AirPods Updated?

PaulT21

Blazer wrote: »

balls..I was looking forward to that mat.
Will have to get the Nomad one now which can charge both phone and airpods with the watch charger plugged into its usb port.

https://hellonomad.com/products/base-station-apple-watch

Better get ordering so! They are already on back order until the end of April and after today's news will definitely be in big demand I would think.:o

Bob24

Blazer wrote: »

balls..I was looking forward to that mat.
Will have to get the Nomad one now which can charge both phone and airpods with the watch charger plugged into its usb port.

https://hellonomad.com/products/base-station-apple-watch

Was actually very much looking forward to AirPower as well.

Looked into the nomad one but it really is a shame that since the Apple Watch isn’t fully Qi compilant it can’t be charged directly on the mat and requires a separate charger.

Blazer

Bob24 wrote: »

Was actually very much looking forward to AirPower as well.

Looked into the nomad one but it really is a shame that since the Apple Watch isn’t fully Qi compilant it can’t be charged directly on the mat and requires a separate charger.

I wonder will they now change that seeing as they're unable to get airpower working? Probably not.

Bob24

Blazer wrote: »

I wonder will they now change that seeing as they're unable to get airpower working? Probably not.

I’d say they’ll change it in the next generation as in a context where many people turn to wireless charging pads and Apple doesn’t have its own pad but supports others for some products (iPhone, AirPods), it would look backwards to leave the Apple Watch on the sideline. I think not supporting standard Qi on the watch was always in their mind a future selling point for AirPower, which doesn’t apply anymore.

But I’m certainly not hopping to see it on the current generation via a software update. It’s probably more something they will use as a selling point for the next generation in September.

awec

Didn't they use AirPower in the marketing of the most recent AirPods?

Bob24

awec wrote: »

Didn't they use AirPower in the marketing of the most recent AirPods?

Yes they did. And apparently they even delayed the AirPods launch significantly as AirPower was being delayed, probably so that the can use them as another selling point for AirPower.

I think it was a big thing for Apple and some people at the headquarters might feel uncomfortable after the cancellation.

awec

Seems a bit suspect to announce the cancellation after you use the cancelled product to market your new headphones.

Creamy Goodness

awec wrote: »

Seems a bit suspect to announce the cancellation after you use the cancelled product to market your new headphones.

Yup super dick move. The new AirPods box has a 2018 copyright notice on it and I guess they were to ship then but kept getting delayed for AirPower. Doesn’t make it right though, they would have known 6-8 weeks ago that they may have to cancel AirPower so maybe don’t ship boxes referencing it.

I tell you what though this will make for an interesting story in a couple of years when those involved retire and can talk about it. How did it go so horribly wrong.

Bob24

awec wrote: »

Seems a bit suspect to announce the cancellation after you use the cancelled product to market your new headphones.

Yes and no. Clearly AirPower was a big failure of a project. But the new AirPods are a very good product on their own right and don’t need AirPower.

Dades

How can Apple fail to get a charging mat working if other companies can?

And how come they've scrapped the project rather than just saying its not ready and won't be for a while?

Bob24

Dades wrote: »

How can Apple fail to get a charging mat working if other companies can?

And how come they've scrapped the project rather than just saying its not ready and won't be for a while?

Most similar sized mats have 2 or 3 coils and charge 2 devices placed at specific locations on the mat.

Apple was aiming for something whereby you can place three devices arranged pretty much freely on the mat and it would always be able to charge all 3 at the same time, which I think implied having an array of over 10 coils of different sizes inside the mat, with some of them overlapping with each other. The leak info is that this arrangement was causing coils to interfere with each other and to overheat, and they couldn't find a way to make it work well enough.

Creamy Goodness

There was over 20 coils in AirPower. All to allow you to
Place any device in any area to receive a charge. With other multi device charging mats you need to place your device very specifically for them to receive charge.

Bob24

Won't be as good as what AirPower would have been, but this could be a good (and cheaper) alternative: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/slicecharge-the-1st-6-coils-wireless-charging-mat

It seems like a fairly serious project - they already have a previous generation mat on the market with pretty good reviews, and working prototypes of the new one seem to have been submitted to some Apple websites for testing already (I see very positive comments here: https://9to5mac.com/2019/02/13/multi-coil-charger/).

Dades

Okay, but have they just given up? I assume wireless charging is still the future and Apple will be promoting how all their products can be charged without cables. Just not on their product? Odd.

brophs

Dades wrote: »

Okay, but have they just given up? I assume wireless charging is still the future and Apple will be promoting how all their products can be charged without cables. Just not on their product? Odd.

I guess they’ll soon be pushing both QI wireless charging mats and separate induction based chargers for the watches/wearables. I suspect they’ll simply abandon the attempt to make an all things to all men charger?

peteeeed

powerbeats pro launched

https://www.pocket-lint.com/headphones/news/beats/147652-beats-powerbeats-pro-wireless-earbuds

ballyharpat

As a big supporter of apple products, and even owning their stock, I hate saying this, but I am returning the airpods

I cycle, and I dont like the music loud, but I do hate the noise of the cars, so even if I'm not listening to music, I block my hears a bit to dull the noise on busy roads. The airpods let in every bit of outside noise, and I go ear hooks for them etc, but it makes little difference. Back to my €30 earphones

3DataModem

ballyharpat wrote: »

The airpods let in every bit of outside noise,

I definitely agree they are not suitable for noisy areas or for those who want to block out outside noise.

Oafley Jones

ballyharpat wrote: »

As a big supporter of apple products, and even owning their stock, I hate saying this, but I am returning the airpods

I cycle, and I dont like the music loud, but I do hate the noise of the cars, so even if I'm not listening to music, I block my hears a bit to dull the noise on busy roads. The airpods let in every bit of outside noise, and I go ear hooks for them etc, but it makes little difference. Back to my €30 earphones

I wouldn't even run with noise isolating earphones, but the idea of cycling with them is lunacy to me.

Bob24

ballyharpat wrote: »

As a big supporter of apple products, and even owning their stock, I hate saying this, but I am returning the airpods

I cycle, and I dont like the music loud, but I do hate the noise of the cars, so even if I'm not listening to music, I block my hears a bit to dull the noise on busy roads. The airpods let in every bit of outside noise, and I go ear hooks for them etc, but it makes little difference. Back to my €30 earphones

The fact that they provide no isolation shouldn’t come as a surprise though. It is very clear that this is what they are meant to do by design.

Makes them very nice for some activities (taking phone calls, watching videos at home, etc) but not really suitable for listening to music in noisy environments.

ballyharpat

Oafley Jones wrote: »

I wouldn't even run with noise isolating earphones, but the idea of cycling with them is lunacy to me.

Not necessarily 'noise isolating' but have you ever rode your bike, or walked on a road with constant traffic doing 100kph? if you are following the rules of the road, it doesn't matter if you can or can't hear, if a car is coming behind you at that speed, and is going to hit you, there is nothing you can do, whether you hear it or not. I've been hit by cars 3 times in the last 2 years, each of them I was not wearing headphones, and even if I was, it would not have made a difference. If there's an idiot in a car, there is not much a walker or cyclist can do to keep themselves safe. And I fail to see the difference between having the radio blasting in the car, or a car being immune to outside noises.

I've been riding 10,000 km per year for 13/14 years, always been listening to music and obeying the rules of the road. The hatred and animosity towards cyclists has increased over the last 3 years, with more traffic congestion, due to more cars/traffic, not cyclists.

Dades

I agree they can be difficult to hear due to outside noise when cycling, but they let in sound that might save your ass.

Your call, ballyharpat! A lot of people think ANY headphones when cycling in the city is too big a risk.

Oafley Jones

ballyharpat wrote: »

Not necessarily 'noise isolating' but have you ever rode your bike, or walked on a road with constant traffic doing 100kph? if you are following the rules of the road, it doesn't matter if you can or can't hear, if a car is coming behind you at that speed, and is going to hit you, there is nothing you can do, whether you hear it or not. I've been hit by cars 3 times in the last 2 years, each of them I was not wearing headphones, and even if I was, it would not have made a difference. If there's an idiot in a car, there is not much a walker or cyclist can do to keep themselves safe. And I fail to see the difference between having the radio blasting in the car, or a car being immune to outside noises.

I've been riding 10,000 km per year for 13/14 years, always been listening to music and obeying the rules of the road. The hatred and animosity towards cyclists has increased over the last 3 years, with more traffic congestion, due to more cars/traffic, not cyclists.

It's a simple case of special awareness. When I'm in a car, I own and control a definite space around me. I know a car or truck isn't going to take that and impinge on me, whereas on a bike or running I need to be dialled in to what is coming, because that box around me is down to the judgement of fellow road users. Even the engine note, how aggressive it is, is helpful.

I'm trying to square this with your enthusiasm for the heart rate monitor on the watch and I'm genuinely baffled.

ballyharpat

Dades wrote: »

I agree they can be difficult to hear due to outside noise when cycling, but they let in sound that might save your ass.

Your call, ballyharpat! A lot of people think ANY headphones when cycling in the city is too big a risk.

Agreed in the city, I don't use them cycling through town etc, but on an open road, with constant traffic, which is where I do my steady intervals once or twice a week, there's a car overtaking me every 20 seconds.

ballyharpat

Oafley Jones wrote: »

It's a simple case of special awareness. When I'm in a car, I own and control a definite space around me. I know a car or truck isn't going to take that and impinge on me, whereas on a bike or running I need to be dialled in to what is coming, because that box around me is down to the judgement of fellow road users. Even the engine note, how aggressive it is, is helpful.

I'm trying to square this with your enthusiasm for the heart rate monitor on the watch and I'm genuinely baffled.

No idea what you mean by the heart rate monitor statement

I use the HRV on the Apple Watch for it's intended purpose, I use a separate heart rate transmitter on my Garmin for training etc.?

If I am obeying the rules of the road, and a car is coming behind me that is driving different than the previous 100 cars that have passed me, whether I hear that car or not, makes no difference to me, it's the same as when I drive around a bend, I am hoping and have faith that if someone is coming in the opposite direction, that they are on their side of the road, I have no control over them. I just keep 'my side' of the street clean.....

Gael23

Was thinking of getting them but reading this thread now I’m not sure.

jack presley

Yeah, I’d agree they’re not good for when you’re out in traffic, either walking or cycling.

Dades

Gael23 wrote: »

Was thinking of getting them but reading this thread now I’m not sure.

If you're looking for noise cancelling headphones or for top-end audio, it's pretty clear AirPods are not the solution.

If you're a causal music/podcast listener, or make calls on the go, then you won't find a wireless earphone that is so well designed and completely hassle free.

Bob24

Dades wrote: »

If you're looking for noise cancelling headphones or for top-end audio, it's pretty clear AirPods are not the solution.

If you're a causal music/podcast listener, or make calls on the go, then you won't find a wireless earphone that is so well designed and completely hassle free.

+1

I am now using the Momentum True Wireless which obviously have better isolation and destroy the AirPods in terms of audio quality (and you pay for this).

This is much better for my walks to work on busy streets, on public transport, or to enjoy music properly. But I genuinely miss the infinitely better useably, better confort, and better call capabilities of the AirPods (hence I’ll keep the AirPods for some casual uses).

speedfreak

Seems like the Powerbeats Pro will be a good combo of decent sound with Apple ease of use. Interested to see the hands on reviews