Before you start judging me from the title, it’s not that I cannot afford Airpods or anything or that I hate Apple products; I just don’t think that they’re as great as people make them out to be.
For one, Airpods are really expensive. A pair of Airpods, along with a charging case, will set you back at least $159, and that’s the cheapest version. The new Airpod Pros can cost up to $249. As someone that has been greatly influenced by cheap, Asian money saving behavior, it is simply something not worth spending that much money on. It would be much more cost efficient to buy a pair of earbuds for $30 or less.
I prefer wired Apple earbuds over Airpods mainly because of the price, but also because it’s more convenient to use and does not require to be charged like Airpods do. I love to listen to music on my phone so it would be really inconvenient for me to have to charge the all time. There are also some hidden benefits to having wired earbuds. For example, sometimes my phone will slide out of my hands and fall towards the ground but the wired earbuds allow for me to pull the phone back up before it hits the ground so that no damage is done. They are also much harder to lose then Airpods are. Airpods can easily fall into a crevice or a hole and can be difficult to locate, whereas earbuds can be easier to locate as the wiring can be traceable. Although you sometimes have to deal with earbuds getting tangled, you can rectify this problem by wrapping the wires around an object.
Lastly, people mainly buy Airpods because they are the new “trend”, and this has made Airpods become a part of our pop culture. This is a great example of materialism in the 21st century where people buy things that they possess wealth and elite status. On a less philosophical level, people usually buy them to show that they are cool and up to date with the latest trends. I shamelessly and proudly wear my wired earbuds whenever I listen to music, and it’s not like I get ridiculed or made fun of for doing so. It is worth mentioning that there are people that probably are made fun for not buying and wearing Airpods. Whatever cool new tech gadgets you may or may not have, they don’t define your personality or ability.
If you’re someone that absolutely HAS to have wireless earbuds or headphones of some sort. I would suggest looking for cheaper alternatives. Andore White Bluetooth Earbuds With Charging Case, which are available on Amazon for $30, provide good sound quality and long lasting battery life. The Pasonomi Bluetooth Earbuds are waterproof wireless earbuds costs only $30 on Amazon and they are great working out as they can counteract sweat. These 2 alternatives are MUCH cheaper than Airpods and are arguably more convenient.
I’m not saying that people should, under no circumstances, ever buy Airpods. I’m just trying to show that these expensive, tiny objects aren’t as great as they seem to be.
Sources:
https://www.hercampus.com/school/uic/wired-headphones-are-better-airpods
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/neaz3d/airpods-are-a-tragedy
https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MV7N2AM/A/airpods-with-charging-case
https://www.goodcheapandfast.com/articles/best-airpod-alternatives
I noticed when the new AirPods came out that they cost more than some Android smartphones. That’s ridiculously expensive, honestly; I think that you’re right that wired earbuds are still much better for the everyday user. AirPods have really become more of a status symbol than anything else.
I really agree with you, in my opinon, airpods are so unnecessary and inconvenient. I see how they could be nice in certain occasions such as working out or sharing music with another person but is $150 worth those two events? I also would 100% lose these as soon as I got them and they are no cheap to replace. I think the culture and area of where we live has a large reason as to why we feel the need to splurge on something so unnecessary. “Fitting in” seems to be important thing to teenagers but $150 is a steep price to pay.
I’m a little scared for the future iPhones that will have no headphone jack OR lightning port, forcing us to succumb to bluetooth headphones, and for many, AirPods. But for now, as your blog suggests, I’ll continue to enjoy my wired Apple iPod headphones.