
AirPods Are a Tragedy - ericzawo
https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/neaz3d/airpods-are-a-tragedy
======
zoul
Jesus, that’s a really bad article, spinning some truths, irrelevant info and
memes into hate. Most of what’s written applies to all wireless headphones,
wired headphones or even other consumer electronics. Also, Apple has a
recycling program. Would it be too much journalism to say why it doesn’t
change the situation? If they managed to recycle most of the AirPods, then I’m
mostly happy with the product, and it’s entirely my fault if it ends up on a
landfill.

True, I would wish the headphones to be more repairable, but there’s a big
difference between designing a repairable washing machine and repairable
wireless headphones. The design constraints are pretty tight I imagine.

Writing such hateful and poor quality articles is not going to improve
anything.

~~~
sebazzz
> Most of what’s written applies to all wireless headphones

All? My Sennheiser Urbanite XL has screws hidden behind the removable ear
pads, I'm pretty sure the battery is easily replaced. Except it doesn't have
to be replaced yet.

~~~
wodenokoto
As if they are even remotely the same size.

~~~
rudiv
My Jabra 65t's can have their batteries replaced. Happy?

------
stinos
Much of what gets laid out in the article is also true for a whole range of
other disposable products of different types. Take plastic bottles,
essentially the same tragedy. Companies like Apple did and still do fairly
well when it comes to innovation and planting ideas in people's head. If only
they would use that creativity to make it cool again to own less products
which at the same last longer and are upgradable/servicable, some of the
tragedy could be alleviated.

~~~
nanaya
Here's difference between airpods and plastic bottles:

> They can’t be repaired because they're glued together. They can’t be thrown
> out, or else the lithium-ion battery may start a fire in the garbage
> compactor. They can’t be easily recycled, because there’s no safe way to
> separate the lithium-ion battery from the plastic shell.

~~~
zoul
It would be interesting to ask Apple how much they manage to recycle from the
AirPods and how. Would that be asking too much from the article author?

~~~
dngray
It's not something that Apple openly markets as being a reason why you should
buy them so my guess would be a lot less than you think, because of cost to do
so.

Whereas with Macbooks they openly tout that
[https://www.apple.com/environment/](https://www.apple.com/environment/)

"Built to last as long as humanly possible." \-- Apple

That doesn't sound like an Airpod to me.

~~~
zoul
No it doesn’t, agreed. But I imagine the design constraints for a notebook vs.
wireless headphones are pretty different. I am amazed that the thing can be
built at all.

------
bb101
When my Airpods die, I'll take them back to my local Applestore to be
recycled. Apple is streets ahead of most companies in this respect.

~~~
dngray
> _When my Airpods die, I 'll take them back to my local Applestore to be
> recycled._

Which isn't going to solve the problem the article talks about.

They will have to dispose of those lithium ion batteries like everyone else.

~~~
askafriend
What a silly argument. Do you know how many things in your life use lithium
ion batteries? AirPods should be the least of your concerns.

------
_hao
I’ve bought 3 Apple products so far and own 2 of them. iPhone, iPad and a
MacBook Air for a gift. I’m extremely happy with all of them.

That being said I would never buy AirPods. The reason? They make you look like
a douche. Maybe the sound quality is indeed good or so I am told, but I don’t
care because I don’t want to be seen wearing them. I prefer my Sennheiser 4.40
BT. I know they’re different types of headphones, but I also have Sony SBH70
for listening to music while training. The Sony is pushing 2.5 years and can
work for around 6.5 hours on a charge. They’ve paid for themselves a couple of
times by now.

------
teilo
More ridiculous clickbait outrage farming.

------
dngray
I see so many teenagers these days with those things in their ears. It makes
me facepalm every time I see it.

Makes me feel good that I got such a good deal on my Audio-Technica ATH-IM04s.

They were normally $700 US but now they are end-of-life I got a new pair for
only $391 US. win. The retailer was trying to get rid of them as they were
end-of-life stock.

~~~
bb101
I felt the same way before I tried Airpods. They are ridiculously useful and
convenient, and they don't sound bad either. For me, it's a tiny device to use
for hands-free phone calls and indulge in music on the go without having to
lug another large device around.

~~~
dngray
> _hands-free phone calls and indulge in music on the go without having to lug
> another large device around_

You've pretty much described any ear-bud/canal earphone.

The point is there's choices that have removable batteries, and aren't so
wasteful. 18 months is a pathetic lifetime.

~~~
askafriend
The UX of AirPods are just superior to anything that exists currently. I can't
use anything else after using them. Especially on the go.

I have expensive over ear headphones for use at my desk and I still sometimes
use AirPods because they're so lightweight and I don't feel them in my ear at
all.

~~~
KozmoNau7
Use a set of wired earbuds with a mic+remote. Done.

All of the same functionality, without the hassle of recharging, and much less
risk of dropping one and losing it. And less expensive, to boot.

The only "downside" is that they don't signal conspicuous consumption like the
airpods do.

~~~
askafriend
I don't think you quite understand just how big of a difference not having
wires makes. It makes ALL the difference. It's a complete game changer in the
gym.

And the UX of AirPods is such that I _never_ think about charging. EVER. It's
as if it has unlimited battery.

AirPods have ruined every other pair of headphones for me in the context of
casual listening. For more dedicated "ok let me sit down and really listen"
type sessions, I'll still grab my Sennheisers, Fidelios, or Sonys. But more
and more, I just can't be bothered to break out the big, expensive sets even
if the sound quality is better.

I hate the "you're going to lose it" argument. You can lose anything -
including your phone, or wallet. I haven't lost my AirPods in 2 years and if I
lost them, I'd immediately re-buy a pair.

~~~
KozmoNau7
>"I don't think you quite understand just how big of a difference not having
wires makes."

I've been through the whole rigmarole of Bluetooth earpieces, wireless
headphones, all of that stuff.

The only ones I've kept for years and use every day, never needing a recharge,
never needing to be replaced? My inexpensive wired earphones, which sound
better than any earphones Apple has ever made and will never run out of
battery. Wrapping up the cable takes 2 seconds and they go in my pocket,
always ready to go. No planned obsolescence, unlike the Airpods.

>"It's as if it has unlimited battery."

Until the battery dies, as mentioned in the article. Then it's just a useless
wasteful trinket that has to replaced.

>"You can lose anything - including your phone, or wallet.

Neither of those are precariously balanced in my ears, just waiting for a bump
while biking to knock them loose.

~~~
askafriend
> Neither of those are precariously balanced in my ears, just waiting for a
> bump while biking to knock them loose.

I play 1:1 contact basketball with AirPods on. They don't fall out. Every
other pair of headphones I've had (including my Jaybird X2s, headphones built
for the gym) would fall out very often.

Wires are actually the biggest factor in headphones popping out while active.
If your ears play well with AirPods, then they'll rarely fall out if ever. I
do know friends whose ears aren't compatible though and they won't fit them at
all - so there's that issue and I'm not sure what % of the population it
affects.

> Until the battery dies, as mentioned in the article. Then it's just a
> useless wasteful trinket that has to replaced.

Fine by me. I had my first gen AirPods for two years, and I used them for
hours every single day. I was more than happy to immediately buy AirPods 2
when they came out. I can just send the first gen AirPods back to Apple for
recycling.

Look, it's an easy product to make fun of. It has such obvious and
controversial tradeoffs. But the moment I tried them, it was so clear that
AirPods and other headphones like them are the future. Having wires now feels
like going to a Blackberry after trying the iPhone. People forget that the
iPhone also made very obvious and controversial tradeoffs in it's first
iteration - people balked at the price and the lack of 3G. Didn't matter, the
future is here. Form factor is king. Sound quality is secondary and for good
reason. People want to make that tradeoff no matter how much audiophiles think
it's blasphemy.

~~~
KozmoNau7
Just as a personal observation, why are you playing contact basketball with
earphones in? Are you listening to music while playing a team sport? Are you
waiting for calls that are so important that you cannot be out of reach for
~30 minutes?

That seems so completely and utterly alien to me, this odd obsession with
multitasking seems counterproductive.

I enjoy getting away from any kind of electronics and communication while I'm
working out, letting me focus completely on the workout and nothing else. Plus
sweat ruins earphones and the gym is playing music anyway.

>"If your ears play well with AirPods, then they'll rarely fall out if ever. I
do know friends whose ears aren't compatible though and they won't fit them at
all - so there's that issue and I'm not sure what % of the population it
affects."

That's straying dangerously into "you're holding it wrong" territory.

>"Fine by me. I had my first gen AirPods for two years, and I used them for
hours every single day. I was more than happy to immediately buy AirPods 2
when they came out. I can just send the first gen AirPods back to Apple for
recycling."

Recycling is not an excuse, it does not absolve you of the responsibility for
your over-consumption, nor does it absolve Apple of their wasteful design
choices. Airpods are disposable by design. No amount of recycling will ever
make up for the fact that their entire design is the very definition of
planned obsolescence.

