Following a wait that was close to two months, Apple's AirPods have finally made their way into the hands of customers. The first AirPods orders started arriving to customers who pre-ordered last week, and Apple retail stores also began brick and mortar sales.
After waiting in line at 6:00 a.m. in the freezing cold in Palo Alto, MacRumors videographer Matt Gonzalez managed to snag a set of AirPods and has spent the day testing them out for a hands-on video. To get a closer look at the AirPods and see what Matt thought, watch below.
Customer reactions to AirPods have been largely positive, and users have been impressed with the fit, the sound quality, the syncing process, and the battery life.
Sound quality and long-range Bluetooth seem to be one of the biggest surprises, and many customers have said the sound is better than the standard EarPods, even likening the sound to more expensive headphones. With the W1 chip, the AirPods connect to the iPhone and other devices within seconds, and charging speeds are impressive -- Apple's promised 3 hours of playback for 15 minutes of charging, which has turned out to be accurate.
Most Apple Stores sold out of AirPods stock within an hour or two as people lined up ahead of when stores opened, but some stores are already receiving new shipments and Apple has promised regular stock. In-store pickup to check stock is not yet available, but should be coming in the near future.
Best Buy also had a limited amount of stock today for online orders, but supplies were exhausted quickly. There's no word yet on whether Best Buy will be getting more stock, but the site is now listing the seventh of February as a delivery date.
AirPods ordered today from the online Apple Store will not ship out for six weeks, so customers hoping to get AirPods before January will need to keep an eye on stock at their local retail store.
Top Rated Comments
This is like FOUR products in one. As someone who uses the phone A TON as a consultant, I had to revert to wired in the car because the Bluetooth headsets would go dead. AirPods are like TWO Bluetooth headsets for the price of one. That's two things. Now add the battery pack / storage container for 24 hours of charge. That's a THIRD item. Finally, when listening to a call or music with one AirPod and you hit a song you really like, just put in the other AirPod and voila, your FOURTH item - an instant set of wireless headphones that sound better than Apple'S regular ones and my old beats Bluetooth headphones.
All of this is WITHOUT CORDS to look silly when one is out of your ears and when you are meeting with professionals while consulting.
Seriously, the MOST transformational Apple product I've had in YEARS and I have them ALL. Do not under-estimate this. It is seriously like comparing my Palm Phone to my first iPhone in 2007. AND FOR ONLY $159. Nothing currently compares at ANY price in my opinion.