Apple AirPods (2019) review: A subtle, but meaningful upgrade

“I’m often asked what my favorite gadget or gadgets are, and for the past two years, without hesitation, my answer has been Apple’s AirPods and the Nintendo Switch,” Jason Cipriani writes for ZDNet. “The AirPods took wireless earbuds and made them something I actually wanted to use and made it easy to do so. The Switch, well, I like to game when and where I can, so the portability combined with the ability to dock on a big screen TV has won me over.”
“For the past few months, however, the battery life on my original AirPods has been suffering. I’ve used them a lot since their release in 2016, and the small battery inside each earbud has suffered enough,” Cipriani writes. “For the past week, I’ve been using the 2019 version of the AirPods and they’re every bit as impressive. On paper, the changes are subtle, but in use, there’s a meaningful difference.”
New AirPods build on the magical experience customers love delivering 50 percent more talk time, hands-free “Hey Siri” and the option of a new Wireless Charging Case.
 
“What does the H1 chip bring to the table? Double the talk time of three hours, faster connection speed for incoming calls and when switching between devices, and hands-free ‘Hey Siri’ use,” Cipriani writes. “Over the past two weeks, I’ve yet to completely drain the AirPods during my normal use in my office. I’ve pushed four hours of constant listening and had just under 20 percent battery left, putting the five-hour estimate within reach.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Running with AirPods, gen. 1 or gen. 2, and an Apple Watch is a joy!
SEE ALSO:
TIME reviews Apple’s new AirPods: ‘Great if you don’t have AirPods yet’ – March 29, 2019
Finally experiencing Apple’s AirPods – why did I wait so long? – March 28, 2019
Digital Trends reviews Apple’s new AirPods 2: Impressed by Siri’s quick response to voice commands – March 28, 2019
Apple Watch is now bigger than the iPod ever was, but it’s not a cultural phenomenon like AirPods – March 28, 2019
Why Apple’s AirPods came to be everywhere – March 23, 2019
AirPods with Wireless Charging Case delivery date quickly slips into April – March 20, 2019
What we know about the H1 chip in Apple’s new AirPods – March 20, 2019
Apple’s new, 2nd-gen. AirPods offer lower latency for mobile gaming – March 20, 2019
Apple reveals second generation AirPods with new Apple-designed H1 chip – March 20, 2019