>But what about the possibility of losing the earpieces?
It's interesting to see how many people seem want to stop the conversation at "you're bound to lose one so what's the point."
10-15 years ago people the argument could have been made about cell phones, "why carry a phone you're bound to leave at a restaurant or on a train..."
If the AirPods or wireless mini computers in your ears become so integrated into our day to day lives one falling out will become obvious pretty quick. And the price will drop, maybe not for the Apple versions, but what about Google Now in $40 wireless earbuds in two or three years?
Ultimately that's what is going to limit the success of this product. It's not just one issue, you also now suddenly have to manage 3 pools of battery for a single device with that unnecessary dental floss container thing. I don't think this is good design, at least not in the function over form sense. If apple wasn't so stubborn they could just have linked both earpieces with a cable and a small battery in the middle eliminating both, the extra battery pool and "losability" problems. The price could also come down since there is no need for the dental floss device.
I don't want more batteries and dongles to carry around. A phone and a headphone are already cumbersome in my pocket.
Eventually we will have batteries powerful enough to eliminate the need for that dental floss thing, and the industry will finally standardize induction charging making charging the earpieces anywhere a reality.. but until then, apple is just ahead of the time.
But in a bad sense. Instead, they could just have made a product that is more realistic with the technology we have.
"Ultimately that's what is going to limit the success of this product." in reference to losability due to lack of dental floss between the earbuds
I will politely disagree. If the automation/augmentation/functionality provided is good enough then losability is a non-factor. If the capabilities afforded by the wireless W1 chips don't live up to the hype then dental floss ain't going to save them.
> 10-15 years ago people the argument could have been made about cell phones, "why carry a phone you're bound to leave at a restaurant or on a train..."
Could. But it wasn't because they were big and exciting so you would look pretty stupid saying that.
Losing those cigarette buts though is not a big problem. I have some Plactronics for some years now and there is a reason why they still hang at your neck.
But I guess, people who jump on that right now will have no problem spending that money again and again and...
10-15 years ago people the argument could have been made about cell phones, "why carry a phone you're bound to leave at a restaurant or on a train..."
If the AirPods or wireless mini computers in your ears become so integrated into our day to day lives one falling out will become obvious pretty quick. And the price will drop, maybe not for the Apple versions, but what about Google Now in $40 wireless earbuds in two or three years?