April 30, 2024

Will Apple's AirPods Actually Stay in Your Ear?

Posted September 10, 2016 at 5:02pm by iClarified · 30344 views
Early hands-on reports differ on whether Apple's new AirPods will actually stay in your ear.

Susie Ochs from MacWorld got some time with the new earphones at Apple's press event.

Not only did I dance, I headbanged. I shook my head side to side, I tossed my hair, I jogged in place, and I looked silly doing all of it. The AirPods stayed put, and they stayed loud. The music (more Sia, naturally) sounded full and lush and I couldn’t hear a single word anyone around me was saying, as if I was completely sealed off in a bubble of rock and roll. Pretty impressive.

Notably, Daring Fireball's John Gruber had the same experience.

My experience as well. I don’t mind Apple’s wired ear buds, but the AirPods feel better and fit better.

The Verge was a little less confident about them staying put.

They fit in my ears a little better than EarPods, but not by much — I jumped up and down and shook my head a bit and they felt snug, but I wouldn't count on them staying in during any particularly dynamic activities. If you pull one out, the music automatically stops, which is cool — there are sensors that detect when they're in your ears.

SlashGear was even less enthused.

My problem – and one, I believe, which I’m not alone in suffering – is that Apple’s preferred earbud design just doesn’t like staying in my ears. Without any sort of rubber tip or loop, it’s basically a case of hanging the EarPod from my ear and waiting for it to inevitably fall off if I move at more than a brisk walking pace. The AirPods seem no different, and though they don’t have a wire pulling them down, they also have no safety tether: I can all too easily envisage one accidentally popping out of my uncooperative ear and getting lost. Yes, you can listen to music or make calls with just one bud in place, but that’s not much consolation when you’ve lost half of your $159 purchase.

At this point, it seems as though the AirPods will be a snugger fit than EarPods; however, if your EarPods are constantly falling out then you may run into issues using the new AirPods. Apple says the wireless earphones will be available in late October for $159. You can follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, or RSS for updates ahead of their release.

You may also want to watch the AirPods introduction video here!