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Apple Will Charge You $69 To Replace a Lost AirPod (macrumors.com)

Apple's AirPods finally went on sale earlier this week after being announced in September and delayed in October. Now that people are able to actually purchase these wireless earphones for $159, many are wondering what happens if they lose an AirPod. Apple has recently updated its repair and replacement costs for AirPods on its iPhone Service Pricing Page, mentioning a $69 fee for those who need to replace an AirPod or charging case. Mac Rumors reports: Apple doesn't appear to be offering AppleCare+ for AirPods, instead providing a standard one-year warranty that's available on all Apple products. If the AirPods need service during that one year period, all work will be covered for free. After the one-year warranty has expired, Apple will charge a $69 fee for out-of-warranty service repairs. Battery service for AirPods that lose battery capacity is free during the one-year warranty period or $49 out of warranty. If you lose or damage one of the AirPods or the charging case, Apple will charge $69 for a replacement, regardless of whether or not the AirPods are still under warranty. The pricing in Apple's support document is U.S. pricing, and will vary based on country.

253 comments

  1. Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    $5 for 6 at CVS.

    They have could have easily used this type of battery in this device.

    1. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Every time I ask Apple users about the non-replaceable batteries, their reply is **always** -- (ie. without fail) "you just don't get it", without **ever** being able to articulate exactly what I don't "get". I don't see how not being able to replace a battery is an advantage. Yes, I "get" that you can make the device smaller (and thus lighter), but only marginally so, and at the expense of functionality and serviceability. The non-removable battery is not any type of advantage to me.

    2. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      It's an advantage because replaceable batteries require a case that's resistant to impacts and punctures, and devices require a case. If you make the battery non-replicable, these two things can be the same case. That increases the capacity of the battery for the same volume and weight of device. It's that simple.

    3. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Exactly how much weight? .5 oz? .75 oz?

      That's my point. The difference is so marginal and arbitrary I'd rather have the removable battery.

      I'll make you a gentleman's bet that if the next Mac book had a removable battery, Apple would advertise it as feature (as loudly as possible), ***everyone*** in the audience at the Apple Dev. Conference would all clap in unison (as they *always* do, at *every* event, at *every* announcement, regardless of what it is -- like a congregation at a Texas mega-church), and all the Mac users would explain how wonderful a removable battery is and trumpet the development from the highest hilltops.

    4. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Exactly how much weight? .5 oz? .75 oz?

      That's my point. The difference is so marginal and arbitrary I'd rather have the removable battery.

      1) Every little helps. The way you make a device like this lighter isn't by finding one component that was hugely heavy, and removing/fixing it, it's by trimming 0.2g off every component in the device.
      2) The significant advantage is volume, and battery life. This is why modern phones fit comfortably in your front pocket, while 10 year old PDAs barely fit comfortably in a bag.

    5. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      rol. have you seen the scientology church documentary on i think a&e?

      it's the same shit. the guy on stage says one thing then everyone in the audience claps in unison and stops exactly at the same time.

      how can that many people all agree on exactly the same thing?

      its like saddam hussein always getting 99.9% of the vote.

      i guess (mostly) everyone agreed with (mostly) everything he ever did. lol.

    6. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Every time I ask Apple users about the non-replaceable batteries, their reply is **always** -- (ie. without fail) "you just don't get it", without **ever** being able to articulate exactly what I don't "get". I don't see how not being able to replace a battery is an advantage. Yes, I "get" that you can make the device smaller (and thus lighter), but only marginally so, and at the expense of functionality and serviceability. The non-removable battery is not any type of advantage to me.

      I have a mac and the latest iphone. I have no brand loyalty, I had androids for year and could go back. There are nice things about the Apple stuff. The mac books are good laptops. There is relative ease in moving and syncing data between computer and phone. But I never ever have valued tradeoff of thinness at the cost of an unchangable battery. The iPhone would be a massively better product if it was 2mm thicker and came with an interchangable battery. It would be better with an audio jack and a type-C interface. On balance I would have skipped the upgrade program and got the pixel if I were to do it over.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    7. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Every time I ask Apple users about the non-replaceable batteries, their reply is **always** -- (ie. without fail) "you just don't get it", without **ever** being able to articulate exactly what I don't "get". I don't see how not being able to replace a battery is an advantage. Yes, I "get" that you can make the device smaller (and thus lighter), but only marginally so, and at the expense of functionality and serviceability. The non-removable battery is not any type of advantage to me.

      Apple and iPhone user here. I don't give a shit about non-replaceable batteries. I don't give a shit about airpods or headphone jacks either. And I really don't give a shit about the people who go insane about them, don't care. So if a replaceable battery in all of your stuff is mandatory for you, get that and be happy you have it, and happy you showed those hipster Apple users the error of their ways.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    8. Re: Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yea the world revolves around you.

      Don't like it don't buy.

      Asking a sales person these questions is like purposely going to Samsung shop to ask why note 7s explode... if they understand the design and engineering behind it they would be working in Cupertino not in a retail store.

      Don't be a dick.

    9. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Niddix · · Score: 1

      Hearing aid batteries last from 3 to 22 days, depending on usage. I'd suspect that for these things you'd get a week at most. You really want to pay $5 a week, or even $5 a month for batteries?

    10. Re: Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just go buy a Samsung.

      Why bitch about these things? You don't like it someone else does.

      Everybody have their point and mine is the opposite of yours.

      Big fucking deal.

      Btw I do love commenting on shitty comments like yours so no hard feelings ya? It's quite entertaining as long as you're not seriously pissed off. If you are you shouldn't really use the internet since I talk crap 50% of the time so you just never know.... and no... I'm not an extra terrestrial

    11. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "at the expense of functionality and serviceability" *IS* the goal.

      That 69$ is the entire reason for making the things so easy to misplace.

    12. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I wear a hearing aid with Bluetooth (for phone and music). My battery lasts on average a week, and I guarantee I have my hair aid in longer than an AirPod user would have their headphones in.

    13. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's an advantage because replaceable batteries require a case that's resistant to impacts and punctures, and devices require a case. If you make the battery non-replicable, these two things can be the same case. That increases the capacity of the battery for the same volume and weight of device. It's that simple.

      Sounds like some wonderful self-justifying horsecrap to me.

      As someone else pointed out, just how much weight will you save? Maybe a whole ounce? Hearing aids are pretty lightweight and durable and they have replaceable batteries.

      My wired earbuds are lighter than any pair of Airpods will ever be, and they'll never need a battery replacement. Because they're wired they're also damn hard to lose and they cost a lot less than $159 a pair.

      Seriously, this whole "find bullshit reasons to justify a bad design" thing seems to be honed to a fine art among Apple apologists.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    14. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Registered+Coward+v2 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      . But I never ever have valued tradeoff of thinness at the cost of an unchangable battery. The iPhone would be a massively better product if it was 2mm thicker and came with an interchangable battery.

      I am not so sure how it would be better. Sure, you could carry a spare battery but it's just as easy to carry a USB battery to recharge your phone if you use it so much that it goes dead quickly; with the added bonus of no having to worry your battery will accidentally get short circuited in a briefcase or purse. I used to carry a Treo, which had a replaceable battery, but even with tethering I never really needed one. I could see the case where a replaceable battery would be useful for an older phone whose battery is dying; however I wonder what % of iPhone users keep their phone long enough for that to be an issue and even then they can still replace the battery via an authorized service center. One downside I see is a replaceable battery might encourage the proliferation of cheap knockoffs that potentially could cause problems; and Apple getting the blame when people think their "genuine" $5 battery went kablooey.

      So, I am curious how the iPhone would be massively better with a user removable battery.

      --
      I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
    15. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by toddestan · · Score: 2

      Actually, the fact the earbuds won't be used as much is a good reason not to use hearing aid (zinc-air) batteries. Once the tab is removed and the hearing aid battery is exposed to air the chemistry starts and battery only has 2-3 weeks or so before it's toast no matter how little it is actually used. In that sense, hearing aid batteries really are meant to be used heavily (all day) because they won't actually last much longer if you don't use them that way.

      With that said, I'll apply the KISS principle and stick with wired earbuds (cheap and no batteries) along with devices that still work with them.

    16. Re: Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

      Go buy another phone with removable Batt. It's your choice man... why the hate?

      Or do you really really really want an iphone but the fact you can't buy one because of this particular design leave you angry and betrayed?

      Captcha: Closet Fanboi

    17. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Parafilmus · · Score: 1

      Every time I ask Apple users about the non-replaceable batteries, their reply is **always** -- (ie. without fail) "you just don't get it", without **ever** being able to articulate exactly what I don't "get".

      For the most part, it's an aesthetic choice. For example, a battery door would interrupt the smooth surface of an iPod. The device wouldn't feel quite as nice to hold in the hand. The cost of that aesthetic is a more difficult process to replace the battery every three years or so. Is the exterior aesthetic worth the triennial inconvenience? I dunno. Maybe? It seems like a pretty subjective question.

    18. Re: Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I wish I was so stupid that I didn't know the difference between a phone and a headset. I mean, it would be terrible for humanity if everyone were like that. But imagine how happy everyone would be. We'd all just sit around coloring, happy as a clam. Sounds awesome.

    19. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Stop it. Just fucking stop it.

      When an iPhone's battery dies for the last time for the vast majority of users, it is a paperweight. By giving the option of a removable battery, a $700 problem just became a $15 problem. Well, probably closer to $85 for iPhone, but the point stands.

      This has nothing whatsoever to do with "carrying around a battery" pack. Stop pretending to be stupid.

    20. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When an iphone battery dies, when my nexus 4 died, when my nexus 5 died, when my nexus 5x died and when my pixel battery dies. I plug in my little portable battery. Many do this, most aren't even draining their phones and carry these around for the extremes.

      Get off your horse, you being a complete asshole about your 'pain point' people have moved on.

    21. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's the glamour. Apple has upgraded it to a Class Six by now. Maybe higher.

    22. Re: Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No go on! go on!

      I can see his closet iphone fanboi slaughtering him from the inside with the non removable battery!

      Just a bit more and this numb ass is no more!

    23. Re: Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it isn't good. Nobody is forcing you. I guess haters gonna hate...

    24. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      I prefer a replaceable battery. I use over-the-ear headphones with a replaceable battery. But it sucks in some ways. The headphones themselves have no charging port so I have to change the battery every time it goes dead. After some time the plastic cover stops fitting so snugly. Then I finally lost the plastic cover. Now the battery is exposed. Then the spring that holds the battery became less rigid and I started losing batteries. Now I don't use t.he noise-cancelling feature. Time for a new set. It would be better if the battery could charge via USB or lightning but such a thing doesn't exist.

    25. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by edtice1559 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Lenovo has a great solution in some of their laptops. One soldered-on battery and one replaceable battery. That way if the replaceable battery comes loose, your laptop doesn't suddenly shut down. You can switch to a spare battery without rebooting. If the soldered-on battery eventually does you can still use the laptop as if it weren't present. This is a great solution.

    26. Re: Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're right, his opinion doesn't mean shit about whether it's good or bad. But having a non-removable battery is objectively bad for the consumer, and if you can't see that you're an idiot. Where the subjectivity comes in is deciding whether or not the trade offs of having a removable battery are worth it. That's a personal decision, and one may decide that the 0.5 grams of weight saved is worth paying $50 to replace a 70 cent battery.

    27. Re: Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You fuckwit, he's obviously talking about the battery permanently dying, as in no longer chemically able to hold a useful charge; not just going flat and needing a recharge.

      If you're happy to always carry around a portable usb charger permanently tethered to your phone, because its own battery won't charge anymore, then that's fine but you should know the vast majority of people aren't fucking retards and would rather just replace the phone's internal battery.

    28. Re: Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It sounds like your complaint is about possible drawbacks from one design method of having a removable battery, not the removable battery itself. If Apple were truly the brave, innovative company its fans praised it for, they'd design a phone with a removable battery that didn't have those particular drawbacks.

      Sounds to me like they're sacrificing a significant benefit for, at best, "because it looks good", or just as likely, because a non-user serviceable device makes them more money. Neither sound like good reasons to take away a financially and environmentally healthier feature.

      But I mean, if you cared about saving money or the environment over aesthetics and social status, you wouldn't be buying an iPhone in the first place so...

    29. Re: Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whoa... Stupidity like yours is... Impressive.

    30. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Waccoon · · Score: 1

      2mm is generous if you use proper, high-strength materials instead of cheap plastic. Just check it out on a ruler. For that kinds of thickness, you could get a replaceable battery and more capacity to boot.

    31. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Personally, I think the spare battery and a USB battery pack serves different functions. The battery pack is for regular, daily use, whereas the spare battery is for emergency back up.

      If I'm out on leisure / long commute and play games/watching videos a lot, I prefer to just keep my phone charged with the battery pack. It saves the trouble of having to shut down and restart the phone / fussing with replacing the battery while out on the street etc.

      However, if I'm out busy for a long time, or if something unexpected happens and I need to go longer between having access to a power supply, nothing beats the peace of mind that comes with having a fully charged spare battery you can just switch in at any time. Anecdotal example was when when a flood happened and I couldn't go home for a day - need the phone to check up on my family, but wouldn't want to wade around with my phone tethered to a usb battery pack. Or more commonly, when I am out hiking using my phone as camera (and poor network reception also drains the battery much faster), switching the battery is easier than using the battery pack.

    32. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Aesthetic choice?

      I've *never* seen an iPod that wasn't engulfed in a military-style case (cuz they made it really thin).

    33. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And not rechargeable. That sounds like a very expensive option... It is a horrible idea for hearing aids too...

    34. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The trick is that it isn't an advantage. But it also isn't a disadvantage, since it is unlikely to need to be replaced during the time they own the device.

      I used to be an android guy. I said I would never buy an iPhone because it didn't have a removable battery and you couldn't add on memory. When I went to move from a Samsung Galaxy S3 to an S6 I realized that their phone didn't have those abilities either. Said screw it and when iPhone. Now I realize it isn't as much of a deal as I thought it would be. Of course I did go with the 6Plus which has a lot better battery life than the 6 or my old Galaxy S3 for that matter. I also got the 128GB one so I didn't need to worry about removable storage... Ymmv.

    35. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There are nice things about the Apple stuff. The mac books are good laptops. There is relative ease in moving and syncing data between computer and phone.

      I wish I could see the good things but I can't. I received an iPhone from work about two month ago. It becomes more and more annoying the more I use it. My three latest issues:

      1) The volume buttons are confusing to me. Ringer, alerts, volume and then those same options under headphones. But you can't individually see all your volume settings. The volume controls only change one of those options and you have to go to Settings to switch it between two of those six options. The other options are based on what state you're in when you press the volume buttons and sometimes that state lags a bit. If you switch apps and immediately change the volume you end up changing it for the previous state and not your current state. There have been a few times when I missed things because I thought my alarm volume was maxed out but was actually silent and times when I missed calls because I thought that volume was turned up but wasn't. In addition, the silent switch doesn't display a UI element when toggled so there's no way to check if your volume is off without peeling back part of the protective case to look at it. I've missed things because of that too.

      2) You have to pay more money if you want to have a vibrate-only alert set. The iPhone is incapable of not also playing a sound when something happens. You have to buy a 3rd party silent ringtone and configure your alert to use that.

      3) Data transfers are a nightmare. I don't know what you're talking about in regards to easy syncing. I wanted to copy some training videos to my phone for a long bus trip. Couldn't do a bluetooth file transfer without first needing to jailbreak it. I don't own the phone so I'm not going to do that. Next option, use ftp/sftp. I tried every free FTP related app. None of them worked. (The app store is full of bullshit apps, but Android has that problem too). Next option, download them. Oh but Safari doesn't let you save files. Installed Firefox, still can't save files. Searched the app store and installed a browser specifically designed to download media content. Apparently you need file-specific browsers to download specific file types. There are browsers for downloading PDFs, browsers for downloading videos, etc... There aren't any browsers that let you download general things for offline use. To sum up I had to setup a web server and install a specific browser in order to transfer some videos to the phone for offline viewing. Every other phone I've owned over the past 15 years only needed to be connected to a PC through a USB cable and you could transfer files manually.

      If you have solutions to those issues without requiring iTunes then please enlighten me. I currently will never recommend any Apple product to anyone.

    36. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

      Between the iphone and macs or between macs and macs in my household we use airdrop, which is pretty easy.
      Between my mac and other systems I use scp on the command line.

      I agree about the volume buttons. It took a while to master them.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    37. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Non-replaceable batteries add to the problem of electronics ending up in landfills.

    38. Re: Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Use VLC (free) and ITunes to load any format video or music files there.

    39. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by FrankHaynes · · Score: 1

      I don't give a shit about this kind of shit. I want this stuff stopped! I could not sleep last night cause my phone kept ringin all night long. And I'm very pissed off and I'm very pisturbed!

      --
      slashdot: A failed experiment.
    40. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      however I wonder what % of iPhone users keep their phone long enough for that to be an issue and even then they can still replace the battery via an authorized service center.

      One of the oft-touted benefits of an iPhone is that you get long term support with software updates etc.

      Lithium polymer batteries are typically good for around 500 charge cycles. If you did a full charge every day you are looking at 18 months, more likely 24 months if you are a heavy user.

      USB batteries are my preferred option, not that I really need it because my Android phone gets about 3 days with moderate usage (web browsing, email, chat, I don't play games). But say you do need one, it would be really helpful if Apple had USB-C.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    41. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Every time I ask Apple users about the non-replaceable batteries, their reply is **always** -- (ie. without fail) "you just don't get it", without **ever** being able to articulate exactly what I don't "get". I don't see how not being able to replace a battery is an advantage. Yes, I "get" that you can make the device smaller (and thus lighter), but only marginally so, and at the expense of functionality and serviceability. The non-removable battery is not any type of advantage to me.

      Apple and iPhone user here. I don't give a shit about non-replaceable batteries. I don't give a shit about airpods or headphone jacks either. And I really don't give a shit about the people who go insane about them, don't care. So if a replaceable battery in all of your stuff is mandatory for you, get that and be happy you have it, and happy you showed those hipster Apple users the error of their ways.

      The only thing you've demonstrated in your rant here is that you don't give a shit about the concept of choice.

      Thanks to that attitude, the rest of the damn industry will now be following the obscenely profitable Apple model of take-it-and-like-it hardware design, with nothing but proprietary connections and zero upgrade capability across every device.

      Had consumers not turned into mindless lemmings, we might still have common sense hardware designs like replaceable batteries that offer more than a $700 paperweight that prematurely ends up in a landfill.

      Don't assume this will stop with electronics either. At this fucking rate, your next car will come complete with non-removable tires. Enjoy the reaming from the capitalistic dick of greed, all because consumers don't give a shit.

    42. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by MitchDev · · Score: 1

      "Seriously, this whole "find bullshit reasons to justify a bad design" thing seems to be honed to a fine art among Apple apologists."

      It's only a "bad design" for the consumer. For Apple it's just another way of raping their fans, who love being raped repeatedly by Apple....

    43. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Attila+Dimedici · · Score: 1

      That is an interesting theory. However, there is one problem with it. The iphone 6 battery is essentially the same as that for every other cellphone I have ever seen. Oh, it is a different form factor, but it appears to be covered in the same material as those batteries.

      --
      The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison
    44. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'll make you a gentleman's bet that if the next Mac book had a removable battery, Apple would advertise it as feature (as loudly as possible), ***everyone*** in the audience at the Apple Dev. Conference would all clap in unison

      Not so sure about that. Apple Mac Books **did** have removable batteries up until 2009 or so, so it's not a new feature worth clapping about. Non-user-removable batteries are a huge revenue generator for Apple. Because once the battery goes bad (and that happens often because Li-On batteries suck) you have to pay Apple $ to have the battery replaced or $$$$ to buy a new Mac Book. Tired of this nickel and diming.

    45. Re: Hearing Aid Batteries by BlytheBowman · · Score: 1

      Many phones won't even work or turn on with a dead internal battery even with charger or external battery connected, so there is no guarantee this would work

    46. Re: Hearing Aid Batteries by fferreres · · Score: 1

      Amen. And by the way they would not just be better products, they would actually get more miney from me. The reason I no longer buy any music, and iCoukd storage, any radio and any movies (and any Airpods) is that I don't like being cattled around like I was some farm animal. Yet, I still have many many apps, an Apple laptop, 3 iphones and 2 iPads. Android is crossing my mind with offers like Pixel, but I am hanging out just a little longer. I really despice using dongles and I think they are extremely unflattering to the user. Even the watch makes prople look "funny" in not the right way. I don't care about the cost much, but I am not cattle and I don't like unflattering products.

      --
      unfinished: (adj.)
    47. Re: Hearing Aid Batteries by fferreres · · Score: 1

      I don't care that much gor easily replaceable batteries. What I do care about is the lack of choice for a larger battery that eould make my phone last a full day.

      --
      unfinished: (adj.)
    48. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by GrumpySteen · · Score: 1

      Lenovo has a great solution in some of their laptops. One soldered-on battery and one replaceable battery. That way if the replaceable battery comes loose, your laptop doesn't suddenly shut down.

      If you're banging your laptop around so much that the the battery coming loose is a problem, you might want to cut back on the caffeine.

    49. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by jittles · · Score: 1

      Every time I ask Apple users about the non-replaceable batteries, their reply is **always** -- (ie. without fail) "you just don't get it", without **ever** being able to articulate exactly what I don't "get". I don't see how not being able to replace a battery is an advantage. Yes, I "get" that you can make the device smaller (and thus lighter), but only marginally so, and at the expense of functionality and serviceability. The non-removable battery is not any type of advantage to me.

      I will say that Apple replaced the battery in my mid-2011 MacBook Pro for free when I took it in to have the motherboard replaced under that video card recall. The machine was 5 years old at that point and the battery was basically useless. So at least Apple isn't stingy with the batteries!

    50. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by torkus · · Score: 1

      There's a real tradeoff to making the back of a phone fingernail removable. Without that, you can design to much more exact tolerances, waterproofing is much simpler, and bonding materials together gives much more strength than a snap-on cover so you have to reinforce internally which...takes up space.

      I'm not saying replaceable batteries are a bad thing though. Oddly enough, they're more necessary for phones than laptops it seems. My laptop (excluding my work one with 87 different security programs and scans going on) can easily go a day of work/surfing/etc on a fully charged battery. My phone OTOH is more than half dead after a hour or two of simple games.

      I've gotten used to keeping a battery or charger handy for my phone. Given that I already carry the extra size and weight around...I'd much rather they just make the phone a little bigger and increase the battery. Plenty of others feel the same way, but a certain subset of hysterically loud diehard fans look for every .005mm of extra thinness. *sigh*

      --
      You can get rich if you own a politician, but you have to be rich to buy one in the first place.
    51. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But....it is a $15 problem. Go to amazon and order a new battery and put it in if you're dealing with a totally dead battery.

    52. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is comment of the year. Thank you. Christ people like to bitch about senseless shit all the time.

    53. Re: Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      equipping my galaxy devices with triple x batteries is the greatest thing ever. a week of normal useage, two days of extreme useage. I have a 12W solar panel which under most conditions will charge the thing faster than I use it. I haven't run out of battery on a mobile in 3? years. It put me on the smart phone bandwagon. maps, music, gps logging, remote desktop, tethering. it enables me to touch many remote systems at any time for any duration without ever concerning myself with battery. The only time it is necessary to use the original battery is for power lifting, stationary cycling, and swimming. Because I need something smaller, lighter, and (can fit in my waterproof case). So I do swap out at the gym. I've been thinking of resurrecting my gs3 to use as a gym-only device.

    54. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Every time I ask Apple users about the non-replaceable batteries, their reply is **always** -- (ie. without fail) "you just don't get it", without **ever** being able to articulate exactly what I don't "get". I don't see how not being able to replace a battery is an advantage. Yes, I "get" that you can make the device smaller (and thus lighter), but only marginally so, and at the expense of functionality and serviceability. The non-removable battery is not any type of advantage to me.

      Apple and iPhone user here. I don't give a shit about non-replaceable batteries. I don't give a shit about airpods or headphone jacks either. And I really don't give a shit about the people who go insane about them, don't care. So if a replaceable battery in all of your stuff is mandatory for you, get that and be happy you have it, and happy you showed those hipster Apple users the error of their ways.

      You really shouldn't take pride in your idiocy and be short sighted. The most likely thing in your $700 phone that will break is a $15 battery. It will, with 100% certainty, stop working in a couple of years at best. Or it could be replaceable. Phones have really stopped advancing. A phone from 2 years ago is pretty much the same a phone today and the next gen phones are looking like even less of an upgrade. Planned obsolescence needs to be stopped and if you're too stupid to even understand what that means and why it's bad then just shut the fuck up and let the adults handle things.

    55. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your post wreaks of an 15 year old that thinks his opinion and style is the only one in the universe that possibly matters.

      Says the fuckwit that constantly abuses others just because he can't handle them having a differing opinion. Have you read any of your recent posts lately??

      Clearly you're too fragile to handle the fact the parent post got +5 Insightful and yours got -1 for its content that exposes the fuckwith you are.

      Perhaps it's time you quit having that incestuous relationship with your mommy and move out of her bedroom.

    56. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by chispito · · Score: 1

      however I wonder what % of iPhone users keep their phone long enough for that to be an issue and even then they can still replace the battery via an authorized service center.

      That's the whole point. Make it more difficult to maintain old phones so people buy new phones.

      --
      The Daddy casts sleep on the Baby. The Baby resists!
    57. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by fincher69 · · Score: 1
      The only advantage that I've heard that makes sense is the protection from crappy/cheap replacements. Given the hazards we've seen just from cheap aftermarket usb-c cables, it is pretty conceivable that a shoddy battery could have catastrophic results.

      Imagine the S7 fiasco, but because of a wave of popular knock-off batteries. Technically, Samsung wouldn't have done anything wrong, because the batteries are at fault, but Samsung's name would be the one most smeared in the sensational news stories about the exploding phones.

    58. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      When an iPhone's battery dies for the last time for the vast majority of users, it is a paperweight.

      That would be a real concern if the iPhone battery has a history of dying for the last time. It doesn't. There's ancient phones still in circulation working just fine, and those that did die were bent, cracked, broken, dropped into a pond, etc.

      No one gives a shit about the removable battery. The sales figures have made that incredibly clear.

    59. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      You really shouldn't take pride in your idiocy and be short sighted. The most likely thing in your $700 phone that will break is a $15 battery. It will, with 100% certainty, stop working in a couple of years at best. Or it could be replaceable. Phones have really stopped advancing. A phone from 2 years ago is pretty much the same a phone today and the next gen phones are looking like even less of an upgrade. Planned obsolescence needs to be stopped and if you're too stupid to even understand what that means and why it's bad then just shut the fuck up and let the adults handle things.

      I had an iPhone 5 shortly after they came out. the battery was fine up until the day I traded it on an iPhone 7. Your statement is obviously not the truth for all cases.

      And there is nothing more amusing than to read your vitriolic post, your rather weird obsessions about electronic gadgets, , and then you declare yourself as the adult in this matter, I fear I had to chuckle a little, and I feel badly about that. Sorry, but you are not even remotely mature, and your choice to froth at the mouth about a Smartphone is akin to something that a junior high student with suchy low self esteem that he would try to declare his superiority based on his preference in a collection of electronic and chemical parts such as a smartphone. Funny? perhaps more sad.

      Life is hard - its even harder when you choose stupid things to get worked up about. Chillaxe bro, if you like your replaceable battery, then like it. Take it out every once in a while and look at it, hold it in your hands, and think "This is a good thing."

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    60. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      Couldn't you just use a cup and string and be just as happy, though?

      Nah, a cup and string doesn't have a headphone jack - so that's a deal breaker.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    61. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      The only thing you've demonstrated in your rant here is that you don't give a shit about the concept of choice.

      I'm sorry if that appeared as a rant to you. I was just trying to tell AC why I don't give a shit, and that at least one perosn isn't telling him "you don't get it". I have no particular involvement other than trying to help people understand.

      Thanks to that attitude, the rest of the damn industry will now be following the obscenely profitable Apple model of take-it-and-like-it hardware design, with nothing but proprietary connections and zero upgrade capability across every device.

      Well, I don't actually give a shit. I don't think profits are necessarily obscene either.

      Had consumers not turned into mindless lemmings, we might still have common sense hardware designs like replaceable batteries that offer more than a $700 paperweight that prematurely ends up in a landfill.

      I dunno, seems my iPhone 5 is keeping someone else happy now, at least if I wasn't lied to by the guy at Verizon. By the way, there is a weird disconnect between your idea that Apple is giving the stupid consumers no choice, but then demand that something you like is forced upon them. That's kinda wanting it both ways. You just want to force your idea of what is right upon people. And by the way - A battery in an iPhone is replaceable. Takes a little more effort, but the concept that they are not replaceable is wrong.

      Don't assume this will stop with electronics either. At this fucking rate, your next car will come complete with non-removable tires. Enjoy the reaming from the capitalistic dick of greed, all because consumers don't give a shit.

      Oh godness gracious! You accuse me of ranting and you finish up with this tidbit? Chillaxe, my good man.

      If replaceable batteries and legacy headphone jacks are deal breakers, you have to determine why. I doubt it is stupidiy of the user. Having an iPhone 7, I can plug the corded headphones right into the phone. If for some reason I wanted to use the 10 dollar headphones that so many people mention as a wonderful reason to stick with an amdriod phone, I can plug them into the adapter, and plug that into the phone. This is where the "I don't give a shit" comes in. Either of those actions is ridiculously simple. Easier than typing out a sentence. The replacement battery? If you take care of your phone and battery, it shouldn't matter. When I traded in my Iphone 5, the battery was still working well. I needed no replacement battery.

      So if the replaceable battery is a deabreaker then get a phone with one, and be happy. If the lack of a legacy headphone jack and the inconvenience of plugging the suppled headset into the thing or using the supplied adapter into the phone leaves you cold, then you need a phone with both a replaceable battery and a legacy phone jack.

      But you shouldn't proclaim that everyone else is stupid because they don't subscribe to your pronouncements of how things should be. Seems like with a replaceable battery you should be able to keep your phone going forever, so no need to impose your will on everyone else who doesn't share it.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    62. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      The point of a replaceable battery is that you may sometimes replace it. There are really two meanings of replaceable batteries. It could be a time-consuming operation designed for only when the battery no longer holds sufficient charge. Or it could be a process where the batteries can be replaced regularly. Most laptop batteries are in the latter category. You can carry a spare and, when the battery is depleted, simply insert the new battery. If you actually do this, though, eventually things will get loose. Plus in the Lenovo laptop case it meant you could switch to a new replaceable battery without shutting down.

    63. Re: Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Quoting Taylor Swift - very clever

    64. Re: Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Plus. Not many people want to replace their batteries. I mean before smartphones It was very rare that people bought extra batteries.
      I do understand that this does not apply to the people frequenting this website. But I suppose you understand that we are a select few.

    65. Re: Hearing Aid Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Eeeeerrrr...This is not Apple support. Why not call them?

      Oh, I haven't heard of many phones since the 90s that does not include a special software to move things between phone and computer. Just use iTunes.
      But there are other ways as well. Dropbox comes to mind.

    66. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries by abmw · · Score: 1

      Hallelujah !!!!!

    67. Re: Hearing Aid Batteries by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      That is spelled iDiot...get it right.

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
  2. Such exciting news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Such exciting news
    Is the news that one pod costs less than half two?
    Boring.

    1. Re:Such exciting news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I mean, that seems pretty reasonable given that along with the two, you get the battery case/charger.

    2. Re: Such exciting news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      the battery base seems to be upmarked by 1000% of it's production costs.

  3. That seems fair, doesn't it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    That seems about right. It seems like the replacement is priced at 43% of the original package. For comparison, the Dash from Bragi ( https://www.bragi.com/ ) are $299 for the pair, but a single replacement is $129, or ... 43% as well.

    1. Re:That seems fair, doesn't it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Almost.
      It's $69 for each of the three parts, the two ear pieces and the charger.

    2. Re: That seems fair, doesn't it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm selling a piece of string and some tape for $19.99.

    3. Re: That seems fair, doesn't it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      fair but not cheap.

      and it's cheaper to buy a set if you pool with someone who needs the other parts, so really no benefit to being an existing customer.

  4. One word... by djbckr · · Score: 4, Funny

    To people who buy these, I have one word: Courage.

    1. Re:One word... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have a better word: Idiot.

    2. Re:One word... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Courageous Tim Cock suckers.

    3. Re:One word... by hambone142 · · Score: 1

      Addicts.

      People will buy Apple crap solely about the name.

      My sister bought an Apple laptop because "the Windows one got viruses". Here daughters would click on anything.

      My Bro in law bought an Apple tablet. Now he's reduced himself to 2 or three word replies to messages because he can't type on it but he always buys the latest one.

    4. Re:One word... by hyades1 · · Score: 2

      I was going to say "twat", but yeah, OK...I can accept "idiot".

      --
      I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    5. Re:One word... by rtb61 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Of course thanks to M$ and Windows anal probe 10, people can now say they bought Apple because they like their privacy and they would be fucking right. So how much extra are you willing to spend to get your privacy in the consumer market. In the business market and the power user market you can go the Linux distribution of your choice and the only what that is likely to be hacked is as a dual boot with a Windows 10 update by M$.

      So yeah, Apple can now claim "we sell you privacy, we do not sell your privacy", whilst M$ can claim bend over shut the fuck up and try to keep us out and we will fuck you over at the next compulsory update anyhow (having already twice over ridden privacy settings and even with the highest settings you still get ads and still send private data that you do not get to see).

      So for the consumer market, Apple is the sound choice over windows, for the business market any Linux distribution is the sound choice over windows and for the phone market either Apple or particular Android manufacturers (definitely not all of them and keep an extremely watchful eye over Google), is the sound choice over windows.

      Pretty much choosing M$ is now just the ill informed gullible, please, install mine with a vibrator choice. The choices are just getting trickier and trickier and it will take legislation to clean it up.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    6. Re:One word... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      My Bro in law bought an Apple tablet. Now he's reduced himself to 2 or three word replies to messages because he ..

      Can't be bothered to reply to you?

    7. Re:One word... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      To people who don't buy these, I have one word: Moron.

      Fixed that for you.

    8. Re:One word... by Jeremi · · Score: 3, Interesting

      My sister bought an Apple laptop because "the Windows one got viruses". Here daughters would click on anything.

      So, has the Apple laptop got viruses yet?

      --


      I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
    9. Re:One word... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sure is a sound choice if you like spending a lot of extra money, or dealing with a company that colludes to increase prices of products for everyone, or intentionally designs their products to be as expensive as possible to fix. Also, I hope you don't smoke or you'll void your warranty.

      Apple is just as shitty and shady as MS and if you think any differently you're pretty goddamned ill-informed and gullible.

    10. Re:One word... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apple, you keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

      I think the word you meant to use was "greed." As in the decision to remove the headphone jack from the iPhone was greedy.

  5. New product opportunities by Fire_Wraith · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's why I'll be offering a special device called an AirPods retention strap. It consists of a small cord connected to the end of each AirPod, that you tie to the device. It's so genius, and so obvious, I don't know why anyone never thought of doing that before.

    1. Re:New product opportunities by forty-2 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      What if you could use this same cord to charge the batteries in those wireless headphones?

      --
      never drink kool-aid from a big vat
    2. Re:New product opportunities by Arkh89 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You'd better patent that one fast... or let Apple do it for you...

    3. Re:New product opportunities by ArylAkamov · · Score: 2

      Nearly word for word what my coworker said to me yesterday when I lost my $10 bluetooth earbud.

    4. Re:New product opportunities by msauve · · Score: 5, Informative

      " I don't know why anyone never thought of doing that before."

      Get your $10 string, right here.

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    5. Re:New product opportunities by Kernel+Kurtz · · Score: 1

      Some people do a similar thing with mittens for kids. Tie them together with a string run through the coat sleeves.

      I think these Airpods will actually need something like that if they are not to become like pennies or contact lenses.

    6. Re:New product opportunities by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

      It's too obvious. You need to add a twist, like using the wires to send the audio as a backup for when the batteries run out.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    7. Re:New product opportunities by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Also use it as antenna to improve reception. So many ingenious applications for that cord. Can't wait.

    8. Re:New product opportunities by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      http://promo.spigen.com/product/iphone-7-iphone-7-plus-airpods-strap-copy/

    9. Re:New product opportunities by Freischutz · · Score: 2

      That's why I'll be offering a special device called an AirPods retention strap. It consists of a small cord connected to the end of each AirPod, that you tie to the device. It's so genius, and so obvious, I don't know why anyone never thought of doing that before.

      You'd better patent that one fast... or let Apple do it for you...

      Too slow: https://www.amazon.com/Spigen-...

    10. Re:New product opportunities by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I went straight to the review section, and was not disappointed.

    11. Re:New product opportunities by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      I actually spewed coffee when I read "PATENT PENDING". Fucking hilarious.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    12. Re:New product opportunities by dj245 · · Score: 1

      That's why I'll be offering a special device called an AirPods retention strap. It consists of a small cord connected to the end of each AirPod, that you tie to the device. It's so genius, and so obvious, I don't know why anyone never thought of doing that before.

      You jest, but it is probably going to happen as a way to deflect liability for broken devices. My hearing aid has the potential to be bumped off and it has an small strap with an aligator clip. I have never used it (nor heard of anyone who does) but the description in the manual indicates that it is clearly a liability dodge.

      --
      Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history.
  6. Shock and awe by ColdWetDog · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Amazing. Manufacturer doesn't replace lost objects, has one year warranty*.

    Shocked. Just shocked at this shameless corporate behavior.

    * possibly longer in more civilized regions of the world

    --
    Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    1. Re:Shock and awe by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 4, Interesting

      The summary mentions AppleCare+, but that program has never covered loss - plus it's specific to iPhones.

      Regular AppleCare - the program which is offered for most other Apple products - has never covered physical damage. It's the same sort of extended warranty most electronics companies offer (assuming they offer extended warranties at all). Heck, the warranty on my Sennheiser headphones won't fix them for free if I run over them with a car.

      --
      #DeleteChrome
    2. Re:Shock and awe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      To Generation Snowflake, there are no objective facts and they are owed everything they want.

    3. Re:Shock and awe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Isn't it funny how every generation that condemns the one following it forgets that they're the ones who raised it?

    4. Re:Shock and awe by mysidia · · Score: 1

      The amazing thing is the manufacturer charges $150 for a crappy pair of wireless headphones
      replacing formerly perfectly serviceable wired earbuds to
      solve a problem they created.

    5. Re:Shock and awe by ColdWetDog · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Actually Sennheiser is pretty good. Snapped the band on a three year old set of 380's. They fixed it for free. Now, if you ran over it, I suspect they would take a somewhat different view of the problem.

      But that is one of the differences between a high end product and the great morass of stuff. Aftermarket service. Of course, how important that is depends on the initial price and propensity to break, YMMV, expensive doesn't always give you good value.

      But sometimes it's worth it.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    6. Re:Shock and awe by DesertNomad · · Score: 1

      If the AirPod drops on the ground, it might get cooties. I wonder if that's covered as well. I sure wouldn't want to put that back in my ear.

    7. Re:Shock and awe by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Me I'm more interested at the thought that a manufacturer would sell such a small object that can easily fall out, and gets removed an inserted constantly.

      I think Apple should sell a tether for them. Like a small cords that connects to each ear bud. With a small design change you could connect them to the phone so they always start together and if they fall out they don't disappear down a drain or through a grate.

    8. Re:Shock and awe by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      What upsets people is that they are selling a very, very expensive set of earbuds that seem to be carefully designed to get lost. They are so small you could easily lose one down a drain or into some crevice just by dropping it. I look at those things and just know I couldn't avoid losing one if I was using them regularly. Best of all, they removed the headphone jack so you don't even have a choice of using wired headphones without an expensive dongle chain, which is also easy to lose.

      It wouldn't be so bad if they were $10 throw-away items, but they are $80 each.

      From the perspective of someone thinking about what phone to get, if I used headphones at all I'd avoid the iPhone 7 like the plague. Apple has always been trying to turn you into a cash cow, locked into their ecosystem, but this is a new level of anti-consumer abuse.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    9. Re:Shock and awe by flux · · Score: 1

      I'm not at all sure why people should be upset about the small size and the related loseability, because isn't the whole point of these to be small?!

      If they don't like them, perhaps they can opt not to buy them, or possibly buy from the competition. Oh, but they are not as small, and not white, don't start with an "i", we don't like them.. ;-)

      And there certainly are other headsets with Bluetooth, have been for years. I've used to use one from Sony a few years ago and I'm currently using Phiaton BT 220 NC.

  7. $159 by 110010001000 · · Score: 5, Funny

    $159 for headphones? How stupid are people? Oh wait...

    1. Re:$159 by Virtucon · · Score: 1

      Priced Bose lately?

      --
      Harrison's Postulate - "For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism"
    2. Re: $159 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I bought some nice jvc ones not long ago, they were $8.00

    3. Re:$159 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bose? Ewwww.
      My Sennheiser HD600 were $450 a decade ago but I somehow doubt these shitty bluetooth buds can be anywhere near the quality.

    4. Re:$159 by DogDude · · Score: 1

      $159 for headphones? How stupid are people? Oh wait...

      Trump.

      --
      I don't respond to AC's.
    5. Re:$159 by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

      Priced Bose lately?

      It think my Bose noise cancelling headphones cost $350. I've used them pretty much every day for over a decade. I've replaced the batteries and the pads when they wore out. They still work great and were certainly cheaper in the long run than the continuous re-buying of cheap earbuds that I observe other family members doing as they break or get lost.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    6. Re:$159 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, no. It's spelled "Tim Cuck".

    7. Re:$159 by hambone142 · · Score: 1

      No.

      Russians made them do it.

    8. Re:$159 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      these are people who bought iphones, probably iphone7s. Money isn't the highest priority

    9. Re:$159 by Lord+Apathy · · Score: 1

      Would snowflakes give it a rest. This article doesn't have anything to do with Turmp, the election or anything but Apple earbuds.

      --

      Supporting World Peace Through Nuclear Pacification

    10. Re: $159 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You paid a lot for them so likely have to pay a lot of attention to protecting them. People with $30 'phones just relax and enjoy the music.

    11. Re:$159 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      See now you hit on something no one else has mentioned that i've seen... "and the pads when they wore out."

      I got a cheapshit pair of Apple headphones with my Shuffle. NOT in-ear earbuds. Hard plastic things that made my ears hurt so bad after 30 minutes, I literally threw them away.

      And these Airpods look no different. Hard plastic shells, no noise cancellation, not soft rubber insert to keep them securely and comfortably in your ear.

      Hard plastic.

      Uncomfortable for extended wear.

      Yet fanbois will try to convince me the weeping is sheer joy at the superior bluetooth stereo quality I'm sure, as blood trickles down their necks.

    12. Re:$159 by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      I don't think I've ever used headphones that cheap.

      Now earbuds on the other hand, who would spend that money on apple earbuds.

    13. Re:$159 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      $159 for headphones? How stupid are people? Oh wait...

      I know that's supposed to be a joke but seriously though. People lampoon Apple users for allegedly queuing up to buy a $159 set of earplugs even if I'm not quite sure where that idea came from, most Apple users I know are planning to buy nothing more expensive than a $50 Bluetooth set on Amazon. Then these same people turn around and buy an smartphone of some description for $6-800 or more. To put that into perspective you can get a perfectly decent laptop for that price and for another $400 or so you can get a brand new ultra compact laptop like a Lenovo Yoga, Ultra Book or a 12in Macbook. Seems to me that anybody buying a smartphone these days is being screwed over no matter what they buy.

    14. Re:$159 by cdrudge · · Score: 1

      They still work great and were certainly cheaper in the long run than the continuous re-buying of cheap earbuds that I observe other family members doing as they break or get lost.

      That's an invalid comparison. How many expensive headphones have you observed other family members going though? How many cheap earbuds have you lost?

      There's zero chance I'd trust my teens to care for a $350 pair of headphones. I buy them $3 shitty earbuds from Walmart. Yeah, they'll break usually in a few months from abuse. Say I get 2 months out of them, that's $3 * 6 per year * 10 years = $180. I'm still saving 1/2 what your $350 cost. No, they don't sound as good as your $350 headphones. My 13 year old don't know that, and they're happy they have headphones.

      Personally, I've had my current office earbuds for about 5 years. they're more than good enough for me and I think they cost all of $15.

    15. Re:$159 by The-Ixian · · Score: 1

      I guess what they are saying is that if you lose an ear bud, you can get a replacement for $10 less than what it would be new...

      So... basically, they have a SKU for one ear bud....

      --
      My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
    16. Re:$159 by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

      >That's an invalid comparison. How many expensive headphones have you observed other family members going though?
      0 - My wife also has the same set of headphone and they still work fine.

      >How many cheap earbuds have you lost?
      0 - I don't use them.

      But my daughter ends up buying 2-3 sets of cheap ear buds a year.

      >There's zero chance I'd trust my teens to care for a $350 pair of headphones. I buy them $3 shitty earbuds from Walmart. Yeah, they'll break usually in a few months from abuse. Say I get 2 months out of them, that's $3 * 6 per year * 10 years = $180. I'm still saving 1/2 what your $350 cost. No, they don't sound as good as your $350 headphones. My 13 year old don't know that, and they're happy they have headphones.

      The last set my daughter got was $10. She has been through some Apple earbuds which cost a lot more. My Bose keep plugging along, but I need to spend about $50 on a new battery every 5 years. If she were to get a job with a lot of travel (like I do with my job) I would get her a set. My Bose have been around the world many times.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    17. Re:$159 by DogDude · · Score: 1

      Seems like you're a bit slow, so I'll explain. It's hard to believe that people are so stupid to pay $159 for headphones. It's hard to believe that people are so stupid as to vote for Trump. There's a parallel.

      --
      I don't respond to AC's.
    18. Re:$159 by Lord+Apathy · · Score: 1

      There is no parallel and you're just an idiot. You wonder why you democrats lost. "Basket of deplorables?" Remember that comment? I didn't even vote for Trump and I was insulted by that comment. For the past 2 months I've watched democrats, the supposed enlightened party, insult everyone that didn't agree with them. That is why you are being called crybabies and snow flakes. An here is something else to think about, in 4 years people are going to remember that so every snide comment, every insult might just come back to haunt you in that time.

      An no people that voted for Trump are not stupid ether. I bet most of them are smarter than you.

      --

      Supporting World Peace Through Nuclear Pacification

    19. Re:$159 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      An no people that voted for Trump are not stupid ether. I bet most of them are smarter than you.

      Oh, OK. Sure. Go fuck yourself.

    20. Re:$159 by Lord+Apathy · · Score: 1

      I wonder why I bother with AC. Have they ever had anything important to contribute a conversation?

      --

      Supporting World Peace Through Nuclear Pacification

  8. Seems reasonable by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Not sure what the problem is - if I lost something, I wouldn't expect it to be covered by replacement warranty either.

  9. If you want Apple, you are going to pay by bobbied · · Score: 4, Funny

    Apple is and always has been expensive for what you get. They make healthy profits by doing this. They are not going to change the business model just because folks complain. Now if they don't sell, THEN expect them to change the price, but I have a feeling they will sell like hotcakes like most of what Apple introduces. They have a knack for that kind of thing.

    So, if you want those new fangled ear pods and get rid of that pesky cord, be prepared to pay Apple what they ask. I mean that cell phone you got was nearly $1K anyway, so what's a few hundred more? If you cannot afford this, then may I suggest you stick with that 6S and the live with the cord...

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    1. Re:If you want Apple, you are going to pay by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 0

      Apple is and always has been expensive for what you get. They make healthy profits by doing this. They are not going to change the business model just because folks complain. Now if they don't sell, THEN expect them to change the price, but I have a feeling they will sell like hotcakes like most of what Apple introduces. They have a knack for that kind of thing.

      So, if you want those new fangled ear pods and get rid of that pesky cord, be prepared to pay Apple what they ask. I mean that cell phone you got was nearly $1K anyway, so what's a few hundred more? If you cannot afford this, then may I suggest you stick with that 6S and the live with the cord...

      Meh, it's really hard to plug a wired headset into the adapter. You know, plugging one thing in is perfectly fine, in fact, apparently the most superior method of ever connecting headsets is a 1/8th einch jack. but two? a deal breaker. Unforgivable.

      Meanwhile, I either use a bluetooth headset, or if I am serious, I have a professional studio headset with a 1/4 inch plug that requires - get this - an adapter to plug into the phone. the same as it would a proper Andriod phone.

      If such things are simply not acceptable, people have to consider that their hatred for Apple goes waaaay beyond the rational.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    2. Re:If you want Apple, you are going to pay by hambone142 · · Score: 1

      People that spend too much on Apple products are similar to folks that spend lots of money on expensive purses.

    3. Re:If you want Apple, you are going to pay by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      People that spend too much on Apple products are similar to folks that spend lots of money on expensive purses.

      Not one of the several people I know who own Apple products chose them because of a fashion statement. Not one,

    4. Re:If you want Apple, you are going to pay by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      In a few years the 7 will be the cheap model, and they won't offer anything with a headphone socket.

      You might as well buy a better spec Android phone for 1/4th the price today, rather than throw more money into their hostile ecosystem.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    5. Re:If you want Apple, you are going to pay by bobbied · · Score: 1

      Maybe not a fashion statement.. But I know people who have them because they feel they are "cool" and love to have the latest gadgetry.. It's kind of the same thing.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    6. Re:If you want Apple, you are going to pay by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      Maybe not a fashion statement.. But I know people who have them because they feel they are "cool" and love to have the latest gadgetry.. It's kind of the same thing.

      Maybe your friends are that vacuous and shallow; but the people I know (as well as myself) buy Apple products because of their utility and freedom from malware annoyances.

    7. Re:If you want Apple, you are going to pay by bobbied · · Score: 1

      LOL... Look, I'm on your side about the fashion statement part, but I depart from you on owning Apple... No Sir, I'm strictly attached to Android... But you are welcome to pay Apple for whatever you want to pay them for. I really hated the planned obsolesce they build in by moving IOS forward and totally killing the performance of that 2 year old Apple phone. It's what drove me to Android... I got tired of replacing my handset every 2 years...

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  10. Headphone socket by sit1963nz · · Score: 2

    And this is why I bought the iPhone SE, because it has a headphone socket. If I am out of town and forgotten to bring my headphones, a pair of $9 throw aways will suffice for the day. And when I am on planes / trains I have a pair of active noise cancelling bluetooth headphones (that STILL cost less than a pair of EarPods ) and came with a 3 year warranty. Yes I appreciate the wireless, however leaving out the socket is putting form over function, and no its nothing like having a keyboard on the screen vs pull out keyboard. And NO, I dont want to buy a bloody dongle. ANY audio device without a headphone socket is like buying a car that has no wheels.

    1. Re: Headphone socket by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But those aren't throw aways, I bought some for under $10 and I've been using them for 4 years.

    2. Re:Headphone socket by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      And this is why I bought the iPhone SE, because it has a headphone socket. If I am out of town and forgotten to bring my headphones, a pair of $9 throw aways will suffice for the day. And when I am on planes / trains I have a pair of active noise cancelling bluetooth headphones (that STILL cost less than a pair of EarPods ) and came with a 3 year warranty. Yes I appreciate the wireless, however leaving out the socket is putting form over function, and no its nothing like having a keyboard on the screen vs pull out keyboard. And NO, I dont want to buy a bloody dongle. ANY audio device without a headphone socket is like buying a car that has no wheels.

      Then enjoy your last Smartphione EVER.

      By the time you are ready to replace that SE, there won't be a single decent smartphone, iOS or Android, that will have a 3.5 mm Jack. Not a single one. Sorry.

      Oh! and Apple includes the Lightning to 3.5 mm adapter with the iPhone 7, BTW, as well as a Lightning headset. Nothing else to buy.

    3. Re:Headphone socket by dgatwood · · Score: 1

      By the time you are ready to replace that SE, there won't be a single decent smartphone, iOS or Android, that will have a 3.5 mm Jack. Not a single one. Sorry.

      I would tend to bet almost the opposite—that not a single cell phone manufacturer except Samsung will follow Apple's lead by the time you're ready to replace that SE. Here's why:

      • Sales of iPhone 7 have lagged behind the iPhone 6s according to multiple reports.
      • Apple didn't even manage to pick up very many sales after the Note 7 train wreck. Those sales mostly went to other Android devices.
      • iOS continues to lose market share to Android at an alarming rate, because their sales are shrinking while the market grows.
      • Other manufacturers are continuing to release new product lines with headphone jacks.

      In other words, all evidence strongly suggests that Apple's decision to remove the headphone jack was a mistake, and slumping customer sales are a reaction to what consumers perceive as the long, slow decline of a once-beloved product line. IMO, the only question that remains is whether Apple will double down on stupid or recognize and correct their error in their next design.

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

    4. Re:Headphone socket by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      By the time you are ready to replace that SE, there won't be a single decent smartphone, iOS or Android, that will have a 3.5 mm Jack. Not a single one. Sorry.

      I would tend to bet almost the opposite—that not a single cell phone manufacturer except Samsung will follow Apple's lead by the time you're ready to replace that SE. Here's why:

      • Sales of iPhone 7 have lagged behind the iPhone 6s according to multiple reports.
      • Apple didn't even manage to pick up very many sales after the Note 7 train wreck. Those sales mostly went to other Android devices.
      • iOS continues to lose market share to Android at an alarming rate, because their sales are shrinking while the market grows.
      • Other manufacturers are continuing to release new product lines with headphone jacks.

      In other words, all evidence strongly suggests that Apple's decision to remove the headphone jack was a mistake, and slumping customer sales are a reaction to what consumers perceive as the long, slow decline of a once-beloved product line. IMO, the only question that remains is whether Apple will double down on stupid or recognize and correct their error in their next design.

      According to the analyst quoted in this Slashdot article, as much as 50% of GN7 Owners have, or planned to, switch to an iPhone 7. Considering that means completely changing platforms for the user involved, that's a very high number. Even the "more solid" number of just under 30% is pretty high, considering it's a platform-change.

      The iPhone 6s is enjoying a bit of a renaissance, due to the recently-decreased price and increased memory. So it is probably picking-up some budget-conscious iPhone users. But I think the iPhone 7 is still more popular than the 6s. And in fact, it is. So there's another lie of yours disproven by facts...

      iOS Marketshare Plummeting: Not according to this article from just a week ago, which states that iPhone 7 Marketshare Growth is the strongest, and overall market share is the highest, in the U.S., and not so bad in other places (e.g. #2 in China, #1 in the U.K.)., than it has been in two years. That sounds like anything but dire sales figures to me...

      Other OEMs are continuing to release new phones with headphone jacks: Considering the development and agency-approval timeframes for these products, I'm not surprised. But let's take a look at the next update-cycle, shall we?

      So, try harder at your Hater bullshit next time, willya? It was hardly even challenging exposing your bullshit for exactly that.

    5. Re:Headphone socket by dgatwood · · Score: 1

      According to the analyst quoted in this Slashdot article [slashdot.org], as much as 50% of GN7 Owners have, or planned to, switch to an iPhone 7. Considering that means completely changing platforms for the user involved, that's a very high number. Even the "more solid" number of just under 30% is pretty high, considering it's a platform-change.

      Any GN7 owners have replaced their devices by now. So whatever sales they might have gained from this have already happened. But from what I've read, those sales predictions didn't materialize, in part because the cell carriers gave big discounts for anybody who replaced their GN7 with another Samsung device.

      The iPhone 6s is enjoying a bit of a renaissance, due to the recently-decreased price and increased memory. So it is probably picking-up some budget-conscious iPhone users. But I think the iPhone 7 is still more popular than the 6s. And in fact, it is [bgr.com]. So there's another lie of yours disproven by facts...

      Uh... you're comparing a brand new feature release model to a year-old bug-fix release. Its initial sales, despite better availability, were slower according to several analysts. A couple of analysts say that they were comparable or slightly better. Either way, a new phone release should be comparable to the iPhone 6, and all the reports I've read say that it isn't even in the same league.

      Of course, we'll never know for sure, because Apple conveniently stopped reporting their per-model sales numbers. Companies don't generally stop reporting numbers if they're good news, which leads me to believe that iPhone 7 is probably not selling nearly as well as hoped.

      iOS Marketshare Plummeting: Not according to this article [9to5mac.com] from just a week ago, which states that iPhone 7 Marketshare Growth is the strongest, and overall market share is the highest, in the U.S., and not so bad in other places (e.g. #2 in China, #1 in the U.K.)., than it has been in two years. That sounds like anything but dire sales figures to me...

      That might be true for U.S. sales, but according to Gartner group, worldwide iOS sales were down by over 7% year-over-year at last check, verging on single-digit percentage territory. That's a level that Apple hasn't enjoyed since the original iPhone. Fortune is slightly less pessimistic, but even they aren't predicting growth.

      So, try harder at your Hater bullshit next time, willya? It was hardly even challenging exposing your bullshit for exactly that.

      Hater? Hardly. I own an iPhone 6s and a Retina MacBook Pro, I run my server infrastructure on Macs, and I worked for Apple for almost thirteen years. Most of the time, I'm the first to defend their product decisions. For me to say that they screwed up, they have to really screw up.

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

  11. Why would they do it for free? by hsmith · · Score: 5, Funny

    If I lose a pen, I don't expect Bic to give me a new one for free.

    1. Re:Why would they do it for free? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But has anyone ever tried asking Bic?

    2. Re:Why would they do it for free? by mysidia · · Score: 0

      If I lose a pen, I don't expect Bic to give me a new one for free.

      They won't give you one for free, but Bic won't charge you 50 bucks either.

    3. Re:Why would they do it for free? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If I lose my car, I don't expect Toyota to give me a new one for free.

      Toyota charges you more than $50 for a new car.

    4. Re:Why would they do it for free? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They won't give you one for free, but Bic won't charge you 50 bucks either.

      I really wish they would. Just think of all that profit they're needlessly throw down the drain! When you need a pen you need a pen. You'll pay whatever to have one. With such a low price, you're really missing out on the genuine experience of owning and operating a fanatic Bic pen. No cheap pen could compare with Bic's offerings if Bic increased all their prices tomorrow by a factor of 20.

    5. Re:Why would they do it for free? by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      If I lose a pen, I don't expect Bic to give me a new one for free.

      They won't give you one for free, but Bic won't charge you 50 bucks either.

      Bic won't. But Cross will.

    6. Re:Why would they do it for free? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Bic pens cost $0.10. If I lose one it's not worth spending more than about 5 seconds looking for it.

      That's the point here. It's not that people want a free replacement, it's that they know they will inevitably lose one and end up paying out $80 multiple times, and there is no insurance/cover package to reduce that cost.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    7. Re:Why would they do it for free? by rhazz · · Score: 1

      Bic-pineapple-apple-bic.

      ... nope, doesn't work.

    8. Re:Why would they do it for free? by ConfusedVorlon · · Score: 1

      Insurance doesn't generally reduce the cost of things. It shares a variable cost among a group.

      If you have a 10% chance of losing one, then you might get insurance for around 10% (plus cost/profit) of the replacement.
      If you're inevitably going to lose it multiple times, then the variability is low and the insurance has to be multiple times the cost of the original.

    9. Re:Why would they do it for free? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Exactly. It's as if Apple made the phone out of easily breakable glass... er... It's as if they made it bend easily in your pocket... oh... It's just another example of Apple producing crap that suits them but is impractical and expensive for the owner.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    10. Re:Why would they do it for free? by mysidia · · Score: 1

      If I lose my car, I don't expect Toyota to give me a new one for free.

      No..... but if a losable component falls out on the road and gets lost while
      it's under warranty, they might replace that for free.

      In my experience; however, Autos are a racket..... You'll pay for the labor to service defective components,
      even when you lost Nothing, and the vehicle is still under warranty.

      Point of order: How do you "lose" an entire car anyway? They're larger in size than you.... they should be almost impossible to misplace.

      That kind of thing is what we buy auto insurance for.

      Anyways, losing a vehicle is definitely nothing within the same ballpark as losing a Pen or an earphone.

  12. Say it ain't so! by chrism238 · · Score: 3, Funny

    How can a single AirPod possibly be replaced!? Surely each pair is personally handcrafted and matched by Jony Ive and his elves, each pair with a unique acoustic fingerprint that's as individual as your refined individual personality? To separate a single AirPod from its partner for life is enough of a crime against Humanity, but to flirtively attempt to mate it with another - surely not!

    1. Re: Say it ain't so! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Didn't you once write for Stereo Review?

    2. Re:Say it ain't so! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Would you stop giving them ideas?

    3. Re:Say it ain't so! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      More seriously, how DO they replace a single AirPod? I haven't read up on how these things work, but are they not a matched pair? I've read that you'll be able to use them as regular Bluetooth headphones on an non Apple device, but how does the phone talk to two independent Bluetooth devices for audio?

      Not doubting the tech, I'm just genuinely interested in how this will be done...

  13. Bumblefuck Clickbait Headline by zieroh · · Score: 5, Funny

    What kind of bumblefuck clickbait headline is that?

    In other news, GM charges full price to replace your car if you lose it.

    Jesus H. Christ on a motherfucking crutch, I didn't think slashdot, having reached the bottom of the hill, could keep rolling downwards.

    --
    People who say "sheeple" have about as much sophistication as an AOL user, and in fact are probably actually AOL users.
    1. Re:Bumblefuck Clickbait Headline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What kind of bumblefuck clickbait headline is that?

      In other news, GM charges full price to replace your car if you lose it.

      Jesus H. Christ on a motherfucking crutch, I didn't think slashdot, having reached the bottom of the hill, could keep rolling downwards.

      I don't see this as clickbait. Its just stating a fact, which answers a question that many people have.

      It seems like you assume that people will complain, and you are convinced that these people are wrong to do so. Which may be true, but not the headlines fault.

    2. Re:Bumblefuck Clickbait Headline by zieroh · · Score: 1

      AC has never heard the word "sensationalist", apparently.

      --
      People who say "sheeple" have about as much sophistication as an AOL user, and in fact are probably actually AOL users.
    3. Re:Bumblefuck Clickbait Headline by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      What kind of bumblefuck clickbait headline is that?

      In other news, GM charges full price to replace your car if you lose it.

      Jesus H. Christ on a motherfucking crutch, I didn't think slashdot, having reached the bottom of the hill, could keep rolling downwards.

      Nope, there's still a few hundred feet further down to the bottom. I wonder if Androids give you free replacements forever if you lose parts for them?

      Regardless, it's just another way to generate clicks over the spawn of Beelzabub iPhone 7's lack of the standard and inferior headphone jack. I bit, since I'm here, but I wouldnt be too surprised if one of these days, I decide that the clickbait to interesting article ratio isn't worth the effort to even look. That the troll isn't only some of the posters, but Slashdot itself.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    4. Re:Bumblefuck Clickbait Headline by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      Slashdot is not rolling downwards anymore. It is digging.

    5. Re:Bumblefuck Clickbait Headline by v1 · · Score: 1

      I can't believe I had to scroll through THAT much whining to see this post. Do all those people honestly expect any manufacturer to replace a product for free if you lose it? (curious that, I didn't see a single example being compared against Apple's policy) Are they really that retarded?

      --
      I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
    6. Re: Bumblefuck Clickbait Headline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You say 'androids' in the same way the old school mac fanatics used to say 'IBM'. It's so ridiculous, because it's obviously the cardboard standup 'competitor' who the marketers at Apple have spun up to compete with.

      So sad and cultish.

    7. Re:Bumblefuck Clickbait Headline by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      But they aren't charging full price if you lose one of the earbuds. In fact, couldn't I save money by buying the left and right separately?

    8. Re:Bumblefuck Clickbait Headline by sysrammer · · Score: 1

      Gunny Ermey, is that you?

      --
      His ignorance covered the whole earth like a blanket, and there was hardly a hole in it anywhere. - Mark Twain
    9. Re:Bumblefuck Clickbait Headline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But they aren't charging full price if you lose one of the earbuds. In fact, couldn't I save money by buying the left and right separately?

      Charger is also $69.00.

    10. Re:Bumblefuck Clickbait Headline by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      My GM doesn't have a newly introduced feature that gives you an additional 1000 options to lose it. Actually it's the opposite, GM now sells cars with features specifically to prevent you losing it.

    11. Re: Bumblefuck Clickbait Headline by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      You say 'androids' in the same way the old school mac fanatics used to say 'IBM'. It's so ridiculous, because it's obviously the cardboard standup 'competitor' who the marketers at Apple have spun up to compete with.

      So sad and cultish.

      If Android (as a platform) isn't the competitor to Apple (as the sole purveyor of the other platform), then I'm not sure what you would accept as the definition of "competitor".

    12. Re:Bumblefuck Clickbait Headline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How would you charge them? If you include the charge case, it is more than full price.

    13. Re:Bumblefuck Clickbait Headline by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

      If the phone had a tracker for the buds, including last known location if the power dies, that would be sweet.

      As it stands, I would never use these outside the house, and even then there's a terror of it flinging off somewhere when I was walking and didn't notice.

      Hehe, they should include an optional string to tie the buds together, and to tie that to the phone.

      --
      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
    14. Re:Bumblefuck Clickbait Headline by zieroh · · Score: 1

      My GM doesn't have a newly introduced feature that gives you an additional 1000 options to lose it. Actually it's the opposite, GM now sells cars with features specifically to prevent you losing it.

      Yes. Let's get hung up on pedantic details. They're much more fun than the point.

      --
      People who say "sheeple" have about as much sophistication as an AOL user, and in fact are probably actually AOL users.
    15. Re: Bumblefuck Clickbait Headline by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      You say 'androids' in the same way the old school mac fanatics used to say 'IBM'.

      I coulda said Windows phones too, but does anyone have them any more?

      But do they give you free replacements?

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  14. Insurance? by Virtucon · · Score: 1

    I can't fault a manufacturer for not covering lost / damaged items within a warranty period. That's why some credit cards will cover you for lost/damaged goods. AMEX has been great with lost/damaged stuff for me (ran over a usb headset that dropped out of my ear once). Also Allianz and others will sell you loss/damage insurance which is cheap considering replacement cost of some of these items. I have my portables all covered this way and

    --
    Harrison's Postulate - "For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism"
    1. Re:Insurance? by DesertNomad · · Score: 1

      Good thing it fell out of your ear first...

    2. Re:Insurance? by The-Ixian · · Score: 1

      I have my portables all covered this way and

      ... my non-portables can go to hell
      ... sometimes *that* way
      ... I like juice
      ... the skies are not cloudy all day
      ... my life is not going as I had hoped
      ... my husband thinks I have OCD

      --
      My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
  15. The title is stupid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The title is stupid. But the interesting part is that they have a hefty flat fee for out-of-warranty repairs, so whatever happens to your, say 13-month old uber expensive headphones, you'll have to fork out $69. And if your 13-month old battery dies, you still have to fork out $49... Of course, in other countries there are consumer protection laws, e.g. in the EU there is a 2 year protection against defects and in the UK a 6 year protection...

  16. $69 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    $69 specifically, though? Are they unequivocally saying how you're getting fucked by buying these headphones?

    1. Re:$69 by Kohath · · Score: 1

      Maybe they're saying it'll be mutual

  17. What? by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

    Just pretend you lost the L one, then the R one, thus get both of them for 138 instead of 159!

    --
    Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    1. Re:What? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But then you'll need the charging case which is another $69. So instead of $159, you could pay $207 which is what any self respecting Apple customer would do.

    2. Re:What? by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

      Just get a 3rd party charger, they've proven to be very reliable.

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
  18. 2 X replacements please? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Can I get 2 X replacements for $138 instead of the outright by price for a pair $159?

    1. Re:2 X replacements please? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sure, if you still have the charge case.

  19. Re:Mod parent down! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Look, PAL. How many times do I have to remind you?

    Apple has an 0.03% space advantage on their product by not having the plastic catches required on phones with removable batteries, e.g. Samsung Stratosphere series. Yes it costs more because the phone is now a solid unit. You cannot take an iPhone apart. You CAN take an Android apart and pull the battery out. But what good does pulling the battery get you? You could have had those space savings and the feel of a solid phone. When I drop my iPhone, the battery doesn't come flying apart. I have a solid piece of well designed electronics that stays intact through the impact. No deprecated SIM, no memory card, no old fashioned headphone jack, no flappy jack cover that inevitably breaks off, and no annoying SAMSUNG logo at the top of the phone that I am forced to gawk at whenever I look at the screen. iPhone just works. Android, well, let's put it this way. It's like something contract manufactured. What do Google and Samsung have in common? Nothing. What does Google have to do with Android? They design the Android system. What does Samsung do with Android? They take the platform and kind of implement it but can't read the designers' minds like the guys at Apple can because THEY WERE the ones who designed it.

    What about it don't you get now?

  20. Now we know, by jenningsthecat · · Score: 1

    where Apple got the "courage" to eliminate the headphone jack. It wasn't courage at all - just greed. Not that anybody's surprised at that, I guess.

    --
    'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
  21. Re: Mod parent down! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Man... imagine going to all your friends demeaning their choice of phone.

    I would hate to be one of those friends.

    Get alive man! If it sucks it'll just go away like blackberry and windows phones.

    What's wrong with letting people feel happy about their phone choices?

    Their happiness gets in your way?

  22. Re: Mod parent down! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You are clueless. Some people just derive pleasure from that.

    I'm one of those.

    Your iPhone's sucks!

    Oohhhh! Ooooh! So high now!

    *strokes my Pixel vigourously*

    Yeah I'm a purist! Ooooh!

  23. You really, really, just don't get it (nt) by Brannon · · Score: 1

    nt

  24. My landline never needs a battery-replacement by Brannon · · Score: 2

    you smug idiot hipster with your cell phone.

    1. Re:My landline never needs a battery-replacement by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 4, Funny

      you smug idiot hipster with your cell phone.

      Due to my advanced age I'm prohibited by state and federal laws from being a hipster.

      However, I'll admit to being smug when the occasion warrants, and my wife would probably* testify under oath that I can be an idiot at times.

      Two out of three isn't great, but I grade on a curve so you'll still pass.

      * Okay, definitely.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    2. Re:My landline never needs a battery-replacement by Nethead · · Score: 1

      Hell, if you're just another old guy like me you could be mistaken for a hipster just by pulling on some clothes from back deep in the closet.

      No, I'm not driving/wearing/using that to be cool, I'm doing it because it hasn't worn out yet!

      --
      -- I have a private email server in my basement.
    3. Re:My landline never needs a battery-replacement by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

      No, I'm not driving/wearing/using that to be cool, I'm doing it because it hasn't worn out yet!

      I was working a contract a few years ago and there was a 20-something programmer who acted like he'd seen it all. He knew everything, you couldn't tell him anything.

      After having my fill of his pompous PlaySkool shit one day I told him "Give it a rest, Kyle, I have t-shirts that are older than you." I wasn't joking.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    4. Re:My landline never needs a battery-replacement by Nethead · · Score: 1

      I hear that, my Perl 'Camel' book t-shirt signed by Wall, Christiansen and Randal Schwartz from LISA '96 (Chicago) is older than some of the helpdesk folk around here.

      We should start a 'You know you're an old geek when...' thread. I'll start.

      You know you're an old geek when midway through your career you got Amazon's first block of IP address assigned by ARIN.

      --
      -- I have a private email server in my basement.
    5. Re:My landline never needs a battery-replacement by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

      You know you're an old geek when you remember thinking that your new Atari 800 was going to be the last computer you'd ever need to buy.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    6. Re:My landline never needs a battery-replacement by Nethead · · Score: 1

      Heh heh, I remember thinking that when I bought a 250MB HD. How could I ever fill that?

      Or when I got a Commodore 8050 dual IEEE drive that had a whoppin' 2050 blocks of data per disk.

      Man, the things I could have done with a $6 Adrino back in the 80s...

      --
      -- I have a private email server in my basement.
    7. Re:My landline never needs a battery-replacement by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

      Heh heh, I remember thinking that when I bought a 250MB HD. How could I ever fill that?

      250MB?? Holy shit, I think my first HD was 32MB....a limitless expanse of storage that would last a lifetime. These days that would hold two cat pictures and a Word doc.

      I think I paid ~$400 for it at the time. And the controller card was another $100 if I remember correctly. I spent hours juggling IRQ jumpers to make the fucking thing work. Remember IRQs?

      $500 for 32 megs...I saw a 2TB portable drive in Costco the other night for $84. I wept.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    8. Re:My landline never needs a battery-replacement by jjo · · Score: 1

      A 32MB disk? Luxury. After having to rely an ASR-33 teletype and paper tape, disk storage of any type is paradise.

  25. Lithium batteries suck after 360 charges (1 year) by raymorris · · Score: 2

    Lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteries have significantly reduced capacity after 300-400 charge-discharge cycles. With a typical usage of carrying it during the day and charging it at night, that's one year.

    A typical battery for a phone costs about $15 from the battery store, sometimes the phone manufactures charge more if you want want with their sticker on it. With an Android phone, after about a year you can get all-day battery life again by spending $15 and 60 seconds popping in a fresh battery.

  26. Re: Mod parent down! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Quit being such a flaming douchebag. Go up the chain and see who started it. AN ANDROID USER. I was simply laying straight the facts. Think of it this way. If I set someone straight with FACTS and then that person reacts to my facts with "but it's ten times more expensive" and trolls on and on, how do you think a rational person would handle it? Take it this way. Why drink Boone's Farm when you could have a fine $40 Chardonnay? Not too pricey for the enjoyment/elegance you get out of having a hand crafted fine beverage versus an air freshener dunked in a solution of everclear and corn syrup. See where I'm going with this? Not trying to be snob nosed, but when you say something OFFENSIVE, I have every right to defend my (better) position and come back and hit you with some real logic. An old chinese proverb told to me by my girlfriend (her parents were from china) - Don't step on the tiger's tail and the tiger will leave you alone.

  27. Re: Mod parent down! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Funny, I'm Chinese, studied Chinese history in high school, and never heard of that "proverb"

    Just as real as these....

    Confucius say he who fish in other man's well often catches crabs
    Confucius say state of pregnancy exist when woman takes seriously something poked in fun.
    Confucius say woman who wear G-string, high on crack.
    Confucius say man who bounce woman on bedspring this spring, have offspring next spring.

  28. Timmy Should Demand $690000 Per Bud by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In just a few days we will learn that loosing an Apple WiFi Bud can compromise your iCloud account password and your credit cards passcodes.

    Just in time for the Timmy Holidays!

    Ha ha

  29. Re: Mod parent down! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Too good LOL! Best post today!

  30. Re: Mod parent down! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Confucius say he who go to bed with itchy butt wake up with smelly finger.

  31. I don't ... by CaptainDork · · Score: 1

    ...

    Apple Will Charge You $69 To Replace a Lost AirPod

    think so.

    --
    It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
  32. Serious question ? by Archfeld · · Score: 2

    Why do Airpods require an iCloud account for use ? Is there an actual technical reason or just because they can ?

    (1) Requires an iCloud account and macOS Sierra, iOS 10, or watchOS 3.

    --
    errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
    1. Re:Serious question ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So you can't even pair it to other bluetooth devices?

    2. Re:Serious question ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That is only if you want to use the One-tap setup.

      Wireless. Effortless. Magical.
      AirPods will forever change the way you use headphones. Whenever you pull your AirPods out of the charging case, they instantly turn on and connect to your iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, or Mac.(1) Audio automatically plays as soon as you put them in your ears and pauses when you take them out. To adjust the volume, change the song, make a call, or even get directions, just double-tap to activate Siri.

      One-tap setup for all your Apple devices(1)

    3. Re:Serious question ? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Auto-pairing.

      Bluetooth pairing is a pain in the arse, especially on small devices like these. Apple decided to simplify it with an extension to the pairing protocol and by syncing the pairing details across devices via iCloud.

      Their phones don't have proper NFC so that's the only option.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    4. Re:Serious question ? by jittles · · Score: 1

      Auto-pairing.

      Bluetooth pairing is a pain in the arse, especially on small devices like these. Apple decided to simplify it with an extension to the pairing protocol and by syncing the pairing details across devices via iCloud.

      Their phones don't have proper NFC so that's the only option.

      The cynic in me thinks its to push people to iCloud. You can't breath on an iOS 10 device or a MacOS Sierra computer without it trying to force you into enabling iCloud sync. Seriously. I updated to iOS 10.2 on my phone and it enabled all kinds of iCloud sync shit I had specifically said no to when I configured the device. I also just updated my machine with the latest version of SIerra and of course i have to go through and tell it twice that I am absolutely positive that I want nothing to do with iCloud sync. It's annoying. Why do they prompt me for this crap every time I do anything with a device that is already configured and working? So no - I don't think this has anything to do with auto-pairing. The Apple Watch does not require iCloud to do a handoff to your desktop. It's a move to push iCloud.

    5. Re:Serious question ? by crtreece · · Score: 1

      Why do they prompt me for this crap every time I do anything with a device that is already configured and working?

      Apple marketing switched to the "Windows 10" marketing strategy. If they keep bugging you about it, eventually you'll either hit the wrong button and end up with an iCloud account, or you'll sign up on purpose to make the nag screens go away.

      --
      file: .signature not found
    6. Re:Serious question ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have a chinese fitness tracker, Xiaomi Band 2. It initially talks over bluetooth LE (which does not require pairing) and if requested, it will pair with the phone from the app, without any additional icloud support.

      I don't buy the pairing reason.

  33. Re:Lithium batteries suck after 360 charges (1 yea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    It's typically never been an issue for the 2+ years I keep using their phones, day in, day out, and it's been the case for years. Their phone batteries are "designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles," and in terms of _complete_ charge cycles, they come closer than most of the other brands of phones I've owned.

  34. Re:Lithium batteries suck after 360 charges (1 yea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I've never seen a $15 replacement phone battery that was worth even that price.

  35. 24 hours from a 7 year phone? by thesupraman · · Score: 1

    Let me guess..

    Unless you accidentally bump a button and the backlight comes on.

    people want 12+ hours of moderate use. No one gives a shit about 24 hours if standby.

    And a GS would barely do that new.. Let alone after 7 years..

    So please stop spreading bs. It's pathetic.

  36. A fool and his money are soon parted! by EzInKy · · Score: 1

    Apple credo, look it up.

    --
    Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.
  37. Re: Mod parent down! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Physics.

    A solid mass contains more energy. If the battery comes flying out, it means less energy is conserved the phone (i.e. the part you don't want to break.)

    All that extra energy and weight results in the massive amounts of cracked screens.

    I've dropped GS5 so many times on pavement and such - only once did it the screen even think about becoming damaged.

  38. Re: Mod parent down! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The damage is a tiny crack on the side of the phone that doesn't even breach the surface (running my finger over it feels a smooth). Phone's still working alright!

  39. Newsworthy by jgullstr · · Score: 1

    Frontpage stuff right here. I'd love to see more articles like this one, preferably from other manufacturers as well, so I know what I'm getting into when buying stuff that can be misplaced.

  40. Why should I buy them for 169$ then? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Replacing one costs 79 ... replacing two costs 158 ... can I just ask for two replacement buds instead of buying them in the first place?

    1. Re:Why should I buy them for 169$ then? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ok, I see I misread the price. But still, a dollar saved is a dollar saved. :)

  41. AirPod$ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Surprised Apple sell them individually, I would have expected 'Only Available In Pairs' , LoL

  42. Re: Mod parent down! by stealth_finger · · Score: 1

    Confucius say he who fish in other man's well often catches crabs Confucius say state of pregnancy exist when woman takes seriously something poked in fun. Confucius say woman who wear G-string, high on crack. Confucius say man who bounce woman on bedspring this spring, have offspring next spring.

    Ah, from that ancient Chinese proverb book, So You Have The Flu, by Sun Tsu.

    --
    Wanna buy a shirt?
    https://www.redbubble.com/people/stealthfinger/shop?asc=u
  43. Re:Mod parent down! by Goaway · · Score: 1

    Totally not sounding like a sulky teenager.

  44. Re: Mod parent down! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What are you talking about. I have seen more cracked screens in iPhones than Android for a huge margin. Many maky prople live the misserable experience of using a cracked iPhone until it's time for the carrier to replace it.

  45. Called it! by ausekilis · · Score: 1

    I don't want to say I am psychic or anything... but there's some proof. Okay, maybe the price was wrong... though it's interesting that you can get two replacement earpods for less than retail of new...

  46. Re: Mod parent down! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Their happiness gets in your way?

    In a manner of speaking, since their choice of non-removal battery is likely to impact my ability to get a phone that has a removable battery. Just look at the whole no-headphonejack thing.

  47. To prevent the loss of an AirPod by QuietLagoon · · Score: 1

    Simply tie one end of a wire to each AirPod, and fasten the other end of each wire to the device in your pocket.

  48. It's bitztream by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The autism-hating, custom EpiPen-hating, Musk-hating Slashdot troll!

  49. It's bitztream by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    .... the autism-hating, custom EpiPen-hating, Musk-hating Slashdot troll!

  50. Re: Mod parent down! by Triklyn · · Score: 1

    ... i can't see the trolls for the trees in this thread...

    well played sirs, well played.

  51. Re: Mod parent down! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Confucius say man on plane with large package is going to Bangkok

  52. Lots of Whining by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I see lots of rationalizations for both hating and liking Apple's AirPods but ultimately, the main advantage to AirPods is that they're supremely easy to use with an iPhone. The sound quality isn't earth shattering, the value isn't unbeatable for that very same reason, the battery won't last you all day, and the batteries can't be replaced. Regardless, they're the wireless ear buds that are easiest to use with an iPhone. If "ease of use" isn't your deciding factor, then -- *SURPRISE* -- no, you won't like them. I don't see why this is so hard to grasp.

  53. Re:Hearing Aid Batteries... You are not by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the droid we are looking for.

    It appears that when you think you buy this type of product, you are mistaken. You in fact RENT the right to pay continuously until the product degrades to the point of unrepairability. At that time you are encouraged to enter a new rental agreement.

    When 'style' is in opposition to 'utility' the correct choice is easy and clear... and strongly dependant upon who is choosing.

  54. No They Won't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No they won't. There is zero chance of me buying this product in the first place.

  55. Re:Lithium batteries suck after 360 charges (1 yea by evilbessie · · Score: 1

    Early model Li-ion were maybe 100 charge cycles, that has improved to multiple hundreds, Li-po were always several hundred and can now be over a thousand. Battery tech has moved on substantially in the last 20 years (not capacity unfortunately). Most phone batteries will last at least 3 years for most users (and those in the EU get a 2 year warranty). Although the re-usability of phones is massively increased with replaceable parts. I'm thankful we're moved past charge memory of NiCad and NMH which were the height of batteries in the 90s. I've seen so many fewer battery issues with laptops in the last 5 years compared with the previous 5, so the tech is not as bad as you make out. Putting that much energy into such a small space makes me want to source genuine parts more than pattern match products, but that is no guarantee cf. Samsung, at least we've moved on from the days of $100+ replacement batteries.

  56. Re:Lithium batteries suck after 360 charges (1 yea by TigerPlish · · Score: 1

    Lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteries have significantly reduced capacity after 300-400 charge-discharge cycles.

    That's full charge-discharge cycles.

    With lithium ion it is best to charge early and often -- a total reversal of how NiCd worked. (I grew up with NiCd and had to re-train my brain to maximize lithium ion.)

    By charging early and often you make shallower cycles that don't kill the battery. This is how my camera battery is 8 years old and still gets me 300 shots, this is how my iPhone 5S is 3 years old and still gets to the end of the day around 60-80%, 35-50 if I use it heavy.

    So people, don't drain your phones to death. Charge early and often!

    --
    The "Civilized World" jumped the shark ca. 1973.
  57. One ear pod half the price of two. by ConfusedVorlon · · Score: 1

    So story, Much Journalism.

  58. So.... by BitztreamNotARealNam · · Score: 1

    How's life in the hypocrite lane?

    1. Re:So.... by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      Wow, did APK create an account finally?

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
  59. Our target demographic is... by TheRealHocusLocus · · Score: 1

    People unashamed to speak the word, "AirPod"

    --
    <blink>down the rabbit hole</blink>
  60. Re: Mod parent down! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The only thing Apple fanbois have is their sense of superiority. Take that away from them by showing the faults, deficiencies and expensive price of their phone will hurt their feelings and take away the only thing of value, the brand.

  61. Um.no. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No replaceable battery. No one does that anymore, it's not just an Apple thing. And how many companies do you know that will let you replace one piece of the pair without having to buy the whole set? None.