I'm surprised it wasn't bad.
Apple has ditched the iPhone 7's headphone jack, as rumored. So now you can plug your earbuds into the Lightning port, but what Apple sees as the future is wireless.
That's where AirPods come in. Below, Gizmodo's Christina Warren reporter is doing hands-on (ear-on) on how it differs from conventional EarPods, so please!
***AirPods are true wireless earbuds, a beautiful concept that no one else has been able to achieve. I've been disappointed with a number of products in the past to varying degrees, but after my short try with the AirPods, I was pleasantly surprised that they weren't garbage.
On the surface, the AirPods look like traditional EarPods with the cable removed. To be honest, this design is very first-generation, and I feel that it lacks Apple's sophistication. Future generations will improve this.
The built-in W1 chip (and software) allows AirPods to skip the tedious Bluetooth pairing process and pair quickly with your iPhone. Open the carrying case (which doubles as a charger) and your AirPods instantly connect to your iPhone.
However, the communication itself is Bluetooth. Apple's demo folks say there's a "secret sauce" that makes pairing over Bluetooth easier, but the technology itself isn't new. If so, although the accuracy and stability of Bluetooth have improved, it's still not perfect, and I'm a little worried.
However, in an environment with hundreds of press people and countless devices transmitting radio waves, the pairing was solid. I opened the carrying case next to my iPhone and the AirPods started pairing, which was really easy.
Smart isn't just about pairing. AirPods have a sensor that determines whether they are in your ears, and even if you start playing music on your iPhone, the music won't start unless the AirPods are in your ears. Playback stops when you remove the AirPods from your ears.
Double-tap the side of your AirPods to wake up Siri. You can start and stop playback, control volume, and ask questions using the mic on the bottom of the AirPods.
However, I wish it supported the kind of gestures I use all the time with regular earbuds, like skipping and pausing songs. Voice commands are great, but sometimes you want quick feedback with physical actions. Besides, I don't want to be the one shouting commands alone in public.
AirPods don't have noise canceling capabilities, but they worked fine in a noisy hands-on venue. The same goes for the mic, which filters out ambient noise and picks up only voice commands.
In terms of sound quality, I couldn't help but be surprised by the loudness and richness of the sound. When I listened to Sia's song, the sound was crisp and the treble was very solid. The music I listened to didn't have much bass, but it passed the first test anyway.
At least they sound a lot better than the original EarPods... well, you might not know it, but they look alike, but they're a lot different inside.
But in terms of comfort, there is little difference between AirPods and EarPods. My friend Dan (an ear model, by the way) says it's more comfortable than before, but I couldn't tell the difference. There are people who are not compatible with EarPods, and I had no problem with them, but AirPods may not be suitable for people who have not been compatible with EarPods so far.
It might sound a bit negative, but I didn't mean it that way. I've tried a lot of wireless earbuds over the last year, and most of them felt like earplugs. I mean, I didn't feel good at all. So I think at least the comfort of EarPods is the right direction.
Then it's hard to get out of it, but that wasn't a problem in the demo either. It is very expensive, so this is important. However, I don't feel like running with it on.
AirPods have a battery life of about 5 hours, which is the standard for this type of wireless earphone. The included carrying case also doubles as a battery pack (which is also common for this kind of thing), which extends it to 24 hours. Apple says that if you leave your AirPods in the case for 15 minutes, you'll get three hours of listening.
Personally, I don't like the design of AirPods that much, but I like the quick pairing. The price is $160 (16,800 yen in Japan), which doesn't feel too expensive for an Apple product. I won't know about the sound quality until I listen to it for a little longer, but my first impression wasn't bad. We will share more details after the launch in late October.
Christina Warren - Gizmodo US [original]
(Miho Fukuda)
