I finally upgraded to AirPods — and I was a fool

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I may write about applied science for a living, but I'm not always quick to encompass a new technology or product that's otherwise sweeping the nation. And a pretty good instance of that involves the Apple AirPods.

Apple beginning introduced its wireless earbuds in 2016, at which indicate the AirPods became seemingly ubiquitous, landing in just about everyone's ears but mine. "What a silly fad," I thought. "Those stems dipping down from people's ears look ridiculous," I sneered. "Why spend $159 — one hundred and 50-nine American dollars! — on earbuds when Apple includes a wired pair of EarPods with your iPhone?" I observed. "These people are fools," I concluded.

Friends, I am here to tell yous that the real fool is me.

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I now own a pair of AirPods and use them regularly. It is condom to say that at this point that I will never go back to wearing wired earbuds with any futurity smartphone, not if I can peradventure aid it. And if you, like me, ever looked at AirPods with a skeptical eye, I'm here to tell you now to rethink your position.

My route to AirPod enlightenment began in function because Apple pushed me toward it. First, the company dropped the headphone jack from its phones, starting with the iPhone 7. That meant yous could either plug in a pair of Lightning-based headphones into the alone port on the bottom of the iPhone or charge your phone, merely yous couldn't do both at the same time. Fine — I'yard up for a challenge. I persisted in using wireless earbuds.

In the meantime, Apple connected to fine melody its AirPods lineup, replacing the original model. Information technology too rolled out the AirPods Pro, bringing agile noise cancellation to the party. Still, I was unmoved.

Airpods vs. earpods — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Of class, at the same fourth dimension, my devotion to Apple'due south wired earbuds was start to fray, which was plumbing fixtures given how easily the EarPods fray after normal wear and tear. Removing my iPhone from my pocket, pulling the EarPods out of the headphone jack or Lightning port — these are normal, everyday activities that yet pull and strain the EarPods' cables. Eventually, some permanent damage is done and sound quality suffers.

My final pair of EarPods suffered that kind of damage to the point where in that location would be an audible popping noise anytime I shifted my weight or took a step or made any movement, sudden or otherwise. Just if I stayed motionless — just the way y'all should when listening to music and podcasts — the sound quality was just fine.

I'd like to say that's what pushed me to upgrade to AirPods. Or that it was the realization that spending $19 a pop to replace my damaged wired EarPods every then ofttimes was adding up. Or even that it was brutal Apple tree, refusing to include new earbuds with the iPhone 12, that finally forced my hand. Just it wasn't whatsoever of those things.

Sony WF-1000XM4 vs. AirPods Pro — (Epitome credit: Regan Coule/Tom'southward Guide)

It was my wife, who bought me a pair of AirPods for Male parent's Solar day. She apparently got tired of the sight of me, working in the kitchen as my earbuds' cable caught on something, yanking the EarPods out of my ears. Who knew that howls of pain and outrage could produce such a thoughtful gift?

A calendar month into my AirPods experience, I like most of what I've seen and heard. Pairing the earbuds to my iPhone is remarkably unproblematic, and it takes just a minimum of fuss to switch them over to my Mac. I don't have the best hearing in the globe, but audio comes through loud and clear on the AirPods; certainly, I have not missed the hisses, pops and unbalanced audio from a pair of EarPods with a cablevision damaged from overuse.

I all the same have concerns, though. I am notorious for leaving things like headphones in my pockets and then remembering they are there but after running them through a washer and a dryer. For a $19 pair of EarPods, I greet that discovery with a sign and an "easy come, easy get" attitude. (And sometimes, the EarPods survive their watery journey, only a little worse for the wear,) I would not be so sanguine about a $159 set up of wireless earbuds.

I haven't misplaced my AirPods and their case nevertheless, only I tin can clinch y'all, it isn't for lack of trying. Apple tree'south adding this part to the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max in iOS 15; cheaper AirPods like mine will accept to continue to make do with the Find My app. And of course, adding AirPods to my life means having to call back to keep one more thing charged, though and then far, I haven't run out of ability mid-podcast.

In curt, life is much better now that I've cutting headphone wires out of mine. Now if I could only ditch the muscle retentivity that'southward trained me to grab for the no-longer-there cable on my iPhone, things would truly be grand.

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Philip Michaels is a senior editor at Tom's Guide. He has strong opinions most Apple tree, the Oakland Athletics and quondam movies. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.