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The reign of the Apple AirPods is in full swing, and Apple is winning from its success. Although AirPods are not the original wireless earphones, they have become a widespread icon. Apple made over $12 billion off the wireless earphones in 2020, and as they come out with new versions, they dominate the headphone market.
AirPods continue to grow in demand with the growing online workforce and the continued dominion that technology has over our lives. Each day we spend hours glued to our phones listening to music, consuming social media, calling, and texting. Nearly everyone at my high school has at least one set of AirPods. They're so simple, easy to use, and sound great, but they come at a sharp price.
The Apple AirPods have to be one of the most genius products that Apple has ever had and will ever have. A well-overpriced product that went from online joke to brilliant success, the Apple AirPod filled a hole in the Apple ecosystem so deep that it reached everyone's pocket. The wired headphones that came with Apple products were cheap and annoying to use, but AirPods made your audio wireless and untangled.
Also, AirPods are meant to replace a different hole—the headphone jack. AirPods were initially marketed as a companion to the iPhone 7, Apple's first smartphone without a headphone jack. Apple’s reasoning for removing the headphone jack was that they were being “brave”, but really it was all a tactic to sell more dongles and market their AirPods.
Apple never had their wireless earphones at the time, so earphones were not very easy to use with your iPhone until the AirPods. With AirPods' distinguished white hook look, the product reshaped our society, opening up this new style for consumers and the tech market. When the product first came out in 2016, the internet made it a joke, but people started buying AirPods like candy, even though the earphones cost two hundred dollars.
After the release of the AirPods, they became a social icon because of their hefty price and strange look. People saw the earphones as a representation of wealth, but after several iterations and Apple lowering its price for the older AirPods models, nearly everyone has bought these wireless earphones.
Why Are AirPods Great and Why Are They Awful?
AirPods are great because they are small, easy to use, transport, and work well with Apple technology. Apple created the wireless earphones to work well with each other, so they made the AirPods instantly connect with your Apple devices with ease. Their products were designed to work together like an ecosystem—hence the Apple Ecosystem.
However, AirPods are not a good product because they're slippery and easy to lose because of the case that has a smooth surface. The AirPod case and earpieces are plastic and easy to break, especially the first two generations that had no silicone earpieces that would keep the AirPods from falling out. When my dog got a hold of my AirPods, they were pretty much decimated. Also, the product is expensive to buy and repair. If you were to lose one of your AirPod Pro earpieces, you would need to pay more than $90 for each one, and you would need to pay more than $100 if you lose your AirPod Pro case. Finally, AirPods are not the best wireless earphones on the market because there are better cheaper options.
In conclusion, the AirPods product is one of the best products Apple ever made because of its positives and negatives. The product is easy to use, attractive to the consumers' eyes, and easy to lose, which means that you may buy a new set. Nearly everyone I know has an AirPods set, and it seems they will continue to reign dominance over the headphone market for the foreseeable future.