Apple - AirPods with Charging Case (1st Generation) - White

After using the AirPods for several hours a day for a month, there's a lot to like about Apple's first foray into truly wireless headphones. I used the AirPods just one bud at a time while listening to music/podcasts and for short phone calls in an office setting. ----- Pros: Bluetooth Connection: Due to Apple's W1 chip, the bluetooth connection is very strong, seemingly up to and beyond 30-50 feet. I was able to walk downstairs in a building and still maintain connection while my iPhone was still on the second floor. Also, the phone reception seems strong as whenever I was on the phone people generally heard me fine. Auto Stop: If you're listening to music and you remove one of the buds, whatever you're listening to will stop automatically due to sensors in the buds. I've used this feature countless times, especially whenenver someone starts a conversation with me while I'm listening to music while sitting at my desk. Now I just remove the buds(s) and I don't have to worry about fumbling around for the "pause" button either on my headphones or iPhone. Single Pod: I nearly always use the AirPods just one bud at a time, both in an effort to conserve battery life and to be more aware of my surroundings. This is a huge plus for me, since I'm used to the neckband-style headphones in which one of the buds was never used (and usually just dangled down the front of my shirt). Also a plus is that there's a microphone in both buds, rather than just a single one. Case: An underrated element of the AirPods is the thing that you don't actually put in your ears. It's the charging case. This thing will always be by your side, because once you take one of the buds out, there's nowhere to put it without risk of losing it. The buds magnetically lock into place in the case, so once they're in, they're not going anywhere, even with the case lid open. The case itself could feel a little sturdier as you'll almost want to buy a case for your case, but it's a great way to keep both pods and the charging system all in one little package that's barely larger than a pack of floss. Charging: Whenever you put the buds in the case, they'll automatically start changing. And these things charge fast. I placed one bud in the case once its battery life was down to 11% remaining and in exactly 10 mins it was already up to 77%. You do have to charge the case itself occasionally, but as long as you have the case around, the 5-hour battery life will never become an issue. Pairing: Thanks to Apple's W1 chip, these are the easiest bluetooth headphones to pair for iOS devices. For intial pairing, simply open the top of the charging case next to your iOS device, tap "connect" on the popup, and that's it. No messing around in the Settings section of your device, no holding a combination of buttons a certain number of seconds. And everytime after that, simply remove the bud(s) from the case, place it in your ear, and you'll be automatically connected. Convenience: This might be the AirPods' biggest pro. I'm not sure the convenience of a truly wireless experience and automatic pairing can be overstated. Being able to pop a single bud in your ear, have it connect automatically, and almost always have a full battery is like magic. Taking the headphones off and not having to turn them off/on is also a nice cherry on top. Fit/Comfort/Audio Quality: I have this listed as both a pro and a con. Simply put, these aren't the most comfortable or best-fitting set of headphones. The one-size-fits-all approach means these are going to fit similarly to the Apple Earbuds that come for free with every iPhone, and they're going to sound basically identical. However, I will say that despite what it looks like, these things aren't going to fall out of your ears (even if they may feel like it at times), and they sound good enough for being truly wireless. Ambient noise is inevitable since they aren't noise-cancelling and aren't shoved deep into the eardrum, but that's a personal plus for me. I also find the buds sometimes rubbing up against my beard, creating a bit of a popping noise, so I'll have to readjust when that happens. ----- Cons: Fit/Comfort/Audio Quality: See above. Price: These things aren't cheap. $160 for headphones that sound similar to the same pair that you received for free with your last iPhone? You're not really paying for premier sound quality as much as you're paying for the convenience factor. Lack of Physical Controls: There are no physical controls on the AirPods, so if you want to skip a track or change volume, you'll have to do on your actual iOS device. However, you can use the AirPods to play/pause or call up Siri, which brings me to.... The Double-Tap: This might be my biggest gripe with the AirPods - the double-tap should work while wearing an AirPod and giving it two sharp taps, which will either summon Siri or play/pause (depending on your settings). But it doesn't work for me a lot of the time and I resort to making these changes on my iPhone. I hope that the AirPods 2 or a software update either improves the double tap, or allows for some new gesture controls that make it easier to change volume, skip track, etc. Color: Yes, the white is Apple's bread-and-butter color, but it would have been nice to have a space gray/black option like the iPhone lineup. Fragility/Wax Buildup: Fragile might be the wrong word, but I live in fear of dropping an AirPod in the street, down a sewer grate, or anytime I get up and start walking around. Irrational perhaps, but the neckband headphones do provide a sense of security. I also find myself carrying around a microfiber cloth and cotton swab to clean off the AirPods whenever I take them off, since these things get ear wax on and in them just like the Earpods. ----- All in all, I've enjoyed the AirPods. The auto pairing, the convenience, the case, the sound quality, and the lack of wires all contribute to a great product. They could be better (physical controls, shorter stem, more color options, maybe $15-20 less expensive, a comply eartip version). If you're looking for something with similar features, but you want more bass, longer battery, then check out the BeatsX. I almost went with that option, but I really didn't want to deal with any more wires. I recommend these over neckband headphones, especially in a office setting. For truly wireless headphones, these are among the best in the market, especially if you already live in the Apple ecosystem.

Got mine yesterday morning from Apple and they're already my favorite tech product of 2016. Let's start with pairing. These make it dead simple to pair these with all of your devices. Open their case next to your iPhone, click the big "Connect" button that pops up, and you're done. They're now instantly paired to your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch. This means you can easily switch between any of your devices with no problems. Moving from your iPhone to your Mac? Easy, just click the sound icon in the top menu bar and click on the AirPods. You'll hear a little "bonk" to indicate they've switched to your Mac and that's it. It really couldn't be easier. Once you're switched, just listen to your music. The first thing you'll notice is that they sound noticeably better than the regular EarPods do. After that you'll notice that they're also surprisingly snug. I worked out with them, ran with them, etc. No matter how much I moved around these wouldn't come out; they didn't even come loose! This is subjective, but for me they have an excellent fit. If regular EarPods fit your ears, these will fit even better. Moving forward, another thing I love about these is their automatic play/pause feature. Need to listen to someone that's talking to you? Simply take an AirPod out and your music instantly pauses so you can hear them. Put them back in and it instantly resumes. It's simple, but works great and is highly functional. Battery life is lasting around 5 hours for me which is more than enough for my use. The charging case is what really shines here, though. Since they're always in their case – which, might I add, is incredibly tiny (I've added a picture of them next to my chapstick, for scale) and easily fits in even the smallest of pockets – when they're not in use they're always topped up to 100%, so battery life is almost never an issue. When they do inevitably die, however, you won't be without them for long. That's because they charge insanely fast –– I'm talking 20% to 100% after just 20 minutes in their charging case. Very impressive. Another thing that I'm really loving about these is the connection and lack of latency. They're incredibly reliable and have yet to dropout for me. I can put my iPhone 7 Plus in my room and walk around my house and still hear my music loud and clear from 20+ feet away. I previously was using Jaybird X2's and while those weren't bad, they did dropout numerous times a day (especially with iOS 10). That's not the case with AirPods. Their latency, or lack thereof, is something I never thought I'd see with bluetooth headphones. With my Jaybirds there was always a slight delay between when I'd do things on my iPhone and when I'd hear the sound in my X2's. For example, I'd click the play button on my phone and about second later I'd hear music. Same with pausing, fast forwarding, etc. Somehow, the AirPods don't have that delay. You click Play and instantly hear your music, no delay whatsoever. I've tested out numerous bluetooth headphones and none can match the AirPods in this regard. Now, let's talk about the microphones. They have absolutely blown me away in how well they work. FaceTime Audio calls are extremely clear and the microphones in each AirPod do an incredible job at cancelling out background noise. In fact, they worked so well that the person on the other line couldn't even tell I wasn't talking directly on my iPhone or that I was even outside where it was very windy and loud with cars and busses going by. Similarly, double tapping to activate Siri and giving commands through the AirPods works perfectly because of these headphones. Double tapping and saying "Call so and so," or to even just give commands like setting a timer hands-free when you're cooking dinner, worked flawlessly as well. If you've seen it, it's almost like the movie Her –– you've always got that little voice in your ear to do things for you. Unfortunately, Siri cannot be activated by simply saying "Hey Siri," although this is likely done in order to save battery life by not keeping the microphones always-on and listening for an activation phrase. This is a non-issue, though since double tapping to activate Siri (also works with gloves/hats on!) works very reliably and with no delay like there is when activating Siri on other bluetooth headphones. Overall, Apple has done an incredible job with these. It took them a while to get them out – still annoyed they delayed them by two months – but it's clear that they took their time with these in order to make sure they worked flawlessly. If you can manage to grab a pair of these before Christmas these would make for an excellent gift to give to someone (or yourself). I highly recommend these.

This is actually a pretty tough review to write because I am still not quite sure how I feel about these AirPods. The inclusion of Apple's W1 wireless chip makes the syncing of these AirPods with my other Apple devices a breeze. Completely wireless is great as well. No cords to my device, nor do I have to worry about a cord between the two AirPods. Finally... True freedom! The also can integrate with Siri and you can use them in conjunction with your iPhone to both listen and talk. Pretty cool. They also sit securely in the ears... No worries about them falling out. For the price, I would also challenge you to find a comparable pair of wireless headphones that provides the same features. I am not familiar with anything on the market that is quite like the Apple AirPods. They are truly a unique product at a reasonable price (considering what wireless headphones sell for). Those are the positives. Now, some of the reasons why I'm still not sold (so to speak, considering I already purchased a pair)... Apple advertises over 24 hours of music, but there's a caveat. The AirPods themselves hold about a 5 hour charge. You then need to recharge them in the included case and the case holds enough "juice" for about 24 hours (or so I'm told; I have not tested this myself). I have a pair of Powerbeats 3 and am used to 12 hours of wireless playback without a charge. I have to charge these at least twice as frequently. On a long flight, better make sure your case is fully charged and be prepared to go a little bit without your AirPods while they charge up. Apple states 15 minutes of charging in the case will give you three hours of battery life, so it's not too bad, but still something to consider. The case itself is also pretty small, so no problem traveling with it. I suspect the AirPods and the case also use magnets as the AirPods seem to magnetically "pop" into the case. Very elegant and nice design overall as far as that is concerned. This did create an issue for me, though, as I have short, fat, "sausage" (as my life likes to call them) fingers. On more than one occasion I had trouble getting the headphones out of the case without dropping them. Ultimately, these are headphones and I use them for the sole purpose of listening to stuff (music, videos, movies, phone calls, etc.) I said before that they stay in the ear, but that doesn't mean they fit well. I found that the sound is not directed down into my ear and, if I want to really "hear" my music, I have to keep my fingers on the AirPods and pivot them so that the sound is directed down into my ear canal. Not very sustainable when jogging or when I need to use my fingers to operate my iPad. My first experience was using these AirPods on an airplane. Even with the volume turned up all the way, the background noise of the airplane was enough to drown out the audio. I had to turn on the closed captioning on my iPad to not miss what was being said in the movie I was watching (unless I physically pushed the AirPods down into my ear, which was horribly annoying and unsustainable). I also found that, after a while of wearing them, they bothered the inside of my ear. That may have had something to do with me pushing them down so I could hear, but that simply underscores the issue. If they're just sitting in the ear, they are not too bad at all, but the volume and quality of the audio is not what I would prefer. I can wear my Powerbeats for hours upon hours without them being uncomfortable. That was not the case with these AirPods. So, ultimately, the Best Buy rating system asks me if I would recommend these to a friend. I will say yes, but with some caveats. The quality of the audio may be great on paper, but I found that the sound is not directed down into my ear with they way they fit. Maybe that is just me and the nature of my individual anatomy. I suspect some people may try them and find them to be perfect. Unfortunately, the only way to know for sure if you like them and they work for you is to buy them and use them. Have no idea what the return policy is on AirPods, but I am guessing most vendors do not want to try to sell wearable devices that have been in other people's ears. Again, for the money, these are pretty good with some nice features. They are small and, even with the case, are extraordinarily portable (even more so than my Powerbeats 3). Battery life is decent and, with the case, you can be away from an outlet for somewhere around 24 hours (with some quick charging breaks every 3 to 5 hours). Just be aware that, given the unique anatomy of your ears, the audio quality or loudness may not be quite what you were expecting for a headphone that literally nestles into your ear. These headphones are definitely about average, so I felt they deserved more than 3 stars, yet 4 stars seemed a little high given the audio quality and loudness issues I described above (in addition to the prolonged comfort problems I had while trying to overcome those shortcomings). 3.5 stars would seem about right, although if I had to lean one way or the other, I would say they are closer to "Good" (4 stars) then they are to "Average" (3 stars).

I put off buying these for a long time because I had a hard time justifying the premium price, but after my second set of cheap earphones died I decided to give them a try. I'm amazed with how well they work. From the moment I opened the box it was literally 3 seconds before I was listening to music. Flip, hit connect on my phone screen, put in my ear, play... done! The best bluetooth experience that I've ever encountered! I've not yet updated my MacBook (needs to be Sierra or higher), so I can't comment on the experience switching back and forth, but switching to my watch was instant and easy as well. Sound quality is about the same as earpods... not the best, but you buy these for convenience and portability, not audiophile level sound -- good enough for most uses, and I have Grado and AKG headphones for when I want the best overall sound quality. Comfort is about the same as earpods, though they feel a little bit bigger (even though I cannot see the difference). I've found earpods (and now airpods) to be the most comfortable shape for me, so that's a good thing. If you don't like earpods, you won't like these. I have tried head-banging to music, shaking my head rapidly back and forth (even with my ear facing the ground), and have run a little bit with them; they don't budge. Battery life is phenomenal... hours of listening, and only a few minutes in the case and they're ready to go again. Give your ears a short break every few hours (good for your hearing anyhow) and put them in the case for a bit and you'll easily get a full day of listening from them! One feature that's really neat that seems to be under-appreciated is the fact that when you take out one earbud the audio mixes to mono and you still get the full experience out of one ear. With other earphones taking one out means that you miss anything that has strong stereo separation and is balanced to the ear that you're not currently using. I tested this with some YouTube videos for testing stereo separation and sure enough if I took out one ear I was then able to hear the "left" and "right" test audio both in the same ear. I like the auto play/pause when you take an earbud out. Very convenient for talking to people... somebody walks up, remove an earbud, music stops... say what you want to say, put it back in, music starts. Amazing! (though a bit annoying if you just remove the earbud for a moment to scratch your ear and didn't really want it to pause :-) ) For phone calls and facetime calls the audio quality seems very good and it seems that everybody I speak to can understand me just fine -- thought I haven't asked anybody how it sounds to them. If I had to find a fault with them it would only be that they don't report battery percentage to the phone's battery widget while they're charging, you have to open the case to get them to report their status. Given how long they hold a charge I really don't anticipate that being a problem, just charge them at night like I do my phone. One minor caveat... since I have the Apple Watch I can control the volume and select next track by just lifting my wrist and using my watch. Having the whole Apple ecosystem makes the experience better. Without the watch it would be a bit annoying to not be able to change the volume w/o having to use the buttons on the phone, which is not always easily available. With the watch I can literally just lift my wrist and turn the digital crown to adjust the volume.

I previously owned the Bose SoundSport "wireless" headphones. I go to the gym about 5 times a week and having music while I workout is essential for me to get the most out of my workout (exercise and enjoyment wise). The Bose headphones worked pretty well. They were comfortable and the sound was good. However, I began running into a few issues with them. I would be running on the treadmill and they would randomly disconnect from my iPhone 8 Plus (talk about mood weakening). They also began to lose their battery life pretty rapidly. I also found it annoying to charge them (having to connect them to the USB port of my Mac). Finally, the little plastic hook piece that allows you to clip the headphone wire to the back collar of your shirt fell off and disappeared. Since losing the piece, every time I would run on the treadmill the wire would wrap around my ear and I had to constantly turn my attention away from my workout to take the wire off my ear, super annoying. I finally decided enough was enough. I decided to do some research for replacement headphones. After reading positive reviews, watching encouraging testimonial videos online, and skimming through a few online tech periodicals; I decided on the Apple AirPods. WOW... I am so glad I chose these headphones. The first thing I noticed after receiving them is how small and tiny they are in the little carrying case. I take extreme care of my possessions and rarely lose things so i'm not worried about misplacing them. Their small size makes them super easy to travel with. Charging them could not be any easier, just place the headphones in the case and plug it into a lightning cable. Connecting them via bluetooth is about the easiest process you can imagine, just open the lid to the case and voila, you're connected. Right away I was super impressed with the sound quality. For being 100% wireless, the sound is superb. They are also a great deal louder than the Bose headphones I owned before. Which is of course a very welcomed feature when running on a noisy treadmill. I sweat a great deal and I have not once had an AirPod fall out of my ear. They are also so light and comfortable, I honestly forget I'm wearing them and it's almost like having a permanent "voice in your head" playing your favorite playlist, It's quite fantastic. The tapping function that the headphones feature are incredible in the gym. No longer do you have to turn you attention to your iPhone to skip an unwanted track, you can select the option to just double tap one of the headphones to skip the song. While $160 for such small headphones seemed a but steep, I can honestly say I would be willing to pay up to $200 for them. The huge improvement to my workout and every day music listening activities have been increased tenfold thanks to these awesome little headphones. 10/10 highly recommend.

I happened to see Best Buy had these back in stock right around the time my Jaybird BlueBuds that were a few years old had crapped out on a run. I figured if I didn't like them, I'd sell or return, but I would now hate to part with these. Sound quality is about like the ones that come in the box w/ your phone, so for the money, you're not paying for sound quality, but in my opinion, these sound just fine and in actuality, I use these way more than my Beats Solo 3 Bluetooth earphones. What you pay for is the utter convenience of these. First off, they are so small and pocketable in their little carrying case, I'm way more to have these on my person without thinking. I grab them and put them in my pocket or bag like I would a pocket knife and when I want them, they are there. No cords means no tangled mess. While I liked my jaybirds, the cord would thump on my neck during workouts and this would translate to annoying interference w/ play when active with them. Not so with these because there are no cords! Yes, they can likely get lost easily if you're a careless person... or imbibe in alcohol while wearing ;) For the most part, they stay in my ears just fine. I run an average of 3-4 miles and sweat a good deal in our Summer heat, and so far these hold up pretty well. I try to wick sweat away w/ my hand before they get totally soaked, but so far, they seem to hold up well. The charge is okay. About what I was getting w/ my BlueBuds, or maybe a little bit better. However, between the case charging, I don't really have an issue w/ battery. If I were to say take these on an international flight, it could be a problem, but for that, I would likely use my Beats Solo 3s. These are great for using in the evening when I want to catch a show in the sack, just before bed. They're great working around the house or in the yard. They're great for workouts if you're not head-banging, and they are the bees knees because much like a cell phone camera, they most useful piece of equipment is the one you have on you and these are it! As far as pairing, I have an iPhone 6S, iPad Air 2, 2012 MacBook Pro and an 2015 iMac 5K and all of these devices pair quickly and easily w/ the air pods. Only time I have to open up bluetooth controls is if I want to pick up on a device that is different than the previously used w/ the AirPods, and this only takes a second. Bluetooth connection is almost instantaneous, if not instantaneously (if hooking up to my phone after previously using my phone w/ them earlier.) One of the best things is the ability to take and make calls w this and my Apple Watch w/ clarity and ease. They do a really great job of filtering out background noise and I have never had any people complain during conversations w/ the phone in my pocket. It's strange, but these are now one of the things most dear to me as far as materialistic possessions just because they are absolutely convenient, easy, etc. Only negative I can think of is they do look kind of stupid in white. If they were black or metal-colored (a gun metal color would be cool) I feel they would be less obvious against people's heads as they are in white, but you know, Apple–some folks gotta show off how cool they are, and for this, I get a little self conscious about people probably thinking I'm some Apple tech dork or they may think I'm being an elitist nut w/ $160 earphones stuck in my head, but because these are so useful and convenient, I don't care much... I like them and I hope they last a good deal of time for me. I am stoked they have a 1 year warranty, and probably the only reason I was cool w/ paying this much for these was taking solace in the fact that I would at least get a solid year out of them and if any problems in between, I would have Apple to fall back on under warranty service or replacement, so I'm not too worried about them.

When Apple first introduced these earbuds initially I had no interest in them. I never use the EarPods that come with the iPhone and the one time I did try to use my EarPods...they didn't fit my ears. I tried on a pair AirPods to test them out and they not only fit me but NEVER fell out of my ears. Here's what I like so far and how I use them: 1. Very easy to set up and came with a battery charge of over of 70% so you can use them out the box right away. 2. These are great for working out. I'm able to do sit-ups, arm curls, and jog with these on and they don't move. I'm very surprised by this considering Earbuds don't fit comfortably in my ears at all. 3. These are the best for standing in lines. Right now it's the Christmas season and everywhere I go it's crowded. I use these while waiting in line at the grocery store, the bank, the mall, the post office, and while at the car wash. 4. Battery life is no concern when using these. Since the case is the charger all you need to do is charge the case at night and you'll be able to use the AirPods as much as you like the next day. 5. The sound quality is actually good and clear for music, movies, and calls. I'll be honest...they aren't super loud and I usually crank the volume all the way up or almost near it. They are loud enough to enjoy your music in a noisy environment and they have just enough bass to make my music sound full. These are NOT a replacement for the giant on ear headphones and shouldn't be compared to them...that's another category of headphones. Bottom line...Apple has hit another homerun and I went from doubter to loving these and using them all the time. Going out and to places where I have to stand in line is now an easy task because having the option to hear my music or watch a game on the ESPN app is great with these headphones and makes those lines seem short. I've always hated talking on the phone because smartphone to smartphone calls always sounded low volume and not very clear but these headphones make calls sound great on both ends. These aren't a replacement for my over the ear headphones but they are a better option in public. They seemed expensive at first but I'll be using them daily so I'll get my money's worth.

Music is in almost every aspect of our lives. Music also has the ability to impact your mood which is why it is heard at grocery stores, shopping centers, and gyms. So, having a way to listen to music that makes it convenient, cancels outside noises, and is durable is super important. Apple Air Pods do this. I use them because of the Bluetooth technology, which allows you to go throughout your day without having to hassle with a cord or compromise the sound quality. Apple Air Pods may change the way you listen to music just as they have for me. To help you make the right choice I am evaluating Apple Air Pods on the factors of convenience, noise cancelling qualities, and durability. Convenience Headphones are the best way to listen to personal music. But the cords are the worst part. They can get caught on things, tangled up which waste valuable listening time, and effect sound quality. Since the air pods are cordless you will have the ability to take your music anywhere. The gym is a perfect example. When you have cords you can only keep your music device so far away from you at any given moment; this could impact your ability to move freely. But with the air pods, you can leave your device on one side of the room and work out on the other. This allows for free movement at the gym and anywhere else. On top of that, since they are cordless you don’t have to worry about them tangling up. They are in a compact, charging case that is small enough to keep in your pocket so they can be on you all the time. Nothing is more convenient than being able to pull out your headphones, without detangling them, and use them at any given moment. Noise cancelling qualities Another huge factor that should be looked at when purchasing headphones is their ability to block out outside noise. If the headphones don't have the ability to block out noise, then you have to turn up the music, resulting in a burst eardrum. The Air Pods have noise blocking technology in them that allows for clear, uninterrupted listening. You can listen to your device at a comfortable level and know that you won’t hear any pesky background noise. Although they are not 100% soundproof, they are still at the top for best noise cancelling headphones. Durability One reason Apple products are expensive is that they are making products that can stand the test of time. Air Pods are no exception. They are more expensive than a normal pair of headphones and comparable to Beats by Dr Dre, for example, but they are worth it. Cords are always the first thing to break in headphones, but since Air Pods don't have cords they are way less likely to break. As mentioned before, the case they come in is a great protectant from you losing them or dropping and breaking them. Durability is a huge pro for buying Air Pods. For all the reasons listed above, I recommend Apple Air Pods. They are convenient, have great noise cancelling abilities, and durable. They are worth the money and will change your listening experience.