I'll be curious, but I doubt it. I don't think Airpods are an item that most people are holding off on the new model for. Earbuds are treated as an expensive item that most people buy once and hope to never buy again unless they lose them or the battery becomes unusable. Better audio and ANC doesn't have mass market appeal because what exists is already good enough for most.
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Report: AirPods Pro 3 Needed to Turn Around Sales Flatline
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I'll be curious, but I doubt it. I don't think Airpods are an item that most people are holding off on the new model for. Earbuds are treated as an expensive item that most people buy once and hope to never buy again unless they lose them or the battery becomes unusable. Better audio and ANC doesn't have mass market appeal because what exists is already good enough for most.
I'm waiting for them to redo that commercial for iPod that featured "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" by Jet with AirPods. It's the only plausible reason to keep them only white when no one should be putting white objects into ear canals for obvious reasons.
This is why I’ve been through 4-5 pairs since launch they just break using them. Humid outside they don’t stay in your ears done multiple fittings bought the expensive foam options they disintegrate overtime.
Edit: don’t get me started on firmware oh you just have them nearby they will update when they feel like it! You need to know info about AirPods make sure you open the lid with them in the case and do a rain dance holding the case over the phone to get basic info.
That being said 2-3 pairs were raffle prizes but AirPods are fragile.
I can’t imagine more stuff to break and worse battery life.
I'm seriously wanting to buy the AirPods Pro 3 because I know Apple will want to incorporate a number of improvements to keep it competitive against the better IEM's from several other manufacturers, especially the Sony WFX-1000M5.
We can see that AirPod sales have flatlined by sitting on public transit where more and more people have phone calls and flip through Tik Tok on speakerphone. People seem to have forgotten that headphones exist. 😑
Microphones that actually work well and are not robotic or staticky would be a good place to start for the APP3's!
If Tim Cook didn’t keep rehashing stale products, Apple probably wouldn’t be in this position. Release the AirPods in an all black color, etc. Apple had that awesome black MacBook 12” polycarbonate laptop years ago and it was amazing. Do the same here.
Nothing will drive more sales than even better noise cancellation and sound. If I realise that I have forgotten my AirPods Pro 2 while waiting for the Tube, I will leave the station, walk home, walk up five floors, get my AirPods Pro, and walk back to the station. That's how important noise cancellation is.
(yes, this is also reflection of the London tube, I don't do this on the other side of the English Channel; btw, should we rename it Channel of Europe?).
(yes, this is also reflection of the London tube, I don't do this on the other side of the English Channel; btw, should we rename it Channel of Europe?).
Well I guess in Apple and Tim Cook’s case, if something IS broken you don’t fix it 😂
Not simply "Depends on how much you think you'd use the features..." [even if you actually know what the new features will be]. Fit is critical, sometimes far more important than features, and often varies among versions. Wait for the new version to test fit of both versions; you will not know which fits you better without testing.
I won't be buying another pair of AirPod Pros as my 1's have provided a bad experience. Had my first pair replaced due to some strange battery problems and the replacement pair's battery fell off a cliff this summer - and the left AirPod has static-ridden ANC. They barely stay in my ears on top of those problems. For $250 absolutely terrible product and if it wasn't for when the ANC worked I would say my AirPod 2's were easily better... but even my AirPod 2's were replaced because the accelerometer stopped working in one of the AirPods.
I've got a similar problem; there isn't a pair of earbuds on the planet that STAY in my ears except for ONE pair; Jaybird Vista! And unfortunately Logitech had to buy them out and there hasnt been any new ones from them for years, so I've got major anxiety about anything happening to these.
Not sure about that. I’m using my original APP2 and my spouse is still using a hand-me-down APP1 from when they first went on sale. That’s pretty good longevity. Of course they won’t last as long as an iPhone or a MacBook. Anything that small is going to have no extra buffers to offset long term degradation but 6 years is quite acceptable to me.
No, but loud music and headphones of any kind turned up too loud do. APP at reasonable volumes are fine for your ears.
The Bose Quietcomfort 3.5mm headphones. I have an older pair (QC20 or 30) and bought the current model as a gift. Bose has the edge on noise cancellation,and always has (I haven't tried Airpod Pros but haven't seen a review that claims their noise cancellation is superior). Sony also makes a pretty good pair, though the main complaints about them are 1) they use some "adaptive" noise cancellation technology that automatically varies its intensity so you can't just turn them on full strength (you can with the Bose) and 2) unlike the Bose when the battery dies (like on a long flight) they stop working at all--the Bose will continue to work as wired headphones with no noise cancellation.
Bose runs sales on these all the time where you can pick them up for at least $100 off MSRP. The Bose Quietcomfort Ultras are not worth the premium price (and I believe they have some other flaw that makes them inferior, perhaps they don't fold up for travel).
But you need good wired headphones for a decent mic. There is no substitute for a mic placed near your mouth on a headphone jack cable versus one hidden in an earpiece that has to pick up your voice indirectly. Plus unlike earbuds a 3.5mm headphone works on long distance flights with in flight entertainment systems.
Any premium pair of wired headphones will be 3.5mm, not USB.
Bose is rumored to be updating their headphones soon. Honestly the noise cancellation is already so good, I wouldn't wait if you need them now. I picked up a Bose QC Ultra earbud (this one IS worth buying the "Ultra" model recently. The noise cancellation is even better than my old QC20/30.
A victim of their own success perhaps, after my iPhone the EarPods have been the most useful item. They’re very reliable and simple to use, and great sound. No need to upgrade.
The AirPods market appears to be flatlining in the United States, but the launch of AirPods Pro 3 later this year could boost sales, a new report claims.
According to a new report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), approximately 44% of iPhone owners in the United States now report owning Bluetooth earbuds, up from 41% in the previous year. Of those, 59% say they use AirPods. This represents a small gain from 57% the year before, effectively bringing the figure back to its 2023 level. This means AirPods are used by roughly 26% of all iPhone owners in the United States today.
While the data reflects a recovery in Apple's share of the Bluetooth earbuds market among iPhone users, it does not indicate meaningful growth beyond previous highs. The size of the market is increasing slowly, and Apple is maintaining its portion, but not expanding it.
AirPods face growing challenges from competitors including Samsung, Sony, and Bose, as well as a wide array of low-cost alternatives. Apple released the AirPods Pro 2 in September 2022, featuring the H2 chip, improved noise cancellation, enhanced Find My integration, and more.
AirPods Pro 2 were offered at a substantial discount during Amazon Prime Day earlier this month, with the price reduced from $249 to $149. Best Buy and Walmart quickly matched the pricing, despite Apple maintaining its full price on its website and in stores.
The $100 discount represented one of the steepest markdowns ever for the current-generation model. CIRP speculated that Apple and Amazon may have sought to clear out existing inventory ahead of the anticipated launch of a new model. The more likely explanation was apparently a desire to drive high-volume sales through temporary margin flexibility.
The AirPods Pro 3 are likely to be announced later this year, perhaps alongside new iPhone and Apple Watch models in September. The new model is expected to feature improved ANC, enhanced sound, design tweaks, and heart rate monitoring.
The refresh is expected to target both new customers and existing users with degrading batteries or older models. CIRP says that, as one of the most frequently reordered items on Amazon, AirPods provide Apple with an opportunity to capitalize on a faster-moving product line amid slowing iPhone upgrades.
Article Link: Report: AirPods Pro 3 Needed to Turn Around Sales Flatline
Yeah, my battery on my case died so there is no way to charge them. So I can buy a new case which is ridiculously expensive, or I can buy a used case, but I still don't know when the tiny batteries inside the buds will die too.
Have been using my wired Sonys and I fell back in love with the fuller sound of over ears but I began to miss the headphone accommodations of the AirPods. Luckily I found out Sennheiser over ears have headphone accommodations as well so I ended up buying them instead. Very happy.