Leave it to podcaster extraordinaire, Erfon Elijah of Cult of Mac fame, to bring the truly important issues to the forefront in this contentious season. That would be none other than AirPod design. Apple is on the cusp of either perfecting the AirPods or ruining them entirely. Which way will they go?
My job involves frequent air travel (before March any way) so I was a day one buyer of the AirPods Pro. The sound quality is better, the noise cancellation is better, and the shorter stems are much more attractive. But as I wrote earlier, I’ve mostly gone back to using my 2nd generation AirPods.
I simply find the non-obtrusive design of the original AirPods so much more comfortable. I wouldn’t say that AirPods Pro’s are horribly uncomfortable. They just feel different. And I can’t wear them for hours on end like the original design. After an hour or two I have an overwhelming desire to unplug my ears. With the 2nd Gen AirPods I can literally forget I have them on.
BUT…I also admit that when I make a quick run to Walmart, I reach for my AirPod Pros. Why? Because they don’t look so geeky. I do find the look of the original AirPod stems to be a bit long for my taste. In my house I don’t care, but when I’m out in public, I prefer the shorter stem look.
The issue at hand is what is Apple going to do with the next generation on non-Pro AirPods? Are they going to make them in-ear models like the Pros? I’m afraid that is the path of least resistance. It would be easy and quick for Apple to sell the Pro design without some of the features like noise cancellation or audio transparency.
That would also be the worst case scenario for me. If Apple moves the next generation of AirPods to an in-ear design, then there is no alternative for people who liked earphones that don’t go into your ear canal. There’s going to be some Antifa-style rock throwing at 1 Infinite Loop if Apple goes this route.
The perfect AirPods seem to be within reach. Apple seems to have gotten closer with each iteration. The first design had the non-obtrusive heads but long stems. The 2nd generation had intrusive heads but a much nicer stem design. The happy medium would be the original head design with the shorter stems. I’d be in AirPod heaven then.
I understand that I’d be sacrificing noise cancellation with my mythical unicorn AirPods. But that’s okay, because for those one or two days a month that I fly or mow the lawn, I’ll use my Pros. And everyone with the original AirPods already knows that you have no need for transparency mode with that design because you can still hear ambient sounds.
But if I could get the head design of those original AirPods coupled with the shorter stems of the Pros, I could finally have the AirPods that are truly all-purpose. I could use them all day around the house and still use them when I go grocery shopping. No need to put the ugly ones away and reach for the stylish ones.
I simply find the non-obtrusive design of the original AirPods so much more comfortable. I wouldn’t say that AirPods Pro’s are horribly uncomfortable. They just feel different. And I can’t wear them for hours on end like the original design. After an hour or two I have an overwhelming desire to unplug my ears. With the 2nd Gen AirPods I can literally forget I have them on.
BUT…I also admit that when I make a quick run to Walmart, I reach for my AirPod Pros. Why? Because they don’t look so geeky. I do find the look of the original AirPod stems to be a bit long for my taste. In my house I don’t care, but when I’m out in public, I prefer the shorter stem look.
The issue at hand is what is Apple going to do with the next generation on non-Pro AirPods? Are they going to make them in-ear models like the Pros? I’m afraid that is the path of least resistance. It would be easy and quick for Apple to sell the Pro design without some of the features like noise cancellation or audio transparency.
That would also be the worst case scenario for me. If Apple moves the next generation of AirPods to an in-ear design, then there is no alternative for people who liked earphones that don’t go into your ear canal. There’s going to be some Antifa-style rock throwing at 1 Infinite Loop if Apple goes this route.
The perfect AirPods seem to be within reach. Apple seems to have gotten closer with each iteration. The first design had the non-obtrusive heads but long stems. The 2nd generation had intrusive heads but a much nicer stem design. The happy medium would be the original head design with the shorter stems. I’d be in AirPod heaven then.
I understand that I’d be sacrificing noise cancellation with my mythical unicorn AirPods. But that’s okay, because for those one or two days a month that I fly or mow the lawn, I’ll use my Pros. And everyone with the original AirPods already knows that you have no need for transparency mode with that design because you can still hear ambient sounds.
But if I could get the head design of those original AirPods coupled with the shorter stems of the Pros, I could finally have the AirPods that are truly all-purpose. I could use them all day around the house and still use them when I go grocery shopping. No need to put the ugly ones away and reach for the stylish ones.
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