AirPods: They sound great, but Siri holds them back
WHEN APPLE PULLED the headphone jack off the iPhone 7, it also unveiled a new set of wireless earbuds called AirPods, and claimed they were so great, users wouldn’t mind the missing headphone jack. The AirPods didn’t come out for nearly three months after the new iPhone’s release, but now that they’re here, they’ve solved every problem an iPhone 7–using music lover could have, right?
Oh, heavens no. Like so many Apple products before them, the AirPods bring with them as many problems as they solve. With no onboard buttons, the AirPods require users to ask Siri to do everything, from changing a track to adjusting the volume. What’s more, Siri doesn’t have the same abilities in all music apps—an arbitrary restriction set by Apple to steer you toward Apple Music.
The wireless AirPods resemble the EarPods, but the AirPods have a heftier, more substantial design that stays put in my ears.
AirPods
AT A GLANCE
The AirPods have good battery life and great sound, and the integration with iOS can’t be beat, but if you listen to your music with third-party apps, Siri is only half as helpful as she could be.
