Slashdot Mirror
AirPods Delay Attributed To Apple Ensuring Both Earpieces Receive Audio At Same Time (macrumors.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Mac Rumors: AirPods were originally slated to launch in October, but the wireless earphones were later delayed. Apple said it needed "a little more time" before they are ready for customers, and it has yet to provide an official update since. While the exact reason for the delay remains unclear, a person familiar with the development of AirPods told The Wall Street Journal that Apple's troubles appear to be related to its "efforts to chart a new path for wireless headphones," in addition to resolving what happens when users lose one of the earpieces or the battery dies. The Wall Street Journal reports: "A person familiar with the development of the AirPod said the trouble appears to stem from Apple's effort to chart a new path for wireless headphones. In most other wireless headphones, only one earpiece receives a signal from the phone via wireless Bluetooth technology; it then transmits the signal to the other earpiece. Apple has said AirPod earpieces each receive independent signals from an iPhone, Mac or other Apple device. But Apple must ensure that both earpieces receive audio at the same time to avoid distortion, the person familiar with their development said. That person said Apple also must resolve what happens when a user loses one of the earpieces or the battery dies."
Apple should get out of the Courage business and get back into making computer hardware.
I don't know how much more "courage" the industry can take...
I don't know the meaning of the word 'don't' - J
Next up: Apple complicates toilet paper.
Table-ized A.I.
My headphones with the headphone plug get left and right at the same time, everyfricken time.
Apple also must resolve what happens when a user loses one of the earpieces or the battery dies
What's supposed to happen? FindMyDeadEarpiece[tm]?
If they truly cared, they would have figured out how to make wireless earphones work properly before removing the headphone jack from their phones.
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
If they did care, they could have used the CSR 8670 which supports device-to-device syncing and streaming, as used in the Earin and Bragi Dash products. Out-of-the-box, off-the-shelf operation as needed by the AirPods. But then, why use something everyone else uses (that works), when you can invent your own (W1) that doesn't? Because - courage!
Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
All phone companies know that the real way to make billions is to be build a 4 inch thick brick with 2 weeks of battery life; a phone where every component can be swapped using thumb screws.
But, alas, phone companies hate making money. That's the only possible explanation.
Problem 1 - Lose one earpiece.
Solution 1 - Maybe use a tether of some sort to keep the earpieces together?
Problem 2 - Battery dies
Solution 2 - Maybe have that tether double as a charging lead? You could plug it into some sort of handy port on the phone to keep the batteries charged up.
Problem 3 - Audio sync between earpieces.
Solution 3 - Perhaps shift the audio hardware to the phone, decode the audio there and then transfer simple audio signals down the tether to the earpieces? That might work.
You are in a twisty maze of processor lines, all alike.
There is a lot of hype here.