AirPods
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I completely disagree with this. It isn’t magic at all. Mine hardly ever work this smooth. Especially transitioning from my iPhone to MacBook Pro. I constantly have to go into bluetooth, manually select them, and even that usually takes a few tries. I like my Earpods from a sound quality perspective but they are anything but magic in the context of “connecting immediately.” The UX NEVER goes as smooth as they describe. I’ve even taken them to the store twice to see if they were defective, which they were not. They always claim it’s so much easier to connect than it really is.
Start by listening to something on my iPhone. Sit down and turn off music on my iPhone. Open up my laptop. It unlocks with my Apple Watch. I pop open iTunes or Spotify, hit play with my Air Pods still in. This could also work with my iPad as well. I open my iPad, stop playing stuff on my iPhone, and start playing something on my iPad. I shouldn't have to swap.
Apple knows it's me and knows which device I'm actively using.
I could be using the MBP and want to hear music from the iPhone though.
For example, let's address your concern with my comment.
"Start by listening to something on my iPhone. Sit down and continue to listen to my music on my iPhone. Open up my laptop. It unlocks with my Apple Watch. I pop open iTunes or Spotify, hit play with my Air Pods still in. Since my iPhone is still playing music, Apple should stick with my iPhone."
For certain short bursts of audio, or depending on the source of the audio (transient system sound, unprompted audio, ring tone, etc.) the paused device can auto-resume when the interrupter is done playing.
For sitting at a new device starting the same “type”of audio stream perhaps you would not auto-resume the paused feed when the new feed stops.
For something like Spotify, opening your MacBook should transfer the stream completely seamlessly from your iPhone as a way to save battery. The same song should never stop playing even for a millisecond (the switchover should be imperceptible) and the UI should sync the current playlist between all iCloud devices.
When you open your Mac you should be able to see the Spotify that was playing on your iPhone right there and click pause if you want. It shouldn’t really be perceptible to the user “where it’s coming from”, it should just work.
I could live with that. As long as it's consistent.
I don't quite understand, is there some mental gymnastics being done to figure out the device you're using isn't the device playing music? Shouldn't matter anyway, since you have completely playback control either from your Apple Watch or the AirPods themselves.
Because I'm not watching the new trailer on my iPhone when sitting at my computer.
> What's with the "concern" that your music is playing from a single device?
It's not. It's that I'm playing some media I want to hear on a certain device.
> I don't quite understand
You don't, so assuming it's some mental gymnastics is rude. Don't be rude.
> Shouldn't matter anyway, since you have completely playback control either from your Apple Watch or the AirPods themselves.
You don't.
The asics generally don't support concurrent connections from different devices, with a few exceptions, and so there's a lot of scaffolding that has to be broken down and stood up when switching devices. It's not unlike HTTP over TCP. There probably needs to be a SPDY for Bluetooth.
Some semiconductor manufacturer could really steal the market by making a bluetooth asic with an audio muxer that supports multiple concurrent protocols and can effectively blend the audio while also maintaining multiple concurrent host connections.
From a UX perspective, this presents problems with situations like listening to music on a headset connected to a PC when an audio call comes from your phone. Does the headset duck A2DP? Send PAUSE over AVCTP if available? Just MUX the audio streams and let you sort it out? What do device controls control when connected to two devices?
Another issue with Bluetooth is that hosts generally don't surface useful controls for prioritizing devices or protocols. So in the case of being paired with multiple A2DP devices, a host will usually only automatically connect to the last one used and you have to explicitly connect to others. This is annoying if you regularly transition between Car and Headphones.
There's also an issue of multiple hosts connecting to the same client and prioritization. Hosts tend to open and hold onto a connect even when they're not doing anything because of the scaffolding involved in a connection. That means if you have two phones and one car, only one will work and if you want to use the other one then it requires terminating the other host's connection, usually on that host device.
Is your phone and/or MacBook older?! If so i suspect the older Bluetooth version may be causing issues here.
Other issues: congested use of the Bluetooth wireless frequency. If you are next to a figurative noisy microwave (busy building, loads of people using the same spectrum), there’s nothing one can do.
Or the AirPods are simply broken and need replacing.
With Macbook I almost always have to go into bluetooth. There is no switching experience as they originally showed in the airpods keynote. They actually ended up rescinding the statement that they would do this after the keynote, which is super disappointing.
I use my AirPods because Apple forced me to by killing the 3.5. In my opinion Apple has been doing consumer unfriendly things for a long time. This, removing function keys, removing Touch ID, losing MagSafe, etc. It is disappointing that despite all this I feel locked into the ecosystem and unable to switch, because virtually all my friends and actually all my family use Apple products and iMessage and Facetime extensively.
Mine always work perfectly.
Now, if you were on the iPhone, and you want to use them on the Mac, with the iPhone still nearby connected to them, I'm not sure what you'd expect. For them to magically guess your intention?
On MacBook though it does requires a little more intervention. I just thought that was expected on computer vs connection to an Appliance ( iOS ).
On other than that, iOS AirPod was the first Bluetooth devices that actually works as Bluetooth had advertised for the past 20 years. And could be one reason why it was so popular. I never thought AirPod would have quietly changed the world, I see people with AirPod everyday and before I was AirPods would be a Gadget for Nerds. I don't agree on the sound quality though. It was not as good as I thought, at least not for its price, but I put up with it due to how easy to use it was. ( And the battery is nearly dead so AirPod will be another iPhone like accessory that I have to buy every 1 - 2 years)
I end up just using my Bose headphones (which are still a PITA for multiple devices), the airpods sit around unused.
I'm planning on giving them to some other family member here shortly, since it does seem like I'm in a minority when it comes to the fit.
But these things don't fit everybody. The wired version flies right out of my ear very easily. No way am I going to buy these things if tilting my head means losing one or both.
Not willing to go wireless as I use both for music making and wireless latency and compression is unacceptable. On phones I kind of understand it but IMO the iPad Pro not having a headphone socket is not excusable, there must be a way to fit it in.
Besides, for all of Apples space/thin-saving attempts, requiring me to use an adapter negates all of these completely.
Yeah, your smartphone has only replaced a camera, a portable movie player, a portable music player, a PDA, a phone, a GPS receiver and/or maps, a watch, a gameboy, and 5-6 other devices we had to carry (or couldn't afford to even have) before.
Now it's adding a dongle for headphones we have to remember to carry? Oh, the humanity!
(Plus the fact that there are also lightning equiped headphones).
It's like 3 dongles if you want to be able to charge and listen at the same time. Like, for example, on a long-distance flight. And it's a completely self-imposed limitation on Apple's part!
I can’t charge and listen to music. Phone low on battery? Hey guess what! Don’t you wish you has just bought our expensive blue tooth speakers?
NO. If I want actual sound I’ll get it from people who love for sound.
Not good for people who enjoy the higher audio quality or just don't want to mess about with charging yet more batteries
Since when proposing a sold separately wirelesses alternative is "forcing you to go wireless"?
It is very noticeable in games and movies. Until they solve that problem first, wired solutions will always be needed.
That's a problem with bluetooth protocol in general.
https://www.rtings.com/headphones/tests/active-features/late...
And hopefully someday the cost and prices of AirPod will be much lower or even included with iPhone.
I’m using an iPhone 6s right now and this phone does everything I want and then some. The only reason I would upgrade is for bettter battery life or maybe a faster processor. Everything else it does perfectly well for me. So why would I want to replace it with a phone that forces me to use a dongle just to continue using it the way I’ve been doing for years? Especially if that dongle negates every size advantage that not having a jack might add.
As for me not wanting to stay current with tech (as someone above said), it’s because, for me, wireless earphones and dongles are a major step backwards. For you, not having a cable and having batteries might be a feature. For me, having a cable and not having batteries is a feature. I don’t want bulky or expensive dongles.
Anyway, unless Apple decides to cater for people like me again, I’m not going to buy any nore of their devices (and I’m not someone who doesn’t buy Apple anyway, I own multiple Apple devices)
I used to carry a couple of iPod Nano's paired with Shure SE215 to the gym until a few months ago. Despite my intial hesitation against wireless earphones and self-imposed rule of never taking a phone to the gym, Jabra Elite Sport + an iPhone 7 has replaced that setup for now. The sound on the Jabra is far superior, the heart-rate monitor is fairly accurate and there is also basic Strava integration, but more importantly - I am cable-free!
On the other hand, I continue to use ATH-M50x with the iPad Pro 10.5 (which has the 3.5mm jack) due to the comfort and no lag with video content.
It is not about relinquishing or discarding your trusty old gear, but making it work with new tech, wherever and whenever you can, regardless of the ecosystem.
- Send a text while driving, walking with my kids, etc
- Create a reminder with a specific time or place ("Hey Siri, when I get home remind me to take out the trash")
- Resume an Overcast playlist ("Hey Siri, resume Overcast tech playlist")
- Turn on/off lights (I have a couple lamps on HomeKit outlets)
- Get directions
- Set a timer
- Place a call while otherwise using my hands (I have an Apple Watch, which makes this pretty handy)
- Play music / playlist in Apple Music
- Check a sports score
Getting an Apple Watch significantly increased my usage of Siri. It's not perfect, and as I wander around the house doing things (without my phone) the connection sometimes gets tenuous. But a lot of times it is nice to not pull out my phone, and keep using my hands for whatever I was already doing.
I am actually pretty pleased with Siri's functionality to do things for me. I can't speak to the "General Information query" use case, as it has never been compelling for me--however most people say that Siri lags behind other assistants in this area.
More often then not however, I find it infuriating at how bad it is at picking up "Hey Siri"
Like everyone else, I bought and used a set of AirPods for a while, but I ended up going back to the wired headphones when I wanted tiny little earbuds while walking or biking. My wired headphones work everywhere (including my iPod, which I use every day) and the AirPods are finicky, frequently lost connection between themselves, and required charging all the time. Much easier just to tuck a wired set down my sweatshirt and use the in-line remote to control volume (which the airpods can't do).
are they the best, I don't know, but for music the play time is significant and long enough for outdoor tasks. That is important as I don't have route the cord under my shirt or some other tricks to keep it from interfering with my work.
so its a to each their own, we all can come to a happy conclusion with more options
>These are not good headphones.
Yes, they're not good. Just the best in their category.
>The battery life is kind of bad
For two tiny isolated, on-each-ear earbud style headphones? Compared to what, your "over-ear" set?
>the charging system is finicky
Put them in the case, they're charging. The case stays charged for days of casual use. What exactly is "finicky"?
>the sound is poor
Good enough for music, movies, and calls. I also have (from past purchases) the Parrot Zik 2, the ATH-50x (for simple DAW monitoring), and Sony WH1000XM3, and I could not care less for the differences in sound compared to the convenience of the Airpods.
>and there's not even passive noise isolation.
A fact which probably saves lives of people crossing the street constantly.
There’s plenty of better sounding fully wireless headphones in that price range - Jabra elite 65t are meant to be good, I have the beoplay e8 and they are quite nice, Sennheiser momentum are in that same price class etc etc.
For the "lightweight, minimum BT-connectivity fuss, no wires, BT earbuds" category, which they basically kick-started and dominate.
>Compared to what, your "over-ear" set?
Yeah, that's the comparison I was making. The airpods didn't provide any functional upgrade over earpods (or any set of cheap wired headphones with a remote/mic in them) for me. The airpods made things harder. The double-tap to skip tracks was far from ideal given that it just resulted in slamming this little headphone into my ear, and that kind of hurt. The inline remote/mic was better for that, and it also allowed me to change volume - the airpods not having volume adjustment on them meant I had to keep my device in my pocket, so now the advantage of bluetooth (device set further away, not in the pocket) is gone. The over-ear set has volume controls and a play/pause button.
>Put them in the case, they're charging. The case stays charged for days of casual use. What exactly is "finicky"?
Charging my over ear set is uncomplicated - everything I have charges off of microUSB so I always have that connector around, and to charge the headphones I just plug in the charger. I can use them while they're charging. Airpods require me to stop using them to charge. Nothing else I have is like this - phones, iPods, laptops, or other bluetooth headphones.
I don't worry about the over-ear set coming off. They're comfortable and sit nicely while walking. I always wear a hat when using airpods because I worry about them falling out. When an earpod falls out, it dangles off the other one, and I put it back in. Especially useful while biking (helmet makes wearing ear-covering hats harder).
I get that airpods are probably the best in the category of tiny little 'true wireless' earbuds. I get that 'put them in the charging case' is really the only way to do charging for this type of headphones. I understand they did the best they could, and that with this style of headphones there's severe limitations. But after having owned a pair, I don't understand why anyone would want to use them over something 1/3 the cost that offers much more convenience.
That goes with the form factor (which is the main selling point for its other benefits, mainly freedom from cables when using them), not some special problem of the airpods themselves.
I hate to be "that person," but, man, they just work. Even though I use bluetooth headphones when working in the office, I get a sense of pleasure when I put my AirPods in and hear that "ding" to indicate they connected instantaneously to my phone. I don't need to turn them on / off, or fuddle with bluetooth settings and shit. Customizing the taps on each ear to have different functions has been a cool feature too that might be nice to have additional customization options in the future (maybe tie in with the Shortcuts app in some way?)
Granted, I feel lucky that they fit my ear perfectly - I definitely feel empathy for some others that have had to buy the extra rubber pieces to help them fit.
I've tried the Pixel buds and a few other competitors, but the gap in quality is pretty wide IMHO.
https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MR8U2/wireless-charging-c...
I am a little disappointed in Apple for not adding storage to these though, it wouldn’t be very hard to add a few gigabytes to them and then they would work even without your phone and it would be the iPod all over again. Missed opportunity by Apple for sure.
As a shameless plug I am working on what I think is the perfect companion App for iPods. My app let’s you listen to any article by using some amazing sounding Machine Learning models to grab the articles and convert them to audio. You can check it out here if you like:
When was the last time you took a selfie on your commute?
The screen thing is likely still an issue for mainstream but for me I mostly listen to my content. Screentime only happens at lunch or at home.
Maybe some people can't live without a big screen their commute, but some of us can.
Also, I think given the option I would prefer to carry a tablet in my bag for the situations I want and have time for a screen, and make do with the watch+pods for the majority of scenarios.
In other words, give up a cellphone altogether and replace it with a watch/pod pair and an optional tablet.
1. Headphones have CPU and you call it a platform. Almost every digital watch (not smart watch) has a CPU and nobody I know calls it a platform. Can you build on top of AirPods?
2.
> seemingly everyone on every train has them on
Seemingly everyone? Not sure about NY but in London <20% of the people have them. So seemingly nobody. I could say it's dead technology then.
Apple is succeeding because of the fanboys not because it's legitimately good and this infuriates me. It's been getting a lot worse lately, but somehow we don't see this enough so I am just trying to balance things, excuse me.
If Apple made IEM-like AirPods, I'd definitely jump back in.
Amusingly, the instructions for AirPods say to not get them wet. I don't know how one could exercise rigorously and not get sweat on them.
Then you try it at your local pool and the airpods immediately fall out the minute you hit the water, and are kicked by a 6 year old into the pool filter.
How are you persuading Apple to replace them multiple times for water damage?
The HN crowd, especially the more focused and tech-savvy people, find issues with the sound quality, ambient noise pickup, and sync issues. All valid issues and the reason I don't care for wireless earbuds in general.
I will stick to my over-ear headset, but I definitely see how airpods are revolutionary and convenient for non-tech users that just want something cordless and simple that works most of the time.
The battery replacement is prohibitively expensive and I would rather purchase a brand new set but this update is rather underwhelming: same sound quality, same listening time with improved talktime, better latency and wireless charging - nothing that I really care about.
https://fccid.io/BCG-A1722/Internal-Photos/A1722-Internal-Ph...
However, I also see little reason to upgrade.
But given the price I'm pretty sure I'll keep them around until they only last 1-2 hours on a charge.
Remember the iconic dancing shadow iPod commercials? The person was not the focus; not even the iPod was the focus. The white headphones, unique at the time, were the focus.
https://m.imore.com/these-are-best-ways-personalize-your-air...
> These AirPods were initially planned to go on sale last year. They’re also working on a future version with noise-cancellation and water resistance. Those were planned for later this year, but would now imagine that’s for 2020.
I'd take any dates with a healthy dose of salt, as his track record there is less accurate (and obviously dates change pre-announcement).
[0] - https://twitter.com/markgurman/status/1108360407020789760
The other thing I don't like about the pods is how much sound the let out. Ever been in an elevator with someone with airpods, you can hear everything they are listening to.
Not to mention charing from S10, which for now seems to be as terrible idea as the built-in fingerprint sensor - using S10 as charger generates significant amounts of heat that will quickly kill your phone battery.
And that's a problem with every samsung products - cheaper, but still really expensive considering all of the drawbacks.
Siri and wireless charging are small qol changes that i would rather see with a major upgrade. Currently I see no reason for anyone to upgrade their existing AirPods.
If you’re playing music or podcasts, removing one from the ear will pause the playback by default, and you have to tap play again. But with phone calls, the call just continues if you remove one for charging.
The AirPods sounds terrible. Worst in class.
Some of the brands I’ve used over the years include Sennheiser, Beats, Shure and Beyerdynamic.
Let's look up these brands and their wireless headphones at the moment.
First, Sennheiser.
Sennheiser has products like the "MOMENTUM Free In-Ear Wireless" and "Momentum In-Ear Wireless". These are in-ear headphones with a wire that goes around your neck. While reviews don't complain about sound, these can hardly be considered wireless. I mean, the wires are right there (points at screen).
Hardly considered similar products.
Let's visit Beats.
Same thing. Wires. Next.
Shure. Never heard of them, but hey, lets google "Shure wireless in-ear headphones". Wires again. This seems to be a trend.
Beyerdynamic? It's up to you! Yeah, you know already. Wires.
I do believe there is a market for these "wireless" (calling them "wireless" is just lying but hey) headphones, they are widely different form Apple AirPods.
The Apple AirPods are TRUE wireless headphones. They are a whole different product. There are other brands that have similar products (with charging case & without wires), but these are mostly more expensive, have worse specs and/or are mostly a pain to pair because you have to pair both earbuds individually.
I'm not saying Apple AirPods are best in their product class, but I highly doubt they are "worst in class". But then again, we have to consider what "class" they are in anyway. In my opinion, Apple AirPods are WIRELESS in-ear headphones. These products you're talking about are "wireless" in-ear headphones
Having a wire around your neck is totally different to having one to your phone. It's actually a nice convenience having a neck wire because:
* you're less likely to lose an odd earphone (something that is more likely when your earphones are like loose change)
* you can pop one earphone out and rest it on your shoulder. eg when shopping and you're in the queue to pay. You can then interact with the cashier without appearing rude
* you get extended battery life as you now only need one BT radio per pair of headphones (this is actually the main reason 3rd party ones are cabled and this is a problem Apple have managed to solve with a custom BT radio controller)
The fact that you can buy after market cords for Apple's wireless earphones says a lot about how it's actually a desirable feature for some people. But another example is people who attach neck cords to reading glasses.
Moreover, I do happen to own corded bluetooth earphones and specifically chose them over "true wireless" because they offered the best of both worlds - liberated me from being tethered to my phone or other playback devices while still giving me the convenience to hang the earphones around my neck while I'm not using them. This was a very calculated decision on my part because I did also look at "true wireless" and was very tempted by them. I'm also adamant that I made the right decision given my usages.
The inverse seems to hold true, too. When Microsoft hardware gets discussed, there's usually a lot of effusive praise, but their market impact is negligible, at least in terms of public mindset, if not in sales.
The closest Apple store to me is nearly always standing room only. There's also a Microsoft store in the same mall. The only reason it still exists is as an impromptu Fortnite LAN party.
and with everybody, youll always have crowds of people with "the old way worked fine" who are more vocal than the "ill give it a try, it looks cool i guess. i didnt even know people where complaining about thing thingers deficiencies."
Some of this crowd has a stunning inability to empathize with any conceivable user other than themselves.
Does HN really hate Apple though? Or AirPod? Or iPhone.
I would agree on MacBook Pro.
I can literally get a Audio Technica Headset for that price tag.
Same reason.
Interestingly, Steve actually compared Apple to Porsche in a quote back years ago. [0]
[0] - https://www.macworld.com/article/1029181/themacturns20jobs.h...
Why can't we have high quality wired headsets?
edit:
Why am I getting downvoted for pointing out a fact that peoples ears are shaped differently? Is this some kind of fanboyism in effect because it wasn't meant as a critisim against Apple. I happen to have an iPhone but opted for 3rd party earphones because they fit better.
If it was as easy as a "1 size fits all" then other manufacturers releasing equivalently prices earphones wouldn't go down the multiple attachments route I described.
It's also worth mentioning that having those rubber / foam attachments does have an added benefit in that they contribute to noise cancelling so you don't need to crank the earphones as loud when in noisy locations. Which is healthier for your hearing.
It's also worth noting that different earphones have different frequency curves. Whilst Apple do make some nice sounding earphones, I wanted something with a different colourisation.
In any case, at that price I'd expect those silicone types to come with the airpods - just like they would with any other earphone.
One person dropped his phone in the tube, due a large amount of people wanting to get out, he could save his $1000 smartphone because he cought the cords of the earphones.
Everything has it's own advantages and disadvantages
but seriously... wow up to 5 hours of listen time? My wired QC20 headset gives me ... 160 hours of listen time, and then it keeps going even more. But even the 'functionality' - the noise cancelling aspect - gives me > 8 hours of noise cancelling on a short charge. And when it's out of power, the music still comes through.
When the airpods can be used on airplane flights... maybe I'll take the plunge. (and yeah, for now, I still have an SE for the headphone jack)
Well that's because it's got a massive battery hanging off it isn't it? Not sure they're really equivalent products.
I have Bose earphones designed like that and they cost around the same price as these Airpods. I'm very happy with them.
It's really nice for when I'm riding my bike or in a store to be able to listen to something, but also have situational awareness.
If I'm sweating they're more prone to fall out, but I have silicone tips that I can put on if I need to.
Also, you can buy a single replacement airpod for $70 which isn't a great price, but it's at least on option.
Use the adapter and you can use any wired headset you want.
I guess it’s good if you’re a frequent user of Siri, talk/listen for exceptionally long periods, or really hate the pairing lag (3-5 seconds).