Apple Supplier Ramps Up Production of AirPods 2 Parts to Meet High Demand

[FFR]

Apple can’t make them fast enough.

 

[Samiam11]

I wonder how people will react when they realize their AirPods are disposable products that only last 2-2.5 years due to poor battery longevity and the cost of replacement is equivalent to buying a whole new pair.

I found them so awesome I bought and lost 2 pair of the things because they and their case are unbelievably slippery and fall out of whatever I put them in. The Anker (1/3 the price) buds I bought have much better sound (for wireless ear buds) and have a slightly textured case, so fingers crossed I have not lost them yet. The Anker buds are a little bigger but fit better in my freakishly large ear holes. Paired to my phone

The AirPods are easily the best ear buds made, but are expensive, easy to lose and have a short battery life.

 

[oneMadRssn]

Kuo has said one of the new AirPods models will feature an "all-new form factor design" and a "higher price" than the second-generation AirPods

This sort of irks me. Not the price itself, but that it is trending upward. That's not how it's supposed to work.

I don't mind that Apple stuff is expensive - the Apple tax is fine with me. But technology is supposed to go down in price iteratively, or stay the same.

Examples: The first-gen iPod started at $400, third-gen started at $300, and it stayed at that price for a long time until the sixth-gen started at $250. Over time we kept getting a better and better product, for same or less dollars (less always if you consider inflation). The same is true for nearly everything. The lowest-end Apple laptop in 2006 (iBook G4) was $1000, and today the lowest-end Apple laptop is still $1000. The iMac G3 started at $1300 20 years ago (which is over $2000 in today's dollars), and today you can get an iMac which is 10,000x better for $1,100.

But lately Apple has been upping the price fairly aggressively as it iterated and the technology matures. That's bad.

 

[acorntoy]

I wonder how people will react when they realize their AirPods are disposable products that only last 2-2.5 years due to poor battery longevity and the cost of replacement is equivalent to buying a whole new pair.

Seems like the reaction is pretty dull considering it’s been 2 years since the original release.

You can also buy AirPods individually from Apple support once you own a pair and save a bit of money off buying a complete new set.

 

[farewelwilliams]

2-2.5 years? Many buyers are reporting as little as 10-20% play time after just a year of use.

It’s a Tim Cook product in that regard alright.

10%? sounds like an exaggeration

 

[archer75]

I love mine. Very convenient. Sound quality on phone calls is superb according to the person on the line. I've run several races and they have no problem staying in my ears.

 

[SBlue1]

If they do last 2-3 years it’s still money well spent..they are incredible to use

As a guitar player and music lover I own a few different Sony MDRs from $100 to $300 which last forever and I also bought the AirPods. If they get unusable after just 2 years I will get pretty pissed! 100 Bucks a year? Everybody complains about software and TV subscripions but this is the same for hardware then!
[doublepost=1557345634][/doublepost]

I love them but I do not love the disposable nature of them.

Same here

 

[Gilligan's last elephant]

I ended up buying AirPods. I love them but I do not love the disposable nature of them.

Hopefully Apple starts accepting them for recycling sooner rather than later.

I don't like the disposable nature of any BT earbuds and won't buy them. Fiio BTR 3 is a far better option for BT.

 

[tongxinshe]

Apple is making a VERY BIG strategic mistake by not making their AirPods device more friendly to Android devices.

 

[archer75]

Apple is making a VERY BIG strategic mistake by not making their AirPods device more friendly to Android devices.

How would they do that? Don't the airpods require a chip in the phone itself for all the special goodness?

They still support bluetooth 5 and will connect to android phones like any other bluetooth headphones. What else does apple need to do with them on android that other bluetooth 5 headphones don't?

 

[tongxinshe]

How would they do that? Don't the airpods require a chip in the phone itself for all the special goodness?

They still support bluetooth 5 and will connect to android phones like any other bluetooth headphones. What else does apple need to do with them on android that other bluetooth 5 headphones don't?

I don’t know the details, but with some effort, I am sure they could figure out a list of things to help. The most obvious but may not be the best thing, a helper app (Android version) should be able to do some good.

 

[MacClueless]

I wonder how people will react when they realize their AirPods are disposable products that only last 2-2.5 years due to poor battery longevity and the cost of replacement is equivalent to buying a whole new pair.

Worth it.
[doublepost=1557369065][/doublepost]

I don’t know the details, but with some effort, I am sure they could figure out a list of things to help. The most obvious but may not be the best thing, a helper app (Android version) should be able to do some good.

"Helper app" to do what? They don't even have an iOS app.

FWIW They work fine on my Galaxy S10+ though they're not as loud for some reason.
[doublepost=1557369206][/doublepost]

I fully expect Airpods 2 will continue to be sold alongside Airpods 3 which will most likely come in at an even higher price point

I seriously considered buying from Colorware... it'd be worth the money to have a cool color.
[doublepost=1557369316][/doublepost]

I’m a first GEN Airpod owner from December 2016 when they launched. Now, it would probably be dependent on how frequently someone charges their AirPods, and not let them drain consistently on a regular basis. But I can tell you I still use my first GEN AirPods and I’ve had zero issues with the battery, it’s all about maintenance being a factor.

FYI there's no such thing as "maintenance" with Lithium Ion batteries.

 

[DeepIn2U]

I really feel these gen2 AirPods should’ve had an exposed metal stalk so that volume could be controlled.

 

[PickUrPoison]

AirPods were destined to become e-waste from the moment they were manufactured. And AirPods become e-waste after just eighteen months, when the irreplaceable lithium ion battery dies. There is no way to recycle them and they stick around way longer after you die, just for convenience.

AirPods are trash... literarily.

Wrong. Apple recycles them as they do all their devices. You can drop them off at an Apple store if there’s one conveniently located, or download a prepaid mailing label. Couldn’t be easier.

 

[44267547]

FYI there's no such thing as "maintenance" with Lithium Ion batteries.

Why interject semantics? Maintenance exactly is that, maintaining the batteries by regularly charging them. It’s not a difficult concept to grasp.

 

[archer75]

I don’t know the details, but with some effort, I am sure they could figure out a list of things to help. The most obvious but may not be the best thing, a helper app (Android version) should be able to do some good.

But to do what? What needs to be done that other bluetooth 5 headphones on android don't do?
And why should apple go above and beyond other bluetooth headphones on a rival platform? It makes no sense.

 

[HoosBruce]

I wonder how people will react when they realize their AirPods are disposable products that only last 2-2.5 years due to poor battery longevity and the cost of replacement is equivalent to buying a whole new pair.

I use them every single day and my first pair lasted 2 years. I'd say I got $160 of usage out them very easily and I gladly bought the new ones on launch day.