Marc Jenkins

AirPods: first impressions

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I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of AirPods since they were announced in September last year. Mine finally arrived after ordering in late December.

Here are my initial thoughts after just over a days use:

  • The charging case is great. It fits nicely in a trouser or jacket pocket. The “click” of the magnetic lid closing is incredibly satisfying, as is the way the AirPods slide in to the case.
  • Syncing to my iPhone took seconds. It was the perfect first-use experience. Open packaging, remove AirPods from charging case, click Connect on my iPhone, start using them.
  • They fit snuggly in my ears. AirPods are the same shape as EarPods, so if EarPods fit you, these will too.
  • They haven’t fallen out of my ears yet (although that’s with light use: walking, house chores, etc). They sit better than EarPods, I assume because they don’t have the added weight of a cable.
  • They do look a little ridiculous. But I don’t care.
  • Sound quality is noticeably better than EarPods. Good enough for casual listening and podcasts. Yes, audio nerds, I know there are better sounding headphones for the price point.
  • Recharging the AirPods in the case is quick. 10 minutes and they’ve got another few hours of use.
  • The range is surprisingly good. I can have my phone charging at the opposite end of the house, although it does occasionally stutter at this distance.
  • The lack of volume control and skip buttons is annoying, but not reason enough for me to stop using them.
  • And the biggest weakness: Siri. Double tapping on an ear bud will invoke Siri, but Siri is still slower and less accurate than many of its competitors.