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Apple AirPods review

When I first saw the Apple AirPods announced during the iPhone 7 launch event, I thought they looked awesome but vowed to never buy them. Why? I thought they were overpriced for just a wireless version of Apple’s headphones.

Now I own them. Let me explain. I recently talked to someone that had a pair and they were telling me how great they were for talking on the phone. I have been using my Bluetooth earpiece quite a bit lately, and I’ve been growing increasingly annoyed at how it fits in my ear, and how non-portable it is because of its construction.

Then along came a $35 rewards certificate for a local box store which took the edge off of the price tag, and pushed me into the “I’ll give them a try” category. Several weeks of waiting for them to be in stock only re-enforced my suspicions that these just might be a good thing.

What is it?

Apple’s AirPods are more than just headphones – they’re more than just wireless headphones. As the Apple tagline says, they’re “Wireless. Effortless. Magical.”. I’ve often criticized Apple for putting form over function, but they have really hit the mark with the AirPods. From the moment you open the box, quality is what you feel, see and hear.

What’s in the box?

Consistency is one thing Apple does well, and if you’ve ever unboxed an Apple product, the AirPods will bring you no surprises. When you open the box you’ll find the typical packet of product papers and quick setup instructions, charging case, AirPods, and a lightning charging cable – no extra fluff.

Design and features

This is where the AirPods excel. Setup is as simple as holding the charging case near your unlocked phone and opening the case. Your phone or device (iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models with iOS 10 or later) will simply display a message asking if you want to connect, tap connect and you’re done. That’s it.

The AirPods are always connected, and automatically turn on and off via optical sensors and a motion accelerometer. A double-tap on the AirPod will invoke Siri or answer a call. There are also other options in the settings for configuring what the double-tap does such as Siri, next track, previous track, Play/Pause, and off. The left and right AirPod can be configured separately.

The AirPods feature 5 hours of battery life on one charge, and with the charging case you’ll have 24-hour battery life. Just 15 minutes in the charging case will give your AirPods 3 hours of listening time.

What I like

My previous Bluetooth earpiece took around 5 seconds or longer to power on and switch the audio from the phone to the earpiece, during which I would miss much of the audio from the call. With the AirPods, I simply put it in my ear and the audio instantly transfers to the AirPod, and I don’t miss anything the caller is saying.

Just like Apple says, they’re effortless. The compact charging case, with its smooth rounded edges fits nicely in my pocket, protects the AirPods when I’m not using them, and provides plenty of charge for the entire day.

I drove around the other day listening to the radio while running map directions on my phone. I was able to hear the directions without having to mute the car radio. I often run around with my phone in my cargo pants pocket, and with the AirPod in my ear, I can hear incoming calls and texts that I would normally miss in loud environments.

What needs to be improved

There’s really only one thing that I think could improve the AirPods and that’s more gesture control. A programmable triple-tap gesture would be handy for launching the music app or the phone app. Being really picky and having large fingers, I would say that they could be a little bit easier to remove from the charging case.

Final thoughts

I’m really impressed that Apple has been able to put such great features and electronics in such a small product. I’m not an audiophile, so I can’t comment on how good the audio is compared to other really good headphones. I can say that I like the audio from these, it’s definitely better than the wired headphones that come with the iPhone.

Price: $159.00
Where to buy: Apple Store
Source: The AirPods for this review were purchased with our own funds.

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Apple AirPods review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 1, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Apple announces the HomePod, challenger to Amazon Echo and Google Home


One of the most interesting announcements made today at Apple’s Annual WWDC was the release of the Apple HomePod, Apple’s entry into the home assistant arms race.

A straight up challenger to the champ, Amazon Echo and the runner-up, Google Home, Apple’s HomePod takes Siri out of your iPhone and places her squarely, for better or worse, in your living room. Marketed primarily as a wireless speaker, the HomePod will be able to use “spatial awareness” to sense its location in a room and adjust its audio accordingly. 

The HomePod is just under seven inches tall, has six microphones, and is powered by the Apple-designed A8 chip. One of the best features of the HomePod, something glaringly missing in the Echo, is the ability to sense other HomePods and unify the listening experience utilizing an update to AirPlay 2.

Of course, the HomePod, triggered by the phrase “Hey Siri,” will have all the requisite home assistant features like controlling HomeKit devices and answering basic questions.

Time will tell if Siri’s voice recognition can compete in the home with Amazon’s Alexa, but the HomePod’s specs certainly outpace the sound quality of Amazon’s device. Although at $350, the HomePod is about twice as expensive as the Echo.

The Apple HomePod will be available in December and is not yet available for preorder. The device comes in two colors, white and “space gray”.

Visit Apple.com for more info.

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Apple announces the HomePod, challenger to Amazon Echo and Google Home originally appeared on on June 5, 2017 at 7:02 pm.

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Never lose your Apple AirPods with the PodStraps neck strap


When Apple released the AirPods and I saw them for the first time, I did a double-take because at first, I thought that they were just weirdly shaped earrings.  Now I see them everywhere.  And at a price of $159, I imagine that losing them would be top of mind for most AirPods owners.  So what better solution than to put the wires back on, right??  And that’s exactly what Budstraps did.

For the low price of $14.95, and with a choice of charcoal gray or yellow, you can have peace of mind that if the AirPods pop out of your ear you won’t be chasing them down the pavement.  The PodStraps are 19 inches long and include a cinch to adjust for your fit.  One size fits all.  The material is soft-touch and Budstraps included a pouch for easy carrying, thank you very much!

With your choice of charcoal gray or yellow, you can purchase the PodStraps at budstraps.com and Amazon.

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Never lose your Apple AirPods with the PodStraps neck strap originally appeared on on May 9, 2017 at 7:16 am.

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