AirPods Were Released Six Years Ago Today With 'Revolutionary' User Experience

[MacRumors]

Today marks the sixth anniversary of Apple releasing the original AirPods. The wireless headphones were first introduced alongside the iPhone 7 in September 2016, and they became available to customers on December 19, 2016 after being delayed.

While there were already some wireless headphones on the market, AirPods helped to popularize the category thanks to deep integration with Apple devices.

"AirPods are simple and magical to use, with no switches or buttons, automatically connecting to all your Apple devices simply and seamlessly, and letting you access Siri with just a double tap," touted Apple's former marketing chief Phil Schiller. "We can't wait for users to try them with iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2."

Priced at $159, the first-generation AirPods introduced many core features, including one-tap pairing with Apple devices and in-ear detection for automatic playing and pausing of music. The headphones were powered by Apple's custom W1 chip, offering improved audio quality compared to Apple's wired EarPods headphones.

"This revolutionary experience is enabled by the new ultra-low power Apple W1 chip, which enables AirPods to deliver high-quality audio and industry-leading battery life in a completely wireless design," said Apple's press release for AirPods.

Apple went on to release second-generation and third-generation AirPods in March 2019 and October 2021 respectively, with better audio quality, longer battery life, hands-free "Hey Siri" support, an optional wireless charging case, and other improvements added over those years. Apple also launched the higher-end AirPods Pro in October 2019 with active noise cancellation, followed by the over-ear AirPods Max in December 2020. The latest AirPods are the second-generation AirPods Pro, released in September.

Article Link: AirPods Were Released Six Years Ago Today With 'Revolutionary' User Experience

 

[dantracht]

Got them on day one and have loved them ever since.

 

[MrRom92]

Too bad, for all they offer in terms of convenience and user experience they still can’t match the quality/standards of consumer grade digital audio from over 40 years ago. Let alone surpass them

 

[willyx]

Still today they seem out of science fiction. I find incredible that they could fit so much technology (battery, speaker, microphones, chips, sensors) in such a tiny package.

 

[thejoshuabradshaw]

One of the best products made. I love the long-stem AP2s. I have every version, and I love the simplicity of the AP2/3s. The APpro are trash.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

AirPods have certainly come a long way. I just wish Apple would start releasing them in new colors.

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

This was the first time in a looooooong time (and the last time since) that Apple released a product where there weren't (m)any rumors spoiling every feature beforehand.

 

[Andres Cantu]

I wish they’d update the internals of the original design. The 3rd gen ones fall out of my ear and so I had to stick to 2nd gen.

 

[MrPresident]

Fantastic user experience, average sound quality, disappointing battery.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

Darn! Is it been 6 years already!? Time certainly flies.

 

[Rychiar]

loved them so much when they were new. just replaced mine with pros last year cus the batteries finally died in them...and I think I still sold them on eBay somehow

 

[breather]

Love my AirPods Pro, sound and the automatic connection and switching between devices, superb.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Whenever people say that Apple no longer innovates, these are the first products that I point to.
Truly the essence of Steve Jobs’s vision for products, literally “just works”.
And yes, before I get tons of Snark replies, I know they have issues. They are absolutely not perfect, no product is.
I’ve had to have them replaced just like a lot of other people.
And of course, bugs pop up from time to time, as they do with literally every other product.
But the absolute simplicity of literally opening them and popping them right in your ears, and having them “just work” never gets old.
My first pair of wireless headphones literally had to have a pairing code every single time you wanted to use them.
And if you had to use them on a different device, you had to completely reset them, enter the code on the new device, make sure it’s totally and completely forgotten and disconnected from the old device, and then, maybe, just maybe it would work.
AirPods literally couldn’t be more simple, and besides the Apple Watch I think they are the most innovative product Apple has made in years.

 

[9594864]

AirPods were the last phenomenal product Apple released.

Freedom from the wire was the magic part.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

There is a chance we can expect AirPods Ultra in 2023? Thoughts?

 

[SD449]

I think these are Apples best product since the iPod.

Taking an established medium, repackaging them in a tiny new form factor with great UX

I genuinely think “this is something only Apple could do” but many have copied since.
This is why we should never count a new Apple product out.

 

[alexandr]

I remember trying them on at the SoHo store and saying "sold", however they were so backordered I had to wait weeks to get them))) One of the best products Apple made in some time.

 

[ackmondual]

When these got released, my Halloween costume was "early Airpod adaptor". I scrounged up something for the airpods themselves. I emptied a dental floss box for the "battery case" (they didn't fit flush in there, but that worked out better since they stuck out, enabling them to be seen). Nobody knew what they were. Even the few people who did have iPhones. Oh well.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Also, I believe AirPods are the sole product that's been released under Tim Cook's leadership. It can be seen as one of his greatest accomplishments for his Apple career.

 

[now i see it]

Is 6 years some sort of significant milestone?

 

[eicca]

Too bad, for all they offer in terms of convenience and user experience they still can’t match the quality/standards of consumer grade digital audio from over 40 years ago. Let alone surpass them

This irritates me as well (yes I absolutely can hear the difference between quality levels, and if anyone says otherwise they're ignorant) but I've learned to separate AirPods from my expectations. They're great tools for handsfree calls or private listening in a pinch. I never thought I'd like them but they have found a spot in my pocket every time I go out the door.

 

[-Ryan-]

AirPods are overlooked by many, but I think they’re one of the best products Apple has ever made. The ease of use was a complete game changer, coupled with good sound quality, battery life and form factor. My release day pair still work, but the battery isn’t what it once was.

 

[PauloSera]

Too bad, for all they offer in terms of convenience and user experience they still can’t match the quality/standards of consumer grade digital audio from over 40 years ago. Let alone surpass them

If only that mattered, they probably would.

 

[Legend of Ive]

AirPods are way more successful and useful than iPads or Apple Watches.

 

[SnappleRumors]

I liked the initial product but not the newer versions. Switched to the Galaxy Buds2 Pro.