Vlad Savov, The Verge:
As The Verge’s resident headphones obsessive, I’m not supposed to like the AirPods. My initial reaction upon first seeing them many months ago was to pour scorn on Apple’s designers for crafting a pair of expensive and easy-to-lose cigarette butts. The AirPods were the resurrection of the awful Bluetooth headsets of years past, I thought. But this year, I finally got around to testing a pair of the AirPods for myself, and I finally understand why everyone who owns them loves them.
And:
My wireless-doom scenario is walking into my kitchen, which is so full of metal things that it’s like a Faraday cage, while leaving my music source device in the bedroom: every non-Apple pair of wireless headphones I test becomes unusable in that situation. With the AirPods (and the Beats Solo and Studio 3, which have the same W1 wireless chip) connected to my MacBook Pro, I maintained a pretty decent connection with only minor dropouts in the kitchen.
And:
The design of the AirPods case is a total masterpiece. It’s tiny but holds multiple extra charges for the earphones, and the rounded sides make them irresistible fidget toys. The tension of the case lid is perfect, delivering a satisfying snap when it opens and closes.
Interesting read. Late to the game, but a solid take on both the pros and cons.
Sometimes a product is much more than the sum of its parts, and that’s definitely the case with the AirPods. They’re hard to explain to someone who doesn’t own a set, how they almost immediately become and indispensable part of an iPhone. They are one of the most under-appreciated and underrated products Apple has ever released as their utility and appeal are not so readily apparent.
I know I was guilty of it myself until my wife got me a set for Christmas. Now they’re like the old AmEx commercials for me.
“My initial reaction upon first seeing them many months ago was to pour scorn on Apple’s designers…”
How typical of the Tech press is that statement? “…upon first seeing them…” and “this year, I finally got around to testing for myself…” What are the chances this will be a lesson to the writer to not heap scorn before he’s had a chance to use a product?
HAHAHAHAHAAA! That was a rhetorical question. We all know the answer is “zero”.
Bet he’s getting a lot of abuse over there.
I agree. The Verge is intrinsically skeptical of any Apple product. They’ve eclipsed CNET as the top anti-Apple lobbyist. Nonetheless, glad Savov’s finally experienced (and acknowledged) what many of us have already known for the past year.
My only gripe with my AirPods is, from the get go, my left pod discharged much faster than the right one and eventually failed completely, just after the 90 day replacement warranty window. Happily, Apple replaced this for free, but the process was overly complicated and timely.
At first they said it would be a free replacement, but I had to come back to pick it up when they got more in. When I returned a couple days later they charged me $69. “… wait isn’t this a free replacement?” Regardless, I needed it, I paid, and I left (because I was in a rush), but I followed up with AppleCare the next day. They ended up refunding me the $69, but only after an hour long back and forth between the CS rep and the Apple Store. Ultimately, since it was a known issue, their policy on this was a discretionary one, not an “official” one. So, if you have AirPods with a weak, left, pod, then get it replaced sooner than later.
My only gripe with my AirPods is that they’re essentially the same shape as the EarPods they’ve replaced, but can’t benefit from the foam rubber pads I added to keep EarPods more secure in my ears. Thanks to the tight fit, I’d need to remove those pads every time I put the new ‘phones back in their charging case.
weird, opposite experience here. 9 months after buying my SO’s pair one pod failed (it was always dropping connection). we submitted a ticket and they immediately sent us a replacement, next-day air. put the old one in the box and affixed the label and sent back.
it couldn’t have been simpler.
where country do you live in that there’s only a 90-day warranty rather than the one year warranty?
There are a number of sites where one should never, ever read the comments. The Verge is definitely on the list if you’re a user/fan of Apple products.
Yep. That was made very clear to me when the site first appeared.