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Apple AirPods | OT | Try not to lose them

borghe

Loves the Greater Toronto Area
without sounding naive.. I really don't even know what a 2.0 would have?

Battery life IMHO is above acceptable.. I'd imagine the vast majority of use cases are not longer than 5 consecutive hours.. and apple making the case act as a charger was friggin genius with a rapid charge (15 mins) delivering 3 hours of playback.

ergonomics.. I mean they are the same fit as the EarPods.. and those haven't been updated in years.

functionality.. besides working EXACTLY how apple stated they would, and flawlessly, adding in the ability to assign different functions to each one's double tap..

I mean maybe I'm a total fanboy.. but I don't see what they could improve.. I mean add an hour or two on battery, but I really can't see most people hitting 5 hours non-stop already..

maybe a higher end one with noise canceling? but I can't see those coming in at the same price point.
 
Pretty much all I need is volume control and these would be essentially perfect. But even then I either feel my pocket for the volume rocker or use my watch, both of which are acceptable.

Someone on the internet had the idea of making the metal ring in the bottom capacitive, with the ability to read circular motions. One direction for volume up, one for volume down. I’m not an engineer so I don’t know if that’s feasible at all (since I know that’s where the inductive charging is) but it sounded cool
 

br3wnor

Member
Pretty much all I need is volume control and these would be essentially perfect. But even then I either feel my pocket for the volume rocker or use my watch, both of which are acceptable.

Someone on the internet had the idea of making the metal ring in the bottom capacitive, with the ability to read circular motions. One direction for volume up, one for volume down. I’m not an engineer so I don’t know if that’s feasible at all (since I know that’s where the inductive charging is) but it sounded cool

Not a bad idea but if it’s feasible is the real question. Volume control honestly isn’t a huge problem for me, the taking earbud out = pause feature is all the volume control I really need, otherwise my listening volume doesn’t change much during a listening session. (And using my phone or watch when I do need to change it isn’t a big deal)
 
without sounding naive.. I really don't even know what a 2.0 would have?

Battery life IMHO is above acceptable.. I'd imagine the vast majority of use cases are not longer than 5 consecutive hours.. and apple making the case act as a charger was friggin genius with a rapid charge (15 mins) delivering 3 hours of playback.

ergonomics.. I mean they are the same fit as the EarPods.. and those haven't been updated in years.

functionality.. besides working EXACTLY how apple stated they would, and flawlessly, adding in the ability to assign different functions to each one's double tap..

I mean maybe I'm a total fanboy.. but I don't see what they could improve.. I mean add an hour or two on battery, but I really can't see most people hitting 5 hours non-stop already..

maybe a higher end one with noise canceling? but I can't see those coming in at the same price point.

They could improve sound quality because for $160, they sound like shit. Yes, like shit.

The tech stuff is pretty great though. All the connectivity and other functions are pretty seamless.

Also, they look stupid. I have yet to come across one person wearing them that didn't look silly with those stalks hanging out of their ears.
 

JackEtc

Member
They could improve sound quality because for $160, they sound like shit. Yes, like shit.

The tech stuff is pretty great though. All the connectivity and other functions are pretty seamless.

Also, they look stupid. I have yet to come across one person wearing them that didn't look silly with those stalks hanging out of their ears.

They sound exponentially better than EarPods to be fair

And I really don't think they look dumb. I think they're the slickest looking truly wireless earbuds. The other ones make you look like frankenstein with bolts sticking out of your ears and shit lmao.

But I think you need the type of face where they sit totally flat and run in parallel with your jawline for them to look their best. That being said no matter what you look like if you walk around thinking you look like a dumbass in them, you WILL look like a dumbass in them
 

holygeesus

Banned
They could improve sound quality because for $160, they sound like shit. Yes, like shit.

The tech stuff is pretty great though. All the connectivity and other functions are pretty seamless.

Also, they look stupid. I have yet to come across one person wearing them that didn't look silly with those stalks hanging out of their ears.

They don't sound like shit, at all. The sound quality is, if anything, underrated.
 

gamma

Member
Pretty much all I need is volume control and these would be essentially perfect. But even then I either feel my pocket for the volume rocker or use my watch, both of which are acceptable.

Someone on the internet had the idea of making the metal ring in the bottom capacitive, with the ability to read circular motions. One direction for volume up, one for volume down. I’m not an engineer so I don’t know if that’s feasible at all (since I know that’s where the inductive charging is) but it sounded cool

I was thinking more along the lines of touch controls on the stem. You swipe down on the stem for volume down and up for up.
 

Thezez

Banned
Picked up some on a whim today, not impressed. Sound quality meh, and they don't fit my ears a hell of a lot better than the standard EarPods did.

Can't return them at the store I bought them, so will clean them off and chuck them on an auction site.
 
Guess I've been out of the loop for awhile. I could've sworn Best Buy were pretty strict with returns.

Still weird how they've got more supply than Apple seemingly.

Apple seems to be giving supply out in a pretty orderly manner. They keep their own website at a consistent 6 week shipping time for whatever reason, but stores will randomly get them in stock a couple times a week (they sell out instantaneously) and they’ll give a bunch to their partners like AT&T and Best Buy so keep them happy as well.

Get me wherever you can
 
Cool detail I came across, if you have multiple devices around you like I usually do (iPad and iPhone) then you’re used to not always knowing which device is going to pick up your hey Siri commands. I’ve noticed that whichever device is connected to your AirPods, they always get the command. No matter the distance or anything, even if another device would normally pick it up because it’s closer, the AirPods device gets priority
 

Soybean

Member
Man I hate to say it but iOS 11 makes it even more obnoxious to switch AirPods between iOS devices. That should be so easy and instantaneous but instead it takes 30 seconds and fails half the time


It doesn’t quite take 30 seconds, but yeah, it’s more annoying. 3D Touch player widget in Control Center, hit AiirPlay icon, then choose. The AirPlay chooser used to be part of the player controls. I hope they streamline the process.
 

Lunar FC

Member
I think my AirPods case isn't holding a charge as good as it used to.

Same. Also I keep having this issue where for some reason when they connect to my Google Pixel the sound is really low. Even when it's to cranked all the way up it's still hard to hear. Basically I have to re-pair them to get them work correctly again. It's fucking annoying.
 

dorn.

Member
So I'm gonna be in NYC from next tuesday, what are the chances I'll be able to walk into an Apple Store and pick up a pair? Still slim?

without sounding naive.. I really don't even know what a 2.0 would have?

There's a lot of stuff they could add actually:

-as you said, Active Noise-Cancelling is an obvious upgrade (and also its opposite, boosting ambient noises like a hearing aid)

-the inner ear is a great place to monitor body temperature

-might work better at taking pulse via laser compared to Apple Watch (not sure about that)

-positional tracking via gyroscopes (though that's more of a software thing since they already have those), phone in your pocket plus watch on your wrist plus Airpods in your ears should allow for pretty accurate posture tracking with some software magic

I've said years ago, before Airpods were even announced, that smart earbuds are going to be a bigger deal than smart watches and I still believe I'll eventually be proven correct.
 

Soybean

Member
I just complained about iOS 11 above but it looks like the latest beta makes it easier to switch sound outputs:
coOP5Ee.jpg

https://www.macrumors.com/2017/08/07/whats-new-in-ios-11-beta-5/
 
Great to see. Has it sped up how long it takes to actually connect to AirPods or other sources? It was pretty speedy on iOS10 but on the beta it takes significantly longer to switch from device to device
 

Clipse

Member
I'm looking at purchasing the Beats X for working out since my AirPods don't fit tight enough and fall out.

I've noticed the Beats have been going on sale a lot lately ($50 off) and was wondering if that might mean an updated version is incoming? Then again, the Beats X were only released like 6 months ago.
 

killroy87

Member
I'm looking at purchasing the Beats X for working out since my AirPods don't fit tight enough and fall out.

I've noticed the Beats have been going on sale a lot lately ($50 off) and was wondering if that might mean an updated version is incoming? Then again, the Beats X were only released like 6 months ago.

Powerbeats 3 are a better choice for working out. I have Beats X and love them, but I constantly need to keep pushing them into my ears to stay in. That could just be me and my ear size (I feel like I need a silicone tip that's between the small and medium ones offered), but this isn't an issue with my Powerbeats since the hooks keep them in place. They also have better battery life, and are more sweat/water proof.
 
got a pair of airpods for my birthday, i ahve yet to open them because im afraid they wont fit. The default apple ear buds dont fit in my ears well, will i have the same problem with these?
 

Hattori

Banned
get spigen earhooks, works great when working out. I use it while lifting, running, playing basketball and in the sauna with no problems.
 

Clipse

Member
Powerbeats 3 are a better choice for working out. I have Beats X and love them, but I constantly need to keep pushing them into my ears to stay in. That could just be me and my ear size (I feel like I need a silicone tip that's between the small and medium ones offered), but this isn't an issue with my Powerbeats since the hooks keep them in place. They also have better battery life, and are more sweat/water proof.


get spigen earhooks, works great when working out. I use it while lifting, running, playing basketball and in the sauna with no problems.
Thanks for the advice! Will check out the ear hooks first and hope they work for me.
 
without sounding naive.. I really don't even know what a 2.0 would have?

Battery life IMHO is above acceptable.. I'd imagine the vast majority of use cases are not longer than 5 consecutive hours.. and apple making the case act as a charger was friggin genius with a rapid charge (15 mins) delivering 3 hours of playback.

ergonomics.. I mean they are the same fit as the EarPods.. and those haven't been updated in years.

functionality.. besides working EXACTLY how apple stated they would, and flawlessly, adding in the ability to assign different functions to each one's double tap..

I mean maybe I'm a total fanboy.. but I don't see what they could improve.. I mean add an hour or two on battery, but I really can't see most people hitting 5 hours non-stop already..

maybe a higher end one with noise canceling? but I can't see those coming in at the same price point.

Volume control and noise canceling would be nice. Hey Siri support, too, but that'd require gargantuan improvements to battery life in something that is already straining the edges of efficiency.

But also? I think it'd be quite cool if you could store a limited selection of music on the actual AirPods.

That'd fairly neatly make the Apple Watch the successor to the iPod Nano and the AirPods the successor to the iPod Shuffle. And I suspect it might actually be easier to add to the existing form factor than those other improvements would be.
 
got a pair of airpods for my birthday, i ahve yet to open them because im afraid they wont fit. The default apple ear buds dont fit in my ears well, will i have the same problem with these?

Where were they purchased? Apple has a 14 day return policy even if they're open and used, you'd still be able to try them out
 
I'm looking at purchasing the Beats X for working out since my AirPods don't fit tight enough and fall out.

I've noticed the Beats have been going on sale a lot lately ($50 off) and was wondering if that might mean an updated version is incoming? Then again, the Beats X were only released like 6 months ago.

I currently have the Beats X and I'm using them for working out. For running, they stay on my ears perfectly when I'm using the wingtips. Occasionally they might start to get a little loose but not enough for it to bother me. The other issue I have is when I do some weightlifting. Occasionally I'll accidentally hit the remote and lower the volume, but this depends on the type of machine I'm on and I never noticed this until today when I used a different machine than usual.

Other than that, they're pretty damn good and the battery lasts me a good while for what I need. My only major complaint is that they do get uncomfortable for me if I wear them for too long compared to my Bose in-ear headphones I had before and this is with the smallest buds that they give you.
 

mrkgoo

Member
I'm looking at purchasing the Beats X for working out since my AirPods don't fit tight enough and fall out.

I've noticed the Beats have been going on sale a lot lately ($50 off) and was wondering if that might mean an updated version is incoming? Then again, the Beats X were only released like 6 months ago.

I don't work out, but do have some beats x and love them. A really great compromise from AirPods to get some great features while sacrificing the big one (true wireless).

Better sound, controls while still being small and portable.

Truth be told though, I think they look goofier than AirPods.

And yeah I don't imagine they'll have an update. Honestly don't know what they'll put in them.
 

Giolon

Member
got a pair of airpods for my birthday, i ahve yet to open them because im afraid they wont fit. The default apple ear buds dont fit in my ears well, will i have the same problem with these?

It really depends. I was amazed at how the removal of the cord made them sit and remain in my ears better.
 

strikeselect

You like me, you really really like me!
Just received my pair. Love them but I will never get use to this double tap to activate Siri business. Feels like I have to bang on my ear drum just so it can recognize the command.
 
Current financial situation forbids me from buying these at the moment, but my mobile network is offering them at £16 a month for 11 months.

I'm tempted.
 

br3wnor

Member
But also? I think it'd be quite cool if you could store a limited selection of music on the actual AirPods.

That'd fairly neatly make the Apple Watch the successor to the iPod Nano and the AirPods the successor to the iPod Shuffle. And I suspect it might actually be easier to add to the existing form factor than those other improvements would be.

Ok, this is interesting. If they could manage to fit even just 1GB or hell, 512MB onto the AirPods that would be pretty cool. Granted I’d still use at least my watch when working out to keep track of everything so ultimately I would stream from there, but as a feature being able to just pop the buds in and go on a jog w/ no other accessory and have music is pretty fucking cool.

Question is if the tech is even feasible at this point w/out making them bigger, but down the line I’m sure that’s the future.

How’s everyone doing in general w/ their pods after a month+?

I’ve had mine now for a few months now and they’re working as flawlessly as they did on day 1. Amazingly I have yet to lose one, which I thought would surely have happened by now. I’ve actually only dropped one of them a couple of times, I’m pretty clumsy but for whatever reason my buds make it from the case to my ears and back w/out incident. Battery life hasn’t decreased from what I can notice, nor has sound quality.

My main concern is how long these are going to last before noticing issues w/ batteries or the general build quality, but I use them on average about 2 hours a day, 5 days a week and still have nothing to complain about.
 
How’s everyone doing in general w/ their pods after a month+?

I’ve had mine now for a few months now and they’re working as flawlessly as they did on day 1. Amazingly I have yet to lose one, which I thought would surely have happened by now. I’ve actually only dropped one of them a couple of times, I’m pretty clumsy but for whatever reason my buds make it from the case to my ears and back w/out incident. Battery life hasn’t decreased from what I can notice, nor has sound quality.

My main concern is how long these are going to last before noticing issues w/ batteries or the general build quality, but I use them on average about 2 hours a day, 5 days a week and still have nothing to complain about.

Had mine for about two months and they are my favourite Apple product that they have shipped in the past 5 years. I use them 90% of the time during my work day and the truly wireless nature of them makes it a breeze to just go about my work; moving around, no wire clutter on my desk and easily swapping earbuds when the battery runs low (I use one at at time)
I was super skeptical about them when they were first announced; I didn't want to recharge my headphones 5 hours into using them! and was firmly in the 'I want my 3.5mm back!' but I have completely fallen in love with the headphones since then. The 5 hour battery life is such a non issue thanks to the charging case, when I am using both at once I will stick one on charge when they reach 20% and continue with the other one until the first is charged then repeat the same process with the other side. They just work and fit my needs exactly, couldn't be happier.
 

SuperPac

Member
How’s everyone doing in general w/ their pods after a month+?

My initial pair developed a problem after a month or two where I couldn't take calls with them. Exchanged 'em at an Apple Store and the pair I have now is flawless. AirPods have changed the way I listen to podcasts and music. If I'm driving, walking, doing something around the house or out grocery shopping, etc. - I have an AirPod in my ear and I'm listening to something. Though if I take a phone call while in public it does make me very self-conscious - they're smaller than other BT headphones and I feel like "that bluetooth guy that seems to be talking to himself."

I have relatively few complaints. I wish they'd connect faster to a device that is already playing audio. Sometimes I have to wait or manually connect, and that's a bit annoying. I also wish I could use them for more things - mainly PS4 and Switch. Though of course that's on Sony/Nintendo and the bluetooth functionality in those systems. :)
 

Blackhead

Redarse
Question is if the tech is even feasible at this point w/out making them bigger, but down the line I’m sure that’s the future.
Tech is already feasible; both Bragi and Samsung's 'true wireless' earbuds offer music storage inside the devices and are smaller/similar size to the airpods


Frankly anyone who says the airpods can't be improved lacks knowledge or imagination
 

mrkgoo

Member
Tech is already feasible; both Bragi and Samsung's 'true wireless' earbuds offer music storage inside the devices and are smaller/similar size to the airpods



Frankly anyone who says the airpods can't be improved lacks knowledge or imagination

One of the defining things about the airpods (and the beatsX) is that they are small earbuds, not ones with huge bulky bits in the ear.

I know it's because of battery, but they look stupid in the ear, IMO.
 

giga

Member
AirPods don't seem to fit fowlers ears which is why they look like that. They shouldn't be sticking out. The bragi meanwhile looks like an enlarged canal hearing aid, but black. it def sticks out more on either side of your head while AirPods are longer in length and stick out more down your face.
 
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