Battery is reason numero uno for me - I’m getting similar to those who are saying 90 minutes of usage between charges. Additionally, my Airpods and case never charge to 100% anymore. Adding the wireless charging - so no need to bring a lightning cable when traveling with my iPad Pro (USB C), iPhone, and airpods - is a definite decision to upgrade for me.
2 Likes
In the US they’re charging $199 for the AirPods+charging case, which is equivalent to AUD $279, and that’s before the sales tax, which in the US is an average of 8.45%, bringing the average price to US $215 (or AUD $303) Not that big a differential; besides, Aussie prices have always been higher due to the tax/fee structure. (Which some people prefer in exchange for things like specific health benefits which us 'mericans don’t have.)
This has been a great week for Apple enthusiasts, I’ve never seen anything like this. I’m going to wait and see what the rest of the week brings but I’ve had AirPods since day one and the battery has degraded quite a bit…
1 Like
Does anyone have a delivery date before 26th? I’m uk, but I wonder if things are not shipping straight away pending the keynote next week, or whether it is simply logistical!
I agree. I like my airpods but they aren’t worth $90/year.
I purchased mine about 15 minutes after they went on sale on day 1. They now last 50 - 60 minutes before announcing low battery, and recover significantly after 5 minutes or so in the case. That’s OK when listening to music, etc. but not for phone calls. So when making business calls, I only used wired.
Hopefully, Apple has improved things with v2, but I doubt if I’ll buy another pair. At least not for a year or so.
Look - everyone is entitled to their own opinion and how they spend their money. Airpods are 1 of 3 technology products I carry with me everyday and everywhere I go - along with my phone and Apple watch. I use them every single day. I definitely get more value than the roughly $.25/day that they cost for a 2 year life span.
3 Likes
Better pairing does sound like a good feature but I was sure hoping for some kind of sizing or customizing option. Mine spent as much time on the ground, under the desk, in the sink, etc as on my head.
1 Like
I’m guessing they aren’t going to be shipped before, because according to the first footnote: 1. Requires an iCloud account and macOS 10.14.4, iOS 12.2, or watchOS 5.2. which I’m assume won’t be released until Monday after the event.
1 Like
I’ve had mine since day 1 of release and my battery is down to about 50 to 60 minutes of music. I’ve used them almost everyday since purchase, a minimum of 90 minutes each day. Some days significantly more. I fully expected them to run down after a couple of years - it’s what rechargeable batteries do so ¯_(ツ)_/¯
So, I was going to need to replace but was holding out for the Hey Siri function. That’s all I wanted as a new feature. Sure, longer playback/talk-time is great and not a surprise but what I was really hoping for was Hey Siri.
If I have to buy a new pair every 2.5 years I will because I think they’re worth it and I understand that the batteries will degrade as a normal part of the process.
1 Like
Just read a few things on MacRumors and noticed 12.2 was going to be released and guess that this was probably the reason! Makes some sense! Wondering whether they’ll be in stock on Monday or Tuesday in stores, as I travel Tuesday night and would quite like them before the trip!!!
I just checked the delivery dates for them now and they are Apr 3-8 for me, already slipped from yesterday. I think they may have a limited supply in stores on release day, but I wouldn’t count on it depending on how in demand they are by Monday.
Apple is trying really hard to price me out of Apple products.
The new AirPods cost exactly the same as the old AirPods (though you do have to pay more if you want the wireless charging case).
In fact, every single product they’ve introduced this week has been the same price or cheaper than the previous model.
3 Likes
I saw 200 bucks. Assumed the worst. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
And I think that’s been a major point missing in the blogosphere/podcasts (save ATP) this week. There were even discounts on storage configurations for some Macs, but that wind didn’t catch a lot of sails.
1 Like
The original Airpods batteries are not lasting like they were in the beginning so I’m waiting. I’m thinking I will be replacing them by the end of the year. Most of the time I only use one at a time.
People complain about having to replace them within two years. For the amount of time I use them every day, I get my money’s worth.
1 Like
Apple does love its pricing tiers don’t they; they’ve typically preferred to change specs to meet those tiers than change list prices (except when they more rarely change the tier levels themselves).
Hearing aids are even smaller than AirPods and they have replaceable batteries. Apple should be selling us new batteries.
1 Like
Apple doesn’t sell anything with user replaceable batteries.
1 Like
I’m not an engineer and I’ve never taken a hearing aid or an AirPod apart. But I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the internals of an AirPod are far more complicated than a hearing aid. While on the surface these might seem to be similar products they are, I’m sure, nothing at all alike internally with the exception of the basic truth that both are small, contain a speaker and a battery.
3 Likes