“It may seem like just another bluetooth ear bud, but look again at the technologies embedded in the AirPod,” Jeffrey Kantor writes for Quora. “It senses when it’s in your ear, uses accelerometers to detect motion. With a tap the beam-forming microphone accepts input to the Siri assistant which, like the Amazon Echo, is rapidly becoming a primary user interface to the internet. Airpods sync across all your Apple devices via iCloud placing the AirPod as a peer to the Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch.”
“It’s an iPhone in your ear,” Kantor writes. “Instead of finger gestures, you simply talk to it with a familiar vocabulary. It uses your hearing instead of your eyesight to communicate with you”
“Think about how it could evolve. In fact, how long will it be before you no longer need an iPhone at all? For example, need to call someone? Just tap your ear and ask Siri. Or ask Siri to play a song for you, schedule an appointment, or check your messages,” Kantor writes. “Ask for directions and your AirPod could wirelessly communicate with the GPS in your Apple Watch to give you a map, whisper turn-by-turn directions in your ear, mention a local coffee shop, tell you when the next bus is due at your location, or that the Uber driver you requested is waiting at the corner.”
iPhone 7 with Apple’s revolutionary AirPods
“With accelerometers it can sense if you’re moving or standing, or nodding or shaking your head in response to a question. With AirPods you can hold your head up and walk down the street, ride a bicycle, or drive a car and not dangerously bury your face in an iPhone,” Kantor writes. “It’s an intriguing vision of the future for mobile technologies comparable to Google glass in ambition but further along in execution.”
A GlassholeMacDailyNews Take: Jeffrey Kantor gets it.
An LTE-enabled Apple Watch and a pair of AirPods would supplant a great deal of iPhone’s current functions.
Can’t innovate anymore, our collective ass.
As for the AirPods looking alien: Tape a pair of wires on the ends of each and you’ll see that they look very much like the type of earphones that everyone is very used to seeing by now (which, for those who remember, we weren’t used to seeing before iPod – people thought those looked “alien,” too). We’ll all get used to the lack of wires soon enough. — MacDailyNews, September 14, 2016
Apple is wrong about the 5hr limit on a single battery
charge. If you buy two sets, after 5hours you just take
out the other Ear Pods from their charging case in your
pocket and keep on listening for up to 48 hours total.
I hope they also have a color option so I could have
one set in white and one in jet black to match my
iPhone 7plus in jet black coming Oct 18. Help me
somebody !!! I need an intervention. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Did you say that about the EarPods? No, of course not.
“As for the AirPods looking alien: Tape a pair of wires on the ends of each and you’ll see that they look very much like the type of earphones that everyone is very used to seeing by now (which, for those who remember, we weren’t used to seeing before iPod – people thought those looked “alien,” too). We’ll all get used to the lack of wires soon enough.” — MacDailyNews, September 14, 2016
The point is that tens of millions, possibly 100+ million users today use EarPods and do not think they are “coyote ugly.” AirPods are basically the same thing w/o the wires. MDN is correct, as usual.
Engage in hyperbole, much?
You have no facts or figures to support your assertion, fanboy.
They are beyond ‘coyote ugly.’ Horrible design.
So there aren’t 100 million people who use them out of 1 billion iOS devices? Even if 90% of people don’t use them, that’s massive addressable market who do. Let’s see $159 x 100,000,000= $15.9 billion in sales…. that’s a nice little business.
Obviously you missed the point of my post.
I don’t care how much they sell, ditto for the profits made.
They are UGLY.
Capish?
Unthethered, before long they might become a mainstay in various “lost/found” departments.
I am sincerely surprised to hear this refrain from endless know-it-alls who have never laid hands or even eyes on AirPods. I read as many first-impression reports from those that were at the event as I could find, and the vast majority reported that the units stayed in their ears, even with vigorous activity. But it’s Apple, so it’s more fun to jump on the brain-dead meme that “of course they will fall out and get lost.” I’m sure many WILL lose an AirPod. People lose shit all the time. But it shouldn’t be astounding to think that a lightweight object inserted in the ear, without the weight, or snagging of, connected wires will stay in place. I once knew a guy who didn’t know he’d left a Q-Tip sticking out of his ear until the cashier at the supermarket told him.
Was not referring to their falling out. Simply, given the laws of entropy, the chance of their becoming separated increases unless you return them to the charging box when not in use. Oh wait…who would NOT ever return them immediately to the charging box? 😉
An interesting extrapolation of the lost and found scenario. Are AirPod left and right paired in a certain way? Can you mix left and right pairs if you just randomly grab one side each from a box of lost AirPods? Even if not lost would you keep the undamaged one so in the future the other side broke you would be able to have a ‘working’ set?
Also an aside, since the AirPods are not connected physically do they show up as 2 bluetooth devices on a non-Apple product?
Is it legal to wear the earpods while driving? I know that headphones/earbuds are illegal to wear while driving but bluetooth headsets are legal (I guess because they only go in one ear). Maybe it’s legal to wear one earpod while driving but not both?
Didn’t read the full article, so maybe it was mentioned. I think it is notable how good the ear is for sensing body temperature and heart rate. Seems like a natural place to augment the Watch for healthcare.
Give it a year, and the AirPods will be out in seven different colors including black, brown, gold, and at least one color will let them be mostly hidden.
Hope in a year they drop the price by $50.
Hugh
You’re right. Definitely surprising that with the introduction of, not one but two, new black iPhones, that they did not come out of the gate with a black version of AirPods. I’d be willing to bet we’ll see additional colors by next Spring.
This article comes very close to falling down a rabbit hole into fantasy.
Here’s what to remember:
1) The AirPods are tools used to communicate with ANOTHER device.
2) That other device has to be within the confines of the Bluetooth distance restriction.
3) That other device is doing all the heavy lifting. If the other device isn’t capable of the heavy lifting, tough luck. For example, you don’t have access to the Internet or a mobile network via just an Apple Watch.
IOW: You need a service capable device within the range of the AirBuds, such as an iOS device or Mac. AirBuds on their own can’t do heavy lifting and never will… Until we discover inter-dimensional communication. 😉
May not be the best fidelity out there but just like the mouse, this truly innovative product will fast become a standard.
Apple is wrong about the 5hr limit on a single battery
charge. If you buy two sets, after 5hours you just take
out the other Ear Pods from their charging case in your
pocket and keep on listening for up to 48 hours total.
I hope they also have a color option so I could have
one set in white and one in jet black to match my
iPhone 7plus in jet black coming Oct 18. Help me
somebody !!! I need an intervention. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Sorry, the Airpod design is coyote ugly. Not exactly Apple’s finest hour in industrial design.
Did you say that about the EarPods? No, of course not.
“As for the AirPods looking alien: Tape a pair of wires on the ends of each and you’ll see that they look very much like the type of earphones that everyone is very used to seeing by now (which, for those who remember, we weren’t used to seeing before iPod – people thought those looked “alien,” too). We’ll all get used to the lack of wires soon enough.” — MacDailyNews, September 14, 2016
Yeah, I’ve said they were ugly since I got my 3rd Gen iPod. Luckily they fit me horribly and I was never tempted to use them.
The point is that tens of millions, possibly 100+ million users today use EarPods and do not think they are “coyote ugly.” AirPods are basically the same thing w/o the wires. MDN is correct, as usual.
Engage in hyperbole, much?
You have no facts or figures to support your assertion, fanboy.
They are beyond ‘coyote ugly.’ Horrible design.
So there aren’t 100 million people who use them out of 1 billion iOS devices? Even if 90% of people don’t use them, that’s massive addressable market who do. Let’s see $159 x 100,000,000= $15.9 billion in sales…. that’s a nice little business.
Obviously you missed the point of my post.
I don’t care how much they sell, ditto for the profits made.
They are UGLY.
Capish?
Unthethered, before long they might become a mainstay in various “lost/found” departments.
I am sincerely surprised to hear this refrain from endless know-it-alls who have never laid hands or even eyes on AirPods. I read as many first-impression reports from those that were at the event as I could find, and the vast majority reported that the units stayed in their ears, even with vigorous activity. But it’s Apple, so it’s more fun to jump on the brain-dead meme that “of course they will fall out and get lost.” I’m sure many WILL lose an AirPod. People lose shit all the time. But it shouldn’t be astounding to think that a lightweight object inserted in the ear, without the weight, or snagging of, connected wires will stay in place. I once knew a guy who didn’t know he’d left a Q-Tip sticking out of his ear until the cashier at the supermarket told him.
Lol
Was not referring to their falling out. Simply, given the laws of entropy, the chance of their becoming separated increases unless you return them to the charging box when not in use. Oh wait…who would NOT ever return them immediately to the charging box? 😉
An interesting extrapolation of the lost and found scenario. Are AirPod left and right paired in a certain way? Can you mix left and right pairs if you just randomly grab one side each from a box of lost AirPods? Even if not lost would you keep the undamaged one so in the future the other side broke you would be able to have a ‘working’ set?
Also an aside, since the AirPods are not connected physically do they show up as 2 bluetooth devices on a non-Apple product?
Is it legal to wear the earpods while driving? I know that headphones/earbuds are illegal to wear while driving but bluetooth headsets are legal (I guess because they only go in one ear). Maybe it’s legal to wear one earpod while driving but not both?
Every state’s law on this is different, but in California it would not be legal to wear both while driving. One is okay.
Does one AirPod work alone…?
yes
Didn’t read the full article, so maybe it was mentioned. I think it is notable how good the ear is for sensing body temperature and heart rate. Seems like a natural place to augment the Watch for healthcare.
Give it a year, and the AirPods will be out in seven different colors including black, brown, gold, and at least one color will let them be mostly hidden.
Hope in a year they drop the price by $50.
Hugh
You’re right. Definitely surprising that with the introduction of, not one but two, new black iPhones, that they did not come out of the gate with a black version of AirPods. I’d be willing to bet we’ll see additional colors by next Spring.
AirPods will not work as a single…only in pairs….that makes it illegal to drive with…
not true
That is incorrect, they can be used one at a time
unequivocally NOT true. Do your homework, troll.
I mentioned this before.
This vision was on Apple’s executive roadmap since the early 90s, maybe earlier.
Keep your phone in your pocket. Maybe someday at home.
This article comes very close to falling down a rabbit hole into fantasy.
Here’s what to remember:
1) The AirPods are tools used to communicate with ANOTHER device.
2) That other device has to be within the confines of the Bluetooth distance restriction.
3) That other device is doing all the heavy lifting. If the other device isn’t capable of the heavy lifting, tough luck. For example, you don’t have access to the Internet or a mobile network via just an Apple Watch.
IOW: You need a service capable device within the range of the AirBuds, such as an iOS device or Mac. AirBuds on their own can’t do heavy lifting and never will… Until we discover inter-dimensional communication. 😉