A Year with AirPods: Why I'm Done

I've had my fair share of AirPods over the years, but this experience has been a real eye-opener. My ex gave me my first pair as a gift when he bought an iPhone from the ReStore, but I managed to lose them in a bar. I replaced them with a new pair, but then I realized I didn't really need the wireless charging case. After I accidentally drowned the second pair, I went back to the original version.

So, I've had these AirPods in my life three times already!

My review won't be a bunch of specs and features - just my personal experience with these AirPods and everything that's happened to me with them.

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About the Design

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The AirPods come in a standard white Apple box. I'm not sure what the difference is between the original and the Chinese knockoff, but I've seen that the knockoff packaging is identical.

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The package includes the AirPods, a charging case, and a USB cable. Unfortunately, the USB cable died after a month, so I won't be able to show it to you.

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The original AirPods come with a one-year warranty from the date of purchase, which you can activate yourself on Apple's official website. This is convenient because you can verify that they're genuine and register your AirPods with their serial number.

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These earbuds come in only one color - white. Yeah, you can get custom ones, but once you do that, the warranty's out the window. Bummer.

I saw a ton of life hacks online about how to make them matte, but let's be real, once you do that, the warranty's gone too.

So, my earbuds stayed in their original state and haven't changed since I got them.

They're basically the same white wired earbuds, but without the wires and in a case.

What Sets Them Apart

Apple was the first to release wireless earbuds of this design, and they've been priced between $12,000 to $15,000 since they came out.

The sound's not bad, although it's not perfect. The gestures are pretty easy to set up to your liking.

To set them up, go to Settings -> Bluetooth -> the little "i" icon in a circle -> and you'll find the settings for your earbuds.

You can choose to answer or decline calls, switch songs forward and backward, or any other function that you need.

I had the song skipper function set up, since music's the main reason I bought these earbuds in the first place.

I was surprised by how seamlessly my original AirPods sync with my phone. They don't connect to any other device until I reset them, which is a nice touch. And if I open the case near someone else's phone, they'll show up as 'not mine'.

When I first got these, they were the top-notch earbuds on the market. And it's easy to see why - they last way longer than their competitors. I've had mine for three weeks now, and they still haven't run out of juice... yet.

The magnetic clasps on these earbuds are also a game-changer. They snap into place in the case, and the case itself won't open unless you want it to.

These earbuds are built with high-quality plastic - both the earbuds themselves and the case. They look sleek, compact, and ergonomic.

Using Them is a Breeze

Connecting these earbuds to my iPhone is a piece of cake. I just open the case, turn on Bluetooth, and select my earbuds from the list.

I've found that you only need to do this operation once before the first use.

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After that, they connect automatically.

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I was surprised to find that the earbuds are quite lightweight, but I encountered a different issue. About a year in, I started getting bloody scabs in my tragus due to the piercing. And the cartilage would get this excruciating burning pain every time the earbud went in.

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So, unfortunately, these earbuds won't be suitable for everyone's ear anatomy. And, as I discovered on Google, I'm not the only one with this problem.

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You won't need to charge them daily, that's for sure. Even at the end of their lifespan, you'll only need to charge them once every two days if you use them all day.

They charge quickly, around 1.5-2 hours when charging from the cable. As for the wireless charging on the second version, I haven't used it.

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About the Downsides

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Over time, the magnets on the white plastic casing leave gray stains that don't come off.

Yes, you can order protective stickers on AliExpress, but they don't last long. And, honestly, it's a hassle to apply them in the first place and clean the adhesive residue when you remove them.

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One thing that's really annoying about these earbuds is how often you need to clean them. Remember when you used to clean wired earbuds with a Q-tip and some cotton swabs? Yeah, it's just as messy here, except you can't use anything wet except for a dry cloth and some isopropyl alcohol.

I've been using these IQOS cleaning sticks to clean them, and I'd definitely recommend them as a lifesaver. With three tiny openings on each earbud that get clogged up with dirt and grime, it's a real pain to clean.

These sticks are also great for cleaning the inside of the case. I haven't had to clean the outside because I've been keeping them in a protective case, which is a lot cheaper to buy on AliExpress – I got one for around 30-300 rubles.

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After a while, the earbuds start to lose their charge really quickly. If you're lucky, you might get 7-12 hours of playback time after buying them, but after a year, you're lucky if you get a few hours out of them. It's like they're a cheap knockoff.

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One of the most frustrating things is when one of the earbuds stops working altogether, and you're only getting sound out of one ear. I've experienced this issue about 20 times, and it usually fixes itself if you put the earbud back in the case and try again.

It's also really annoying when you're moving around with these earbuds and you can hear this weird rattling and clicking noise coming from inside the earbuds. It's like there's some tiny mechanism inside that's loose and causing all the noise. It's really frustrating, especially when you're paying a premium for a product that's supposed to be high-quality.

The reset button on the back of the case is a small white circle, and you need to hold it down for 10 seconds to reset the earbuds and connect them to a new device.

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Why These Earbuds Are the Last AirPods I'll Ever Buy

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Maybe Apple will come out with something even better, and I'll go back to using their products. But for now, I've found a better alternative that I'll be sharing with you soon.

I've heard of AirPods Pro, but it seems like half of my friends who own them have had to replace them under warranty at least twice.

Now, the main issue with these earbuds is that their lifespan is exactly the same as the warranty period. After a year, they started to sound really bad, and one of the earbuds completely stopped working. It's a small thing, but it's annoying. You wouldn't expect that from a high-quality product, especially one that costs 12,000₽.

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Would I Recommend Them?

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Maybe, I guess. There are a lot of fans out there, and if you're not worried about replacing them every year, you might want to consider buying them.

If you need something more durable, though, you might want to look elsewhere.

In my opinion, they don't live up to their price in terms of sound quality or lifespan. So, I'd give them two stars for their comfort and design.

As for my recommendation, I'd say probably not. There are plenty of other options out there that are cheaper but just as good.