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Apple Unveils AirPods Wireless Earbuds – 5 Hour Battery Life, New Wireless Chip

Apple on Wednesday introduced their new AirPods wireless earbuds, which offer a completely wireless experience, promising up to 5 hours of listening on a single charge, Siri compatibility, and a new ultra-low power W1 chip which offers high-quality sound and better battery life.

“AirPods are the first headphones to deliver a breakthrough wireless audio experience, and with the new Apple W1 chip they deliver innovative features including high quality sound, great battery life and automatic setup,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “AirPods are simple and magical to use, with no switches or buttons, automatically connecting to all your Apple devices simply and seamlessly, and letting you access Siri with just a double tap. We can’t wait for users to try them with iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2.”

Pairing the AirPods with an iPhone is as simple as opening the charging case, and with a tap of the screen, the buds are paired. AirPods are immediately set up with all of your devices, including your iPhone, iPad, and even your Mac, via iCloud. They connect automatically with all of your devices from then on. They can also seamlessly switch from a call on your iPhone to listening to music on your Apple Watch, with no switching hassel.

The all new W1 chip which powers the AirPods uses dual optical sensors and accelerometers in each AirPod, which means the AirPods can detect when they’re in your ears, so they only play when you’re ready for the music. Take them out, and the music automatically pauses. Take one out to have a conversation, and when you put it back, the music resumes in that pod.

Siri can be accessed with a double tap of an AirPod, allowing you to perform any Siri task you normally perform via Hey Siri. An additional accelerometer in each AirPod detects when you’re speaking, enabling a pair of beam-forming microphones to focus on the sound of your voice, filtering out external noise to make your voice sound clearer than ever before.

The W1 chip operates at one-third the power of regular wireless chips, allowing 5-hours of battery life on one charge. The AirPods carrying case contains its own rechargeable power source for additional charges, allowing for up to 24-hours of total listening time.

Pricing & Availability

  • The new Apple-designed wireless AirPods including charging case will be available for $159 (US) from Apple.com and Apple Stores beginning in late October.
  • AirPods require Apple devices running iOS 10, watchOS® 3 or macOS™ Sierra.
Chris Hauk

Chris is a Senior Editor at Mactrast. He lives somewhere in the deep Southern part of America, and yes, he has to pump in both sunshine and the Internet.