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Apple Earpods
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Apple Earpods Review Facts
When seeking out earphones, you have to take into consideration exactly how much you want to spend because like most things the quality changes. When comparing these to others out there we want to remain objective, and by that we mean, we want to consider what device they were built for as well as how much they are and compare them not to the more expensive brands and versions, but those they are actually in competition with. For their brand and price, these pods are likely to be ranking up there, after all, we are talking an Apple brand set of earphones that come bundled with the device they were intended for. That being said, they can be purchased separately as well and used on items that are not Apple brand, so we do hold them up against those other brands in the same price range. We expect them to hold their own and compare them fairly.
That may not seem to need to be said, but we have noticed quite a few customers compared them to much higher priced earphones and were disappointed because of it. We think these seem to be good or at least above average for their place in the market. So let us take you through our guide so you can decide if what you want is to pay less and still get decent quality, or if you might want to settle back and save up for a pricier pair (Which Apple does offer a much better set for quite a bit more!).
Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros
- Cheaper
- Classic color and design for Apple
- Good mic
- Built in controls
- Comfortable
Cons
- Fragile
- Don’t stay in the ear easily
Positive
- I am most definitely not a fan of the aesthetic. However, I caved and bought them and I am pleasantly surprised. The battery is really good. They sound great. These are so worth the money.
- I have zero issues with them falling out. I am able to wear them doing all my HIIT and other training. The pair flawlessly. I can control them with the watch. The Pause if you take them out to talk to someone, AWESOME! The case is small and hooks to the keys and the battery lasts forever. I am happy with these for sure.
- I had no idea they were waterproof. They are extra that is for sure. They sound amazing and stay in the ear well. I accidentally washed them and they are still kicking. I highly recommend.
- These are the best. I can walk around my apt with them and no issues. The hne doesn't need to be right with me. The sound quality is great for as small as they are. They charge quick and last a good while. They work great for calls, never had issues hearing or being heard. I can customize the double tap to my liking. I really am happy with these.
- You will not regret buying these. They are fantastic. For the size of these, the sound is terrific. I am able to easily carry these on my keychain they are so small and light. They charge in like 15 minutes and last forever. These are just a really awesome Apple product.
- I like that when I remove one it pauses. I use them at work and this is really convenient. They do not cancel noise so not god for travel I would think. However they sound good and work really well. I recommend them.
- I have owned numerous buds and these are way better than anything I have had. They are so comfortable and work so much better than I was expecting. They sound great. I would say they are an investment more than a random purchase.
- These are the best purchase I have made in a while. I was on the fence but when i put them in, I was shocked. They pair so easily and stay in. They charge lightning fast. Not really sure what I did before I bought these. I am so happy with them. They sound great and the fact they charge separately allows you to never have to be without them.
- I kept hearing my coworkers talk about these. I ended up buying them for the gym and I am so impressed. They actually stay in. Great design. They sound really good. They pair so flawlessly with the iPhone. The little floss size charging container is genius. I am way impressed and highly recommend.
- They switch between devices very easily. They look ridiculous but work really well and sound great. I washed them on accident and they are still great. I am really happy with my purchase.
- I loved mine so much I ended up buying the family a set. You can connect to multiple connections. I am able to make conference calls and listen to music in between calls. No feedback or static. Just a great connection all around. I haven't had any charging issues at all. Love the Earpods.
- These are good and super effective. I never have problems connecting and they have great sound I can carry them around without the phone and they stay connected well. They charge fast. I love them.
- These are so worth the hype. They are fantastic and sync so quick and easy. I love the auto pause and they are really durable. The sound is high quality and they are crisp and clear on calls. They fit my ears perfect and do not slide out. They have great battery life and charge faster than anything I have ever charged. It is wild. I love them they are great.
- I was iffy about these because I am not a fan of Apple. However, I as given a iPhone for work and so I purchased these and am super impressed. They connect so good and the sound is great. Phone calls are clear. I would buy again. So glad that Apple seems to have gotten better.
- The battery lasts and they pair good with the Android too. They do not have a lto of control on them but that is just a peve. I like that they pause when I am trying to listen to someone and take one out. I would buy them again.
- I did have to get one replaced. The volume stop working in it. But Apple was great and we got back up and running in no time. They pair quick and never have a glitch. The calls work great. I never get static or background noise.
- I like the way the Earpods interact with apple products, and the way they sound. In some ways they are more secure in the ear than are plug-in earbuds. But, my LG television will not recognize them because (according th LG service), there is no on-off switch. There used to be a button on the box ], according to the people on the phone, but there is no button on the case.
- I am not an Apple fan but these are really well made and work really well. The sound quality is decent. They are super versatile though and are so easy to use. They charge rapid fast. They also connect easy and super fast. I like them.
- These were prompted to pair as soon as I turned them on. Super impressive. I love that they pause when you remove one. The sound is great for the size. I would highly recommend these. Best Apple product I have used.
- These are a bit pricey but they are the bet Apple has. They work great, pair fast and sound good. The battery lasts for hours. They work better than the headphones that come with the phone, I know that.
Negative
- 6 weeks in and they stopped working. I contacted Apple and they told me to update my phone, which I did, and they still do not work. They will not help me now. I am confused and out some money.
- I spent too much for these to die so fast. I had them maybe a month and they won’t charge. Looks like an issue. I should have read the reviews.
- The left side will not charge for some reason. I have tried everything and nothing. It is annoying for the price.
- I cannot get these to stay in and they sound really horrible. They do not block out any noise and i have to have them all the way up to enjoy, which in return hurts my ears. I am not impressed. Do not waste your money.
- I am not a fan of the sound and the connection is iffy. They have zero features and set awkward in the ear. I feel like Apple is just depending on their name these days because their products are horrible.
- Offer very little and cost a lot. These do not stay in the ears and it is so dang annoying. If I even walk they slip out. These are pretty much unusable for me. A waste of money.
- After a bit of use, which I enjoyed, one of the pods just stopped working. It won't synch and the sound is muffled. I am disappointed.
- It took me about 15 times of disconnecting both to get the left to work. When they work they are ok but they work less than they do. It is horrible and such a burden. I don’t even use them anymore.
- When I lay down or move around these cut in and out. They also disconnect form the phone often. There is only a skip on them too, no volume or pause. I am disappointed.
- The case stopped charging after a month. The sound sucks and cuts in and out. They also are really bad with calls. I cannot hear the person well and they hear cracking apparently.
Reviewmeter
The Reviewmeter shows you an overall score that you can easily refer to. The highest rating is 10 (100% positive feedback)
Of the 3000 reviews we found in total,
16% were negative, and
84% were positive.
Activities
While these work well, for a phone headset, they do have an automatic downfall for anyone looking to use them to exercise using them- there is nothing in their design to hold them into your ears. With the sets that you can use to exercise and that is meant for such activities, they have some sort of ear clip or some form of snug way to fit them into the ear. These are designed purely for being able to listen and talk while sitting or walking at a normal pace. They work well for both of these activities and make it easier to talk on the phone hands-free, though. So, they do actually work as intended. If you are looking for something that is just for having a hands-free phone, these are a good pair to pick up, but if you are wanting to use it to jog, run or workout in the gym, you may find them disappointing.
Basic Features
These are built to be a decent, starting, hands-free headset for your phone. They work the best with Apple products obviously but really are not overly fancy. You plug them into your phone and you can adjust the volume via a control on the cord. You also have the built-in mic which means you do not need an additional piece to talk when you get a call and can still use them to listen to your music in transit to someplace. Of course, if you are driving, we suggest leaving at least one side out for it. The cable design otherwise is just like its predecessors and hasn’t shown a lot of extra features to it directly on the set itself. In the end, You get what you are looking at- a headset for your phone that looks and work nicely when you need to keep your hands free for other tasks.
Advanced Features
While we can’t say that the other feature is actually directly linked to the earpods themselves, like all Apple products, there are apps that you can get to control the volume on your phone and likely even adjust the way the sound comes through on them. This isn’t a feature of the earpods, but it is worth noting that most who have used the apps designed to adjust the sound works best on an iPhone when the headset is also Apple. One thing many have noted that is directly linked to the earpods are that the speakers are made of a much more flexible material now, which does affect the sound quality. Though Apple won’t directly state what they use, they seem to change certain tones. Another nice point to the build is that they do not hurt the ear to wear, they are actually pretty comfortable for almost every ear type. This is important because a lot of other headsets that come in this price range actually seem to either be made for larger ears and cause smaller ears to ache or are built for smaller ears and won’t stay at all in a larger ear. So while they might fall out on the more vigorous exercise uses, they sit easily if all you are doing is using them as intended.
Sound Quality
This is the area of discussion that no matter what headset you look at you are bound to get varying opinions. What we look for is a consistent line such as ‘mostly bass’, ‘mostly upper tones’, or ‘they have a hiss’. By looking for these we can ascertain what kind of sound they produce and lean towards, so we can tell you what they offer, and you can decide whether it is what you want. With this set, you can’t expect noise cancellation and so you may not be able to hear as well as you like in a busy or extremely noisy area. The sound itself, however, seems to be much improved over their last set. They have a much better balance between all three tone levels and have enhanced mid and low tones to reach that particular balance. So, you are not likely to be mind blown, as most admit these are not quite the quality of much more expensive sets, but they are definitely a pair worthy of note on their sound quality for their price. They outperform most others that cost around the same price.
Connectivity
This is a corded set, so when you are looking for assurance that you won’t lose the sound in the middle of the call, or song, you have it. Even the mic seems to perform very well, picking up on voice easily and not cutting out when you are trying to respond. When we look at a corded set, we expect as much- especially with Apple’s level of reputation. If a corded headset loses your sound or voice, it begs the question of quality in the entire build, and whether or not you would ever want to trust it in your ears. After all, if they are shorting out like that, you never know just how bad the wires are and if they might catch fire. Thankfully, this is not an issue with the Apple Earpods- so you can rest easy!
Comfort
Most cheaper sets are not very comfortable. As mentioned earlier in this article, Apple decided it was important to them that everyone be able to easily sit on the ear without immediately falling off or feeling so jammed into the ear that they cause an ache after only a few minutes. Since this particular set is not designed to cancel noise, they wanted it to easily settle in the ear without becoming uncomfortable, so their size was designed somewhere in the middle. They sit in larger ears without immediately falling, but they won’t cause someone with a smaller ear to feel as if they are trying to stretch out the cartilage. Of course, this particular fit means that they come out easily and won’t work well for exercising, instead they are made to work for a more relaxed position. Those who have tested this pair compared to others at the same price found that Apple has upped the game on affordable and well-working headsets- especially in the area of comfort.
Style
Keeping with the tried and true, Apple Earpods maintain the neutral white color and appearance. This is a downside for some, but many have come to prefer the appearance and make because it lets them know they have exactly what they are looking for. Not a lot of companies will boldly stick to the same style over the years, and often the changes aren’t as good when tested out as they expected. Rather than rock the boat on what was considered to be expected, and already sold well, Apple simply held true to themselves. A few might find this to be upsetting, seeing as a common complaint among those have a preference for the appearance on their earphones in that white does tend to get dirty looking faster, but we have to wonder on this. Whether a cord looks dirtier faster or not, the same level of uncleanliness is still on the cords of a darker make. Just because you can’t see it as easily doesn’t mean it is not there. From that, we actually feel the white cord is a benefit- since it will not let you slack off on keeping things clean that need it. So in hindsight- we feel a white cord may actually be better if you want to keep sanitary with your headsets!
Durability
This is any sets biggest fault at this level of quality, and unfortunately, Apple isn’t that much better. They are not designed to handle as much volume nor are they built as sturdy as more expensive sets. Because of this, you may want to keep in mind what it was designed to do and use them accordingly. A couple of good drops or smacks and you may find yourself in need of a new headset for your phone. Of course, quality materials cost more to develop and put together, so at this range of price you aren’t likely to find a lot of high-quality materials. The price reflects the amount of time and level of quality materials that go into the design. If you are getting a sturdier pair, it is likely to reflect in sound, mic, or design quality in other ways. You will get as much bang for your dollar as can be placed based on this. For this set, they put more into giving you better sound and mic quality instead of on the plastic casing.
Ease of Use
This headset is easy to use the device on the premise alone. You plug them into your phone and can immediately begin using them for music or phone calls right away. The only real addition to that factor is in the built-in volume control on the cord itself, which is still rather self-explanatory. With its plus and minus sign easily able to be seen and the two buttons far enough apart to make it easy to not go the wrong way in volume. The best devices to use with these are Apple devices of course, and you can also control the volume from those devices. That means you can adjust everything in the way you are most comfortable. No need for complication!
Power Source
This pair doesn’t have, nor need an internal power source, like most headsets, they are meant to be used only when plugged into your phone or device. Since that is the case, you do not technically ‘get power’ because the charge is only present when they are plugged in and in use.
Price
For their quality of sound and comfort, this pair is reasonably priced for those who are either replacing what came with their phone or device or who simply prefer apple pods over other brands. At right around $40 they are easily affordable and worth it if you need something quick that works well. Since they work as both a headset for listening to tunes and for using as a way to answer your calls, they really are better than most others in that same price bracket. If you want more, you will find yourself spending a lot more money to get it- no matter what brand you go for.
Key Features
-Good sound
-Built-in volume control
-Reliable Apple brand
-Affordable
-Built-in Mic
-Built-in volume control
-Reliable Apple brand
-Affordable
-Built-in Mic
Bottom Line
If you want affordable, and require they have sound quality and a working mic, these are the ones you want. They are comfortable and will last so long as cared for and used as designed. If, however, you are looking for a pair to exercise in, you will need to go elsewhere to find it. These are not made to work out with you- but they are made to work for you in ways other pairs at this price are not very well known for.
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