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Apple Debuts Wireless 'AirPods' With 5 Hours of Music Playback

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I find all hard-shell earbuds I've ever tried horribly uncomfortable, so these are a no-go for me. I would definitely had considered them if they had replaceable tips so that I could add Comply tips to suit my size and style preference.

Further, I really don't care for having 2 separate and very small components. I personally would prefer the pair attached together with a lightweight cable. And I would suspect that there will be a huge number of companies marketing straps very soon (in fact, I bet those eye glasses straps you can get at any drug store will work well).

Edit: fltman you must have been typing your response as I was typing mine.
 
OzyOly said:
I feel the same way, the earphone included with iPads and iPhones go straight in the bin here. They are not just uncomfortable, they are painful.
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Not to mention that they don't block sound like most earbuds, which makes them unusable on an airplane.
 
Its interesting how Philip Schiller, who is also Apple's Senior Vice President of Marketing, recounted AirPods to have "breakthrough wireless audio experience" and not "breakthrough audio experience."
 
Brilliant move by Apple. People will be losing one or both of their AirPods all the time. Just make sure to only sell them in pairs, so if you lose 1, you still have to buy another full pair.
 
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I didn't read ALL the messages, but from what I did read, it seems like most of you are missing the most exciting thing about these... the underlying technology. You don't like the form factor or the battery life? Check out what Beats has to offer using the underlying technology. The battery life and form factor are not the killer things here(though regardless of what the people complaining about it say, 5 hours of charge from such a small device is actually extremely impressive).

I've had 3 wireless bluetooth headphones over the years, they're all a pain in the ass to move across devices and they all have irritating characteristics that the underlying tech in these things seems to address(have to wait and see to be sure how they do in practice, but it looks really promising). If it seamlessly connects to and moves between devices as promised in the demo, this will be among the most innovative and useful "star trek" like tech jump Apple's introduced post-Jobs.

A lot of you won't get it until you've stubbornly gone on amazon, ordered one of the current bluetooth headphones just so you can feel smug you didn't over pay Apple, and then you'll discover all the irritating limitations with current wireless headphone tech that these things address. Things I've been wishing would go away for years.

Without overstating it, if it works as promised in the presentation, these things could do for wireless headphones what the original iPhone did for smartphones, make them mass market so everyone has and prefers them(again, think underlying tech, not just this specific model). Because I swear to you, you order a pair of wireless headphones available on amazon right now and give them to an average person, most people will go back to their wired headphones because of all the little irritating things that can come up setting them up and using them on multiple devices(and who the hell wants to have to search the internet to figure out how to get headphones working?)

I'm holding on to my iPhone 6 for another year, but these headphones(I might go with one of the Beats offerings that use the underlying tech, not a huge fan of the bud style) will be mine ASAP(assuming they won't require a new phone or laptop to work with).
 
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What most peoples are forgetting is that the new AirPods doesn't have a controller to change the volume, change song and so on. The only way you can do that is to tell Siri to do that. But then, can Siri change songs in Spotify?

But good luck with that in public like a bus or something where you have to say: Siri, next song, no, next song. Grrrrrr damnit, next song again, nononono, next song and so on. Would be pretty funny to see something like that in action, lol.

That's more hassle and irritating than convenient for listening to music in my eyes. So it looks like this whole AirPods are a joke.

So you can have all of the fancy technology you want in those AirPods, but without the convenient of listening to musics as easy as before, there is no way those AirPods will be a success.
 
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I'm sorry, but this is a product I don't see any good use cases for at all - and that applies to all manufacturers.

1) They will fall out. I have used a multitude of headsets the last 25 years, both in-ear and bigger versions, cabled and bluetooth. Maybe two of the in-ear versions I have had stayed in the ear comfortably while still delivering decent sound. Most did not.

There is no way Apple has made some amazing discovery when it comes to the shape of the ear canals that will make these work for everyone. Lots of buyers will use them for a short while before throwing them in the nearest drawer for good.

2) A solution where the two ear pieces are connected is just as portable and wireless. It also keeps the pieces together, reducing the chance of losing them and with the receiver/battery/controls on the wire itself (typically resting on your neck) you not only get 4-5x the battery capacity, but also controls for volume/skipping/answering calls and so on. I for one would not like to use voice control for things like that when I travel to work on the train.

And one of the big things with wireless headsets - especially in combination with a smart watch - is that you can have your phone in your pocket while still enjoying music, podcasts and using calling functionality. If you still have to use your phone physically to do basic stuff that has to do with the sound or what you are listening to, much of the point is lost.
 
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Relentless Power said:
I'm worried how they will fit in my ears. The price point is about what I expected. Not to sure if I will buy or not. 5 hours is decent.
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I was really looking forward to these, but sees as the EarPods give me no isolation whatsoever and fall out on their own, these probably won't be any different.
 
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Traverse said:
You're post was spot on. I was impressed with the phones, but the AirPods actually excited me.

I've paid over $240 for high end headphones, but $159 for these wireless EarPods that are so easy to lose. Eh...it's not high fidelity sound, just convenience.
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I'm just cheap on headphones. Haha. I'm not an audiophile at all, and the regular EarPods are easily the most comfortable buds I've ever worn. I think the most I've ever paid for a pair of headphones was about $50 for some mediocre Bluetooth set. I wouldn't be sad about getting these as a gift though.
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Watch the video it has a W1 chip rated at 5 hrs. Don't you people know how this works? Next year W2 chip for 8 hrs use and the next yr W3 chip for 10 hrs use then next year W4 chip at 12 hrs use......
 
Horrible design. I would have liked to wear these mountain biking, but with a helmet on, (those things) sticking out out my ears would get caught on the helmet strap. Oh well, I'll just use my old headphones, oh but wait if I get a new iPhone I'll have to use an adapter. I guess I'll just stay home and play a 30 year old video game on my phone with one hand while eating a cheeseburger.

When I saw the picture of someone wearing them they look, well, funny.
 
These are exceptionally disappointing. The stick out antenna is the killer for me. They might give you a better BT connection than the Dash but these are much inferior.
 
Feenician said:
Really think I'll get these when they're released. Seem useful for music/podcast listening as always and I really like the feature that directs the 2nd stereo channel to one earpiece when only one is in - really useful for office/home office conferencing when you want one ear free.
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You forgot to say "I received a discount on this product for the favorable review".
 
ILuvEggplant said:
how innovative apple. we are back in the era of bluetooth earpieces.
Best-Bluetooth-headsets-Wear-01.jpg
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Hilarious. Next thing you know they will be coming out with the iRoledex and a new cordless house phone.
 
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So is the sound exactly like the normal earpods? If so, they sound like crap and feel uncomfortable.
 
eyeseeyou said:
Based on the comments and complaints I assume most people aren't familiar with the average price and battery life for this type of product is.

5 hours of battery life and $149-$159 or whatever it is, is actually very very good.

Samsungs versions cost $199 with 1.5-2 hours of battery life

Bragi Dash are $300 with 3 hours of battery life
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Exactly what I was thinking reading these comments. I have a few pairs of Bluetooth earbuds and have been looking for "truly wireless" and was considering the Bragi dash, but waited on this announcement. 300 vs 150? With almost twice the battery life, better connection and ease of use. And this is a bad deal HOW?

Do people just want apple to give them free stuff or what? Jesus Christ man
 
I like them. I don't think I've EVER worn my earbuds for more than five hours straight. When not using them, they'll just go into the case (which would be common sense even if the case DIDN'T have a charger; these are easy to lose) and they will charge no problem.

As for the "stick" that protrudes downwards? They had to put the battery and antenna SOMEWHERE. Also, the stick moves the microphone slightly close to your mouth; it's already a bit far away as it is. Remember, these won't have a mic/button controller on the cord near your mouth.

I plan to pick up a pair. Apple has a generous return policy; if they suck they are easy enough to return for something else. I'm not sure why everyone is bitching now; TRY THEM first, then if they suck, THEN bitch! Bitching now is pointless.

Just never having to detangle the blasted earpod cables again will be like a gift from the gods.
 
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