Apple's Greg Joswiak on AirPods Growth: 'It Was Almost Like Wildfire'

[Brenster]

I don’t get why they are so special compared to other headphones and earphones out there. Can someone enlighten me?

I use Bose QC25 & QC30 for Private music listening & audiobooks in the office & at home with my family on account of the noise. The AirPods though are invaluable when listening to audiobooks in bed; no trailing wires and I can lie on my side with my head flush against the pillow with AirPods in and with no trailing wires back to my phone to get tangled in or caught. Can’t do that with either of my other headphones.

Also early morning TV watching as redirecting the audio from Apple TV to AirPods is seamless.

love my first gens AirPods, and if anything happened to them I’d buy a replacement pair in a heartbeat.

 

[Chompineer]

I feel that most Bluetooth headphones ‘just work’.

They do, as Bluetooth is a standard.
But none of them just work like other Apple products. Just bring your case near your phone and bam pair and ready to go. Then you can easily just bring them up near your iPad or Mac (with an app) and they are paired and good to go.

Other headphones are just much less convienent and most consumers don’t know many brand names or trust them.

Not many people are prosumer. Most just buy something on the expectation it will just work and be done with it, and they like to buy as much as they can from a brand they know and trust.

 

[Herrpod]

Quality issues aside(if they even exist) you can still do things the old way, so the point is invalid.

You can not do things the old way on iPhones or iPad Pros. That's patently false. And they did that in order to push their Airpods. Smart on their part obviously, but not good for consumers.

 

[minik]

I feel that most Bluetooth headphones ‘just work’.

Before the AirPods, I bought a pair of b&o bluetooth earbud. The AirPods is much more superior when it comes to pairing and quickness. It's way more comfortable on my ears than the b&o unit too. My sister who's an Android user and happens to have an iPhone X loves the AirPods Pro too.

 

[BF1M]

You can not do things the old way on iPhones or iPad Pros. That's patently false. And they did that in order to push their Airpods. Smart on their part obviously, but not good for consumers.

You can use wired headphones on the newest iPad Pro. I do almost daily.

 

[dannyyankou]

You can only use a wire attached to an adapter. An adapter that by the way lessens the audio quality of everything that passes through it.

I guess technically they "sound worse", but the same way someone with a .33597 batting average is worse than someone with a .33598.

Apple’s Lightning to 3.5mm Adapter Affects Sound Quality, Reveal Tests | iPhone in Canada

Tests show that the iPhone 7 with 3.5mm Lightning adapter sounds worse than iPhone 6s with 3.5mm headphone jack.

www.iphoneincanada.ca

However, it must be emphasized that these results aren’t too bad since the difference is going to be completely imperceptible to most people. In fact, even some audiophiles with an incredible ear for sound won’t notice the difference unless they’re listening to high-quality 24-bit audio files.

 

[now i see it]

Right then you thought, why would you attach the wire?

Because wired earphones can run indefinitely, don't require batteries and are 100X simpler

 

[Herrpod]

You can use wired headphones on the newest iPad Pro. I do almost daily.

Through an adapter that limits the bitrate the music can play at. So not like we could do in the past. What part of "the adapter compromises the quality of the audio" are you missing?

 

[ct2k7]

I use Bose QC25 & QC30 for Private music listening & audiobooks in the office & at home with my family on account of the noise. The AirPods though are invaluable when listening to audiobooks in bed; no trailing wires and I can lie on my side with my head flush against the pillow with AirPods in and with no trailing wires back to my phone to get tangled in or caught. Can’t do that with either of my other headphones.

Also early morning TV watching as redirecting the audio from Apple TV to AirPods is seamless.

love my first gens AirPods, and if anything happened to them I’d buy a replacement pair in a heartbeat.

You’re the first person I’ve heard of who uses earphones to listen to TV, but given it’s early morning, I can see why. You’re now stating that the benefit comes when you’re in the whole ecosystem.

They do, as Bluetooth is a standard.
But none of them just work like other Apple products. Just bring your case near your phone and bam pair and ready to go. Then you can easily just bring them up near your iPad or Mac (with an app) and they are paired and good to go.

Other headphones are just much less convienent and most consumers don’t know many brand names or trust them.

Not many people are prosumer. Most just buy something on the expectation it will just work and be done with it, and they like to buy as much as they can from a brand they know and trust.

The pairing functionality is the only thing that’s easy, I’ll give it that, but after that is any easier to use than standard BT headphones?

Most people using headphones in the country I’m in use the Sony XM3 or rarely beats. I seldom see people with AirPods / Pros.
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Before the AirPods, I bought a pair of b&o bluetooth earbud. The AirPods is much more superior when it comes to pairing and quickness. It's way more comfortable on my ears than the b&o unit too. My sister who's an Android user and happens to have an iPhone X loves the AirPods Pro too.

I have the Sony XM3 and I found them to be much better than the AirPod pros, which just don’t have as good NC. It’s also as comfortable as each other.

 

[hxlover904]

Apple wearables the size of a Fortune 150 company...

Wow.....!

That was exactly my reaction, too.

 

[Herrpod]

Because wired earphones can run indefinitely, don't require batteries and are 100X simpler

Yep, my wired headphones never decided to drop connection in the middle of a song. Apple are so full of ****, which is their right, they're trying to make money, but the people who are worse are the ones that justify the BS Apple pulls as if it's good for customers to have fewer/worse choices.

 

[nfl46]

Yes, I can't live without my AirPods! I was a day 1 purchaser back when they were released. I remember getting so many awkward stares when I had them in my ear, lol. Now, everyone has them.

 

[BF1M]

Through an adapter that limits the bitrate the music can play at. So not like we could do in the past. What part of "the adapter compromises the quality of the audio" are you missing?

That wasn’t what we are talking about. The quality is irrelevant; it was said you can’t do things the old way and that’s just not true.

 

[riverfreak]

I’ve owned AirPods and they aren’t anything special.

Is it the fact that it’s Apple-branded? Are we in a post world where anything Apple releases is automatically awesome?

It has nothing to do with their “branding”, at least not in the pejorative sense you are using it.

The original AirPods were and remain amazing. They connect quickly. The sound is fantastic. They are comfortable, light weight and have tremendous battery life. The carrying case and battery pack was clever and innovative. Like most of Apple’s successful designs, the Airpods have become the standard design language for the product class.

That they easily let in ambient noise is a huge benefit too, unless you like being completely sealed off from the world. I often forget I’m wearing them.

if you can point me to a similar product — that was available in 2016, that isn’t a complete airpods ripoff, that comes in at a similar price point, and that functions as well or better than AirPods— please let me know.

 

[shoppy]

I’ve owned AirPods and they aren’t anything special.

Is it the fact that it’s Apple-branded? Are we in a post world where anything Apple releases is automatically awesome?

I could not give a monkey about the brand and buy what I like. However bottom line is that they are decent for the price point. I have the AirPods and pros as well as a set of Jabra in ear.
They all have there uses; but generally most things apple are great and the old cliche just work!

 

[farewelwilliams]

"Why would you attach a wire?"

Because it sounds better, and choices are a good thing unless you're the company trying to force everyone down one specific path.

i heard you like choices

 

[Herrpod]

That wasn’t what we are talking about. The quality is irrelevant; you said you can’t do things the old way and that’s just not true.

Wrong once again. If you want to be pedantic about it, the old way was me taking my headphones and plugging the 3.5 cable into the phone. Show me how that's possible now. The new way involves me going to a store and buying an adapter/dongle (which by its very nature lessens the audio quality). So no, not like before.

 

[ct2k7]

The are decent for the price mark I have the AirPods and pros as well as a set of Jabra in ear. They all have there uses; but generally most things apple are great and the old cliche just work!

I personally find them slightly overpriced, but I am not a very rich person. They do work as well as any earphones I’ve had in the price range though.

 

[BF1M]

Wrong once again. If you want to be pedantic about it, the old way was me taking my headphones and plugging the 3.5 cable into the phone. Show me how that's possible now. The new way involves me going to a store and buying an adapter/dongle (which by its very nature lessens the audio quality). So no, not like before.

Can you use wired headphones with an iPad Pro or new i-device that doesn’t have the headphone jack? If the answer is anything other than a full “no” the claim that people are being forced to buy new tech or abandon old is just plain wrong. They may have to adapt a bit if they want to move on to a new device. Which, again, nobody is being forced to do either.

Maybe I’m not remembering correctly but I remember being given the adapter for free....yea who knows...

 

[ct2k7]

Can you use wired headphones with an iPad Pro or new i-device that doesn’t have the headphone jack? If the answer is anything other than a full “no” the claim that people are being forced to buy new tech or abandon old is just plain wrong. They may have to adapt a bit if they want to move on to a new device. Which, again, nobody is being forced to do either.

Maybe I’m not remembering correctly but I remember being given the adapter for free....yea who knows...

The adapter for free isn’t with the iPad Pros.

 

[BF1M]

Gentle pushing = Apple taking out the headphone jack.

Forcing = Apple having audio out through lightning\USB-C blocked.
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The adapter for free isn’t with the iPad Pros.

I didn’t say it was. I said I recall being given one for free.

 

[ct2k7]

Gentle pushing = Apple taking out the headphone jack.

Forcing = Apple having audio out through lightning\USB-C blocked.
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I didn’t say it was. I said I recall being given one for free.

If you solely come from the iPad Pro perspective, I think you have to get a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter.

 

[shoppy]

I personally find them slightly overpriced, but I am not a very rich person. They do work as well as any earphones I’ve had in the price range though.

So to put it in perspective your objection is price. I hate to say it but money should not the reason to slate a product. I have had many different brands much more expensive but always keep a set of AirPods as they just work, pair easily and last a long time. My original pair still work; I agree they do not last as long.
They are great value as I hate things that are a faff, I want things to just work my AirPods always do. I have a fe other brands which work but with a a few annoyances.

 

[BF1M]

If you solely come from the iPad Pro perspective, I think you have to get a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter.

You do. At which point your wired headphones will work just fine with no realistic drop in quality.

 

[Nozuka]

The original Airpods never really worked for my ears... they were always very loose.

Airpod Pro fit much better and feel very secure. So i can definitely see the improvement.

Sadly i had alot of problems with them, to the point that now that they finally got repaired i am so fed up with them, that i rarely wan‘t to use them anymore.... (well, and also alot of times only one side is connecting on my iphone, which is annoying)

But what is really nice:
You pair them with one device, and they work with all your apple devices. With other bluetooth headsets you usually only get to connect them to one or two devices and you have to go through the setup process with every device.