To me noise cancelation is a negative, not a positive. Overwhelmingly I use the AirPods listening to podcasts/NPR/The Economist/phone calls/audiobooks/etc. while walking the dogs, walking to Fairway or riding on the subway when it is so crowded I can even get my iPhone out of my pocket (never mind my iPad our of the bag) and use my Apple watch to continue to listen what I was listening to before. Under *ALL* of these circumstances I want to be fully aware of my surroundings: hear my dogs and the other people walking their dogs and talking to other dog owners (all of them, including mine off the leash in Central Park before 9AM). Hear my surroundings while walking to the store or shopping. Hear announcements on the subway (like the local going express precisely because it is jam packed). If it is so noisy I can't hear my podcast I pause it until the firetruck goes by, or I pause it to talk to someone (and don't need to remove my AirPods because, again, no noise cancelation preventing me from listening.
The as-yet unannounced PowerBeats Pro in wireless charging case. I'm much more interested in these over AirPods...
I listen at the gym and on airplanes. I don’t want to be aware of my surroundings I pay extra for NC. I’ve had three Bose NC sets, currently use the QC30. Apple’s push into computational audio should mean adjustable NC is a given, when not if. And like Bose, it will certainly be an option from none to block the world. But Apple will certainly put the more interesting emerging features like “block background noise but let nearby conversation through” so these become normal gear for hanging out with friends in a noisy restaurant.
As I understand it, with the latest release there are two versions: 1) The case is wireless and 2) the case is wired. So I’m wondering if the case can charge the ear buds if the case isn’t plugged in?
It can. The case contains its own battery and charges separate from the Airpods so it holds several recharges before it has to be recharged itself. From what I understand, the wireless charging case also has a lightning port so it can still be charged via cable if you don’t have a wireless charging mat.
The thing that bugs me about the AirPods is once the battery goes, they are just expensive junk. When I pay $150 for earphones, I want them to last 5 years. I know I’m swimming upriver on that.
Has there been a tendency of batteries dying? My complaint is my $200 over the ear Bose headphones literally falling apart in 16 to 24 months. No problems with my AirPods, though getting *better* battery life the new ones is certainly a positive
My comment was inspired by the fact that I know rechargeables have a limit to recharge cycles and that the air pod was made so the battery can’t be replaced. As I understand it, the air pods might need daily charging.
Not unless you use them all day & night long - they have 24 hour+ capacity for their case - I charge mine once every three/four days. Also each AirPod can be replaced individually if something goes wrong (I did it for my wife - she was taking them off at a subway station and dropped one on the tracks, so I got a single replacement)
Correct: but you can’t charge the AirPod directly, the thing that you charge is their case, which is what lasts for 24 hours. Whenever you stop using your AirPods you pop them back into the case, so they constantly get recharged- I don’t ever remember listening for a full 5 hours without ever taking them out of my ears for one reason or another (talk to someone, etc). It’s the 24 hours for the case that’s more relevant to me
