AirPods are the New Default
Say goodbye to earbuds attached to a cord.
In 2016, Apple introduced something new and exciting to the world: the AirPods. Along with the newest generation of the Apple Watch, the AirPods were something everyone was talking about.
There were a ton of questions about the new AirPods. Was the sound quality really that good? Would they fall out of your ear like other Apple earpods? Why are they so expensive? Fortunately for Apple, those questions really didn’t matter much, people were still eager to buy them.
The AirPods had a sleek design about them, that was quite pleasing. It also had features like “Hey Siri”, and the ability to double-tap each “bud” allowing you to skip a song, pause a song, or even answer calls. The first wave of AirPods would cost you around $160, which some people thought was outrageous at the time.
I remember watching the launch of the AirPods, because I was recently investing in buying the new Apple Watch (which I broke multiple times, but I’ll cover that some other day). It was like someone had cut the cords to the earpods and stuck the “buds” into a carrying case. It was bizarre, but I felt drawn to the product. I wanted to own a pair of these new wireless earbuds.
Flash forward to 2020, and I still use my first-generation AirPods daily. The real marketing tactic for the AirPods was convenience, and I’ll say first hand how much I adore the product. It’s absolutely fantastic for everyday use. I’m even using them while typing this article. I ditched my old earpods, and never looked back.
It seems that all my peers have ditched earpods as well. While they’re still packaged in Apple products, they’re more or less just… there. In 2020, everyone has wireless headphones, and more and more people are buying AirPods. In 2017, 16 million AirPods were bought (including my own). In 2018, that number doubled, selling 35 million. In 2019, 60 million Airpods were sold.
Of course, I have to mention the new AirPods Pro. Now I know what your thinking, it’s just AirPods with a squishy ball at the end of it for a comfortable fit. You are correct, the new design fits that description. But if you will just allow me to “fanboy” for a moment, you’ll see why people are excited about these new AirPods.
Noise Cancelation.
The original AirPods were made for convenience. These new AirPods Pro are a luxury. They can almost compare to new Beats Headphones that can block out sound. That’s quite an upgrade for such a small wireless earpod. Coming in at a whopping $250, you might need to wait ‘till Christmas for these bad boys.
Even with the $90 price increase, the accessory was SOLD OUT online a few weeks after it was announced. The only reason I wasn’t breaking the bank to get a pair was because I already owned one pair of AirPods, although I know at some point I’m going to want an upgrade.
The AirPods have become one of the top-selling devices/accessories, in the world. So many companies have tried to copy their success, like the Google Pixel Buds, Samsung Galaxy Buds, JBL TUNE, etc. Of course, none of these devices could even compare to the same money Apple makes off of the Airpods. The market is going wireless, and all thanks to Apple.
In fact, my dad doesn’t even have an iPhone that’s compatible with the AirPods, but he still wants a pair. My cousin threw away the earpods that come with the iPhone 11 because she already had AirPods to pair with the device. The AirPods are seemingly just as necessary as the phone it connects with these days.
AirPods and AirPods Pro are commonly used in everyday life, almost becoming necessary for some people. When on a conference call and on the go, AirPods are right there with you. Want to go on a quick run? Grab the AirPods, and quickly put them in your ear so they can connect to your device with ease. While watching a video on the go, or even in the comfort of your home, AirPods can provide an undisrupted experience.
I asked a friend who worked on Wall Street out of curiosity if he could survive his day to day life without the AirPods. I’ll give you what he said word for word.
I absolutely could, but it would make life so much more miserable.
It’s always interesting to see how technology can change in a blink of an eye, and it’s fair to say that the AirPods killed any earbuds that have a cord connected to it.
