A lawyer reviews Apple’s Air Pods

Okay, let’s get this out of the way immediately.

Air pods look a little silly. No question about it. However, they are so small most people won’t even notice them.

But you know what else looks silly? This:

And this:

No doubt you’ll feel a little silly with two small protrusions sticking out of your ears, at least initially. Take that as a given.

But not nearly as silly as wearing a holster for your phone(s) or wearing a pair of glasses that look like an advertisement for a sequel to Revenge of the Nerds.

So get over how they look for a second and let’s focus on the good stuff.

Fit and Finish — Do They Stay in Your Ear?

I got my Air Pods on Christmas Eve and have been using them for a little more than a week, every day. I’ve used them for podcasts, music, phone calls, dictation, audiobooks, and exercise.

Air pods look and feel pretty much like traditional Apple earbuds, only with the cords cut off. They come in a well-constructed case that is the exact size and weight of a dental floss container.

Lots of people want to know if they fall out of your ears? The answer is no, they fit great and stay put.

Traditional earbuds never stayed in my ear. Especially if I was exercising. I worried that without the cord, the Air Pods would fall out of my ears too, get lost, or otherwise be useless because they wouldn’t stay put.

Surprisingly, the Air Pods fit my ears better than traditional cord-based headphones. Way better. They haven’t fallen out once, even when I’m exercising. I’ve even shaken my head violently in an attempt to dislodge them. They stay put.

I think for the vast majority of people, Air Pods will fit better and stay in better than traditional cord-based headphones. And that’s because the cord causes that occasional tugging motion which yanks them out of an ear.

So for most people, falling out won’t be an issue at all.

Sound Quality

The sound quality on the AirPods is every bit as good as traditional earbuds or their equivalent. In fact, I think the AirPods deliver better sound, because they form a tight seal that blocks out noise, plus Apple has installed some cool sound-canceling technology.

If you’re an audiophile (someone who likes $500 over-the-ear headphones), then Air Pods aren’t sufficient and you should pass.

But if you just want convenient headphones, then in my opinion Air Pods are far superior in terms of both fit and sound quality than any traditional in-the-ear headphone.

Pairing & Siri

Pairing is super easy. You just open the case with the Air Pods inside, and a small pop-up box shows on your phone (or iPad, or Mac, or Laptop). You press “connect” and you’re done. Even cooler, once you pair your Air Pods with one device, every single other device you have connected to the same iCloud account is paired instantly as well. Very cool.

Double-tap on the Air Pods and Siri is ready for a question. When this works, it’s magic. But it’s not dependable. I’d say the double-tap brings up Siri about 60% of the time. This will surely improve over time but right now it’s buggy.

Take one out of your ear and whatever you’re listening to pauses, automatically. Put it back in, and your music or show starts back up. Super cool.

A wireless future (and what that really means)

The way we interact with computers and other devices is changing dramatically. Soon enough, we will interact with our devices using methods of input far more natural than entering information on the keyboard.

The Apple Pencil is one tentative example. The pencil offers a seamless writing experience every bit as good as paper and pen.

You interact with your Watch or Fitbit by just moving.

But Voice is the next frontier. Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home, Siri, etc. Voice is coming. It’s here. Its better. It's inevitable.

And it’s going to be really cool. Soon enough we’ll all be Iron Man.

Air Pods push voice even further. Using voice commands to control your devices, you home, your car. That’s where we are heading, and it’s heading that way fast.

Air Pods don’t fully control your device yet but that is clearly where Apple and the other tech giants are headed. May as well get on board now.

Should You Buy Air Pods?

Yes, with a few small reservations.

Air Pods are significantly more convenient than any traditional in-ear headphones. They pair immediately, have plenty of power to last the advertised 5 hours, and offer another 24 hours of charging in the case. They don’t fall out of your ears (or at least, won’t fall out of most people’s ears), and the sound quality is every bit as good as traditional earbuds.

If you want concert-level sound, though, you should pass on the Air Pods, just like you wouldn’t use traditional earbuds for high-definition sound.

If you want a perfect Siri experience, then you should pass as well, because Siri on the AirPods is still a work-in-progress.

If you’re a little embarrassed to have two little white things sticking out of your ears, (like that’s what people notice about you. Right. Dude, no one cares.) …..then you should probably pass as well. Although I’m confident that this “look” will be commonplace soon enough. Nerd.

If you hate all the cords getting tangled all the time, the unreliable Bluetooth pairing of most wireless headphones, or you just like cool technology that works and works well, then the AirPods are a good purchase.

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