A great option for those who don't like in-ear headphones but are looking for wireless bluetooth headphones: Apple Airpods! Airpods Pro Apple Airpods, the previous version of Apple AirPods, is a headphone model that almost everyone is familiar with. Apple AirPods are among the most popular wireless headphones in the world. Although they were released much earlier, they are still available for purchase in 2021.
Examination
Apple Airpods Review and Specifications
Released on December 12, 2016 Apple AirpodsDespite being made of a plastic material, the charging case and earbuds really look quite elegant and stylish. The protruding bodies of the earbuds have become almost iconic. But the lack of interchangeable ear tips is a big negative. Because the ear tips don't fit perfectly in many people's ears. As a result, they don't stay firmly in the ears and often fall out. Airpods are therefore not very useful, especially when exercising.
The Airpods have a crisp and powerful sound quality, but they can be a bit harsh when it comes to higher frequency sounds. They're also clearly not the best bass headphones on the market... In addition, the Airpods fail in terms of external noise isolation, as they don't fit snugly in the ear and can't isolate outside noise.
All these problems seem to have been solved in Airpods Pro, which Apple launched in 2019. However, Airpods Pro is not preferred by some people due to its in-ear headphone design that fits perfectly in the ear. Of course, there is also the price... Airpods Pro, which has a price of around 1400 TL, cannot be purchased by many people for this reason. Therefore, especially Apple users are turning to the classic Airpods again.
The second generation of Apple AirPods comes with a standard charging case. In addition, a wireless charging case is available for an extra charge. Despite all this, there's no denying that AirPods are still the best headphones for use with an iPhone or iPad. While Airpods still have a considerable number of buyers, a new generation of AirPods, called AirPods 3, is expected to be released by 2021. If you are one of those who say never without Airpods, then it is better to wait a while longer.
Design
- Same design as before (white, plastic body)
- Long, protruding earpiece
- No interchangeable eartip unfortunately
Design-wise, there's not a huge difference between the second-generation AirPods and the originals; the elongated earbud body and charging case look pretty much the same. However, the new charging case now has a small LED light on the front. This light allows you to check the charging status of the earbuds. It glows green if the earbuds are fully charged and orange if they are not.
**The design issues found in the AirPods are somewhat addressed with the AirPods Pro, which features adjustable silicone tips and shorter stems for a more streamlined look.
Sound quality
- Vibrant and powerful sound quality
- Higher frequencies may sound harsh
- Bass level may not be good enough
In terms of sound quality, nothing has changed between the original AirPods and the second-generation model. Both have a crisp, powerful sound, but can sound a little harsh when it comes to higher-frequency sounds. In terms of bass quality, they're also inferior to a few other brands on the market.
Like the original AirPods, the new Apple AirPods sound great for mid-range vocals, guitars and keys. But when it comes to more bass frequencies, they can be quite lackluster. They can also be slightly shrill on percussive, high-frequency sounds.
Battery life and connectivity
- Five hours in the earbuds and 20 hours in the charging case
- Perfect connectivity with Apple products
- Hands-free access to Siri
The charging case is identical to that of the original AirPods, offering a further 20 hours of battery life on top of the 5 hours of battery life. The second-generation model is also known to offer "three hours of talk time on a single charge" compared to the two hours provided by the original models. This is thanks to Apple's proprietary H1 chip, which is built into the new AirPods.
Pros
- Excellent connectivity
- Wireless charging feature
- Ability to turn on 'Hey Siri' hands-free
Minuses
- Wireless charging box is available at extra cost
- Sound quality has not been improved to the desired level
- No external sound insulation
- No interchangeable eartips
Conclusion
New features like wireless charging and faster pairing are useful, but Apple AirPods 2nd generation is not a significant improvement over its predecessor, with the same audio performance and design. Still, you shouldn't completely abandon AirPods.
Two years since their launch (along with AirPods Pro and AirPods Max), they are still the best wireless earbuds for those looking for excellent connectivity. In addition, they're fashionably outdated, so they're available at discounted prices. So the choice is yours!
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