Apple Quietly Updates AirPods Firmware to Version 3.5.1

[bronksy]

Well mine were on 53% last night. Dropped 7% in 8 hours so pretty much exactly the same drain for me. They are replacement pods too. Only had one charge cycle and running the latest firmware.


Will try another reset.

 

[44267547]

You don't have to do anything. They will update automatically when they feel like it.

Just leaving them by themselves in the charging case, with the lid closed, and they will update on their own.

Slightly incorrect. The case has to be open and they don't update "When they feel like it." The charging case should be at 50%. Refer to post #32 and #194 for reference generated by SinSin07.

 

[bronksy]

Slightly incorrect. The case has to be open and they don't update "When they feel like it." The charging case should be at 50%. Refer to post #32 and #194 for reference generated by SinSin07.

And on wifi.

 

[44267547]

And on wifi.

Which is why I indicated post #32 and #194 refers to all directions. And any software update with Apple has to be connected to wifi to verify and download.

 

[ManuCH]

I've had this same issue on my 7 Plus, and I can confirm that it occurs specifically when the phone is doing something (I've noticed that certain apps seem to exacerbate the problem further). I had the issue under 10.2 with the AirPods out of the box. I replaced the AirPods and the issue continued. I even took my 7 Plus to the Genius Bar to do a diagnostic on the bluetooth antenna; no problems were found. So at the moment there doesn't seem to be a solution.

I've also reset the bluetooth, repaired the AirPods, hard-restarted the phone, and reset network settings, all to no avail. Through my own testing, I have not noticed the problem on other devices such as my iPad and/or MacBook Pro.

Unfortunately, the next step of testing would be to back-up and restore the iPhone, and I can't quite bring myself to do that as it's a huge pain in the butt (and still might not fix the problem).

Glad to see I'm not the only one with the problem. Anyone else experiencing issues like this and/or have any solutions?

Same here. I was able to pinpoint the source of the problem: disabling 4G/LTE (and running on 3G only) stops the issues completely. Not that this is a solution, but at least we know where it comes from.

I still have to describe this to Apple in a way such that it is taken seriously, so that maybe they can fix it one day. Btw, all my friends having AirPods and a 7 Plus have the exact same issue.

 

[mnni]

This firmware might have fixed the battery draining issue for me. My AirPods lay on my nightstand last night. They were fully charged and when I checked them in the morning…the case was still at 100%. Usually it would lose around >20% in one night. I will continue watch them... But the first sample is looking good.

 

[hobspain]

I have done that before hand. It is not showing either but all sorted now. It was because of my iMac playing up.

Then, maybe, you skipped step 3...

"3: Verify in Settings/Bluetooth there is a connection to the AirPods"

 

[ryanwarsaw]

I checked minutes after a user first reported this, mine were already updated. Crazy how fast that happens.

Same deal for me. I am guessing they may have updated before this was even reported. I could have gone a long time never noticing this if ever if it wasn't reported here.

 

[eagleglen]

After updating I've noticed two things so far. First, when you open the case lid with both AirPods inside of it, the display on your iPhone now shows the battery level of the pods separately, distinctly for the left and right. Second, I can now connect the AirPods to my Apple Watch and use it as the audio source. Before it never worked unless I restarted the watch.

 

[Lennyvalentin]

This was not about audio issues on a Macbook, but bluetooth audio glitches with real world WiFi load.

Can you move your wifi network to the 5GHz band? That way traffic over it won't collide with bluetooth transmissions, plus you get vastly higher data transfer rates (and better response times in general due to way less congestion overall.)

 

[ryanwarsaw]

This. I hate silicon tipped earbuds, I don't want a plunger in my ear.

Every time I had headphones with the little silicone plugs they always feel off and got lost anyway.

 

[newellj]

Every time I had headphones with the little silicone plugs they always feel off and got lost anyway.

This ^^^, drives me crazy. Plus, honestly, though they stay in better and give you better sound, they can be dangerous if you're interacting with traffic or doing other things where missing an audio cue could be hazardous. Some of the drawbacks of the Apple pods (all kinds) are really just trade-offs.

 

[NT1440]

Dramatic cutdown in random pauses and disconnects!

 

[Jayson A]

All I did was played music on them for a minute or so, then put them back in the case. Boom! Updated!

I hope this helps the random cut-outs.
[doublepost=1486045600][/doublepost]

I have this great idea for headphones that never need charging and are difficult to lose because they are connected to one another. The headphones have their own separate plug so as not to interfere with charging or battery cases or any interface which uses the charging/data port. The headphones are extremely small and lightweight since the sound processing is all done in the phone, so they are just little speakers that sit in your ears. And they sound amazing.

That's funny. I like my AirPods better than wired headphones because...

A. Freedom of moving around without needing your phone in your pocket.

B. No cords to get tangled or damaged.

C. Wired headphones always seem to snag on everything and yank on my ears (especially when doing things like shoveling... the wire gets caught easily on my jacket zipper)

D. Light weight. Can hardly feel them there.

E. The corded headphones brush up against my face and that's slightly uncomfortable

F. My cat likes to sit on my lap a lot and would try to play with or bite my wires.

For those reasons, I prefer my AirPods.
[doublepost=1486045810][/doublepost]

As soon as they get volume control and skip song via tapping or gestures... I'm in.

I heard that the audio and video is synced when you watch Youtube or watch a movie via video player/N player/VLC etc...

Is that true?

The sound is literally 1:1 with real time. When you change volume for example, it's instant (just like wired headphones). There's no delay

 

[tomaustin44]

First 24 hours after the update.... 2 hours usage and only 5% case battery dropped. Previously I was losing 25% per day on that usage so very happy the issue has been resolved. The battery life feels practically infinite now!!

 

[GizmoDVD]

I noticed mine instantly connected to my ATV4 last night even when I had last used them on my Mac.

Before I had to go through the settings and connect them each time.

 

[JNGold]

Dramatic cutdown in random pauses and disconnects!

Not here. After the update, experiencing pauses in the Apple Podcast App for no reason. Didn't have that issue before the firmware update.

 

[Larry The L]

Does this update fix them falling out of my ears?? Fingers crossed

Glue will fix your problem!
[doublepost=1486050742][/doublepost]

Does this fix the issue of modern music sounding terrible?

Not listening to music you don't like will fix your problem.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

So now there is an OS in ear-pods, amazing

In case no one said it yet: AirOS?

 

[tivoboy]

I'm having an issue that when I am on a call, and a TEXT message comes in, the call audio drops totally and the text message alert comes in - and then the call DOES resume but not without having been a total drop out.

 

[Bakerwrites]

This update has fixed the issue where the audio was too quiet to listen to on the iPod Nano, which I am pleasantly surprised about.

 

[tivoboy]

This update has fixed the issue where the audio was too quiet to listen to on the iPod Nano, which I am pleasantly surprised about.

indeed, all things seem to be louder.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

Not for me. They connected a little faster, but audio is completely distorted.

Do you think having too many Bluetooth devices could be the issue? I have Magic KB, Mouse, and Trackpad all going.

Doubtful. Something I read the other day makes me feel like you should be good with up to six simultaneous BT devices. I would imagine the AirPods count as TWO, though...
[doublepost=1486076544][/doublepost]

Does this update fix them falling out of my ears?? Fingers crossed

He
Yes. According to the release notes, the update slightly changes the molecular structure of the AirPods, making them become very slightly adhesive. This makes them stay in your ears better.
[doublepost=1486076800][/doublepost]

Does this fix the issue of modern music sounding terrible?

No. You're going to have to speak to the artists directly about that...

(J/k)
[doublepost=1486077144][/doublepost]

To the lovers of wireless Bluetooth headsets. When I watch Netflix on my Reinta Macbook Pro I get intermitted audio drops and distortion probably due WiFi interference.

But dropping the iPhone headphone jack is a win, win win, and the future or so they said :-/

Get a modern, dual-band router, and make sure your MBP connects to the 5 GHz WiFi. That won't help if the 2.4 GHz band is swamped by other devices/neighbors; but it will remove at least one source of 2.4 GHz "pollution" for the AirPods to deal with.
[doublepost=1486077521][/doublepost]

Hmm. I havne't had any problems, but I'm on the newest MacBook Pro.

And, more importantly, you are in a completely different WiFi environment.
[doublepost=1486078163][/doublepost]

And hope that their availability info and estimated delivery dates are actually accurate - something they're not exactly known for.
[doublepost=1485964537][/doublepost]

I don't think custom ear molds will fit inside the AirPods' charging case. Also, the ear molds cost as much as the AirPods, which is kind of ridiculous.

Cheaper than reconstructive surgery to change your ear-shape, I'd bet...

 

[SoGood]

Been using my AirPods for quite a few hours now since the update. It may have improved some connection issues, there seemed to be new problems. 1) It does not automatically activate when taken out of the case whilst in a phone call. 2) Battery status no longer shows on the swipe screen (with Calendar and Reminders etc) unless follow a reboot. Overall, there are still quite a few annoying small bugs.

Looks like the AirPods firmware will need a little more time to fully mature.

 

[mnni]

This firmware might have fixed the battery draining issue for me. My AirPods lay on my nightstand last night. They were fully charged and when I checked them in the morning…the case was still at 100%. Usually it would lose around >20% in one night. I will continue watch them... But the first sample is looking good.

Seems like it. The second night without charging and again no noticeable drop in battery. Very good.