I don’t believe in skimping on tools. I write software, so I have big monitors and a great chair, and powerful Macs. I write mobile apps, so I have a bunch of phones.
But AirPods are not part of my toolset. They are a flat-out indulgence, which is why I asked for them for my birthday.
They are just too expensive to buy for myself and not feel a bit guilty.
But they are truly great. The sound is amazing, and not being tethered has tremendous advantages.
Making them go…
You can double tap to call up Siri, and you can double tap to answer (or terminate) a call. Take one out of your ear, and your music pauses. Take the second out and it ends. Put just one in your ear and you get mono.
They are smart, that is for sure, but without a button they are somewhat limited beyond that, and you have to rely on Siri for such simple tasks as turning up the volume.
The charging case is tiny. It holds about 5 full charges. The airpods last about 5 hours on a charge, and a 15 minute visit to the case gets you 3 more hours of use. You charge the charging case with a normal USB to lightning cable.
Pairing them to your phone is comically easy. Just open the case near your phone. Press connect on the window that pops up on your phone and you’re done.
You can also pair them to your watch (but why would you want to?) and your Mac, and to AppleTV. All simple.
(You can pair them to other bluetooth devices, but that takes holding down a button for 15 seconds. I mean, how much work can they want us to do??)
These are beautiful and beautifully made wireless earbuds, and I really like them. I do wonder, however, what Apple has in store for V2. I can imagine them adding some cool new tricks, such as slide up the earbud to raise the volume, etc. But for now, these are the nines.
Bottom line, if you have an iPhone and $160 to spare, and you don’t mind waiting about 2 months for delivery, these are a great treat.
