AirPods

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A pair of AirPods with a corresponding charging case

The AirPods are wireless Bluetooth - headset the company Apple . The headphones are compatible with most Bluetooth-enabled devices, but for full functionality an iPhone , iPad or iPod touch with at least iOS 10.2 , an Apple Watch with at least watchOS 3 or a Mac with at least macOS Sierra is required.

Models

First generation

The headphones were introduced on September 7, 2016 along with the Apple Watch Series 2, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus and should originally be released in October 2016. It has been possible to order the AirPods online from Apple since December 13, 2016 and have been delivered to customers and authorized sellers since December 20.

Second generation

On April 20, 2019, the second generation was introduced, which is equipped with a new H1 chip and allows inductive charging of the case according to the Qi standard . In addition, users can start the Apple voice control with "Hey Siri" and no longer have to tap the headphones as before.

AirPods Pro

Apple released the AirPods Pro, a high-end version of the AirPods, on October 30, 2019. The design of the AirPods Pro differs from that of the AirPods with a slightly larger ear insert made of silicone and a shorter and thinner stick protruding from the ear, and they come with a new charging cradle. They are also waterproof (sweat / splash-proof), have active noise cancellation and work with adaptive EQ.

hardware

An AirPod weighs 4 g, the charging case 38 g. The first generation uses the Apple W1 chip and Bluetooth 4.2; From the 2nd generation onwards, the Apple H1 chip and Bluetooth 5.0 are used. With one charge of the AirPods itself, music can be listened to for five hours, with the charging case having enough power for a further 24 hours. The AirPods have firmware , the delivery firmware of the first models was version 3.3.1. The AirPods each contain a battery with 93 milliwatt hours, the charging case one with 1.52 watt hours (398 mAh).

A special feature is the simple coupling with Apple devices, for this the AirPods only need to be held close and the charging case opened. They then connect automatically to all compatible devices that have the same Apple ID set up as required. This functionality is shared by newer Beats headphones, which also use the Apple W1 chip.

The AirPods also include sensors on the side of the headphones that make it possible to detect when the wearer takes one or both of the AirPods out of their ears so that the music stops automatically. Accelerometers are also installed, which can be used to detect the AirPods when they are tapped. Double tapping can be configured separately for each AirPod with various functions such as activating Siri, play / pause, next track or previous track

However, the aforementioned features require an Apple device with iOS 10.2, watchOS 3, macOS Sierra or higher.

criticism

The AirPods were criticized on the one hand because of their high price.

It was also criticized that the headphones should easily fall out of the ears, with the online magazine Business Insider finding that this is quite unlikely and that the headphones would fit most ears with normal use.

Sales figures

Market analysts estimated that Apple could sell between 14 and 16 million AirPods in 2017. In 2018, the AirPods advanced to become Apple's best-selling accessory, with around 35 million units sold. Another 15.9 million AirPods were sold in the first half of 2019. Market analysts believe that AirPods account for around 60 percent of the global headphone market. It's estimated that 5 to 7 percent of Apple's revenue from AirPods comes from paid exchanges.

See also

Web links

Commons : AirPods  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Use AirPods. In: support.apple.com. Retrieved October 12, 2017 .
  2. ↑ Apple press release of March 20, 2019
  3. ↑ AirPods 2 are here: "Hey Siri" and more talk time for Apple's wireless headphones. In: heise.de. March 20, 2019, accessed March 25, 2019 .
  4. ↑ https://www.heise.de/mac-and-i/meldung/Apple-stell-AirPods-Pro-vor-mit-aktiver-Geraeuschunterdrueckung-4570925.html
  5. ↑ We Tried Apple's Wireless AirPod Headphones. In: Business Insider. September 13, 2016, accessed November 6, 2018 .
  6. ↑ Trefis Team: How Big Can Apple's AirPods Become? Retrieved October 28, 2019 .
  7. ↑ Roger Fingas Friday, March 15, 2019, 7:00 am PT: Apple sold 35 million AirPods in 2018, currently the most popular 'hearable' brand. Retrieved October 28, 2019 .
  8. ↑ Apple's updated AirPods will release in 2019: report. December 3, 2018, accessed October 28, 2019 .
  9. ^ Evan Niu CFA: Apple Still Dominates the Hearables Market. September 10, 2019, accessed October 28, 2019 .
  10. ↑ Apple's AirPods Business Is Bigger Than You Think. Retrieved October 28, 2019 .
  11. ↑ People love AirPods so much they spend more than half a billion a year replacing them. Retrieved October 28, 2019 (American English).