Apple introduced their Apple AirPods in 2016 to much fanfare. Fans of the tech giant had been waiting for years for Apple to introduce a set of wireless earphones to compete with the growing supply of Android supported wireless earphones. Apple finally listened to their customers, and introduced the AirPods.
A Technological Breakthrough
As expected, the AirPods changed the market, quickly becoming the most popular wireless Bluetooth earphones in the market. By 2019, it had become the most popular device that Apple sold, even more than the iPhone.
The first AirPods had two microphones in each AirPod, and had a running time of 5 hours on a full charge.
The second generation of AirPods was released in 2019. These were a big upgrade on the first generation, introducing features such as the “Hi Siri” that is available on iPads and iPhones now, as well as having wireless charging. It also had a faster processor, and therefore better battery and faster Bluetooth connection times. Apple also offered the wireless charging case as a separate item as well, and would be compatible with AirPods first generation also.
Simultaneously, Apple also announced the AirPower, a wireless charging pad that would be compatible with all devices including the Apple AirPods 2nd generation.
Continuous Unpgrades
Apple brought about a change in design when it introduced the AirPods 3rd generation, departing with the long stem of the AirPod’s design, and introducing a new style where the stem was shortened. The case was widened more to accommodate the new shortened stem and the bigger battery.
It also included new features like Dolby Atmos, a surround sound system, and spatial audio, a system used inside cinemas and theatres. Therefore, their sound quality increased considerably with the launch of the third generation. Apple also claimed that the headphones were water resistant, and would have a longer battery life.
Power Drain Criticism
However, despite their fame, AirPods have also had to endure their share of criticism from the market. At launch, people were critical of the steep prices that Apple would be charging for the product. As always, Apple has had a certain stigma attached to its products, with people always pointing out that Apple charges too steeply for its products, and maintains huge profit margins.
Furthermore, the first generation of AirPods was known to have an issue with battery draining of the case. Customers reported that despite Apple claiming that the charging case contained a total battery time of 24 hours, their case batteries would face up to 40% drains of energy. This meant frequent charging. However, Apple countered this with battery updates.
Apple AirPods have revolutionised the Bluetooth wireless earphones market. As per estimates, 60% of the wireless earphones industry is controlled by AirPods. Initially, the AirPods did not enjoy much popularity, becoming the butt of many a joke where people mocked the design and the pricey costs. However, the memes short-lived,
Bottom Line
At present moment, the world caught on with the AirPods, making them one of the highest selling wireless earphones ever. Apple AirPods is a top pick product which can be trusted even with closed eyes.
