Apple AirPods Pro
Apple recently became the first company in the world to be worth over $US3 trillion. It achieved this with the winning combination of high sales numbers and high prices. Time and again, Apple has successfully launched new product lines. In 2016, they released the first generation of AirPods, their foray into wireless earphones. Within two years, AirPods were Apple’s top selling accessory. Late in 2019, following two generations of AirPods, “AirPods Pro” were released. More than two years later, how are they?
First off, the build quality is excellent. The AirPods Pro case is plastic, yet it feels solid and not flimsy in your hands. Due to magnets, the lid has a gentle snapping feel as it closes. Like the previous AirPods, the AirPods Pro and their case are white, but unlike their predecessors, the Pros have soft silicone tips to help them fit in ears, and shorter stems that hang down.
AirPods have a microphone to provide a hands-free talking experience on the phone and the audio quality is good. As for listening to music, AirPods Pro probably wouldn’t satisfy serious audiophiles, but most people will find they sound great. They also feature a very effective noise canceling mode. If you need to hear the outside world, you can use “transparency mode”, which allows outside sounds in. For some people, battery life is a weak point of the AirPods Pro. Listeners get 4 to 5 hours of listening time, but with multiple recharges from the case, total listening time can amount to 24 hours.
AirPods Pro aren’t cheap - at launch they were $US249, but they are an impressive product. If wireless listening and noise canceling appeal to you, think about investing in some AirPods Pro.
Sources: wikipedia.org, wikipedia.org
For source links, see the article on ESLNewsStories.com
Useful Language
- Trillion (n) - one thousand billion (= 1 000 000 000 000)
- Time and (time) again - again and again, repeatedly
- Launch (v) - to begin selling a product
- Foray (n) - an attempt to operate in a new area
- First off - first of all
- Build quality (n) - how well something is made, the quality of its materials
- Flimsy (adj) - badly made, easily broken
- Predecessor (n) - an earlier version of something
- Stem (n) - a thin column that hangs down from the ear bud on AirPods
- Audiophile (n) - a person that is enthusiastic about audio equipment and quality
Discussion
Discuss the following questions with your partner(s).
- What activities do you usually do with your phone?
- Do you listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks? Talk about what you listen to most.
- Do you have any products that are made by Apple? How are they? If you don’t, would you like something from Apple? Why or why not?
- When you buy something, how important is build quality to you?
- Are you interested in having noise canceling on your earphones or headphones? When would noise canceling be useful?
- Are you surprised that Apple is the most valuable company in the world? What companies could become more valuable in the future?
- How important is audio quality to you? Are you interested in audio equipment?
- How much do you worry about battery life?
- Would you consider buying Apple AirPods Pro for $US249? If not, what else would you prefer to spend that money on?
- When people walk around using their phones hands-free, do you ever think they are talking to you?