Airpods and the Three Stages of Apple Criticism

What an excellent peice — one of those times where I wonder ‘Gee, I wish I had written that’.

Not only does Jonathan skewer pundits who don’t retract their punditry after they’ve been categorically proven wrong but he also exposes a sneaky conceit used by some pundits to blame Apple fans as ‘blind automotons’ when sales skyrocket for the very product they bashed.

‘Because if you’ve already come to the conclusion that Apple products are overpriced and inferior, but hundreds of millions of people still buy them, the only conclusion must be that there is something seriously wrong with the people who buy them.’

I’ve noticed many such cases where folks who were quite vocal in their disparagement of an Apple product, doing a complete 180, only after using said product. The transition is eerily quiet. No fanfare. No self-reflection. So, brownie points to Vlad for publicly owning his new (and dare I say) improved position on Airpods.

Even though I was an early adopter of wireless headphones (before Apple killed the headphone jack) I was late to the party for Airpods. My position was: why invest in a third pair of Bluetooth headphones when I already had two perfectly decent headphones (including a Beats Solo 3). However, I was intrigued by the Airpods 98% customer satisfaction and the fact that they were flying off the shelves and near impossible to get at the end of 2017 — an year after launch!

I finally snagged mine 2 months ago and after one week of use, realized why the Airpods have been touted as one of Apple’s best first-gen products to date. For me the number one feature has been the battery life. They JUST REFUSE to die. In the past two months, I’ve only come close once during a 3 hour long conference call. Even then, I was able to put one in the case and switch between the two pods without disrupting my call. They are super convenient to carry — in a case which not only charges, but also super addictive to open and close with a most satisfying ‘click’. You’ve got to click it—to believe it.

AirPods (and any other in-ear headphones for that matter) also allow me to avoid headphone hair, a condition associated with both over-ear and on-ear headphones — an indentation in your hair (if you have nice volume like I do) after a semi-prolonged period of use. A showstopper if you’re going to work, or a formal meeting/event as it gives the impression that you’ve just rolled out of bed. Additionally, it allows me to easily wear and park my sunglasses on my head while I’m out and about without the head-band portion of the over-ear/on-ear headphones getting (annoyingly) in the way—a legitimate First-World problem.

Apple’s default EarPods were never a good fit, only needing a whisper of an excuse to drop from my ears. That was the number one reason I held-off buying the AirPod’s for so long but after testing them at an Apple store, I was impressed with the AirPods’ ability to stay in (I even jogged and busted a head move or two). I’m happy to report that these puppies have not abondoned my 👂👂 in two months of non-atheletic usage. I intend to further test them when cricket season starts in a week and I am actually moving fast for a change.

Another great feature is that two people can use it simultaneously (albeit in mono mode). My wife and I have watched many a tv show after putting the kids go to bed without compromising on volume—while still keeping an ear out (literally) for our kids.

Speaking of kids, my 2-year old was perturbed the first time she saw me wearing them and asked why I had straws coming out of my ears…