Apple's AirPods headphones are wireless, Bluetooth earbuds, released in December 2016. They were presented at the same time as the iPhone 7, the first iPhone without a headphone jack. With this in mind for the future of completely wireless, AirPods were then introduced by Apple as a solution of choice to replace the classic and wired EarPods. And apart from a neat design, they present a very particular synergy with an iPhone or other Apple compatible device.
Here is everything you need to know about these Apple AirPods: where to buy them, what their strengths are and how to use them.
Purchasing AirPods: where to buy them?
The official Apple price of AirPods is179 euros. Headphones can be purchased in Apple Stores, but also online. Here iswhere to buy Apple AirPods:
- On Amazon – 151 euros
- At Darty – 179 euros
- Chez Boulanger – 179 euros
- At Fnac – 179 euros:old link here, new link there
Aside from the question of price, ordering from one or other of these resellers sometimes allows you tosave a few days on deliveryand for some direct collection in store.
AirPods: what are they?
In September 2016, Apple lifted the veil on the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. These smartphones had the distinction of being the first iPhonewithout headphone jack. And precisely, it is alongside these new iPhones without a headphone jack that Apple launched its AirPods,rechargeable Bluetooth wireless headphones. They were then presented as an alternative toApple EarPods, the pair of wired headphones sold with every iPhone.
The AirPods are therefore two wireless earbuds with a very specific design, linked to the iPhone, the iPad, the Mac or the Apple TV inBluetooththanks to a specific in-house chip, named “W1”. This allows in particular for easy discovery, very quick pairing with the source device, switching between devices without having to manage Bluetooth reconnection but also the possibility of taking advantage of Siri for playback and call taking commands.
The AirPods have a battery life of approximately 5 hours of music listening and have a particularity. They are simply recharged by storing them in their protective box, which also has a battery. This gives them up to 24 hours of total battery life.
AirPods test / review
We tested the AirPods shortly after their release.
- You can findour full test here.
They particularly appealed to us with different aspects that make them particularly practical on a daily basis: they are light, always recharged thanks to their protective box, and comfortable. The absence of a cable connecting the wearer to their iPhone is a real liberation which allows them to continue enjoying the content without worrying about the distance (within the limit of Bluetooth all the same), not to mention the autonomy which is everything quite appreciable, especially since the headphones recharge without you paying specific attention to them.
So of course, these headphones are not specifically intended for the most experienced audiophiles, looking for the most faithful sound reproduction. But while their sound remains very decent, they excel in their ease of use in everyday life.
Can't go back to wired headphones after testing wireless.
In short, they convinced us!
AirPods data sheet
Weight and dimensions:
- weight: 4 g per earphone, 38 g for the charging box
- dimensions of an earphone: 16.5 mm x 18 mm x 40.5 mm
- dimensions of the charging case: 44.3 mm x 21.3 mm x 53.5 mm
Autonomy:
- battery life: 5 hours of listening, 2 hours of talk on a single charge, 24 hours of listening and 11 hours of talk using the charging case
- 15 minutes of recharging the headphones in the case allows you to regain 3 hours of listening time and one hour of talk time
- Built-in microphones with noise reduction for clear voice when making calls and using Siri
Connectivity:
- connections: Bluetooth for headphones, Lightning for charging box
- W1 Bluetooth chip: allows playback to be started and stopped when putting in or removing headphones.
Requirements:
- iPhone, iPad and iPhone Touch supporting iOS 10 or later:see here the list of devices compatible with iOS 10
- Mac supporting macOS Sierra or later:see here the list of devices compatible with macOS Sierra
- Apple Watch supportant watchOS 3 minimum : Apple Watch Series 1, 2, 3 et 4
- Apple TV 4th generation and Apple TV 4K
AirPods Tips
You can findall our articles about Apple AirPods here. Among these, you will find tutorials, news in particular on the arrival one day of AirPods 2, but also many practical tips for enjoying your AirPods.
Don't miss:
- How to find your AirPods with the iPhone
- Our practical tips for going further with AirPods
- How “Find my Airpods” works
- In practice: how to rename AirPods, reset and other settings for Apple headphones
- Image tip: the AirPods case can be used as an additional iPhone holder
- Testimonial: more than a year after the release of AirPods, still no real alternatives
The best AirPods accessories
And finally, know that Apple AirPods, like any good self-respecting Apple device, can be associated with different accessories. Some of them allow you to transform AirPods into headphones for sports, others want to dress up the charging box, among many other things:
