Skip to main content

Apple AirPods

See All Stories

AirPods offers a cord-free wireless audio experience with up to 5 hours of battery life. They are rechargeable through the included case that get you up to 24 hours on a single charge. AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro support wireless (Qi) charging, Hey Siri, and include the H1 chip.

Apple’s truly wireless wireless and cord-free earbuds now with Qi support

AirPods 1 Features

AirPods are Apple’s wireless, cord-free in-ear headphones, and were unveiled alongside the iPhone 7 on September 7, 2016. Priced at $159 they were originally announced to be available in late October, 2016, but were delayed until December 13.

They have a very similar form-factor to the company’s wired EarPods, with the obvious omission of a cable and the addition of Bluetooth connectivity. Despite this, early reports suggest that they are better at staying in your ears.

They offer Apple’s latest wireless pairing system, based on the W1 chip. They pair instantly, and that pairing propagates across all your Apple devices via iCloud. The secret sauce behind the new pairing system turned out to be all in the W1 chip in the headphones themselves, so it works with Bluetooth LE devices all the way back to the iPhone 5.

AirPods 2 Features

In March of 2019, Apple released AirPods 2. The new version is available for $199 with the wireless charging case, or available with the standard case for $159. Existing version 1 owners can purchase the wireless charging case separately for $79.

Version 2 moved away from the W1 chip to the new H1 chip to deliver up to 50 percent more talk time compared to the first generation. The H1 should also speed up switching between devices, with Apple saying version 2 should now connect two times faster. Version 2 also includes ‘Hey Siri’ support as well.

AirPods Pro

In October 2019, Apple announced AirPods Pro. The Pro model features “Active Noise Cancellation and superior, immersive sound in an all-new lightweight, in-ear design.” The new in-ear design of the Pro model makes for better noise cancellation. Apple says that the Pro headphones are sweat and water-resistant rated for IPX4. The box includes three different sizes of ear tips, which should make them relatively versatile.

AirPods Pro vs. AirPods comparison

There are five major features that the Pro model has have that Version 2 don’t:

  • Active noise cancellation
  • Audio Transparency mode
  • IPX4 water/sweat resistance
  • Adaptive EQ
  • In-ear design with three sets of tips
How AirPods Pro and AirPods gen 2 compare

If you are looking for the latest deals on Apple products and accessories, be sure to visit 9to5Toys.

Top Stories

Read below for all of our coverage

Apple kicks off ‘Back to Uni’ promo in Australia, free AirPods with Mac or iPad purchases [U]

Apple has started offering its back-to-school promotion for eligible students and staff in Australia. Like its recent education promos, this “Back to Uni” deal offers free or discounted AirPods when buying select Mac and iPad models along with 20% off AppleCare+.

Update: Apple’s promotion is showing up for more countries like Brazil, South Korea, and New Zealand.

Expand Expanding Close

AirPods with lossless audio support seem likely, but don’t get too excited

Site default logo image

A new Kuo report yesterday suggested that we can expect new AirPods with lossless audio support – more specifically, an AirPods Pro 2 model that allows users to listen to ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec).

This was given additional weight by Apple’s AirPods lead hinting to What HiFi that the company may have plans for achieving the wireless bandwidth needed for lossless audio. However, while I do think this is a likely development, I don’t think we should get too excited about it …

Expand Expanding Close

Apple acoustics VP talks AirPods and the limitations of Bluetooth in new interview

AirPods 3

Apple’s AirPods have been a runway success over the last several years, and the lineup now includes multiple different variations from which to choose.

In a new interview with What HiFi, Gary Geaves, Apple’s VP of Acoustics, and Eric Treski from the Product Marketing Team went in-depth on the technology behind AirPods, with an interesting focus on how Bluetooth can be a major bottleneck.

Expand Expanding Close

AirPods shipments fell by a third in Q3, but Apple remained clear market leader

AirPods shipments fell by a third in Q2

Global AirPods shipments fell by a third in Q3, according to a new market intelligence report today. The figures for Apple include Beats products, but the greatest fall is likely to have been for AirPods, as consumers waited for the third-generation model.

However, Apple’s dominance of the true wireless stereo (TWS) headphones market is so great that no other brand came anywhere close to challenging the company’s lead …

Expand Expanding Close

See how much AirPods have changed since their original debut in 2016

AirPods

How much can a product change in five years? Well, in tech years, this is more like a decade. AirPods, first announced alongside the iPhone 7, have gone through a few different variations over the years. Now, the publication Scan of the Month is offering us an in-depth look at how much Apple’s wireless earbuds have changed from AirPods 1 to the Pro model, and now to AirPods 3.

Expand Expanding Close

Concept: AirPods have outgrown the Bluetooth menu, they deserve their own app

One of the main draws of AirPods has always been their ability to essentially be invisible, both to the user and to people around them. When they were first introduced they had two features, the ability to play music and the ability to talk to Siri with a tap. But over the past five years, Apple has added new features both through hardware revisions and in software updates that have us wondering if AirPods deserve their own companion app on iPhone. Here’s what we think it should look like.

Expand Expanding Close

Opinion: Why are wired EarPods making a seemingly bizarre comeback in an AirPods-filled world?

When the Wall Street Journal published its post the other day declaring that wired EarPods were back in style, I wasn’t even remotely surprised. In fact, I’ve always thought it was inevitable that once AirPods were fully democratized, younger generations would find them to be uncool. We’ve seen it happen time and time again with other technologies, the most popular reference being to Facebook and its now much older demographic. So yes, wired earbuds are trendy again. But what does that mean for the industry and culture at large?

Expand Expanding Close

9to5Mac Gift Guide: AirPods, AirPods Pro, and the best accessories

With the holiday shopping season already in full swing, one of the most popular gifts this year will undoubtedly be AirPods and AirPods Pro. With four different variations to choose from, making the buying decision could be tricky. Read on as we compare the AirPods 2, AirPods 3, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max, plus offer tips on the best accessories to complement your gifts this year.

Expand Expanding Close

Poll: What are your favorite Apple/Beats wireless earbuds?

apple-airpods-beats-wireless-earbuds-9to5mac

Ever since Apple introduced the AirPods line a few years ago, the company has continued to expand its truly wireless earbuds lineup, especially if you including Beats products. Combining them all, there are at least five different models you could buy right now. What are your favorite Apple or Beats wireless earbuds so far?

Expand Expanding Close

Opinion: The new AirPods are exactly the wireless earbuds that I wanted Apple to make

When Apple introduced AirPods Pro in late 2019, they instantly made the regular AirPods “uncool.” The stems were shorter, the sound was better, there were actual buttons, and the case had a landscape design that was undeniably new. But AirPods Pro have always had a fundamental flaw for me. They just don’t fit my ears. None of the included interchangeable tips have ever worked for me. I know this is unusual since people tend to say that AirPods Pro fit their ears better than standard AirPods, but the original AirPods design was infinitely more comfortable for me. The third-generation AirPods take the best of both and combine them into one pair of nearly perfect wireless earbuds.

Expand Expanding Close

MacBook Pro and AirPods in stock at many Apple Stores while some preorders see last-minute delays

Apple

The all-new 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro, 3rd-gen AirPods, and yep, even the Apple Polishing Cloth are arriving in customers’ hands today. Many of the products are days or weeks out from shipping for online orders at this point, but many Apple Stores have stock for pickup today. Meanwhile, some early preorders are seeing last-minute delays.

Expand Expanding Close

Native Union celebrates iPod 20th anniversary with iPod Socks-inspired AirPod Beanies

Native Union AirPods Beanies 1

In honor of the iPod’s 20th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of Steve Jobs passing, Native Union is out with a commemorative and useful little accessory – AirPods Beanies. Inspired by the classic iPod Socks, the new AirPods Beanies work with all AirPods cases (and more) and come in a colorful 4-pack.

Expand Expanding Close

Manage push notifications

notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications
notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications