Some owners described early problems with
the wired EarPods that Apple ships with its latest iPhones too.
Of course, the other big news is that the headphone jack is gone, and it's clear that the focus is on wireless — despite the fact that Apple is bundling
wired EarPods that plug into the Lightning Port.
First and foremost I wanted to see how comfortable the AirPods were as replacements to
the wired EarPods.
In fact, if you've used Apple's
wired EarPods (which come as standard with the company's phones and iPods) then you're probably familiar with how the AirPods look, since the they're are almost identical, minus any cables.
Though they look similar to
wired Earpods, the Airpods comes with several advanced features.
They also offer clear performance on phone calls and sound as good as Apple's
wired EarPods — whether you consider that good or bad is up to you.
Like
the wired Earpods these are also made entirely of hard plastic, so the fit is hit or miss, meaning you won't get the best seal possible without using some extra accessories.
Not exact matches
Regardless of how you feel about that, both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will come with a special dongle that lets you use your existing
wired headphones, as well as a pair of Lightning
EarPods.
I'd compare the quality to the
wired Apple
EarPods.
For those who don't have wireless headphones, who don't want to purchase Apple's new $ 159 wireless AirPods, and who aren't thrilled about the idea of using an adaptor to connect their existing headsets to the iPhone 7's Lightning Port, the company includes a
wired set of
EarPods with a Lightning connector, along with the phone.
OnePlus currently sells Bullets
wired headphones that look similar to Apple's own
EarPods with small earbuds that are inserted into the ear.
AirPods, Apple's new wireless earbuds, look a lot like standard
EarPods without the
wires.
This isn't a new problem for me — I've always had a hard time keeping AirPods»
wired predecessors,
EarPods, in my ears.
To ease the transition, Apple is including a Lighting - to - 3.5 mm jack with every new iPhone as well as a set of
EarPods wired for Lightning.
They look... just like the old
EarPods, with the
wires cut off.
They look like regular
EarPods, just without
wires.
If you ever wondered why the AirPods having a hanging boom design similar to the
Earpods despite not coming with
wires, it's because they help in improving its reception.
But AirPods sound just like
EarPods because they're basically
EarPods without
wires, so what you're getting for your $ 159 is convenience and early adopter status, not necessarily sound quality.
Now we're all familiar with seeing them protruding weirdly from fellow commuters» ears, like someone has crept up and scissored off the
wires from their Apple
EarPods, but they've somehow not noticed.
AirPods sound a lot like
EarPods, Apple's in - the - box
wired headphones.
The new wireless earbuds resemble the company's existing
EarPods only with the
wires cut off, and take a spot at the pinnacle of Apple's new sound offering with the brand new phone.
For headphones, you can use the Lightning
earpods that come in the same box as your new iPhone — provided you weren't planning on charging your iPhone X at the moment — or you can retrofit your old
wired headphones with a Lightning - to - 3.5 mm headphone jack adapter that also comes in the box.
In 2016, Apple released its first wireless earbuds, and even though I think they look a lot like Apple simply cut the
wires off its standard
EarPods, over the past 12 months AirPods have become some of the most popular wireless headphones around.
Along with new
wired Lightning
EarPods, or an adapter for those who prefer to use other headsets, Apple introduced the wireless AirPods as the superior solution to the new problem of having no headphone port.
In an effort to not upset users who prefer a
wired solution, it includes a pair of Lightning
EarPods and a Lightning to 3.5 mm headphone jack adapter in each iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus box so users can still plug in their favorite headphones.
Apple's new
EarPods are chock full of options, as long as «chock full» in this case means
wired or wireless.