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The surprisingly long history of the Apple AirPods

Quick story. When researching our piece on getting the most out of AirPods , we had a little incident. Late at night, we clicked on our Apple TV to play Regina Spektor Essentials from Apple Music and it was so loud that we panicked we were going to wake the neighbors.

Only there was no possibility that our neighbors would hear a single note because we were wearing the AirPods.

They were so clear, so loud and most importantly so light that we forgot we had them in our ears. The music was just in the air, it was just around us.

You can tell us that AirPods are not the best for audiophiles but in that moment as in so very many others, the technology vanished and there was just the music. Coincidentally, the first track on that Essentials playlist is called Fidelity .

Given that we always thought the wired EarPods were okay, we're surprised just how much we adore AirPods. In theory they are simply the EarPods without wires yet along the way, they've become so much more than that.

What also surprised us was how just long that road from idea to our ears really was.

AirPods went on sale in December 2016 but the first mention of them is five years before in 2011. Seriously.

On March 29, 2011, Jorge S Fino filed for a patent for EarPod-like headphones that could work with or without wires. The patent wasn't published until October 3, 2012, but then we could read that it specified that "when the listening device is detached from the corded portion, a wireless signal that includes the audio signal is transmitted from the second part of the corded portion for reception at the first part of the listening device."

"Broadly speaking, the embodiments described herein relate to a media apparatus that can be used in conjunction with a host device to provide an end user a pleasurable listening experience especially during periods of physical activity."

Fino is listed on many patents credited to Apple such as ones to do with docking and touch interfaces .

This one, called a Detachable Wireless Listening Device, came with illustrations.

Notice the break in the wire just below her chin. It's a connector showing a wired headphone cable that has been disconnected. At this point the focus seems clearly on creating a listening device that doesn't get interrupted by problems with the connection. It doesn't seem to be aiming at making a wireless-only solution.

Nor would it because such technology requires Bluetooth and Steve Jobs wasn't a fan. Or at least he wasn't in 2005 when reportedly he told press in Paris that: "There are quality issues - the bandwidth isn't high enough, and even if it does get there some day, people don't want to recharge their headphones."

That quality issue was arguable even in 2005 so by 2011 it was practically a non-issue. The business about recharging your headphones remains. Still, we're now all so trained to recharge everything every day that even as we sink when our AirPods play that dismal low-power sound, we accept it.

We don't know whether that 2011/12 patent means Apple was continually working on the idea from then on. However, the company certainly invested in both music and headphone technology: in 2014 it bought Beats .

At the time, it was considered a surprising move by the company and especially so because Apple paid $3 billon for it. That worked out to $500 million for the predominantly headphones-based business Beats Electronics and the rest for Beats Music, a subscription service.

In 2015 that was subsumed into the then-new Apple Music but Beats Electronics has continued as a separate company. While it's owned by Apple and it's impossible to imagine that there wasn't a lot of Beats input into the AirPods, strictly speaking we don't know. You can buy wireless earphones from Beats even today .

Still, Apple announced it was buying Beats in March 2014 and it officially closed the deal in August that year.

In June 2015, Apple Music began — and Apple had already begun to file for a trademark on the name AirPods. On March 25 that year, Apple started the process and it was formally registered on August 22, 2015. By September the trademark had been granted.

AirPods are born

Strictly speaking, the trademark was filed by a company called Entertainment in Flight LLC, based in Wilmington, Delaware. It was suspected by press, including AppleInsider , that this was a shell company created by Apple. The idea was that this way Apple could get its necessary trademark without effectively announcing a product before it wanted to.

The suspicion was correct but if you ever want proof, check out that trademark filing today . Entertainment in Flight is no longer listed: it's been replaced by Apple, Inc.

So by September 2015 we had the name AirPods and we had that prior patent about wireless headphones. There was just one more thing.

Exit headphone jack

Apple pulled the plug on the iPhone headphone jack with the launch of the iPhone 7 on September 7, 2016. It was controversial but it wasn't a surprise: there had been rumors for at least two months beforehand.

This was the Apple presentation where Phil Schiller described removing this jack as "courageous". He's since been mocked for that but if he were wrong to say it, he was right that this was Apple again making a decision it knew would be deeply unpopular. It was the company making a choice to abandon technology in favor of what it believes are clear benefits.

Going in to this presentation, we expected that the headphone jack would vanish. It wasn't a big leap, then, to expect that AirPods would be launched too but surely it was a surprise just how complex the technology was.

It may have been love at first sight for us and it is impossible to not be impressed with the startling complexity behind such a simple product. However, it was also impossible not to wonder about these AirPods falling out of your ears — or about losing them altogether.

Poor reception

In the UK, The Guardian newspaper summed up the criticism in a piece called Earth to Apple: wireless AirPod headphones are like a tampon without a string .

This wasn't the first time an Apple device had been compared to the same sanitary product. In 2010, FastCompany's Alissa Walker wrote : "Apple's iPad name not the first choice for women. Period."

We're so used to it now that the word iPad no longer conjures up Maxi-Pad-like connotations but it was a fair criticism and a good point. The fact that the AirPods lack a string is much less so.

Even though Apple's 2011/12 original patent filings showed a earphones with optional wires, still the idea of making a wireless headphone and then putting a wire back in was nonsense.

More was made of the cost of the AirPods: they launched at $159. Compared to the $29 of Apple's EarPods, that's a huge amount. Yet compared to other wireless headphones, it wasn't then — and it still isn't. Now in 2018 when other manufacturers have released similar wireless earphones we have ones such as Bose's SoundSport which costs $199 .

Love at first hearing

AirPods were announced at the September 7, 2016 event and were meant to ship the following month. Ultimately they didn't reach either Apple's online or retail stores until late December that year.

Daniel Eran Dilger was among the first to use them and his review for AppleInsider is rapturous.

"More than just wireless earbuds," he wrote, "Apple's tightly integrated AirPods expand the company's sophistication and lead in wearables, with a practical, powerful pair of tiny technology "pods" that bring a new joy to music listening on a level reminiscent of the original iPod."

The issue of whether they'll fall out of your ears does continue. However, it is remarkable how well they fit most people and startling how difficult it is to dislodge them by accident.

The issue of whether you'll lose them has been addressed, though, at least a little.

Find My AirPods

There have been no hardware updates to the AirPods since launch but there have been two firmware ones in February 2017 and March that same year.

Alongside refinements, these added the ability to utilise Find My iPhone. "If you already set up Find My Phone with an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch that you're using with your AirPods, it's automatically enabled for your AirPods too," says Apple .

There are rumors that a second generation of the Apple AirPods is in development for possible release in 2019.

Before that, we would have expected to see a redesign of the charging case that AirPods come in. Apple specifically said there would be a wireless charging version but that was to be introduced with the AirPower charging pad.

While that was also announced at the September 2017 event, it was only promised for some time in 2018.

AirPods may be the archetypal Apple product, though. Right now you couldn't wrestle our AirPods from our hands — but we love them so much that whenever AirPods 2 come out, we'll abandon these and buy the new ones instantly.

In the meantime, please excuse us: Apple Music has just updated our New Music Mix.

Keep up with AppleInsider by downloading the AppleInsider app for iOS, and follow us on YouTube , Twitter @appleinsider and Facebook for live, late-breaking coverage. You can also check out our official Instagram account for exclusive photos.

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Apple AirPods (2019) review

Are the second-gen apple airpods worth your money.

TechRadar Verdict

New features like wireless charging and faster pairing are useful, but the Apple AirPods (2019) aren’t a significant improvement over their predecessors, with the same lackluster audio performance and design. The battery life leaves something to be desired, too. Still, you shouldn't write off the AirPods completely. Two years since their launch, and they (along with the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max) are still the best true wireless earbuds for those that want excellent connectivity that works with the wider Apple ecosystem. Plus, their advancing age means that you can often find discounts on the wireless earbuds.

Excellent connectivity

Wireless charging

Hands-free ‘Hey Siri’ functionality

Wireless charging case costs extra

Audio hasn't improved

• No interchangeable eartips

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

The Apple AirPods are among the most popular true wireless earbuds on the planet – so are they still worth buying in 2022 now that the AirPods 3 have been launched?

Price and availability

Audio performance, battery life and connectivity.

Should I buy them?

The upgraded Apple AirPods were released in 2019, when the world was expecting Apple to bring out a totally new version of the original AirPods , which launched in 2016. There were even rumors that the new AirPods would launch with active noise cancellation and a more waterproof design.

In reality, the upgrades were less far-reaching than that, with Apple swapping out the existing processor for the latest H1 chip and giving the AirPods the ability to charge wirelessly.  

While this may have felt like a disappointment for some, the inclusion of a new H1 chip did improve connectivity and battery life compared to the original AirPods, and it allows you to summon Siri with your voice alone. 

Meanwhile, an optional wireless charging case means you can use a Qi-compatible charging mat to power the case, rather than sticking a cable into the Lightning charging port in the bottom of the case – though you do have to pay more to get the AirPods with a wireless charging case. 

These upgrades are certainly useful, but it doesn’t feel like Apple has addressed any of the issues the original AirPods had, notably, the sound quality and design. 

So, how do they sound? The AirPods have a lively, powerful presentation, although they can sound slightly harsh when it comes to higher-frequency sounds – and they certainly aren’t the bassiest earbuds on the market. 

The design leaves a lot to be desired, too. Sure, the AirPods’ protruding stems have become almost iconic, but the lack of interchangeable ear tips means many won’t be able to find a snug fit – and they definitely aren’t secure enough for us to feel confident about wearing them while exercising. 

These sound quality and design issues have since been addressed by the noise-cancelling AirPods Pro , which we would recommend over the 2019 AirPods. More recently, Apple has also launched the next iteration of the Pro buds, the AirPods Pro 2 . These bring significant upgrades over the original Pros in terms of both functionality and audio performance. However, as you might expect both the Pro and Pro 2 are much pricier options – and that brings us onto the price of the AirPods. 

The second generation of the Apple AirPods cost $159 / £159 / AU$249 with the standard charging case, and $199 / £199 / AU$319 with the new Wireless Charging Case bundled in.

That’s pretty expensive compared to other better-sounding true wireless earbuds on the market, like the Lypertek PurePlay Z3 – although as time goes on, AirPods deals are increasingly common, and we’ve seen them drop to as low as $99 / £99 / AU$99.

There’s no denying that the AirPods are still the most convenient earbuds to use with an iPhone or iPad, and that’s even more pertinent since a 2020 upgrade brought a an auto-switching feature that means the AirPods can now "magically switch over between devices", detecting automatically which device you are using.

Whether that’s enough to convince you to buy them over cheaper alternatives, or the noise-cancelling AirPods Pro comes down to what you’re looking for from a pair of true wireless earbuds. And it’s worth bearing in mind that the next generation AirPods – the so-called AirPods 3 – are expected to be released this year. 

All in all, the Apple AirPods aren’t the worst true wireless earbuds you could buy, especially if you’ve already bought into the Apple ecosystem – but they’re definitely not the best true wireless earbuds you can buy in 2022, either.

• Apple AirPods vs AirPods Pro: is it worth the upgrade?
• How to reset your Apple AirPods

• $159 / £159 / AU$249 with the standard charging case
• $199 / £199 / AU$319 with the wireless charging case
• Deals are often available

The second generation of the Apple AirPods have been given a permanent price drop, and  now cost $129 / £119 / AU$219 .

They previously cost $159 / £159 / AU$249 with the standard charging case, and $199 / £199 / AU$319 with the Wireless Charging Case bundled in. You can still buy the Wireless Charging Case separately for $79 / £79 / AU$129

Significant Apple AirPod deals are rare, but not impossible to find – in fact, we've seen prices drop as low as $99 /£99 / AU$99.

• Same design as their predecessors
• Long, protruding stems

Design-wise, there’s not a huge amount of difference between the second-generation AirPods and the originals; the long earbud stems and pillbox-style charging case look pretty much identical, although the new charging case now features a small LED light on the front. This allows you to check the charge status of the buds – it glows green if they’re fully charged, and orange if they’re not. 

It’s interesting that Apple hasn’t changed the design of the earbuds themselves; after all, those stem-like protrusions were widely mocked upon their original release in 2016, and they don't do the headphones any favors today.

After all, other true wireless earbuds that arguably look more stylish have been released since then, like the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 and the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 .

Another criticism of the first-generation AirPods was the lack of adjustable silicone ear tips that would allow you to find the best fit for your ears... and it’s the same story with the 2019 AirPods. 

Despite this, the new AirPods do feel fairly snug and comfortable, although we probably wouldn’t wear them out running for fear of them falling out. As with other Apple products the design of the AirPods has quickly become somewhat iconic, and you could argue that the originals popularized the true wireless earbud, which is a good enough reason to stick to a tried and tested design. 

Saying that, these design woes is have now been addressed with the AirPods Pro, which come with adjustable silicone tips and shorter stems for a more streamlined look. 

• The old AirPods design needs to go – here's why

• Lively presentation
• Can sound harsh at higher frequencies
• Bass can be underwhelming

In terms of audio quality, nothing has changed between the original AirPods and the second-generation model. They have a lively, powerful presentation, although they can sound slightly harsh when it comes to higher-frequency sounds, and they aren’t the bassiest earbuds on the market. 

We tried them out on Joanna Newsom’s Sawdust and Diamonds, and while we were impressed by the clarity of the vocal, we were slightly underwhelmed by the treatment of the bass, and found that the treble frequencies were sometimes uncomfortably harsh.

We had the same issues listening to Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together; while the mid-frequency vocals sounded smooth and detailed, the higher brass and woodwind accents overpowered the other frequencies. 

The AirPods (2019) fared slightly better when it came to Radiohead’s No Surprises. The gently strummed acoustic guitar had a warm, textural sound, while the glockenspiel sweetly accented the percussion with its crystalline presentation. Again, the vocals sounded good overall, with a smooth, clear tone; however, the new AirPods didn’t quite manage to convey the rich bass timbres.

So, like the original AirPods, the new Apple AirPods sound great when it comes to mid-frequency vocals, guitar and keys, but they can sound rather lackluster when it comes to bassier frequencies, and you may experience slight harshness with percussive, high-frequency sound. 

There's no noise cancellation on offer here; for that, you'll need to take a look at the AirPods Pro, or the fantastic Sony WF-1000XM3 Wireless Earbuds .

• Five hours from earbuds and 20 from charging case
• Excellent connectivity with Apple products
• Hands-free access to Siri

The charging case offers a further 20 hours of battery life on top of the five hours you get from the buds themselves, which is the same as the original AirPods; Apple also says the second-generation model offers “three hours of talk-time from a single charge”, up from the two hours provided by the originals. This is thanks to Apple’s proprietary H1 chip, which is built into the new AirPods.

We found charging the case was really quick – we went from 25% to 100% battery in around an hour – and we also found the stated battery life for the earbuds themselves to be accurate.

The new wireless charging case means you can use Qi-compatible charging mats to power the case without the annoyance of cables, which is convenient if you already have a wireless charging mat – and as mentioned, if you have the original AirPods, you can buy the case separately.

The main calling card of the second-gen AirPods is improved connectivity, thanks to Apple’s H1 headphone chip, which replaces the previous chip, the W1.

Pairing was pretty rapid with the original AirPods, but it’s noticeably quicker with the new AirPods; if you’re using an iPhone, an option to pair the AirPods will appear on your phone screen as soon as you open the charging case, as well as the battery status of the AirPods and the charging case.

A 2020 upgrade also brought a an auto-switching feature that means the AirPods can now "magically switch over between devices", detecting automatically which device you are using – handy if you're already embedded into the Apple ecosystem.

The H1 chip also enables the new AirPods to offer hands-free ‘Hey Siri’ functionality. This means you can use the voice assistant command to place calls, change songs and more – basically anything Siri can do, direct from the earbuds, without needing to pull your iPhone out.

We found this feature worked really well, and the built-in microphone was adept at picking up our voice, even in loud environments. 

If you prefer, you can set up the new AirPods to summon the voice assistant when you double-tap the outer housing of the earbuds. If you select the AirPods from the Bluetooth menu in your phone’s settings, you can also configure the touch controls to play/pause your music, skip to the next or previous track; you can also turn off touch controls altogether. You can only assign one double-tap control to each earbud, which can be slightly limiting.

While we carried out most of our tests using an iPhone SE , we also tried pairing them with an Android phone, the Huawei Mate 20 . While you don’t get the automatic pairing you get with an iPhone, Bluetooth pairing is still pretty quick. You just need to hold down the pairing button on the back of the AirPods case and they should appear in your phone’s Bluetooth menu. 

Apple says the H1 chip means the “AirPods deliver up to two times faster switching between active devices”, are “50% faster when transferring a call to your AirPods”, and “deliver 30% lower gaming latency”.

We tested the second-gen AirPods while playing iOS games and we didn’t experience any latency issues. We also found using the AirPods to make and answer calls to be a seamless experience, and the quality of the audio was generally very good. 

• Here's our round-up of the best AirPod prices, sales and deals this month

Should I buy the Apple AirPods?

Buy them if...

You have an iPhone Connectivity with other Apple products is fantastic, and an automatic switching feature has made this even better.

You find a great deal While we wouldn't necessarily recommend buying the AirPods at full price, they might be worth picking up if you spot a great discount.

You love the design Some people love it and some people hate it – but there's no denying that the AirPods have an iconic design.

Don't buy them if...

You're looking for the best audio quality There are better-sounding true wireless earbuds out there, and  many are cheaper than the Airpods.

You want active noise cancellation If you're looking to block out the world around you, check out the AirPods Pro instead.

You're waiting for the AirPods 3 It's rumored that the next-gen AirPods will launch this year, so if you want the newest Apple earbuds, it's worth holding off.

• Not convinced? Hunt for AirPods-alternatives in our round up of the best true wireless earbuds around

Olivia was previously TechRadar's Senior Editor - Home Entertainment, covering everything from headphones to TVs. Based in London, she's a popular music graduate who worked in the music industry before finding her calling in journalism. She's previously been interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live on the subject of multi-room audio, chaired panel discussions on diversity in music festival lineups, and her bylines include T3, Stereoboard, What to Watch, Top Ten Reviews, Creative Bloq, and Croco Magazine. Olivia now has a career in PR.

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Apple’s AirPods are about to get much smarter with Adaptive Audio and Conversation Awareness

An upcoming software update will improve call quality even beyond what apple’s existing voice isolation feature is capable of..

By Chris Welch , a reviewer specializing in personal audio and home theater. Since 2011, he has published nearly 6,000 articles, from breaking news and reviews to useful how-tos.

Share this story

Apple has made a habit of announcing new AirPods software features at its WWDC keynote. Two years ago, those included Conversation Boost and deeper Find My integration . A year before that, the company introduced spatial audio and automatic device switching . Today at WWDC 2023, the company announced several new enhancements, including Adaptive Audio, which intelligently blends noise cancellation and transparency passthrough based on your surroundings.

Adaptive Audio will appear as an additional option beside full active noise cancellation and transparency mode. When active, the AirPods Pro constantly analyze your environment and adjust ANC and transparency for the optimal listening experience.

A “conversation awareness” feature will automatically activate transparency mode and lower the volume of music when the AirPods detect speech — much like earbuds from Sony and other brands already do. Once you’ve stopped talking, your audio will return to normal.

Apple also demonstrated much better background noise reduction to prevent people on the other side of a call from hearing unwanted distractions. The WWDC AirPods segment featured a marching band surrounding a person wearing Apple’s second-gen AirPods Pro. To the person on the other side of that call, the band cacophony was barely perceptible.

Automatic device switching between Apple’s platforms — which can be frustratingly glitchy at times — should work faster and more reliably when using your AirPods, according to the WWDC presentation. These updates are due this fall alongside the release of iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and tvOS 17.

Speaking of tvOS, Apple announced that FaceTime is coming to the TV screen (along with support for Continuity Camera). Zoom and WebEx will release apps for the platform. tvOS 17 also adds a Siri Remote locator function, redesigned Control Center, and more.

Some of these new AirPods voice features are similar in concept to Google’s Clear Calling . “Clear Calling uses machine learning to recognize, isolate, and eliminate distracting sounds like wind and traffic noise while enhancing your caller’s voice,” Google’s Brian Rakowski said during the company’s Pixel event last October. “So your friends can call you from anywhere, and you’ll be able to hear them just fine.” It’s been rumored that Clear Calling is headed to the Pixel Buds Pro in the not-too-distant future. 

Apple has gone down this path before with its impressive Voice Isolation feature , which expanded from FaceTime to support regular phone calls earlier this year. The new AirPods feature will build upon Apple’s learnings and try to take voice conversations to the next level. 

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New AirPods Pro Feature Lossless Audio With Vision Pro and Additional Dust Resistance

While the new AirPods Pro with a USB-C charging case are still classified as second-generation AirPods Pro, the earbuds have a few other new features.

"When Apple Vision Pro is available early next year in the U.S., customers will be able to enjoy the most advanced wireless audio experience in the industry with the new AirPods Pro for exceptional entertainment, gaming, FaceTime calls, and so much more," said Apple.

Apple also said the updated AirPods Pro have additional IP54-rated dust resistance for both the earbuds and the charging case.

The updated AirPods Pro are available to order starting today for $249, and will be available in stores beginning Friday, September 22. Apple is not selling the USB-C charging case separately, and it has discontinued the AirPods Pro with a Lightning case. The standard third-generation AirPods and the AirPods Max were not updated today.

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So……my AirPods Pro 2 from last year won’t get this lossless via software update and I can’t buy the case separately? Sigh…..Apple…..so not cool.

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8 hours ago by Joe Rossignol

2 days ago by Tim Hardwick

APPLE AIRPODS

Aug 10, 2012

380 likes | 1.71k Views

APPLE AIRPODS. Conventional earphones. Pros. No need to charge. No issues with connectivity. Cheaper. Get tangled. Get caught on your hand or door knobs while walking. Cons. Wireless earphones. Have a wire connecting the buds.

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• apple airpods
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Presentation Transcript

Conventional earphones Pros • No need to charge. • No issues with connectivity. • Cheaper. • Get tangled. • Get caught on your hand or door knobs while walking. Cons

Wireless earphones • Have a wire connecting the buds. • The only wire eliminated is the one connecting the phone to the headphones. • Work on bluetooth. • Easy to use. Don't get tangled or caught.

However, AirPods are a lot of work to handle. That is because: Once you remove them, they lie stray in your hands. You might lose one of them and make them somewhat useless.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a22747/apple-airpods-are-bad-design/ http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a22747/apple-airpods-are-bad-design/ • https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjEsLLN9Z3WAhWOw4MKHe4kDd4QjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fshop%2Fproduct%2FML8V2LL%2FA%2Fpowerbeats3-wireless-earphones-black&psig=AFQjCNEFRMSpplTNx0jupIydfaoPXL-VKw&ust=1505246304912820 • https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjjtrnG9p3WAhUM34MKHebEB4MQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.snapdeal.com%2Fproduct%2Fsamsung-eoeg920b-in-ear-wired%2F678964954471&psig=AFQjCNEO6pjKwPpLshFcaE8MeXqF4fVh8w&ust=1505243967442302 • http://pop.h-cdn.co/assets/16/36/1600x800/landscape-1473274382-airpods.png • https://store.storeimages.cdn-apple.com/4974/as-images.apple.com/is/image/AppleInc/aos/published/images/M/ME/MMEF2/MMEF2_AV1?wid=1000&hei=1000&fmt=jpeg&qlt=95&op_sharpen=0&resMode=bicub&op_usm=0.5,0.5,0,0&iccEmbed=0&layer=comp&.v=1473201135463 REFRENCES

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LIGHTWEIGHT SILICONE CASE FOR AIRPODS

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AirPods (2nd generation)

Airpods (3rd generation), airpods   pro (2nd generation), airpods   max, lightning charging case, magsafe charging case, magsafe charging case (usb-c), airpods (2nd generation) with lightning charging case, airpods (3rd generation) with lightning charging case, airpods (3rd generation) with magsafe charging case, airpods   pro (2nd generation) with magsafe charging case (usb-c), airpods   max with smart case, iphone models.

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• 1 activitymap
• 2 engagement
• 1 Works with AirPods   Pro (2nd generation) with the latest firmware when paired with a compatible Apple device running the latest operating system software.
• 2 Compatible hardware and software required. Works with compatible content in supported apps. Not all content available in Dolby Atmos. iPhone with TrueDepth   camera required to create a personal profile for Spatial   Audio, which will sync across Apple devices running the latest operating system software, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and   tvOS.
• 3 AirPods (3rd generation) are sweat and water resistant for non-water sports and exercise, and they are IPX4 rated. Sweat and water resistance are not permanent conditions.
• 4 AirPods   Pro (2nd generation) are dust resistant and sweat and water resistant for non-water sports and exercise. AirPods   Pro (2nd generation) and charging case were tested under controlled laboratory conditions, and have a rating of IP54 under IEC standard 60529. Dust, sweat, and water resistance are not permanent conditions and resistance might decrease as a result of normal wear. Do not attempt to charge wet AirPods   Pro (2nd generation); refer to https://support.apple.com/kb/HT210711 for cleaning and drying instructions.
• 5 Battery life depends on device settings, environment, usage, and many other   factors.
• 6 Requires an iCloud account and a compatible Apple device running the latest operating system software.
• 7 MagSafe charging requires a compatible MagSafe charger. Wireless charging requires a Qi-certified wireless charger. AirPods (3rd generation) charging case also works with the Apple   Watch charger or Lightning connector. AirPods   Pro (2nd generation) charging case also works with the Apple   Watch charger or USB-C connector.
• 8 Size and weight vary by configuration and manufacturing process.
• 9 Requires the latest version of iOS or iPadOS.
• 10 AirPods can be used as Bluetooth headphones with Apple devices using earlier software and with non-Apple devices, but functionality is limited.
• 11 Audio Sharing not supported.
• 12 Some features require iOS   13 or iPadOS   13 or later, which are not compatible with iPhone   6   Plus, iPhone   6, iPhone   5s, iPod   touch (6th generation), iPad   Air (1st generation), iPad   mini   3, and iPad   mini   2. Audio   Sharing not   supported.

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The Best Headsets For Better Virtual Presentations

For better virtual presentations, one of the most underrated tools is using a professional quality headset. 

Often times you'll see people using AirPods, wired earbuds or computer speakers on conference calls or presentations. Although those type of devices aren't bad for personal phone calls, this wouldn't be the best solution.

Using your computer speakers or a consumer grade headset you can expect..

• Less than ideal sound quality
• Echoing (especially with your computer speakers)
• No noise canceling microphone so every noise around you will be heard
• The microphone sound quality won't be as good or consistent 

That being said whether you're on mobile calls or you use Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex/Spark, GoToMeeting, Zoom and others, here's 3 of the best professional grade headsets for better virtual presentations.

Each headset listed below is a business great headset with USB connection, noise canceling microphone and crystal clear sound quality.

#1 Discover D712U (Entry)

If you don't mind a cord and want the most cost effective option then the Discover D712U will work great. Having both ears covered is helpful so you can zone in on your presentation or meeting.

#2 Plantronics Voyager 4220 UC (Mid)

Whether you're in the office or on the go, the Plantronics Voyager 4220 UC is perfect for mobile workers. The USB dongle simply plugs into the computer for clear conversations and you can also use the 4220 on your mobile phone.

For example, if you connect to a laptop, rather than lugging a charging base with you that uses AC power, the Voyager 4220 headset operates from a battery and connects to your laptop via a Bluetooth dongle for high quality audio.

#3 Plantronis Savi W445 (Best Overall)

The Plantronics Savi W445 wireless headset is overall the best value for virtual presentations. This wireless headset has crystal clear audio and comes included with your choice of a headband or ear hook, so you can choose your preferred wearing comfort. In addition, it's important you have your headset up and working at all times without worrying about a dead battery. The Savi W445 comes with 2 batteries, so when one battery runs low, you take the fully charged battery and swap it to keep your meeting going.

If you have a unique situation, contact us today and we'd be glad to help you find the best headset for your needs.

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Eliminate background noises for your microphone with Neep's AI-powered noise cancellation.

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Need help finding the best headset for your situation?

Contact us today and one of our friendly Advisors will match you with the right headsets.

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