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Well by FY22 as he's predicting, it's probably going to be AirPods 4 or 5.

But whether version 2, 3, 4 or 5, the universal advancements should almost always be:
  • better quality sound
  • better, more comfortable fit
  • longer battery life
Somewhere in there, there's probably also:
  • colors (or see colorware's options now)
  • changes in general shapes so that one can tell newer model from old (mostly for the "have to have latest & greatest so other people can tell" crowd)
  • improvements to water resistance
  • adoption of newer Bluetooth standards
  • faster charging
They need active noise canceling - as they are now they don't fit snug enough for me to be able to use them on a plane - too much ambient sound leaks through and I have to crank the volume to hear music which I know is not good for my ears - so I wear other buds when traveling.
 
Right, these make you look like a "t**t".

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How are people so turned off by something that is the exact same look, minus the wire?
 
I've never had a problem with wired EarPods before, but for some reason my AirPods really, really hurt after about 20 minutes!
Hm, this is what I wanted to ask. Do EarPods and AirpPods have the same size and shape? In the photos they look the same, more or less. From what you say they are not. So, which is it?

Any other reports from users having both EarPods and AirpPods? I have the wired EarPods, which fit me very well, and I would like to buy the AirPods but because of the negative reports I am hesitating, considering their high price.
 
Hm, this is what I wanted to ask. Do EarPods and AirpPods have the same size and shape? In the photos they look the same, more or less. From what you say they are not. So, which is it?

Any other reports from users having both EarPods and AirpPods? I have the wired EarPods, which fit me very well, and I would like to buy the AirPods but because of the negative reports I am hesitating, considering their high price.

They are not the exact same shape. On top of being very lightweight (the lack of wire makes them less likely to get weighed down and fall out), they are just slightly different in shape - but enough that I wouldn't "trust" prior experience with EarPods. They are also louder with a better range of highs and lows than EarPods.

(ETA: Qualifier - I've had my AirPods for about 36 hours. I also have a pair of EarPods and In-Ear headphones from Apple with me. AirPods are the most comfortable and better sounding)
 
Well by FY22 as he's predicting, it's probably going to be AirPods 4 or 5.

But whether version 2, 3, 4 or 5, the universal advancements should almost always be:
  • better quality sound
  • better, more comfortable fit
  • longer battery life
Somewhere in there, there's probably also:
  • colors (or see colorware's options now)
  • changes in general shapes so that one can tell newer model from old (mostly for the "have to have latest & greatest so other people can tell" crowd)
  • improvements to water resistance
  • adoption of newer Bluetooth standards
  • faster charging

Claiming that Apple will change the appearance of something just "to tell newer model from old" is a favorite tactic of the crowd who don't understand Apple and insist that it "sells only based on fashion" --- even though common sense makes it clear how idiotic the claim is. Apple's biggest money-maker by far is the iPhone, and yet Apple transitioned from keeping the iPhone body the same across two years (iphone 4/4S, then 5/5D) to three years (7 looks like 6, likely 7S will look like 7 meaning 4 years for the bulk model, ignoring iPhone 8 specialty model rumors).

And those 4 to 5 to 6 visual changes were all driven by a real change in the screen, not just "to look different".


More realistic advances will be, IMHO, yes the OTHER examples you give --- color, battery, new BT. But also I could see

- addition of an LED. This among other things, makes it easier to find them. And it's the sort of functionality that could be useful in other ways, just like no-one predicted that having an LED flash on your phone was actually constantly useful as a portable flashlight.

- store audio on the device. Not only does this extend battery life, but it means the audio keeps playing even if you walk away from your phone (or whatever)

- more digital processing within the device. eg Some attempt at noise cancellation, some attempt at companding.

- live audio translation (babelfish...)

- more health metrics (eg UV sensors to track sun exposure. Can augment sensors present in the watch. eg watch UV sensor can get covered by shirt cuff. Maybe thermometer for ongoing tracking of body temperature and early detection of fever? Maybe [I don't know] tracking blood flow in that area can give early warnings of migraines and detect patterns in when they arise?)
 
Those AirPods are kind of trouble. Had strange dropouts all the time. Now the right one basically died.When you reset the whole thing you might be able to connect it again for one 'session' but then, it'll be gone again.
 
I believe this to be true and have recommended AirPods to a number of friends who have been on the fence.
Interesting analysis there. I have to disagree however. I've yet to see a single person wearing them in London, and rush hour here isn't exactly deprived of people wearing headphones. The other issue they have to get around is you look like a t**t wearing them.

Give them a try and you might just have the last laugh. The sound is awesome and as a person who exercises everyday, it's nice not to be tangled in a cord every few minutes. People laugh at me all the time because they are amusing to look at - but having them in both ears seem strange to you, only one is needed to be used at a time.
Cheers!
 
Right, these make you look like a "t**t".



How are people so turned off by something that is the exact same look, minus the wire?


It's perception. The wires are normal and people have seen them for decades. The wireless ones, IMO, absolutely look ridiculous to me. COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS. Maybe not ****ty but ughhh. Honestly, I think it may mostly have to do with coloring.
 
I have yet to find a more comfortable pair of headphones than EarPods. At this point I'm convinced that my ears are somehow weird, but I really don't give a hoot. I have them on, depending on the day, hours at a time, and not once have they hurt my ears or fallen out. I probably won't, however, buy the AirPods, because I'm a dinosaur who still likes to listen to music with my iPod Classic.

If I, however, at some point have a midlife crisis or something similar, I probably will switch to the wireless version.

Sure, in terms of HIFI the EarPods are probably not top of the class (or, depending on who you ask attending the class at all), but I've grown accustomed to, and quite fond of the sound myself. I mostly listen to them when I'm out and about, and for that use case I haven't found better ones, that suite me, yet.
 
They need a 'sport version' that uses a wrap around design so there wouldn't be a worry of them falling out. I'd buy some.

There are plenty of third party straps available (look on Amazon).
Right now these are all of the flexible variety (some silicone, some stainless steel); but if there is a demand for the rigid variety I'm sure they will ship in time.
 
It's perception. The wires are normal and people have seen them for decades. The wireless ones, IMO, absolutely look ridiculous to me. COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS. Maybe not ****ty but ughhh.

Wireless headphones are more and more common sight when I use the subway. Maybe 1 out of 30 headphones is wireless.
 
Wireless headphones are more and more common sight when I use the subway. Maybe 1 out of 30 headphones is wireless.


I agree. I should have said Apple wireless headphones. I see all sorts of others and they look normal to me. For some reason though airpods look ridiculous to me.
 
"Gene Munster" - looks like a slow news day - I skipped anything he writes about

On the $ 159 Airpod pricing - I am still waiting for the $89/99 refurbs to arrive - at that price, I will bite.
 
The next generation MacBook Pro will ship without speakers, because "speakers have always been troublesome and prone to personal choice". Instead you will be recommended to buy a pair of Airpods or the Homepod for Audio.
 
Apple analyst Neil Cybart recently said Apple is "underpricing" the Apple Watch and AirPods in an effort to bring new users into its ecosystem. He said this pricing strategy was "unimaginable" ten years ago, when Apple was often accused of pricing products artificially high--aka the so-called "Apple Tax."

Underpricing? I don't know where these people live, but it seems to me Apple is definitely still over-pricing everything from watch bands to a charger cable. They are a "premium" luxury brand, Neil.
"Oh, you want an adapter for that phone that doesn't have a headphone jack so you can charge your phone and listen to something too? Well, you have to spend $40 Unless you spend $150 on different headphones, then you don't have to worry about that issue. and oh yeah, we'll make the phone more expensive too when you buy it next year so even though we just keep taking things out you'll still pay more.

Listen, an IPOD shuffle is $50. Once you add a touchscreen, antenna, and a wristband it becomes $380? Please....
While I get the appeal of an AW, to me, the real world value doesn't equal the price tag, which is why i still haven't bought one.

/Rant.

Off topic, but does it seem strange to anyone that the 7-plus 256 gb iphone is $100 more than the 256 Ipad pro with cellular? seems it should be the other way around.
 
That is the biggest problem - No Stock!

Indeed, stock is an issue, and one that was seemingly preventing me from ever buying some, but I personally eventually decided that I'd waited the six weeks delivery time several times over, so I just ordered some and figured I'd wait without constantly checking stock.

In a couple of weeks I hope I'll be happy :)
 
I predict AirPods sales will be larger than Mac sales... Creative Pros are now abandoning Apple in favor of Adobe running on cheaper Windows boxes... 9 out of the last 10 large agencies I have freelanced for in the NYC area have switched to PC.

I don't see any Mac sales decline on fiscal quarters.
 
Both are products in niche markets. In another word, it really doesn't matter at all which one sells more.

It's a niche product, because they are accessories to the iPhone and they are not stand alone products like the iPhone and iPad. However, if the Apple Watch continues to advance with health related features, it will outgrow the "Niche" category rather quickly, as glucose or blood pressure will benefit many.
 
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I often wonder if people how say this have tried them. I've never actually met someone in person who couldn't wear EarPods or Airpods. EarPods are more of a pain, because of the wires, so the AirPods take care of that problem. And lets be realistic here, EarPods are used by TONS and TONS of people. So they must fit fine for a good majority of the population.
You're right - the wired EarPods never worked for me; the wires pulled 'em out. The AirPods work great and never fall out.
 
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Despite selling for $159, considerably less than the Apple Watch at between $269 and $1,499, longtime Apple analyst turned venture capitalist Gene Munster believes AirPods will be "bigger than the Apple Watch" over the next decade.

airpods-apple-watch-duo.jpg

Munster predicts that AirPods will contribute "about the same amount of revenue" to Apple's pocket as the Apple Watch by the company's 2022 fiscal year. He also predicts that AirPods will have an average price of $200 by then, as the product shifts towards what he calls "augmented audio."Apple doesn't disclose AirPods or Apple Watch sales in its quarterly earnings results. Both products are instead grouped into its "Other Products" category, alongside sales of iPods, Apple TVs, Beats products, and accessories. Any revenue or sales numbers that circulate around are purely estimates.

Apple reported $2.87 billion revenue from "Other Products" last quarter, a 31 percent increase from $2.18 billion in the year-ago quarter.

Early last month, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the response to AirPods has been "great," with the wireless earphones remaining hard to come by.

"Demand for AirPods significantly exceeds supply, and growth in Beats products has also been very strong," said Cook. "In fact, when we combine Apple Watch, AirPods, and Beats headphones, our revenues from wearable products in the last four quarters was the size of a Fortune 500 company."

Despite launching over six months ago, AirPods continue to have a 6-week shipping estimate for orders placed on Apple's website. Some third-party resellers have occasionally had them in stock with earlier delivery.

Apple analyst Neil Cybart recently said Apple is "underpricing" the Apple Watch and AirPods in an effort to bring new users into its ecosystem. He said this pricing strategy was "unimaginable" ten years ago, when Apple was often accused of pricing products artificially high--aka the so-called "Apple Tax."

Cybart said a strong case could have been made for Apple to price AirPods at $249, or even $299. By selling them for $159, he thinks Apple has "removed all available oxygen from the wireless headphone space," and forced other wireless headphone makers to cut their own prices in order to remain competitive.

AirPods have been well received by early adopters, achieving a 98 percent customer satisfaction rate in a recent survey conducted by Experian and market research firm Creative Strategies.

Article Link: Gene Munster Predicts Apple Will Eventually Earn More From AirPods Than Apple Watch
Intersting mental exercise but rather pointless. Besides, Watch is a platform and AirPods are an accessory. AirPods sales will continue to grow but so will Watch sales.
 
I've said it before... AirPods are poorly designed, ergonomically they're a mess. I'll stick with my Dash Pro that stay in my ear and good luck to all those who feel they must stay in the Apple ecosphere, even when badly designed.
 
Seriously how can I get a job doing what these analysts do? We predict the iPod Touch will come in 7 colors next year! Apple will almost definitely maybe probably not make an Apple Television like we've all been saying for the last 10 years! The new Apple Car will feature CarPlay! Ok now pay me $120,000 a year.
You think they make that much hahaha.
 
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I have yet to see a single pair in the wild. ANYWHERE. Since they have come out I have been to FL, IN, KY, AL(live here) to include the cities of Jacksonville, Louisville/Jeffersonville, Chattanooga and Birmingham mainly plus surrounding areas.

Come to NYC, I see a pair every 5 minutes walking down the street.
 
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