AirPods: Tune in or Tune out

Maddie Cooke and Dino Rivano

Caleb Debban

Airpods hanging out on the construction fencing? Sure, why not.

By Maddie Cooke, Multimedia Editor
March 1, 2019

AirPods users have become the center of popular discussion across the nation. In the past year, the AirPods “movement” has significantly grown since their initial release in December of 2016, and they have become a popular commodity among high schoolers.

Many students at Tigard can easily see this trend in motion; as we make our way through the halls, tiny free-ranged earbuds are plugged into students’ ear holes all around. AirPods are said to enhance music and sound experience with Bluetooth capability and the lack of wires. This might seem like a simple adjustment to the average headphone, but many claim it is more than that. For many of their users, AirPods have become a lifestyle choice, not just a fashion statement. I’m going to break down the hype to help you decide what we should really do with AirPods: tune in or tune out of the hype?

At first glance, AirPods seem like an ordinary and frankly overpriced set of earbuds, which is to be expected from an Apple product. The simple and unoriginal design of the pods is what gives them that lowkey feel and throws most people off. The only real difference between the AirPods and the standard Apple earbuds are the obvious lack of wires. If Apple offered a variety of colors or something else to the make the design pop, then it would be more appealing to me and many of the critics who claim how simple it is. And to each their own, since I know some people appreciate the simplistic style of the AirPods. Regardless, I give the style a 3/10 because of the lack of originality in the design for the value of the product.

     

Now on to the cost. AirPods sell for just short of 140 dollars, which is a pretty steep price for this device. Some would argue that the price steers consumers away from the product, but I feel like the high price actually makes AirPods all that more enticing. Consumers don’t normally want to pay more, but most of them are willing to pay this price because it increases the value of the AirPods. It is considered a “flex” item of sorts, something that people can use to have a greater appeal among their peers. Although not everyone has this mindset, it is evident that many people admire the pods as more of a classy item than a useful headset. Overall, I think the product is not worth the price, even if most people are willing to pay that amount. And for this, I rate the pricing and the strategy behind this a 6/10.

The quality of a product is generally the most important factor for me when I’m deciding whether to make a purchase. According to some interviews with students at Tigard, many stated that within a few months of owning a pair of AirPods, they malfunctioned and never operated properly after that. Juniors Liv Young and Meghan Turley recount their problems with AirPods.

“The first two weeks after getting my AirPods, my right one stopped working. It was really frustrating because I couldn’t use them and I had to get a whole new set,” Young said.

“And if you lose your AirPod case, you can’t just buy a new case for your headphones and you have to buy a completely new set. I’ve lost my case a few times and it was a frightening experience,” Turley said.

Drew Carter

Based off of this information, I am not sure how reliable these headphones are, and durability is something important if I am paying a lot of money for a product like this. Losing the AirPods would also be a concern for me, since I know how easy it is to misplace and lose track of such a small item. Overall, I rate the quality of the product a 5/10.

To finish evaluating this product, I would also like to expand on a big concept that is woven into the AirPods. I believe the product is trying to emphasize on the convenience of not having a wire as well as the utilization of Bluetooth capability. Although this appears to be an innovative step forward, wireless headsets are already not uncommon. There are a variety of different products that offer the same concept that AirPods do, with different styles and for lower prices. Since this product is overpriced, unoriginal and too basic, I have to say I’m going to tune this product out.