headphone.

 

[andy.ringwood]

Well that's put that issue to bed then. One billion phones sold, you have bought (maybe) nine. That makes you a sample size of 0.0000009%.

It certainly does put it to bed. Have a great day!!

 

[ryanwarsaw]

I feel many people are too negative on these. For some, it's a really useful product, me included. I love the ultra compactness of these and the good charging/battery solution. I listen to a ton of podcasts, so I'll often use them only in one ear. I also live in Canada and not having a bunch of cords (even simple one wire bluetooth headphone cords) tangled up in my coat/scarf during the winter will be great. And regarding price, they're expensive, but not a ripoff, as they're very competitive compared to similar products.

As with anything, your level of interest depends on your needs. Of course if you don't care that much about size and care a lot about sound quality, these aren't for you. To each his own!

It seems crazy that most of the people that are overly negative towards them have no intention of buying or even considering purchasing them.

I usually focus on topics that interest me or try to educate myself about what I do intend to purchase. As people said there are other choices that have been available for years.

 

[SecondBreakfast]

And amplifier. LOL SOME PEOPLE LIKE SOUND QUALITY

at least the gear is every penny worth the 1000. wouldn't expect you (somebody who actually likes the airpods) to understand that at all though

You know, I don't really expect anyone to see this or reply to it, but geez. I was into headphones for awhile. I spent some money on Dacs and amps. I had stuff that all the head-fi guys love. I had (all at the same time) a pair of He-500s, HD 650s, and some Mad Dogs. My portable rig was (for my tastes) perfect. I ran an iPhone 5 from the lightning connector (which was, at the time, quite a chore) through an iBasso D12 to my Mad Dogs, and it was amazing. I made my own cables, for pete's sake. After awhile, though, it was all just too much trouble. So I sold off everything.

And you know what? I'm thrilled about the AirPods. Ordered them 15 minutes after they went on sale. Maybe you'll like them too. They are totally different than an expensive hi-fi portable rig, and people should stop acting like they are the same (or that they do the same thing.)

 

[ryanwarsaw]

By already own some, do you mean existing wireless (with a wire) BT earphones, or earphones that are directly comparable with the AirPods?

If you mean the latter, there is no direct, fully functioning alternative* to the AirPods currently and the AirPods clearly offer several advantages I'd consider "new". Hence excitement from people, including myself, for the AirPods. Throw in the unparalleled easy syncing, mono playback via 1 earpiece use, very easy charging on the go, and it's a real winner.

I've used BT earphones like Jaybirds for years btw, Plantronic Backbeat Go 2's mostly.

*The new Bragi's appear to be pretty good and don't suffer the multiple issues that plague every single truly wireless earbuds that have been on the market previously. Given the timing of the recent release of the new Bragi's though, and the lack of easy charging on the go, AirPods have them beat though imo.

The Bragis are water proof. I really like that. Also 4 GB of local music storage isn't bad. Although I would trade that for FM radio.

 

[Abazigal]

You know, I don't really expect anyone to see this or reply to it, but geez. I was into headphones for awhile. I spent some money on Dacs and amps. I had stuff that all the head-fi guys love. I had (all at the same time) a pair of He-500s, HD 650s, and some Mad Dogs. My portable rig was (for my tastes) perfect. I ran an iPhone 5 from the lightning connector (which was, at the time, quite a chore) through an iBasso D12 to my Mad Dogs, and it was amazing. I made my own cables, for pete's sake.

And you know what? I'm thrilled about the AirPods. Ordered them 15 minutes after they went on sale. Maybe you'll like them too.

You just made our point for us. How anyone can equate that bulky and complex setup you just illustrated to the airpods and a small and thin charging case is beyond me.

 

[rizzo41999]

Hmm, generic AF

 

[SecondBreakfast]

You just made our point for us. How anyone can equate that bulky and complex setup you just illustrated to the airpods and a small and thin charging case is beyond me.

Exactly. They're totally different. I sold off all my headphones and related gear when I realized that I cared more about convenience and portability than anything else. AirPods are a product I've been anticipating for a long time.

 

[bunnicula]

Not sure if anyone already brought this up, but Best Buy and Target already confirmed that they're not expecting any AirPods in store until next year.

I'd say that's likely.

 

[ChrisCW11]

Nobody cares, AirPods were so last week, unfortunately the were not available to buy.

 

[oftheheavens]

I feel many people are too negative on these. For some, it's a really useful product, me included. I love the ultra compactness of these and the good charging/battery solution. I listen to a ton of podcasts, so I'll often use them only in one ear. I also live in Canada and not having a bunch of cords (even simple one wire bluetooth headphone cords) tangled up in my coat/scarf during the winter will be great. And regarding price, they're expensive, but not a ripoff, as they're very competitive compared to similar products.

As with anything, your level of interest depends on your needs. Of course if you don't care that much about size and care a lot about sound quality, these aren't for you. To each his own!

The fact that you can take out one bud and it simply turns off and you can continue to listen with a single AirPod one of the key factors that sold me as well. An example (there are a few) of one of the reasons why is that at night my wife and I both watch our iPads while we fall asleep. Before getting medically retired from the Marines I had lost some hearing and have tinnitus so I tend to need my volume a little louder. Not to mention right now she is watching bob's burgers and due to the pitch of most of their voices I can hear hers over mine but if I turn mine up it is distracting to her even though I can hardly hear it. So, with the AirPods I can wear the single pod for the ear I am not laying on. This will not only let me listen about as loud as I want to my show, it will help my wife fall asleep and it will hope fully have noise cancelation so that I don't hear her show.

Even with the Airpods, I still will use some of wired headphones.

My wife will continue to use her wired headphones. She, like most, is mildly interested in wireless BT and eventually will come around. I have a pair of the latest (2-3 years old now?) beats wired studios. Ever since I got the solo2 wireless for my bday last year I haven't used the studios for anything other than letting my son use them for his iPad when we go on long trips so i can listen my music as loud as I want without him complaining. The solo2's I use doing house chores and on trips but just out and about I never even think to bring them. I need to be able to hear my surroundings when just walking around (think mall setting for an example), I suppose it is a Marine thing, and in order to do that with solo2's I have to have them crooked on my head which most importantly is uncomfortable but also just looks dumb. With these new AirPods I can actually walk in public with the same look as the normal apple earbuds but don't have to worry about a cord if I have to take one our since usually a hanging bud would pull at the one still in.

The new things here (for my interest really), are:

1) W1 chip that allows increased range, battery life and ability to seamlessly switch between devices (I honestly can't stand having to disconnect and repair between my watch, iPhone, iPad and Mac) See above, but also one of the main reason I bought a pair of these bad boys was that I can be listening to music on my iPhone, hold up the little box thingy to my ipp and start using them almost instantly to play video games (with my new nimbus).

2) Ability to use a single or two AirPods (so often with my current Bluetooth buds or my Moto Hint I prefer to have a bud in just one ear). Again see above but other than my sleeping example, this is also handy when talking to someone as I feel that having two buds or full headphones on your head makes it seem as though you aren't interested in the other person. Also, sharing a song with someone will be so much better. While I think using someone else's earbuds/pods is nasty, with the people I love I can just hand them a AirPod and share a song moment or watch a video without our heads having to rest against each other due to cords.

3) ZERO wires. I've been using Bluetooth buds/headphones for over a decade. And for the past 5-6 years I've been using different Jaybirds for workouts/running/cycling/etc. As nice as they are the wire drives me crazy, and like I said in 1, switching between devices is a pain. There are many EarPods now that are completely wireless but nothing with the switching device ability you seem to love more than anything else with this product. I think this is awesome as well but I did buy the spigen band thingy that keeps them from falling to the ground if they fall out of your ear. I was less than $10 and has a little nub for wrapping the band around the charging case when not in use so it won't flop around as well. The reason I bought these though, well the main reason, was for snowboarding. I have hit jumps and fell hard enough to knock my beanie off (before I discovered how important helmets are when going big. If I have the spigen band thing attached it is less likely that I will lose a pod if it falls out. It would already be hard enough to find a single pod in the snow so figured when doing aggressive sports, and only then, I will throw on the spigen band. Sorry one more thought: On another thread someone mention using the volume to find an AirPod they dropped in the snow. Stated it was still hard to find but made it possible.

Now - 2 and 3 are partially covered by something like the Bragi Dash (and they add the ability to swim with them as well which really intrigues me), but those were out very recently and are nearly double the price. Seriously considered the dash's when I heard they had water resistance, then I saw the price... Right now I am getting the pods for free due to gift cards and such from my recent bday and upcoming xmas but I have just enough to buy the AirPods (and the nimbus I mention, love that thing!)

[doublepost=1481895663][/doublepost]

 

[admob71]

By already own some, do you mean existing wireless (with a wire) BT earphones, or earphones that are directly comparable with the AirPods?

If you mean the latter, there is no direct, fully functioning alternative* to the AirPods currently and the AirPods clearly offer several advantages I'd consider "new". Hence excitement from people, including myself, for the AirPods. Throw in the unparalleled easy syncing, mono playback via 1 earpiece use, very easy charging on the go, and it's a real winner.

I've used BT earphones like Jaybirds for years btw, Plantronic Backbeat Go 2's mostly.

*The new Bragi's appear to be pretty good and don't suffer the multiple issues that plague every single truly wireless earbuds that have been on the market previously. Given the timing of the recent release of the new Bragi's though, and the lack of easy charging on the go, AirPods have them beat though imo.

Maybe it's just me but the gulf between the best bt headsets currently on the market and the airpods to my mind is significantly smaller than the gulf between the first iPhone and the best phone on the market back then. Apart from looking rediculously silly, I can't see massive benefits over exiting bt units. Where the first multi touch phone screen was something quite special.

 

[AEdouard]

Maybe it's just me but the gulf between the best bt headsets currently on the market and the airpods to my mind is significantly smaller than the gulf between the first iPhone and the best phone on the market back then. Apart from looking rediculously silly, I can't see massive benefits over exiting bt units. Where the first multi touch phone screen was something quite special.

Numerous people have told you why, for their needs, the Airpods are better than other competing devices. Why can't you accept that some have different, and totally understandable, needs than you?

- they're reasonably priced compared to similar earbuds
- they pair better and have a more stable link to your phone than competing devices
- you get the benefit of Apple's customer service if they fail
- they have some distinctive features : turns off when you take them out, Siri integration, etc.

Isn't that enough for some people to want these?

 

[oftheheavens]

By already own some, do you mean existing wireless (with a wire) BT earphones, or earphones that are directly comparable with the AirPods?

If you mean the latter, there is no direct, fully functioning alternative* to the AirPods currently and the AirPods clearly offer several advantages I'd consider "new". Hence excitement from people, including myself, for the AirPods. Throw in the unparalleled easy syncing, mono playback via 1 earpiece use, very easy charging on the go, and it's a real winner.

I've used BT earphones like Jaybirds for years btw, Plantronic Backbeat Go 2's mostly.

*The new Bragi's appear to be pretty good and don't suffer the multiple issues that plague every single truly wireless earbuds that have been on the market previously. Given the timing of the recent release of the new Bragi's though, and the lack of easy charging on the go, AirPods have them beat though imo.

I used wireless jaybirds before they were known. It was still when I was in Japan so maybe 6 years ago. I think it was one of the "first" wireless BT headphones. They were so expensive and broke like 3 times, a couple due to sweat and at least once the earpiece swivel just gave way and let the earpiece dangle. Even though I was in Japan I got them replaced however many times for free including shipping. Great customer service and I am sure they have come a long way. To their defense they stated that they were able to withstand short runs (forgot what the suggestion was) but I was a young Marine training for a marathon at the time so they would be dripping when I was done.

I pray that these hold up better than apples EarPods which are known to suck, but I believe most of the problem was the cords could only take a tug or two before you started losing sound. I believe that the next AirPods will be water resistant, maybe even to a point of ip7 so that you can swim with them, next generation and they will also start putting effort into sound quality (hopefully using some of the knowledge they bought with beats). Next gen I think will level them out at 100 bucks and include different colors to match iPhone colors (adding at least black is my guess) and it will remain that price until they are the standard AirPods that come in the box with a new iPhone (5-10 years?).

Anyway, I am more than excited about getting these and all the new ways to use headphones to communicate and for entertainment every day. I just really hope they hold up to sweat enough to work at least until the next gen or 2 years goes by, whichever comes first. I think if I didn't have enough gift cards from my bday and xmas I would skip gen 1 but since I am getting them free I am beyond excited to get yet another gen 1 product!
[doublepost=1481903956][/doublepost]

Maybe it's just me but the gulf between the best bt headsets currently on the market and the airpods to my mind is significantly smaller than the gulf between the first iPhone and the best phone on the market back then. Apart from looking rediculously silly, I can't see massive benefits over exiting bt units. Where the first multi touch phone screen was something quite special.

i think people saying they are ugly or "ridiculously silly" are just upset they can't afford them or just need to put people down that are excited to get them (or both). They look nearly identical to what has come in the iPhone box for 9 years and I can't remember anyone ever saying how ugly or silly they looked. I remember hearing how much they suck, even though they were free, but I can't remember ever hearing or seeing a million threads about how silly they look.

 

[profets]

Maybe it's just me but the gulf between the best bt headsets currently on the market and the airpods to my mind is significantly smaller than the gulf between the first iPhone and the best phone on the market back then. Apart from looking rediculously silly, I can't see massive benefits over exiting bt units. Where the first multi touch phone screen was something quite special.

Why exactly are we comparing the arrival of AirPods to market with the arrival of the original iPhone? It's an interesting comparison, but it shouldn't really have an effect on what benefits the AirPods have over other BT headsets. Also, bluetooth headsets inherently serve a much simpler purpose than a smartphone.

Like @AEdouard mentioned, there are some very clear benefits compared to other bluetooth buds: they're completely wireless, much better battery life, and huge improvement when it comes to pairing and using with multiple devices. To me, these are, after using many different bluetooth headsets over the past decade, significant benefits and improvements compared to what we're used to seeing.

 

[oftheheavens]

Numerous people have told you why, for their needs, the Airpods are better than other competing devices. Why can't you accept that some have different, and totally understandable, needs than you?

- they're reasonably priced compared to similar earbuds
- they pair better and have a more stable link to your phone than competing devices
- you get the benefit of Apple's customer service if they fail
- they have some distinctive features : turns off when you take them out, Siri integration, etc.

Isn't that enough for some people to want these?

don't forget that unlike most current competitors require both pods to be playing in order to work where you can get stereo or mono sound with AirPods.

 

[Rickjames74]

And amplifier. LOL SOME PEOPLE LIKE SOUND QUALITY

at least the gear is every penny worth the 1000. wouldn't expect you (somebody who actually likes the airpods) to understand that at all though

I wouldn't expect you to understand (Somebody who pretends to know that compressed audio isnt still compressed audio whether or not you have an amp)

For most people
1. Convenience matters.
2. Think earPods sound fantastic for their size, therefore airPods will too.
3. Cant wear cans at work.
4. Don't like wearing cargo pants to be able to carry all their ****.
5. Would rather spend money on a home stereo.

p.s. if you're spending $1000 for portable audio you shouldn't be telling people they are stupid for spending $160.

 

[Arran]

The Bragis are water proof. I really like that. Also 4 GB of local music storage isn't bad. Although I would trade that for FM radio.

Bragi make 2 models:

1. "The Dash" ($250 in Costco, $300 elsewhere) is waterproof, but I found the reception flaky. I also found them awkward to fit and remove. When I was wiggling them about to get a good seal, the touch controls on each unit would randomly activate all sorts of functions, each of which would be announced by a long-winded voice prompt in either ear which would drown out the music. Very annoying. I wanted them for swimming but they were so troublesome I didn't even try them in the pool. They went back to Costco the next day.
2. "The headphone" ($120) is a cheaper model. Not waterproof, no 4gb memory and no touch controls (just a few buttons). Price is good, but I don't think they're available yet. Oh yeah, no charging case.

Here's a good comparison: https://www.macrumors.com/2016/09/09/bragi-dash-headphone-airpods/

 

[oftheheavens]

Bragi make 2 models:

1. "The Dash" ($250 in Costco, $300 elsewhere) is waterproof, but I found the reception flaky. I also found them awkward to fit and remove. When I was wiggling them about to get a good seal, the touch controls on each unit would randomly activate all sorts of functions, each of which would be announced by a long-winded voice prompt in either ear which would drown out the music. Very annoying. I wanted them for swimming but they were so troublesome I didn't even try them in the pool. They went back to Costco the next day.
2. "The headphone" ($120) is a cheaper model. Not waterproof, no 4gb memory and no touch controls (just a few buttons). Price is good, but I don't think they're available yet. Oh yeah, no charging case.

Here's a good comparison: https://www.macrumors.com/2016/09/09/bragi-dash-headphone-airpods/

hadn't heard anywhere in reviews about your #1. Very interesting in the case of fit and the fact that they are cheaper at costco, I love that place! Even at $250 (plus the 2% points and the money back that costco gives you at the end of the year so more like 240) I would rather have all Apple products on the things I use every day. I have found, as I dive deeper and deeper into the apple ecosystem, that if everything you use is apple things tend to run seamlessly across the board. So with that said, at $150 they are the same i paid for my powerbeats wireless I bought for a headless headset for work, and I can use them seamlessly across my mac, iPhone, iPad, watch and while not seamless you can very easily use on the ATV4. I ended up leaving the job but had the powerbeats wireless 16 days when I tried to bring them back (they work and sound great for music and for people on the other end I'm told). So I have a feeling my powerbeats wireless will collect dust come monday even more than they already do unless I can find someone to buy them lol.

 

[Arran]

hadn't heard anywhere in reviews about your #1. Very interesting in the case of fit and the fact that they are cheaper at costco, I love that place! Even at $250 (plus the 2% points and the money back that costco gives you at the end of the year so more like 240) I would rather have all Apple products on the things I use every day. I have found, as I dive deeper and deeper into the apple ecosystem, that if everything you use is apple things tend to run seamlessly across the board. So with that said, at $150 they are the same i paid for my powerbeats wireless I bought for a headless headset for work, and I can use them seamlessly across my mac, iPhone, iPad, watch and while not seamless you can very easily use on the ATV4. I ended up leaving the job but had the powerbeats wireless 16 days when I tried to bring them back (they work and sound great for music and for people on the other end I'm told). So I have a feeling my powerbeats wireless will collect dust come monday even more than they already do unless I can find someone to buy them lol.

I think a large part of the problem is the shape of my ears. I tried all four sizes of the 'fit sleeves' that came with the dash and none of them gave me a good seal (weak bass). As a result I was constantly re-adjusting the things in my ears which kept setting off the voice prompts. Now, there is a nifty way to lock the controls by pressing on both earbuds simultaneously, but the mechanism to re-enable the controls is to remove one bud and then replace it. For me, replacing it meant wiggling it all around again, but with the touch controls now unlocked. You can see where this is going...

So while Apple's EarPods have never been my favorite because of the wires, they do fit my ears really well and sound good too. Not audiophile good, but good enough for me.

Really looking forward to next week.