Advertisement

Those new AirPods will work with non-Apple devices

But you probably won't want to use them that way.

Despite listing software requirements to the contrary in yesterday's press release, The Verge reports that Apple's new AirPods will work with devices other than its own. By doing so, you'll forfeit the proximity pairing feature that using the wireless earbuds with an iPhone affords and you won't be able to use Siri. During yesterday's announcement, the official PR for the audio accessories listed software requirements of iOS 10, watchOS 3 or macOS Sierra. However, it seems that's only the case if you want to employ all the tools AirPods have to offer.

Apple says that using the AirPods with a device from another manufacturer is pretty dull. The company explained to The Verge that the in-ears "just lose the magic when not used with an Apple device." Of course, that "magic" is the quick connection, a virtual assistant and the ability to move easily between devices without having to re-pair them. It sounds like the earbuds will function as basic Bluetooth headphones if you connect them to a non-Apple gadget. The AirPods go on sale next month for $159 so you won't have to wait long to see how little "magic" there is when you use them with an Android device.

We've reached out to Apple for more information on the matter and we'll update this post when/if we hear back.