Exactly What I Expected
Like it or not, the future is wireless. Wireless charging, wireless media transfers, wireless audio, you name it. Naturally, Apple had to offer their own wireless earphones when they ditched the 3.5mm jack. What you get is pretty basic, in the box you get the AirPods, charging/carrying case, and a lightning cable. I remember hearing when AirPods first came out that some people had issues taking the AirPods out of the case. I had no such issues myself. I have found that the case gets quite dirty inside, especially if you keep them in your pocket all day as I do. Apple also claims five hours of listening before needing a charge and that seems to be fairly accurate in my time with the AirPods. Charging is simple since you just place the AirPods in the charging/carrying case and they start charging immediately as indicated by the LED inside the case. When the case needs charging you simply plug the lightning cable into the bottom of the case and you're charging. Pairing the AirPods is incredibly simple too, just open the case and wait for the popup, which happens quite quickly. Tap to pair and your AirPods are synced with all your devices linked to your iCloud account. That's one of the nicest features Apple has come out with lately by using their W1 chip. I also heard that the fit of the AirPods was a little different from that of the EarPods, and that is true. My AirPods fit perfectly in my left ear but is a little loose in my right. EarPods are both a little large for my ears and need a lot of adjustment so the AirPods are a definite improvement with the fit.
While you're not given a lot of control with the AirPods, you can select one of a few presets for the double tap on the AirPods. Each AirPod can handle a different task as well. I have found that repeated double taps tend to make the AirPods move around a little and require adjustment, but otherwise work great. While all of this was exactly what I expected, so was the sound quality. The EarPods cost $30 and have a wire, the AirPods have no wire, the W1 chip, they can detect when they are in your ears, if you have one or both in your ears, and cost $160. The problem with that though, is they both sound the same. This was my biggest holdout with getting the AirPods. I just knew they probably sounded just like the EarPods and unfortunately I was right. Given the sound quality and the tech, I wouldn't pay more than $60 for the AirPods, but Apple has the gall to charge to $160 for the convenience. Don't get me wrong, they are convenient. I just don't think they offer $100 worth of convenience. My BeatsX sound much better and cost $10 less brand new, but I still default to the AirPods for the comfort. Though overall, the BeatsX are more comfortable and offer a better fit, the AirPods are incredibly light and easy to manage. I just hope they increase the sound quality for future versions.
The Good
Lightweight
Convenient
Charges in the case
The Bad
Overly expensive
Sub-par sound quality
One size fits all
Conclusion
It's up to you to decide if the AirPods are worth $160 or not, for me, I could never justify the cost or recommend them at full price. Not when they sound the same as the earphones that Apple gives you in the box with the phone. I'm an outlier here though as I base the cost of my audio products on the sound quality rather than any other factor. For many people, the AirPods are well worth $160. It all depends on what you base your value on. You can see the AirPods at Apple right here.
Like it or not, the future is wireless. Wireless charging, wireless media transfers, wireless audio, you name it. Naturally, Apple had to offer their own wireless earphones when they ditched the 3.5mm jack. What you get is pretty basic, in the box you get the AirPods, charging/carrying case, and a lightning cable. I remember hearing when AirPods first came out that some people had issues taking the AirPods out of the case. I had no such issues myself. I have found that the case gets quite dirty inside, especially if you keep them in your pocket all day as I do. Apple also claims five hours of listening before needing a charge and that seems to be fairly accurate in my time with the AirPods. Charging is simple since you just place the AirPods in the charging/carrying case and they start charging immediately as indicated by the LED inside the case. When the case needs charging you simply plug the lightning cable into the bottom of the case and you're charging. Pairing the AirPods is incredibly simple too, just open the case and wait for the popup, which happens quite quickly. Tap to pair and your AirPods are synced with all your devices linked to your iCloud account. That's one of the nicest features Apple has come out with lately by using their W1 chip. I also heard that the fit of the AirPods was a little different from that of the EarPods, and that is true. My AirPods fit perfectly in my left ear but is a little loose in my right. EarPods are both a little large for my ears and need a lot of adjustment so the AirPods are a definite improvement with the fit.
While you're not given a lot of control with the AirPods, you can select one of a few presets for the double tap on the AirPods. Each AirPod can handle a different task as well. I have found that repeated double taps tend to make the AirPods move around a little and require adjustment, but otherwise work great. While all of this was exactly what I expected, so was the sound quality. The EarPods cost $30 and have a wire, the AirPods have no wire, the W1 chip, they can detect when they are in your ears, if you have one or both in your ears, and cost $160. The problem with that though, is they both sound the same. This was my biggest holdout with getting the AirPods. I just knew they probably sounded just like the EarPods and unfortunately I was right. Given the sound quality and the tech, I wouldn't pay more than $60 for the AirPods, but Apple has the gall to charge to $160 for the convenience. Don't get me wrong, they are convenient. I just don't think they offer $100 worth of convenience. My BeatsX sound much better and cost $10 less brand new, but I still default to the AirPods for the comfort. Though overall, the BeatsX are more comfortable and offer a better fit, the AirPods are incredibly light and easy to manage. I just hope they increase the sound quality for future versions.
The Good
Lightweight
Convenient
Charges in the case
The Bad
Overly expensive
Sub-par sound quality
One size fits all
Conclusion
It's up to you to decide if the AirPods are worth $160 or not, for me, I could never justify the cost or recommend them at full price. Not when they sound the same as the earphones that Apple gives you in the box with the phone. I'm an outlier here though as I base the cost of my audio products on the sound quality rather than any other factor. For many people, the AirPods are well worth $160. It all depends on what you base your value on. You can see the AirPods at Apple right here.
EDIT: Updated photos, not as clean as I would like, however, I do not have rubbing alcohol which is best for cleaning the AirPods.
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