Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
You of course are free to purchase or not purchase whatever you wish.

Indeed I am "free" to purchase or not purchase. I tried purchasing, and sent them back. Twice.

I'm disappointed I have invested in a technology ecosystem which increasingly appears to be making user-hostile, ani-consumer decisions.

Semi-essential additional accessories are now required for almost every major apple product. These boost the average price (and profit margin) of each sale massively:

- Phone cases - needed due to camera bump + for protection of expensive, anti-ergonomic device
- AirPods - needed due to no headphone jack
- USB C cables - needed to connect iPhone to new MacBooks/Pros

I don't know, but I imagine apple also make something off most 3rd party accessories through licensing.

You could love your AirPods all the same, and use them just as much as you do, and there still be a headphone jack in the iPhone.

The choice to remove it is nothing but anti-user.
 
At a mere combined cost of £408 minimum (AirPods + Apple Watch series 1).

After a couple of years I'd probably have to upgrade one or the other of these.

For the same price though, I could buy 51 pairs of EarPods from amazon. I could use a new set every month for 4.25 years.

If you're willing to pay that for not having a cable, go for it. I believe my SE will be my last iPhone.

Indeed I am "free" to purchase or not purchase. I tried purchasing, and sent them back. Twice.

I'm disappointed I have invested in a technology ecosystem which increasingly appears to be making user-hostile, ani-consumer decisions.

Semi-essential additional accessories are now required for almost every major apple product. These boost the average price (and profit margin) of each sale massively:

- Phone cases - needed due to camera bump + for protection of expensive, anti-ergonomic device
- AirPods - needed due to no headphone jack
- USB C cables - needed to connect iPhone to new MacBooks/Pros

I don't know, but I imagine apple also make something off most 3rd party accessories through licensing.

You could love your AirPods all the same, and use them just as much as you do, and there still be a headphone jack in the iPhone.

The choice to remove it is nothing but anti-user.

I was commenting on your evaluation of the AirPods and Watch and your argument that you could purchase 51 pairs of earbuds instead. That was, for me, a senseless equivalence.

But, obvious answer is obvious: move on to another "technological ecosystem" that fits your needs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: eltoslightfoot
As one whose ears the AirPods don't fit well and who likes decent bass I've stuck to regular IEM (Shure SE425) which do fit but now lack a way to connect to current iPhone models

A W1 chip in a little brick with 20 hour battery and a 3.5mm socket would be much appreciated. I know others have made such things but they are usually large, clumsy (hardware and software) and not brilliant battery life. Given the Airpod size a version with a socket instead of the speaker would be neat.
 
At a mere combined cost of £408 minimum (AirPods + Apple Watch series 1).

After a couple of years I'd probably have to upgrade one or the other of these.

For the same price though, I could buy 51 pairs of EarPods from amazon. I could use a new set every month for 4.25 years.

If you're willing to pay that for not having a cable, go for it. I believe my SE will be my last iPhone.

And 50 pairs of wired earbuds still won’t give me the desired experience as one pair of Airpods.

That’s like saying I can get 100 pairs of bicycles for the price of a car. Ultimately meaningless metric.
 
Indeed I am "free" to purchase or not purchase. I tried purchasing, and sent them back. Twice.

I'm disappointed I have invested in a technology ecosystem which increasingly appears to be making user-hostile, ani-consumer decisions.

Semi-essential additional accessories are now required for almost every major apple product. These boost the average price (and profit margin) of each sale massively:

- Phone cases - needed due to camera bump + for protection of expensive, anti-ergonomic device
- AirPods - needed due to no headphone jack
- USB C cables - needed to connect iPhone to new MacBooks/Pros

I don't know, but I imagine apple also make something off most 3rd party accessories through licensing.

You could love your AirPods all the same, and use them just as much as you do, and there still be a headphone jack in the iPhone.

The choice to remove it is nothing but anti-user.

I dunno. I quite like the notion of having had a hand in helping to bring about this new world order as envisioned by Apple. Loss of headphone jack and everything.
 
My issue is the long term negative potential of wearing these things inside of your head all the time. We already bathe in too much radiation from our phones and wifi. Do need that JAMMED IN OUR HEADS half the day? I think I'll wait for studies before jumping on board.

Exactly what study are you waiting for? This subject has been studied extensively for the past 20 years. None of those studies have proved, with any statistical significance, a link between RF EME exposure and adverse health affects. More so, there's no known biological mechanism by which RF EME could cause adverse health affects. People with EME hypersensitivity cannot distinguish between RF EME and placebo, indicating this is a mental condition caused by the idea of RF EME, not RF EME itself.

Unlike RF EME, there are types of radiation that actually do harm you, like UV radiation. So I hope you never let sunlight touch your skin. If you're so worried about a type of radiation that has no proof nor method of harming you, it would be quite ironic of you to expose yourself to radiation that has been proved to damage DNA and cause cancer, through both statistical evidence and known scientific mechanisms.
 
  • Like
Reactions: eltoslightfoot
Sport model AirPods would be the cats ass.

I loved the AirPods but they wouldn’t stay in my ears.

They do not fit inside the case with those. I've only used the ones with the silicone "hook", and they make all the difference - have never had any fear of them popping loose. I was impressed with the Airpods but disappointed about them falling out, but with these I love everything other than not being able to put them in the case. Perfectly comfortable with the hook, too.

You're inserting them wrong.

That’s exactly my problem! No matter wat I do, they wont stay in. One squirrel and I loose at least one AirPod. I really liked them, small, convenient, lots of charge, more then enough power. One thing I missed was the ability to cut out my coworkers completely.

I also have Bose’s QC35 they block out everything including, but not limited to, the last judgment, World War III, and my mother in law. But they are big, clumsy, heavy and unbelievable warm and sweaty in the summer. And I’m not a huge fan of the Bose sound signature.

Then I have some shure SE846, present from a coworker, with comply foam tips. Those are my everydays. Brilliant sound, excellent seal, no itchy/warm/sweaty ears. Downside is the wire and no controls. Oh and the price is phenomenal.

But now there are the BeOplay E8. They look like dragi’s have a really nice sound signature, fit really wel (for me, fitting is so personal) are able to play around 4 hours, they sense if they are in your ears, have an array of tips so they are much more likely to fit.
They have less technological advanced chips inside them, just Bluetooth 4.2 but they do have touch pads on both of them. Those touch pads allow them to do a lot.
A transpar mode, softer, louder, next, previous, stop/start and some other things I don’t use and forgotten.

Beside the nice sound (taste) and fit (also personally but adjustable with the tips) they have the transparency mode, which lets you hear what is going on around you. So when using the comply tips they block out ~20dB of sound. That is a lot. With music on (which doesn’t have to be very loud) you don’t hear much of the environment. Yet if somebody starts to talk to you, one soft tap on the left bud and you can clearly hear them. Another tap and you can retreat in your own nice warm world again. It’s so convenient for study and work. But also when using public transport or even when you’re shopping and want to pay or working/reading/chilling in a Café.

Are they perfect? No. They are almost twice as expensive as the AirPods. (Arch!) and the have the extremely annoying habit of cutting out about twice a minute for 1/10th of a second on just the left earbud. But I’m positive that they will iron this out in the next software update. That’s another thing with these e8’s, they can be updated over the air, but it takes about 12minutes. And use is not advisable during this.
 
Last edited:
There really is no comparison. One has wires, one doesn't. It's like comparing a Volvo to a Porsche. AirPods are so much more sleek, small and unobtrusive and with functionality unparalleled by any other brand right now !
 
  • Like
Reactions: eltoslightfoot
Haha I’m talking about the translation in the video, genius. Look at exactly the 7 minute mark in the mac rumors video and then tell me I’m a liar :p


Purchased the Google WiFi about a year ago and could not be happier. Replaced our AirPort Extremes. Probably my favorite aspect is the App is excellent. Noticed on Amazon the Google WiFi has been the most popular router sold on Amazon. Not just mesh but overall. So Google can do some hardware well. Would say Chromecast and the Google Homes are similar.
[doublepost=1510919944][/doublepost]

Just tried it and it said "cosa vuoi". I do not speak Italian but it does NOT say "Che cazzo vuoi". I have a lot of Apple hardware and a fan but also more and more buying Google hardware. But the insecurity of people on this site is just incredible that there is the resorting to just flat out lying about things. it is just bizarre.

The fact is some Google hardware is just a lot better than anything from Apple. Take the Google WiFi is just an incredible product. Google Home it is the same as Apple does not even have a competing product. I will probably buy a HomePod to try it out but it does not seem like it is going to try to really be a competing product to the Google Home Max. I tend to buy most "tech" things to try them out for myself and make my own assessment. There is really an issue with some on here have not only drank the Apple kool-aide but poured it all over themselves and then bathed in it.

On the Ear Buds. I carry both an iPhone and a Pixel. The fact is the AirPods can NOT do basically real-time translation. So if you travel a lot and being able to just put my phone out and have what they say translate in my ear and then I can talk and the phone speaker plays what I say has a ton of value to me. That is just not something Apple provides and doubt they will for a very long time.

The problem is the future is AI and Apple has badly dropped the ball.

So Google added intelligence to home networking and created the Google WiFi so I replaced our AirPort Extremes. Google did the next to real-time language translation so I purchased. We now have several Google Homes around our house and been moving away from Homekit. As more and more products have AI built in and Apple does not offer anything competitive we will buy more Google hardware. I am a very long time fan of Apple. Like before it was the "hip" thing to do. But that was based on Apple creating the best products you can buy. I have the luxury of price not being a major issue for me and my family. But if there are better products based on my assessment I will purchase. I want my products to be smart.
 
Exactly the point, and the reason Apple will always make them only in white: they're iconic. You can tell immediately when someone is wearing AirPods (and EarPods) whereas the Pixel Buds could be any of a hundred other brands.

Iconic my a**... Every time I see someone wearing them, I burst out laughing. For women it's fine, but men wearing them look like drag-queens. And all that shame for what? Limited controls, iffy fit, and half-decent audio quality? Nah, will stick to my Bose.
 
There really is no comparison. One has wires, one doesn't. It's like comparing a Volvo to a Porsche. AirPods are so much more sleek, small and unobtrusive and with functionality unparalleled by any other brand right now !

I thought they were crap. I use a variety of head/earphones, but I find the Sony WF1000-X (with noise cancellation) a much better product:

sony_wf1000xb_noise_cancelling_true_wireless_earbuds_1.jpg
twarren_sonyWF_1000X_11.jpg


When I don't want to use those then I use the Bose QC30 (again with noise cancellation technology) or QC35 over ear when I am at home. The second generation AirPods may be worth buying if they are a better fit & have noise cancelling.
 
Iconic my a**... Every time I see someone wearing them, I burst out laughing. For women it's fine, but men wearing them look like drag-queens. And all that shame for what? Limited controls, iffy fit, and half-decent audio quality? Nah, will stick to my Bose.

AirPods look identical to the regular earbuds, sans cord. Those original white headphones were the star of one of the most famous and successful ad campaigns in history. They made the iPod and the iPhone stand out when they were first released precisely because they're white, unlike all the competitors' black sets; to this day they're instantly recognizable. Whether you like them or not, they are iconic.

Not really sure what drag queens have anything to do with anything, but its pretty sad that you're so concerned with other people's opinions of your appearance. Says a lot more about you than it does about AirPods :rolleyes:
[doublepost=1511316167][/doublepost]
I thought they were crap. I use a variety of head/earphones, but I find the Sony WF1000-X (with noise cancellation) a much better product:

sony_wf1000xb_noise_cancelling_true_wireless_earbuds_1.jpg
twarren_sonyWF_1000X_11.jpg


When I don't want to use those then I use the Bose QC30 (again with noise cancellation technology) or QC35 over ear when I am at home. The second generation AirPods may be worth buying if they are a better fit & have noise cancelling.

You're comparing apples to oranges...AirPods were never meant to have amazing audio; if that's something you want/need, definitely look elsewhere. I'm willing to bet all those other sets are more expensive and have far less battery life, worse connection, worse microphone, and are more difficult to pair than the AirPods.

As for the fit, I understand that AirPods don't fit everyone but I cannot even fathom that because they fit my ears so perfectly I often forget they're in for hours at a time. And while completely subjective, I find both those black blobs of plastic incredibly ugly.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Hitrate
You're comparing apples to oranges...AirPods were never meant to have amazing audio; if that's something you want/need, definitely look elsewhere. I'm willing to bet all those other sets are more expensive and have far less battery life, worse connection, worse microphone, and are more difficult to pair than the AirPods.

The AirPod audio quality is indeed terrible but that is supposed to be their primary function!

The other ones I mentioned (and own) are indeed a little bit more expensive because they are better in every way and I've never found pairing something via BlueTooth to be a problem.

Some of Sony's latest wireless earphones & headphones are LDAC compatible which means their audio quality is pretty damn insane, making the AirPods (and other naff cheap earphones) look like a product of yesteryear.
 
- Phone cases - needed due to camera bump + for protection of expensive, anti-ergonomic device
- AirPods - needed due to no headphone jack
- USB C cables - needed to connect iPhone to new MacBooks/Pros

I’ve owned every model iPhone since the beginning except the SE and the plastic one. Never used a case. I Dispute that it is “needed.” Never broke a phone, either. And who cares about the camera bump?

You don’t need airpods. It comes with headphones that plug into the lightning jack, and it comes with an adaptor for regular headphones. You are also free to use any non-Apple Bluetooth headphones you may already have.

I agree that a usb c cable should be included (or at least an adaptor). But plugging in is almost never necessary anymore, for what it’s worth.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hitrate
The AirPod audio quality is indeed terrible but that is supposed to be their primary function!

The other ones I mentioned (and own) are indeed a little bit more expensive because they are better in every way and I've never found pairing something via BlueTooth to be a problem.

Some of Sony's latest wireless earphones & headphones are LDAC compatible which means their audio quality is pretty damn insane, making the AirPods (and other naff cheap earphones) look like a product of yesteryear.

You've got to be joking us keeping the yap going about your precious Sony earbuds. First of all, to anybody crazy enough to take your hate spew literally: No, they don't sound terrible! They sound equally as good as the wired. Now that we got that out of the way:

To suggest the AirPods are a naff cheap earphone that looks like a product of yesteryear I mean, what planet are you living on with that BS? If anything, THIS is what looks like a product of yesteryear okay?! Go jog with your bulky ugly sticking out PC products LOL and btw. make sure you look extra carefully at any traffic, that you won't be able to hear. Thank me later.

maxresdefault.jpg
 
You've got to be joking us keeping the yap going about your precious Sony earbuds. First of all, to anybody crazy enough to take your hate spew literally: No, they don't sound terrible! They sound equally as good as the wired. Now that we got that out of the way:

To suggest the AirPods are a naff cheap earphone that looks like a product of yesteryear I mean, what planet are you living on with that BS? If anything, THIS is what looks like a product of yesteryear okay?! Go jog with your bulky ugly sticking out PC products LOL and btw. make sure you look extra carefully at any traffic, that you won't be able to hear. Thank me later.

I don't wear any earphones outside, only when at work or travelling and the AirPods do sound rubbish. I am no audiophile, but the sound quality is very poor. You obviously don't know any better as you haven't used decent earphones to be able to tell the difference between good, average & bad.

If the AirPods were good, I'd say so. I own enough Apple stuff to be able to say when I like something Apple branded or not. Unfortunately, the AirPods are just as bad as the wireless Beats X earphones (which I also own) when it comes to sound quality.
 
I’ve owned every model iPhone since the beginning except the SE and the plastic one. Never used a case. I Dispute that it is “needed.” Never broke a phone, either. And who cares about the camera bump?

You don’t need airpods. It comes with headphones that plug into the lightning jack, and it comes with an adaptor for regular headphones. You are also free to use any non-Apple Bluetooth headphones you may already have.

I agree that a usb c cable should be included (or at least an adaptor). But plugging in is almost never necessary anymore, for what it’s worth.

- The introduction of a v thin phone with a camera bump will have resulted in many many more people buying cases. You went without - fine. But I guarantee that a thin, slippery phone with curved edges + camera bump = case sales.

- The lightning headphones are flawed on many levels - they're merely a gesture. Iphone only connector, not rotatable, likely to fail fast. New iPhones are built for wireless audio first and foremost.

As long as AirPods exist, and a headphone jack in a new iPhone doesn't, I hate AirPods.
 
Last edited:
I don't wear any earphones outside, only when at work or travelling and the AirPods do sound rubbish. I am no audiophile, but the sound quality is very poor. You obviously don't know any better as you haven't used decent earphones to be able to tell the difference between good, average & bad.

If the AirPods were good, I'd say so. I own enough Apple stuff to be able to say when I like something Apple branded or not. Unfortunately, the AirPods are just as bad as the wireless Beats X earphones (which I also own) when it comes to sound quality.

Here are the headphones I own.
b6f6730a1aca14bce03fc7de6b14ca9b.jpg

Haven’t touched them since I got my Airpods.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hitrate
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.