Kuo: AirPods With Wireless Charging Case Expected in Early 2019, All-New Model in Early 2020

[ArtOfWarfare]

Great product. Just replaced mine this week because after 2 years of daily use, the batteries finally started to fail.

Oh - that's awful. Here I was thinking the price was too high, having to charge them was inconvenient, and carrying them is no better than carrying old headphones, but on top of all that, they only last two years?

What kind of crap quality is that? Batteries that only last two years is what I expect for a Dell or HP branded product. Apple used to pride themselves on having batteries that still lasted 80% as long after 1000 charge cycles - three years in it was still plausible to manage to go all day without needing to plug in part way through.

 

[Mike MA]

I love my AirPods. But to be honest those wouldn’t have any benefit without the trick/design being charged permanently through the case when not wearing them. At least for me, battery time is not really acceptable when you have to attend a number of phone or conference calls.

 

[kstotlani]

I wouldn’t believe this story if Apple said they would deliver this in 2020 but if Ming says ...

 

[Foxglove9]

Was going to buy them last Christmas, but figured they would be updated early in the year because of the rumors. Should have bought them then, but I guess I'll continue to wait.

 

[The Game 161]

So will the wireless charging work with any Qi wireless charging pad..hope so

 

[nutmac]

Real curious what a new design would look like. Doesn't feel like a lot of room to mess with the current model. Looking forward to something innovative. Come on Apple, blow my ear away. ;-)

AirPods fall off easily when I am lying down. While Apple is at it, less tampon-ish microphone rod?

 

[Polaroid]

Love my AirPods but I wouldn't buy new ones just for wireless charging. They need a more discreet re design, that's what would make me re buy them.

 

[The Game 161]

Oh - that's awful. Here I was thinking the price was too high, having to charge them was inconvenient, and carrying them is no better than carrying old headphones, but on top of all that, they only last two years?

What kind of crap quality is that? Batteries that only last two years is what I expect for a Dell or HP branded product. Apple used to pride themselves on having batteries that still lasted 80% as long after 1000 charge cycles - three years in it was still plausible to manage to go all day without needing to plug in part way through.

Try not to act like his usage is the norm

My battery life on mine remain no different from release day

 

[justperry]

So when he says new AirPods with wireless case , is that current model with a wireless case ? If a new design comes in 2020.

For what it’s worth, Kuo has become captain obvious - has his run with useful leaks in the past.

Kuo amongst others gets (partly) fed by Apple, Apple leaks on purpose.
Kuo has it far more right than others.

Great product. Just replaced mine this week because after 2 years of daily use, the batteries finally started to fail.

2 years only is horrible for this price.

I think that's per AirPod though, isn't it? $100 just to get the batteries replaced. And then another $50 for the battery in the case.

AFAIK they provide a new set instead of getting a new battery in, pretty positive it's a sealed unit, even Apple can not replace the battery without breaking them.

 

[Greenmeenie]

I know you can double tap the current AirPods to play/pause or to tell SIRI to lower/raise the volume. But I wish there was another way to lower or raise the volume without telling SIRI or having to reach into your pocket and take out your phone to use the volume buttons.

I ride my bike a lot, and would love if the AirPods had touch sensitivity along the stem for further controls. So if you swiped your finger up or down along the stem the volume could be raised or lowered.

I’d much prefer that to wireless charging. I travel a lot anyway, so who wants to carry a charging mat with them? Also, it would be best if the iPhone & Airpod case had usb-c instead of lightning like the new iPad Pros. Then you’d only have to travel with one cable and could charge both your iPhone & the AirPod case off the iPad Pro using the same cable.

 

[T-R-S]

I am a bit of an auto snob the Air Pods sound was awful I opted for the Beats X which really are the best fitting and sounding wireless buds I have ever used and I have bought a lot of them... Plus they are the ONLY ones I have never lost the magnetic thing is our genius. The white things in my ears are too obvious as well On a lot of flights ( I fly lots) they tell people you can't have ear buds in Canada you are not allowed BT on airlines period. The Beats X are invisible too I love them. I have wireless charging on my IPX and frankly it pin in ass if the phone gets bumped or moved slightly it stops charging. the Only wireless charger that selling to work for me good is the Apple Watch the magnet holding in place works.

 

[McG2k1]

Not going to buy unless they feature a more substantial and streamlined redesign.

View attachment 807954

Merging with the pencil is a natural.

 

[ryanwarsaw]

Sad we have to wait yet another year for the news ones.

I’d like to see different colors offered, give me a space gray pair already.

It would also be cool if they came with the purchase of an iPhone in the box, or at least a big discount if you bought both at the same time.

I wonder if the older generation ones will be discounted?

They should bundle in a pair of grey or black Airpods with the top models of the iPhone only. You can't buy them alone to get them you must drop $1,499 for a XS Max 512 GB.

 

[ghostface147]

Please include a volume slider gesture. Thanks.

 

[Polaroid]

Please include a volume slider gesture. Thanks.

How do you expect them to fit touch control without compromising battery? Just get an Apple Watch, or Use Siri lol

 

[The Game 161]

How do you expect them to fit touch control without compromising battery? Just get an Apple Watch, or Use Siri lol

Yeah if you have an Apple Watch it’s certainly not needed and if you are using air pods you should really have an Apple Watch as well anyway

 

[itsmilo]

Still pissed that Apple is so cheap they only replaced the broken AirPod and not both. Now one of them runs out of juice like 30% before the replacement cuz it’s newer. Such a inconvenience

 

[shyam09]

Just because they’ll have a case that can charge wirelessly(*), let’s price them at $199, to keep with the 30% price increase just because we update a ‘yearly’ product.

(*) With a wireless charger that is not included, but we can sell you our AirPower for $149, $199 or the price we want.

But but ... R&D costs them soooo much money, so that price is faiiirr. (/s just in case the emoji wasn't clear)

 

[xnu]

Funny how Steve Jobs is still effecting Apple.

https://www.macrumors.com/2007/07/23/apple-iphone-bluetooth-headset-unboxing-pics/

some unboxing photos

I loved the original as much as I love the modern design.

 

[User 6502]

If the new case also features usb c charging, then lightning is officially dying. Hopefully that’s the case and next year’s iPhone follows the latest iPad’s lead.

Hopefully not. Lightening is a superior connector for phones. It’s smaller, more robust and there is not the messing confusing plethora of protocols associated with usb c.

 

[2GoldFish]

Apple just put up their biggest year ever, by far.

They are also guiding a mere 3.1% year-over-year growth too for Q1 2019.

Q1 2018, they achieved 12.6% year-over-year growth.

I think that might have something to do with not innovating or coming up with new products. Instead, just capitalising on existing market.

But hey, they might launch a black Airpod in 2019 and you would consider that as 'innovating'.

Or, they might make a smaller/bigger iPhone in 2019 and that would be the greatest iPhone ever.

 

[Porco]

I don’t really like them, they would fall out my ears all the time, I think they’re overpriced, I wouldn’t want to have keep charging them, I think they look silly when worn (no offence to anyone who likes how they look), I find it incredible you can’t control volume with them (really?) and I fundamentally object to Apple removing the headphone jack in order to push their wireless headphone products so I’d likely not buy them on principle even if they managed to solve all my other issues with them...

So I probably won’t be buying any anytime soon. But good luck to those who love them.

 

[ChrisMoBro]

For the insane price, the sound quality really should be better. I realise that due to the design, true noise-cancelling is impossible but surely they can do better than the current design? You’re paying a huge amount for the tech. I’d rather pay that much for better audio quality.

 

[kironin]

Will never consider Airpods unless they are at a reasonable price for bluetooth earbuds, $99 or less, otherwise, forget it.

 

[jamisonbaines]

I gave up on Apple earbuds in the iPod days and used a lot of alternatives. Apple in-ear's and urBeats both got a lot of use. I was never impressed with EarPods and so when I went wireless I bought the BeatsX.
Compared to urBeats the BeatsX don't have the same power at high volume but once I got used to the convenience it has been hard to go back to wired.
After traveling and seeing how many people are using AirPods I'm tempted to buy a set for myself lately. Hopefully the wireless charging case comes soon as that's something I've been waiting for to justify my purchase.