AirPods

AirPods
Developer Apple Inc.
Manufacturer Foxconn
Product family AirPods
Type Wireless earbuds
Release date
  • December 13, 2016 (2016-12-13) (Online)
  • December 20, 2016 (2016-12-20) (In-store)
System-on-chip used Apple W1
Input AirPods (each)
Dual beam-forming microphones, dual optical sensors, accelerometer[1]
Connectivity AirPods (each)
Bluetooth
Charging Case
Lightning port[1]
Current firmware 3.7.2 (May 2017)[2][3]
Dimensions AirPods (each)
0.65 x 0.71 x 1.59 in
(16.5 x 18.0 x 40.5 mm)
Charging Case
1.74 x 0.84 x 2.11 in
(44.3 x 21.3 x 53.5 mm)[1]
Weight AirPods (each)
0.14 ounces (4 g)
Charging Case
1.34 ounces (38 g)[1]
Website www.apple.com/airpods/

AirPods are wireless Bluetooth earbuds released by Apple in December 2016.

In addition to playing music and relaying phone calls, AirPods have support for Apple's digital assistant, Siri, and a physical user interface which can detect taps and in-ear placement.[4] AirPods include the proprietary Apple W1 SoC, whose additional connectivity functions require devices running iOS 10, macOS Sierra, watchOS 3, or later.[1] They automatically sync through Apple's iCloud service allowing users to switch audio sources to other supported devices connected by the same Apple ID.[5] They can also function as standard Bluetooth headphones when connected to any device that supports Bluetooth 4.0 or higher, including Android devices.[6][7]

History

AirPods were introduced on September 7, 2016 alongside the iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2. Apple originally planned to release the AirPods in late October,[8] but the company delayed the release date.[9] On December 13, 2016, Apple released the AirPods to be ordered online. They were available at Apple Stores, Apple Authorized Resellers, and select carriers on December 20.[10][11]

Since the release of iOS 10.3, users are able to locate missing AirPods by triggering a ringing noise through Apple's Find My iPhone app.[12]

At the 2017 Apple Special Event, Apple previewed an optional wireless charging case, which could be used together with an upcoming wireless charging mat named AirPower. However, AirPower and the wireless charging case for AirPods won’t be released until an unspecified date in 2018.[13]

Specifications

Hardware

Apple AirPods and capsule case

Apple incorporated their own custom designed chip, the W1, into the AirPods, which helps optimize battery use and processes the Bluetooth connection as well as audio.[14][15]

There are two microphones in each AirPod:[4] one at ear level, facing outward, and another at the bottom of the stem.[16]

Each AirPod weighs 0.14 oz (4 g), and its charging case weighs 1.34 oz (38 g). It holds a charge for about five hours, and the charging case can charge it for up to 24 hours of usage.[17] During a teardown, each AirPod was found to contain a 93 milliwatt hour battery in its stem, while the charging case was found to contain a 1.52 watt hour or 398 mAh at 3.81 V battery.[18]

Software

AirPods contain upgradeable firmware. Its original firmware was 3.3.1. In February 2017, Apple released 3.5.1,[19] and then 3.7.2 in May 2017.[2]

Criticism

One criticism of AirPods is their high price; however, at launch they were actually priced less than most "true wireless" earbuds on the market (e.g. the Samsung Icon X and Bragi Dash) and remain competitively priced with similar products from other major brands.[20] Another criticism is the perceived tendency to fall out of one's ear; however, testing by Business Insider has shown that it is quite unlikely for this to happen during normal use for most ear types.[21]

Another prominent criticism was an issue that caused the charging case battery to deplete at a rapid rate despite the AirPods not being used. Users were reporting upwards of 30% idle discharge per day.[22] Apple then upgraded the AirPods' firmware to 3.5.1 which addressed connectivity and battery drain issues.[23]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "AirPods - Technical Specifications". Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Apple Releases New Firmware Update for AirPods". Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
  3. ↑ Orr, Andrew (22 January 2018). "iOS: How to Check Your AirPods Firmware Version". The Mac Observer. Archived from the original on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018. The latest AirPods firmware version [as of January 2018] is 3.7.2.
  4. 1 2 "AirPods". Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 18 September 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  5. ↑ "Buy AirPods". Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  6. ↑ Pierce, David (7 September 2016). "Hands On: Apple's AirPod Wireless Earphones Look Very nice And Work Great". Wired. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  7. ↑ Woollaston, Victoria (2 March 2017). "Apple AirPods review: better than previous iterations, but still a letdown". Wired UK. Archived from the original on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  8. ↑ "Apple - Press Info - Apple Reinvents the Wireless Headphone with AirPods". www.apple.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Apple Delays AirPod Rollout". Archived from the original on November 4, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  10. ↑ Greg Emmanuel (December 14, 2016). "Review: Apple AirPods Are Pretty F--king Cool". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 14, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Apple AirPods are now available". December 13, 2016. Archived from the original on December 14, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  12. ↑ Gyulasi, Zoltan (January 30, 2017). ""Find My AirPods" Coming to iOS 10.3 - EDMTunes". EDMTunes. Archived from the original on February 1, 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  13. ↑ "AirPower, Apple's wireless charging pad, is still MIA". CNET. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Everything You Need To Know About Apple Wireless Earbuds, The Airpods - Wearable In Ear". Wearable In Ear. September 16, 2016. Archived from the original on January 16, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Apple's W1 Chip for AirPods Is More Than Just a Bluetooth Controller". NDTV Gadgets360.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  16. ↑ Walton, Tommy (January 20, 2017). "A New Solution to Volume on AirPods". Medium. Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2018. One microphone is on the outside of the casing, below the acoustic port, and one at the bottom of the stem.
  17. ↑ "AirPods Teardown". Ifixit. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  18. ↑ "AirPods Teardown - iFixit". www.ifixit.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Apple Quietly Updates AirPodss to 3.5.1". Archived from the original on December 30, 2017. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  20. ↑ "Google Pixel Buds". Google Store. Archived from the original on October 11, 2017. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  21. ↑ Business Insider (September 13, 2016). "We tested out Apple's wireless AirPod headphones". Archived from the original on November 28, 2016 – via YouTube.
  22. ↑ "AirPods users complain of battery drainage issues with the charging case". Digital Trends. December 28, 2016. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  23. ↑ Mayo, Benjamin (February 1, 2017). "Apple AirPods silently receive bug fix firmware update to version 3.5.1". 9to5Mac. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
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