Apple EarPods

Two 'Apple EarPods' stories September 2012 - August 2013

9to5Toys Last Call: Western Digital 1.5TB portable HD $80, Apple EarPods $15, 64GB flash drive, game/app deals, more

Aug 21 2013 - 3:00 pm PT

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Today’s Featured deals:

Western Digital 1.5TB portable USB 3.0 external hard drive $80 shipped (Reg. $120)

Apple EarPods w/ mic and remote: $15 shipped (Reg. $30)

Other great deals we love:

New! Klipsch Image ONE on-ear headphones w/ Mic and 3-button remote $65 shipped (Reg. $150)
New! HP 64GB USB 2.0 flash drive for $28 or $18 after mail-in rebate + shipping
New! Pyle Sound Box Waterproof Wireless Marine Grade Portable Bluetooth Speaker $45 shipped
New! Gamer Deals: 70% storewide at Origin, PS Vita 3G w/ The Walking Dead: $200, 25% off Sim City, more
New! Jabra TALK Bluetooth Headset with HD Voice Technology $18 shipped (Reg. $30)

Freebies:

Google Play Summer Party Hits from Katy Perry, Daft Punk, Beastie Boys, and more for free or $0.91
Get a free audible.com $5 voucher for audiobooks
Get an extra 1GB of Dropbox space for free

4600 mAh Portable Power Bank from A ViiQ: $35 (Reg. $95)
Spigen new-coated backpack $60 (Reg. $100)
TiVo announces new ‘Roamio’ DVRs w/ out-of-home streaming to mobile devices and 6 tuners
NFL Sunday Ticket for $55 after early Madden 25 video game trade-in at Best Buy
Duo Gamer controller for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch: $6 (Reg. $40)
D-Link wireless network day camera with iPad/iPhone integration $35 shipped (Reg. $50)
$50 iTunes Gift Card for $40: 20% savings on future app, music, movie purchases
Apple does rare iTunes ‘buy 1 get 2 free’ movie bundle sale (starting $10)
The Steve Jobs Video Bundle: Lectures On The Man, His Legacy & The Future Of Technology $15
9to5Toys Exclusive: Get an extra $10 on Gazelle when you trade-in your used (or broken!) electronics
Bose QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones $269 (Reg $299)
Nearly 200 Mac Games on sale up to 66% off

iFixit delves inside the new Apple EarPods [Gallery]

Élyse Betters Sep 18 2012 - 12:06 pm PT

0 Comments

iFixit is hardcore when it comes to breaking open our favorite electronics to see what’s inside, and the website did it again today with the new Apple EarPods that just unveiled last week.

There is no repairability score for the EarPods, because they are “the throw-away kind.” Due to their glue blinding, iFixit warned the EarPods would never be the same if taken apart. In fact, an X-Acto blade was needed to cut the headphones open.

The notable tidbits from inside:

The EarPod speakers house a diaphragm/ paper cone, a voice coil, a permanent magnet, and a cabinet. Previous Apple headphones used plastic cones rather than paper.
The new design includes “larger cable wrapping on both ends” to sustain durability and minimize strain on the wires, and Apple removed the external microphone grate to make the EarPods more resilient to moisture damage.

As for the EarPod remote microphone:

The microphone in the EarPods’ remote bears the markings 2F17 045; we also uncovered another IC with the markings TI25ASGVI, which Chipworks believes to be an ADC, or a device used for volume-control duty.

Oh, and click here to see a size comparison of the remote’s circuit board alongside a U.S. dime.

Something to consider: Perhaps the new EarPods are so “mediocre'” because Apple wants to protect ears from the type of sound that only plug earphones produce. Apple sells many headphones, so producing a good sound that protects ears is probably a high priority for the oft-sued Apple.

Go to iFixit for the entire teardown.

: Final layout

: Compared to older-generation EarBuds

: Packaging

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