We’ve been speculating for quite some time now that Apple will give up on the headphone jack. Well that Apple rumor held true and the company announced that it really is giving up on the classic 3.5mm jack, replacing it with a multifunctional Lightning Port at the bottom of the phone.
So what happened with Apple’s notorious ear buds that usually come in the box? Well, the company decided to embrace the wireless world with a new product called ‘AirPods’. The AirPods look like regular Apple ear buds, with slightly elongated arms and no wires. They are literally just two ear buds that you place into your ears – and at first glance, they look pretty cool. They’re sleek, they’re simple, and allegedly they fit snugly in your ears so you don’t have to worry about them falling out.
The Catch
It seems increasingly more common these days, ever since the late Steve Jobs left us, that Apple messes up. There is a pretty big catch with these new headphones – they cost $159.
If you’re willing to stick with the wires, you can pick up the regular EarPods with Lightning Connectivity for just $29, and we think that’s infinitely the better choice. You can enjoy your music as normal and you’ll never worry about an ear bud falling out of your ear and being lost forever.
The Technology
We really, really do like the idea of the AirPods, don’t get us wrong. What we take issue with is the price, how easy they will be to lose, and the fact that they have to be recharged. The AirPods come in a recharge case which gives you 24 hours of listening, but you’ll need to recharge the ear buds every few hours. A 15-minute charge will give you 3 hours of listening time, which could be annoying if you’re on a train that takes 15 minutes and find yourself without charge.
Could Apple not have at least used a connecting wire between both AirPods that lay delicately behind the neck? At least then when one Air Pod falls out, it’d be connected the other side.
Heck, they could have even added an extra battery back on the back of the wire, giving us a longer listening time.
Apple, if you’re going to drag us kicking and screaming into the future, you might want to think the next version of the AirPods through a little more – and not charge us so much!
