Last week, Apple's first-generation AirPods went on sale. It's the company's first go at truly wireless earphones, and, as is par for the course, the company is releasing its product while there are a variety of different options out there to choose from. From small startups to bigger entities, truly wireless earphones are now readily available, covering a wide price range as well.
For a lot of people, AirPods are going to be their first foray into the market.
Whether or not they stay there, of course, will depend on their time with the wireless earphones, and how that experience pans out. Each person's mileage will vary, as is the case with any piece of technology, and it will come down to many different aspects.
The design of the AirPods themselves seems to be a sticking point for many. I read quite a few reviews that pointed out the AirPods fall out of their ears with any kind of movement, and that's similar to what I've heard in the past with Apple's wired EarPods. Obviously if the AirPods don't fit, they aren't the right choice -- especially at $159.
Sound quality is another area of potential concern, but that aforementioned price tag should be a pretty clear indicator of where that level will be set. The AirPods aren't going to be the best-sounding earphones you own, but that expectation shouldn't even be set.
Features are probably the biggest area where folks might raise their eyebrows.
The only input method for the AirPods is a double-tap on either stem of the earphones, which will either Play/Stop media playback, or activate Siri. That's it. There are no options for skipping a track, or controlling the volume -- pretty important things when you're listening to media.
You can ask Siri to play/pause your media, or turn up your volume, or skip a track, but you'll be talking to the digital personal assistant quite a bit out in public if you go that route. And, as many have pointed out, that can be a task, because Siri's efficacy is hit-or-miss.
In my time with the AirPods, I've deactivated Siri's access altogether and just opt for the Play/Stop mechanic, which means I'm still connected to my phone because I have to pull it out to change a song, or change the volume. But making Siri work on a regular basis, or even talking to the digital personal assistant in public, isn't something I want to take on on a regular basis.
The lack of physical music controls has left me wanting more, but the truth is, in the end, I'm happy with the AirPods. They connect super easily, they sound good enough, they fit very well (they don't fall out of my ears), and I'll take the drawbacks for these positives.
I want physical media playback controls in the next iteration of the AirPods. That's all that I would change about them right now. But what about you? If you've picked up a pair of the truly wireless earphones, what would you change? Or if you skipped them, why'd you decide against Apple's first attempt? Let me know!
