If you want to take full advantage of Apple’s new W1 wireless chip and you don’t mind looking a bit… peculiar… you’re in luck because Apple’s new AirPods are finally available for purchase from Apple’s online store. These truly wireless earbuds were first announced back in September at Apple’s big iPhone 7 press conference in San Francisco. At that time, Apple said they would be released in October but later delayed their release without saying why. Whatever issue the company ran into was apparently fixed though, because AirPods have finally been released. Hey, better late than never.
Here’s Apple’s overview from the company’s website:
Wireless. Effortless. Magical.
AirPods will forever change the way you use headphones. Whenever you pull your AirPods out of the charging case, they instantly turn on and connect to your iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, or Mac.(1) Audio automatically plays as soon as you put them in your ears and pauses when you take them out. To adjust the volume, change the song, make a call, or even get directions, just double-tap to activate Siri.Driven by the custom Apple W1 chip, AirPods use optical sensors and a motion accelerometer to detect when they’re in your ears. Whether you’re using both AirPods or just one, the W1 chip automatically routes the audio and engages the microphone. And when you’re on a call or talking to Siri, an additional accelerometer works with beamforming microphones to filter out background noise and focus on the sound of your voice. Because the ultralow-power W1 chip manages battery life so well, AirPods deliver an industry-leading 5 hours of listening time on one charge.(2) And they’re made to keep up with you, thanks to a charging case that holds multiple additional charges for more than 24 hours of listening time.(3) Need a quick charge? Just 15 minutes in the case gives you 3 hours of listening time.(4)
And here’s what you’ll look like while you wear them (via CNET):
Rock on. 👍
Want a pair of truly wireless earbuds that cost less and don’t look quite as silly? Check out these or these, or even these for just $50.
UPDATE: The first round has now sold out and new orders won’t be delivered until December 29th, after Christmas. Don’t worry though, because all three of the AirPods alternatives we linked above are still in stock.
