The debut of Apple’s second-generation AirPods didn’t trigger a huge surge in first-day sales, according to new data from a market-research company.
Still, the whole Q1 hearables market grew 40 percent over the previous quarter.
Apple recommends keeping AirPods out of the water. But an Argentine swimmer evidently forgot she had them in her ears when she proceeded to break her own record during an international race in France.
Despite finishing second in the 800-meter freestyle, Delfina Pignatiello broke her own national record with a time of 8:24.33. Her AirPods were in her ears tucked under her swim cap the whole way.
Back in 2014 – long before the AirPods – I picked up what would become my go-to fitness earbuds – the PowerBeats2. A year and a half later, the AirPods came out, replacing my PowerBeats2 that were literally falling apart.
Fast forward to now, and I’ve been using my AirPods – both my first gen, and more recently, my second gen – in almost every situation. I use them all the time and carry them almost everywhere I go. But sometimes I hate my AirPods. No matter how simple and convenient they are, they insist on slipping just a little when I wear them while exercising. And if there’s any background noise or wind, even the loudest volume is inaudible while wearing the AirPods.
Even with those minor drawbacks, they were my favorite headphones. Then I got the new Powerbeats Pro.
Forking over $200 for new AirPods that you’re probably just going to lose anyway seems like a bad investment. A 15-year old boy found a brilliant and cheap work around though that turns Apple’s wired EarPods into AirPods for just $4.
After seeing one of his friends get gifted a set of AirPods, Sam Cashbook decided to make his own. Using a cheap bone conduction headset he found on eBay, Cashbook managed to hot glue together his DIY AirPods.
They’re ugly, but they work:
You can now order Apple’s new Powerbeats Pro wireless headphones in the U.K., France, and Germany.
They’re only available in black for now, with other color options coming this summer, and it seems that stock is limited. You can expect delivery around June 6 if you’re fast enough.
Apple’s lineup of wearables for this year’s first quarter earned the company the largest share of an exploding wearable devices market, according to a report from the International Data Corp.
Shipments of Apple Watches, AirPods and Beats headphones totaled 12.8 million for a 25.8 percent Q1 market share. While its share slipped a 1 percent, its year-over-year growth nearly topped 50 percent, according to IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker.
Global shipments reached 49.6 million, up 55 percent from the previous year.
You’ll be able to preorder Apple’s new Powerbeats Pro wireless headphones this Friday in the U.K., France, and Germany.
Apple has posted a new promotional video on social media to confirm their arrival. The 15-second clip features British boxer Anthony Joshua wearing an ivory pair while he trains.
An AirPod falling out of your ear is not a question of if, but when.
The when for many unlucky souls in the San Francisco Bay Area offers the rest of us a warning to not wear wireless earbuds anywhere near train or subway tracks. Still, when one falls on the tracks, it isn’t the end of the world. Or even sometimes the AirPod itself.
Some lucky Apple fans who preordered its new Powerbeats Pro buds are set to enjoy early deliveries.
Apple originally stated a delivery date of May 13 for its latest Beats headphones. However, many customers are now expecting to receive theirs on Friday, May 10.
Apple’s third-generation AirPods could bring big internal design changes, according to a new report.
Supply chain sources claim Apple will switch to system-in-package (SiP) technology that frees up space inside each bud. The move could allow other components to be squeezed inside the tiny wireless headphones.
Apple may need to update the specs for AirPods to include one new surprising feature: “stomach-proof”.
One unlucky Taiwanese man discovered this the hard way. After falling asleep, Ben Hsu woke up with one of his AirPods missing. Using Find My iPhone to track down the missing earbud, he started hearing a beeping sound that followed him around the room and realized he made a serious mistake. The AirPod was in his stomach.
Open offices were supposed to get employees to interact with each other more, but a recent study shows it hasn’t worked out that way. Instead, workers have turned to AirPods to give themselves some privacy.
This has helped fuel the rise of wireless hearables, especially Apple’s.
Wall Street received surprisingly better-than-expected news from Apple’s Q2 2019 earnings report today — and the stock is soaring in after-hours trading.
iPhone sales remain down, but pretty much every other facet of the company’s business is firing on all cylinders. Customers are falling in love with the iPad all over again. Services are booming. And Apple’s wearables business is now the size of a Fortune 200 company.
Despite plenty of doom and gloom from analysts over the last 12 months, Apple’s future is looking bright again.
Apple’s wearables business continues to grow like gangbusters.
Sales of the Apple Watch grew 50% compared to the same quarter last year, Apple CEO Tim Cook said on Apple’s Q2 2019 quarterly analyst call Tuesday.
If Apple’s wearables business — which includes the Apple Watch and the popular AirPods earbuds — were a stand-alone company, it would be in the Fortune 200, Cook said.
Renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Cupertino plans to release two new models of AirPods, either at the end of this year or the start of 2020.
In doing so, he partially backs up a report from earlier today claiming that the AirPods 3 will ship in 2019.
We may only just be getting used to our second-gen AirPods, but Apple is reportedly gearing up to release its third generation AirPods.
According to a new report, the AirPods 3 headphones will go on sale by the end of 2019. The main selling point of the new AirPods will be their smart noise-cancelling tech.
Beats fans that are hoping to scoop up the colorful new Powerbeats Pro might be a bit disappointed with the color options when units arrive in stores in May.
Apple revealed the Powerbeats Pro wireless earbuds earlier this month with black, ivory, moss and navy color options. The ivory ones look especially sleek, but it appears that only the black ones will be available at launch.
AirSnap is back on our radar with a new 10% discount. As part of our Watch Store’s limited-time deals and discounts, over the next few days we’ll be offering price slashes on some of your favorite products and tech accessories.
A clear customer favorite, AirSnap is a super-tough, ultra-stylish leather case for AirPods. Compatible with Qi charging pads and your new wireless charging AirPods case (pictured above), this compact, portable case became a megahit in the Cult of Mac Watch Store.
Snap these up fast for a real deal before they sell out.
Some of the biggest names in sports can be seen rocking the new Powerbeats Pro in the latest video put out by Apple’s headphone company.
Beats’ new ad unleashes the Powerbeats Pro everywhere from the basketball court to the skate park as superstars like LeBron James and Serena Williams train to dominate their respective games. With over a dozen athletes making a cameo, the action-packed ad has a lot to take in.
How many familiar faces can you spot?
Another of Apple’s rivals have apparently noticed what a huge success AirPods have turned into. Microsoft is supposedly developing its own earbuds.
These will have to face competition from Samsung Galaxy Buds as well as some possible earbuds coming from Amazon. And AirPods too, of course.
I love my AirPods, but I hate that they don’t fit right in my ears. They’re not designed to seal the ear canal, and therefore block external noise, but they often sit so loose in my ears that a) I can’t hear them without setting the volume way too high, and b) they feel like they’re about to fall out.
Today we’ll see how to add grippy dots to your AirPods. These dots will make the AirPods fit snugly in your ears, but — crucially — they will still fit in their charging case.
AirPods are great. But that doesn’t mean that they’re without their problems as a replacement for your traditional wired headphones.
Some users on Twitter have been observing that their AirPods can be prone to cutting in and out, or occasionally producing static sounds. The reason? Bluetooth interference. This can come from having the signal blocked by physical barriers. It could also be due to using a frequency that’s too overcrowded.
This week on The CultCast: The death of AirPower — the real problem that no one is talking about. Plus: 2019 iPhone rumors point to some wildly useful new features; more evidence the 2018 MacBook, Air and Pro keyboards are still having problems. And we wrap up with a review of Leander’s favorite wireless charging mat, Lewis’ take on the new AirPods 2, and Erfon’s got a favorite new podcasting gadget on an all-new Under Review.
Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain..
Apple’s AirPods are about to get some fresh competition from Amazon.
The online retail giant is reportedly planning to release its own set of wireless earbuds that will be powered by its digital assistant Alexa and possibly better audio quality.
The first truly wireless Beats earbuds have finally arrived.
Beats unveiled its new Powerbeats Pro earbuds today which are a successor to the Powerbeats 3 buds that feature an over-the-ear support system. The new Powerbeats Pro feature some of the same features you’ll find on the new AirPods, only in a sporty, sweat-resistant package with more color options and a larger price tag.
Check out the teaser:
