AirPods Post-Launch Round-Up stevensblog.co

Now that Apple’s AirPods have been shipping for about a week, some initial impressions and reviews have started to roll in.

iFixIt, naturally, tore into their pair and discovered a world of glue and tightly-packed components, to nobody’s surprise. But they did discover something in the case, as Mitchel Broussard explains on MacRumors:

iFixit took a few x-ray shots of the charging case’s internals, and found “quality issues” within the chip’s solder joints. A few empty spaces can be seen, referred to as “voiding,” which iFixit said “could be evidence of low quality standards, or a rushed product release.” This suggests that the source of the AirPods’ delay was with the charging case and not with the AirPods.

I’m not sure how well this squares with what John Gruber’s little birdies told him, but — with admittedly little information that is publicly known — it seems to make sense.

Meanwhile, I’ve seen nothing but rave reviews from those who bought a pair.

Federico Viticci:

No issue with double-tapping AirPods whatsoever. [They] fit better than EarPods and whole thing is so elegant and clever. A+ for now.

Steven Aquino:

Fast-forward to the present, and I’ve been using a set since last Friday. My overall take after a few days with them is short: It’s a great product. They’re yet another example of quintessential Apple—the weaving of hardware and software that works so well you’d swear it’s due more to wizard-like magic than it is to bonafide engineering prowess. Along with Apple Pencil, AirPods is the best, most Apple-y product the company has released in a long time. Both may be accessories, but they’re nonetheless important. They’re every bit as technologically advanced and forward-thinking as an iPhone 7 or iPad Pro.

Joanna Stern:

Every time someone stares at my Airpods on the train I just want to say: “Yes, they’re real and they’re spectacular.”

Dom Esposito:

If I’m being honest, AirPods are my favorite Apple product of 2016.

I’ve seen some complaints with audio quality and the lack of buttons, but I’ve also seen Esposito’s point echoed elsewhere: the AirPods are a classic Apple product. I wish they fit my ears, because they sound like a jewel. Hopefully, for those of us with incompatible ears, Apple will create an AirPods-like version of their premium in-ear headphones with silicone tips.