Makes me feel good that I got such a good deal on my Audio-Technica ATH-IM04s.
They were normally $700 US but now they are end-of-life I got a new pair for only $391 US. win. The retailer was trying to get rid of them as they were end-of-life stock.
You've pretty much described any ear-bud/canal earphone.
The point is there's choices that have removable batteries, and aren't so wasteful. 18 months is a pathetic lifetime.
I have expensive over ear headphones for use at my desk and I still sometimes use AirPods because they're so lightweight and I don't feel them in my ear at all.
All of the same functionality, without the hassle of recharging, and much less risk of dropping one and losing it. And less expensive, to boot.
The only "downside" is that they don't signal conspicuous consumption like the airpods do.
And the UX of AirPods is such that I never think about charging. EVER. It's as if it has unlimited battery.
AirPods have ruined every other pair of headphones for me in the context of casual listening. For more dedicated "ok let me sit down and really listen" type sessions, I'll still grab my Sennheisers, Fidelios, or Sonys. But more and more, I just can't be bothered to break out the big, expensive sets even if the sound quality is better.
I hate the "you're going to lose it" argument. You can lose anything - including your phone, or wallet. I haven't lost my AirPods in 2 years and if I lost them, I'd immediately re-buy a pair.
I've been through the whole rigmarole of Bluetooth earpieces, wireless headphones, all of that stuff.
The only ones I've kept for years and use every day, never needing a recharge, never needing to be replaced? My inexpensive wired earphones, which sound better than any earphones Apple has ever made and will never run out of battery. Wrapping up the cable takes 2 seconds and they go in my pocket, always ready to go. No planned obsolescence, unlike the Airpods.
>"It's as if it has unlimited battery."
Until the battery dies, as mentioned in the article. Then it's just a useless wasteful trinket that has to replaced.
>"You can lose anything - including your phone, or wallet.
Neither of those are precariously balanced in my ears, just waiting for a bump while biking to knock them loose.
I play 1:1 contact basketball with AirPods on. They don't fall out. Every other pair of headphones I've had (including my Jaybird X2s, headphones built for the gym) would fall out very often.
Wires are actually the biggest factor in headphones popping out while active. If your ears play well with AirPods, then they'll rarely fall out if ever. I do know friends whose ears aren't compatible though and they won't fit them at all - so there's that issue and I'm not sure what % of the population it affects.
> Until the battery dies, as mentioned in the article. Then it's just a useless wasteful trinket that has to replaced.
Fine by me. I had my first gen AirPods for two years, and I used them for hours every single day. I was more than happy to immediately buy AirPods 2 when they came out. I can just send the first gen AirPods back to Apple for recycling.
Look, it's an easy product to make fun of. It has such obvious and controversial tradeoffs. But the moment I tried them, it was so clear that AirPods and other headphones like them are the future. Having wires now feels like going to a Blackberry after trying the iPhone. People forget that the iPhone also made very obvious and controversial tradeoffs in it's first iteration - people balked at the price and the lack of 3G. Didn't matter, the future is here. Form factor is king. Sound quality is secondary and for good reason. People want to make that tradeoff no matter how much audiophiles think it's blasphemy.
That seems so completely and utterly alien to me, this odd obsession with multitasking seems counterproductive.
I enjoy getting away from any kind of electronics and communication while I'm working out, letting me focus completely on the workout and nothing else. Plus sweat ruins earphones and the gym is playing music anyway.
>"If your ears play well with AirPods, then they'll rarely fall out if ever. I do know friends whose ears aren't compatible though and they won't fit them at all - so there's that issue and I'm not sure what % of the population it affects."
That's straying dangerously into "you're holding it wrong" territory.
>"Fine by me. I had my first gen AirPods for two years, and I used them for hours every single day. I was more than happy to immediately buy AirPods 2 when they came out. I can just send the first gen AirPods back to Apple for recycling."
Recycling is not an excuse, it does not absolve you of the responsibility for your over-consumption, nor does it absolve Apple of their wasteful design choices. Airpods are disposable by design. No amount of recycling will ever make up for the fact that their entire design is the very definition of planned obsolescence.
We live in a hype-driven consumption society.
Apple has 24% market share of headphones in the US between their own brand and Beats.