Since they released, I've owned two pairs of AirPods, three pairs of AirPod Pros, and now I use AirPods Max.
The original AirPods were great. My first pair lasted years and I replaced them due to the batteries no longer lasting a full day for conference calls and such. I passed them down to my kids and replaced them.
The AirPods Pro had some teething issues but are clearly the better product IMO. My first pair had the "crackling" issue, so Apple replaced them under warranty. My second pair was great and lasted years. I left them home when I was on a work trip, so I picked up another set and passed the older ones down again. The third set developed the "crackling" issue after about six months.
Apple replaced them no questions asked, but managed to sell me on the Max while I was at the store. I was hesitant, but yielded after they revealed that they had a pair that had been returned open but apparently unused. They seemed perfect to me, and they offered to replace the ear pads "just in case".
At $350 for the returned pair, it still felt like too much to spend on headphones - but I was willing to give it a shot. I asked if I could hang out in the store for a while and try them. No problem. About fifteen minutes later another employee approached me that seemed more "manager-like" and told me that since I had brought in a pair of AirPods Pro for warranty replacement, she could issue me a $50 credit as a loyalty perk if I wanted to buy the Max.
All told, between the open-box discount, the offered credit, and a few random bucks I had in Apple Cash (which I never use and am not even sure how they got there), I walked out with them for ~$250.
Both my daughters now have AirPod Pros and I have the Max. My wife is the only holdout in the family, with her Galaxy Buds.
js2 · 2h ago
My AirPods Pro (2nd gen) are just about 3 years old, still going strong, used daily for anywhere from 30-minutes to a few hours. I recently rented a U-Haul cargo van and had to drive it empty for a few hours. It would've been deafening without the AirPods. The noise cancellation works great for something like that.
My AirPods Pro first gen are nearly 6 years old, same use up till I gave them to my wife. She uses them less, but they are still going strong as well.
I just wish the tips fit my ears better. I'v resorted to having to make custom tips by placing memory foam under the large silicone tips. It's the only way I can get a decent seal. I've tried a few different third-party tips (including Comply) and none work for me.
avidiax · 1h ago
I have these custom IEM tips, but for a discontinued pair of Sony headphones. I wouldn't say seal (on the earbud side) is perfect, but the fit on my ears is perfect. They never just fall out of my ears, and are super comfortable.
I don't agree at all. I love the product but I have to buy a new pair of airpods every few years very consistently. It's either battery capacity loss, or crackling audio issues, or both to the point of not being usable. The Apple Genius always comes up with a story like "well it's out of warranty and the cost of repair is about the same as just buying new ones so you make the call dear customer."
Brybry · 59m ago
It'll be interesting to see how the EU Battery regulation that requires user-replaceable batteries impacts this when it comes into force in 2027. [1][2]
I have several pair, because I thought the batteries were going too quickly.
Turns out, I should have just not left the case on the charger, all the time.
Nowadays, I just let them charge for a couple of hours, every few days, take them off the charger, and leave them in my coin tray.
I haven’t had a single battery issue, since; even on the ones I thought were “dead.”
But I think it’s a big design error, that this happens. Everything else has”smart charging.”
ryanmcbride · 1h ago
Cool that there's a workaround but bonkers to me that companies still don't understand that if they create something that _can_ be plugged in 24/7, there's a number of their customerbase that WILL and they should handle that usecase
wpm · 2h ago
Yep. AirPods don't need to sell you a new pair because you don't buy them, you're renting them. $249 down and 30 minutes of battery life a quarter.
zitterbewegung · 2h ago
This is anecdotal but I haven’t had any issues with my AirPods 2 Pro and I have been using them for three years.
timpera · 2h ago
Wait, y'all can still use your 3 year old AirPods? On mines, the battery went nuts in ~18 months, and I don't even use them that much.
FredPret · 2h ago
I used my previous pair for 7 years. I logged 5 months of continuous audiobook listening in that time, and probably just as much time with music + TV.
Incredible for a tiny $100 - or whatever it cost back then - battery-powered device.
elSidCampeador · 2h ago
I only replace my airpods when i lose them - never due to battery issues etc
flawi · 2h ago
I use mine every time I take the dog out for a walk so around 2 hours a day most days since I've had them which is over 2 years now, and I've yet to notice any battery degradation. There probably is some, but not enough to notice outside of actual measurements.
semiquaver · 1h ago
Not using them much could actually be responsible for more battery degradation, since extended time spent fully charged is not great for batteries.
dlisboa · 2h ago
I have a 6 year old pair, battery last about 20 minutes tops.
veenified · 2h ago
I am still using a pair I bought February 5, 2022... but I generally keep the battery topped up by charging them once a day.
pzo · 2h ago
I had the same and got them replaced for free some time ago. Still using airpods pro v1
hyghjiyhu · 2h ago
For me it's 3.5mm over ears. I'm not an audiophile, but it bothers me went when the sound cuts out half a second because of Bluetooth issues.
lxgr · 2h ago
In my experience, the battery degrades fast enough to not require any nudging people to upgrade feature-wise.
ghaff · 2h ago
A lot pobably depends on how much you use them. (I use mine seldom--mostly when traveling.) But experiences seem to differ.
lxgr · 2h ago
Definitely. I use mine for hours every day, and given that, I'm not really disappointed in their battery durability.
Also, I feel like the change to not charge the airbuds themselves fully unless required has really made a difference, at least subjectively.
pyman · 2h ago
When Apple discontinued the first generation of AirPods, the final firmware release had a bug that was never fixed. It caused the left AirPod to disconnect after one or two minutes. Hundreds of thousands of loyal customers were affected [0], including me. You couldn't even buy a second hand left AirPod because of a firmware version mismatch.
I still love Apple products, but under Tim Cook, it feels like they care more about margins than customers.
Apple really needs to put a product person back in charge, IMO. Cook is a supply chain wizard, and has been very good for Apple shareholders - but not great for the products. Apple's quality, especially software, has been on a downward spiral for a while now. If I wasn't so locked in to the whole ecosystem I'd be back on a Linux laptop by now - too bad I can't stand Android.
But I guess that's why quality has been allowed to decrease - the customers aren't leaving, myself included, so why would they bother until it's a real danger to their marketshare.
edit I'm also not sure who to put the blame on for software quality. I'm not entirely sure if it's Cook's direction, Craig, or a combination of a changing culture within Apple.
pyman · 1h ago
If it weren't for Jobs’ wonderful Mac with Unix, I would've dropped all Apple products a long time ago. Tim drained the loyalty right from my heart.
dayvid · 2h ago
Moved from Airpods to Galaxy Buds Pro and haven't looked back. Much better sound quality and not as finnicky. Also easier to find decent prices via sales or refurbished
mojo-ponderer · 59m ago
Apple does not have a good track record of making devices that are built to last. It has repeatedly opposed right-to-repair legislation, and has been exposed as secretly throttling the CPU of phones as the battery decays, without making that known to users. If it really is Apple's vision to sell AirPods as a lasting product, it stands in stark contrast to its overall history.
Spartan-S63 · 27m ago
Your point about opposing right-to-repair is true.
The one about battery throttling is missing a lot of context and is extremely disingenuous. Apple noticed that aging batteries couldn't provide the voltage and would crash the phone, so they reduced the speed at which the CPU could reach full frequency so they wouldn't crash the device. It didn't throttle the peak speed of the CPU, but rather how quickly it would increase its clock. It wasn't done maliciously or for planned obsolescence reasons, but rather to provide existing iPhone owners a better experience on their aging device.
csomar · 2h ago
I've actually had this particular product fail on me twice, and coincidentally, I was just talking to a friend today whose AirPods are degrading after only 1.5 years. That's the same timeframe when both my regular AirPods and AirPods Pro started failing.
I might have just been unlucky, but I'd be happy to hear some positive experiences because as a product (especially the Pro), it really is brilliant.
richardw · 2h ago
I got a pair of Pro 2’s in 2022, still going amazingly strong and I hammer them. I often fall asleep with them in.
Only weird thing is that they sometimes need to be put into the charger and taken out again to for one to connect. It just seems they should be able to reset without the ceremony.
victorwynne · 2h ago
I feel like producing at such a massive scale results in sometimes selling some subpar units. I bought the AirPods Pro 2 in October of 2022 shortly after they were released, and even with quite a few drops and constant use I have not experienced any issues. I have heard of people with similar experiences as you and your friend though so it’s certainly not entirely uncommon.
Otek · 2h ago
I disagree with author here. I wish I didn’t, because that would mean that customers are much more aware than they really are. In reality I doubt that adding those features to existing models had any impact on sales at all. If Apple had data that people would buy headphones for those features, they would 100% made them exclusive. AirPods are just the best in its class, that’s why people are buying them.
pyman · 2h ago
I was forced to buy them. I was happy with my first generation AirPods, until one night they automatically upgraded to the latest firmware, which had a bug and they stopped working.
Jtsummers · 2h ago
> I was forced to buy them
Who held the gun to your head?
pyman · 1h ago
Tim Cook sent me a firmware update overnight. After that, kappom! He also locked me into the Apple ecosystem, and I've been trying to escape since 2020, but no luck so far. The AirPods Pro and watch pulled me right back in. Unfortunately, these gadgets work too well with my ridiculously overpriced iPhone.
Jtsummers · 1h ago
> He also locked me into the Apple ecosystem, and I've been trying to escape since 2020, but no luck so far.
You made a choice, you could have made different choices. You can still make different choices. You have agency, exercise it instead of complaining that Tim Cook is locking you to an ecosystem that you can freely leave at any time.
pyman · 1h ago
I've got options, but not always a real choice. Most ecosystems are designed to lock you in. I tried other things, like Sony earbuds, but they didn't integrate properly with the OS, Apple didn't allow it. Tried another watch, same thing. So, options? Yes. Real choice? Not really.
Did I mention I also have around 10 AirTags? I'm trying to get rid of those too, but it hasn't been easy
staplers · 2h ago
they would 100% made them exclusive
They sort of are with how quickly they connect and remember devices. If you've ever used non-apple bluetooth headphones, pairing can be ever so slightly slower and more cumbersome (not by a lot mind you).
That 1-2 second difference paired with the system notification "your apple brand headphones are connected to another device do you wish to override?" can save a bit of headache if you're using them all day and switching a lot.
I know it was enough for me to prioritize their airpods over others that do the same.
jajuuka · 2h ago
Sony has done the same with its ear buds as well. So I'm inclined to think it's not "they just make a good product" and more "they've positioned themselves as the premium electronics brand".
carlhjerpe · 2h ago
I wouldn't say my Sony headphones has become better than when I bought them though. There's been updates but I don't notice any difference before or after.
I've had WH XM3 and XM4 and they're essentially the same for the most part too.
bentt · 2h ago
I would love to see the data they have on lost Airpods. They can take this strategy of continuous improvement because they can count on users needing to re-buy lost Airpods.
padjo · 2h ago
I gave up on mine because they went flaky and went back to wired. Have had no desire to replace them. Not running out of battery is quite a good feature.
kylehotchkiss · 2h ago
One of mine doesn't want to charge anymore, so I went to buy wired EarPods or whatever for $20. They stay in my ears better.
can16358p · 2h ago
I've never used AirPods but I can say their microphones are awful: whenever I'm talking to someone who is on AirPods, I can immediately tell it from the very low audio quality. This happens with many, many people.
When they switch to their iPhone mic, it literally sounds like the audio version of upgrading from 144p to 4K.
DavidPeiffer · 2h ago
I've had a couple coworkers attempt to use AirPods with Windows computers, and the audio quality has been awful and unusable. They sound super distant even with sound turned up all the way.
pyman · 2h ago
True. The AirPod's mic is awful. People keep telling me they can hear all the background noise.
kjkjadksj · 1h ago
Earpod mic was noticeably better because it actually dangled down by your mouth.
Apple may have already fixed this issue in newer firmware/models.
furyofantares · 2h ago
My family still uses two sets that got lost in a snow bank for ~8 months about 4 years ago and found when it finally melted.
brianfitz · 1h ago
I have:
1. Lost a pair
2. Lost one bud from a pair
3. Washed them
4. Swam in the ocean with them
5. Had a pair generally degrade
So I know once I buy a pair, I'm good for about a year until I need another. That's also when I tend to notice the new features. :-)
ghaff · 34m ago
I won't use them in a plane because I know I'd lose them. Carry a separate pair of wired noise canceling earbuds for flying.
cwilby · 2h ago
When my pair of Airpods started hissing, I bought "cheap" headphones from Amazon for $40. No Siri integration or what have you, but mic & speakers work great and if I lose them I'm not out hundreds of dollars.
Also the bluetooth pairing / switching between devices is much saner for me.
2-3 years for earphones are a good metric? My Sony WH-1000X M3 are now almost 6 years old and still work perfectly (just replaced the pads once last year)
postalcoder · 2h ago
Normies in my life get significant utility from AirPods.
It may frustrate many that this continues to be brought up as the bar when discussing apple products, but getting the old folks onto wireless headphones was impossible prior to AirPods.
I have multiple 80+ year olds in my life and they just use them. Never asked me a thing about pairing. When things go awry they go to the apple story and pay $75 for the replacements.
Some may consider this a tax. For others, it’s a premium they’re willing to pay.
thewebguyd · 1h ago
> I have multiple 80+ year olds in my life and they just use them. Never asked me a thing about pairing. When things go awry they go to the apple story and pay $75 for the replacements.
This. AirPods made wireless earbuds usable for the general population. They made it friction free. You'd be surprised at how "difficult" something as simple as pairing a bluetooth device to a phone or computer is for a lot of people.
It's a tax I'm willing to pay too. Yeah, there are much better products out there, both for quality and durability, but the convenience and friction free experience if you are in the ecosystem can't be beat.
martinky24 · 2h ago
The article is specifically (in the first sentence) about wireless earbuds. Comparing AirPods to traditional over-the-ear headphones is like comparing the longevity of a smartphone to that of a laptop.
kjkjadksj · 2h ago
Funny how people only get a few years out of them. The earpods sound the same and don’t start falling apart until like 10 years of abuse.
sticilface · 2h ago
My first HN comment. It’s the monopoly tie in… so many features that other just cannot provide. Hey siri… handover to name a few. It’s a total disgrace IMHO. To think how much Microsoft got fined for just bundling IE..
FredPret · 2h ago
How dare Apple sell me exactly what I want: an integrated computing environment
Otek · 2h ago
The problem is that other manufacturers can’t create headphones that integrate on the same level because those protocols are exclusive only to devices manufactured by Apple
Ancapistani · 24m ago
Other manufacturers don't seem interested. There's nothing stopping Samsung from creating an open ecosystem based on their hardware, but I don't see them making a serious effort to do so.
kjkjadksj · 1h ago
What I want: the ability to integrate tooling I roll myself or find on the internet just as easily as apples often slopware.
FredPret · 1h ago
But then the logical solution is to not buy Apple? I like the garden walls. If you don't like them, find your own garden, don't shake your fist at my walls.
The original AirPods were great. My first pair lasted years and I replaced them due to the batteries no longer lasting a full day for conference calls and such. I passed them down to my kids and replaced them.
The AirPods Pro had some teething issues but are clearly the better product IMO. My first pair had the "crackling" issue, so Apple replaced them under warranty. My second pair was great and lasted years. I left them home when I was on a work trip, so I picked up another set and passed the older ones down again. The third set developed the "crackling" issue after about six months.
Apple replaced them no questions asked, but managed to sell me on the Max while I was at the store. I was hesitant, but yielded after they revealed that they had a pair that had been returned open but apparently unused. They seemed perfect to me, and they offered to replace the ear pads "just in case".
At $350 for the returned pair, it still felt like too much to spend on headphones - but I was willing to give it a shot. I asked if I could hang out in the store for a while and try them. No problem. About fifteen minutes later another employee approached me that seemed more "manager-like" and told me that since I had brought in a pair of AirPods Pro for warranty replacement, she could issue me a $50 credit as a loyalty perk if I wanted to buy the Max.
All told, between the open-box discount, the offered credit, and a few random bucks I had in Apple Cash (which I never use and am not even sure how they got there), I walked out with them for ~$250.
Both my daughters now have AirPod Pros and I have the Max. My wife is the only holdout in the family, with her Galaxy Buds.
My AirPods Pro first gen are nearly 6 years old, same use up till I gave them to my wife. She uses them less, but they are still going strong as well.
I just wish the tips fit my ears better. I'v resorted to having to make custom tips by placing memory foam under the large silicone tips. It's the only way I can get a decent seal. I've tried a few different third-party tips (including Comply) and none work for me.
https://www.adv-sound.com/products/eartune-fidelity-custom-f...
[1] https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/new-law-more-sustainab...
[2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1542/oj#:~:text=Artic...
I have several pair, because I thought the batteries were going too quickly.
Turns out, I should have just not left the case on the charger, all the time.
Nowadays, I just let them charge for a couple of hours, every few days, take them off the charger, and leave them in my coin tray.
I haven’t had a single battery issue, since; even on the ones I thought were “dead.”
But I think it’s a big design error, that this happens. Everything else has”smart charging.”
Incredible for a tiny $100 - or whatever it cost back then - battery-powered device.
Also, I feel like the change to not charge the airbuds themselves fully unless required has really made a difference, at least subjectively.
I still love Apple products, but under Tim Cook, it feels like they care more about margins than customers.
[0] https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250494933?sortBy=rank
But I guess that's why quality has been allowed to decrease - the customers aren't leaving, myself included, so why would they bother until it's a real danger to their marketshare.
edit I'm also not sure who to put the blame on for software quality. I'm not entirely sure if it's Cook's direction, Craig, or a combination of a changing culture within Apple.
The one about battery throttling is missing a lot of context and is extremely disingenuous. Apple noticed that aging batteries couldn't provide the voltage and would crash the phone, so they reduced the speed at which the CPU could reach full frequency so they wouldn't crash the device. It didn't throttle the peak speed of the CPU, but rather how quickly it would increase its clock. It wasn't done maliciously or for planned obsolescence reasons, but rather to provide existing iPhone owners a better experience on their aging device.
I might have just been unlucky, but I'd be happy to hear some positive experiences because as a product (especially the Pro), it really is brilliant.
Only weird thing is that they sometimes need to be put into the charger and taken out again to for one to connect. It just seems they should be able to reset without the ceremony.
Who held the gun to your head?
You made a choice, you could have made different choices. You can still make different choices. You have agency, exercise it instead of complaining that Tim Cook is locking you to an ecosystem that you can freely leave at any time.
Did I mention I also have around 10 AirTags? I'm trying to get rid of those too, but it hasn't been easy
That 1-2 second difference paired with the system notification "your apple brand headphones are connected to another device do you wish to override?" can save a bit of headache if you're using them all day and switching a lot.
I know it was enough for me to prioritize their airpods over others that do the same.
I've had WH XM3 and XM4 and they're essentially the same for the most part too.
When they switch to their iPhone mic, it literally sounds like the audio version of upgrading from 144p to 4K.
Apple may have already fixed this issue in newer firmware/models.
1. Lost a pair 2. Lost one bud from a pair 3. Washed them 4. Swam in the ocean with them 5. Had a pair generally degrade
So I know once I buy a pair, I'm good for about a year until I need another. That's also when I tend to notice the new features. :-)
Also the bluetooth pairing / switching between devices is much saner for me.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FLNSYDZ
Shhh! Don't give Apple any ideas.
It may frustrate many that this continues to be brought up as the bar when discussing apple products, but getting the old folks onto wireless headphones was impossible prior to AirPods.
I have multiple 80+ year olds in my life and they just use them. Never asked me a thing about pairing. When things go awry they go to the apple story and pay $75 for the replacements.
Some may consider this a tax. For others, it’s a premium they’re willing to pay.
This. AirPods made wireless earbuds usable for the general population. They made it friction free. You'd be surprised at how "difficult" something as simple as pairing a bluetooth device to a phone or computer is for a lot of people.
It's a tax I'm willing to pay too. Yeah, there are much better products out there, both for quality and durability, but the convenience and friction free experience if you are in the ecosystem can't be beat.