When Apple announced the AirPods last fall, I wasn’t impressed as I already had Bluetooth earbuds that I used for running that worked quite well. It took me a few weeks to realize the advantages of them over other ear buds such as no on/off switch, take one out to pause, pairing across all devices, easy charging, convenient carrying case, etc. After that, I was convinced that they were the sleeper hit of the event.
Once the AirPods became available to order, I immediately placed my order; the price didn’t phase me. When I received them a few weeks later (I didn’t get in on the first batch), my excitement quickly turned to disappointment. They appeared to be plagued with problems such as dropping constantly on phone calls and popping while listening to music on my walks. I found forums posts where people had similar issues and I went ahead with Apple’s online support so that they could get it on record that there was a problem with my combination of devices and AirPods (iPhone 6s, first generation Apple Watch). None of their suggestions worked, but I didn’t really expect them to as I had tried what others suggested in the forums.
Several weeks later, I received a call from Apple wanting to see if I had time to follow up with a support person collecting information for engineering. Sure, I said as my AirPods were basically useless at that point. I spoke with an Apple person for well over an hour during which the AirPods dropped and switched to the iPhone’s speaker many, many times (once every few minutes). I didn’t hear back from Apple, but saw some forum reports indicating that the beta iOS versions fixed the problems (I don’t normally install beta iOS versions on my device). When iOS 10.3 came out, I immediately installed it (I backed up first because the APFS update kind of scared me). I was more than pleasantly surprised about my AirPods; they now worked exactly as Apple had described. Over 2 months after I bought them, they had become completely usable!
Now that I had working earbuds, what impressed me with the AirPods? First off, charging is easy and convenient. Next, the charging case makes it easy to carry them. There is no on/off switch and taking the AirPods out of my ears pauses the music. They are so convenient that I find myself listening to music more when I walk the dog.
Pros
- Convenient charging/storage case.
- Fits well in my ears.
- Easy to pair with all my devices.
- Acceptable sound quality (I’m not an audiophile so it works for me).
- Taking the AirPods out of the case immediately turns them on.
- Removing one AirPod pauses the music.
Cons
- Initial issues delayed my full use of the AirPods.
- There are cheaper ear buds on the market.
- Easy to drop or lose.
- Batteries won’t last all day.
Summary
I’ve tried a number of Bluetooth ear buds and headsets over the years and besides my Plantronics BackBeat Fit that I use for running, I haven’t managed to keep using any one for all that long. I’m cautiously optimistic that the AirPods are going to be my ear buds of choice for the foreseeable future. While they are not the cheapest ear buds out there, I think that all the pros outweigh the cost.