AppleEarbuds
Latest
Apple EarPods hands-on
By now, you're probably familiar with Apple's latest earbuds. But are they an improvement over their arguably disposable predecessor, you ask? You bet. Still, they're not going to win out over high-end or even mid-range audio options. That's to be expected, though -- the EarPods do sound better, and, well, they cost 29 bucks and ship with all of the devices Apple announced today. The attractive white 'buds are packaged in a plastic case that's quite similar to the enclosure that Apple introduced with its previous-gen step-up set. They're very lightweight, not that you had any doubts, and appear to be durable enough. The "one size fits all" design worked well in our ears -- it wasn't a snug fit by any means, but we didn't fear that they'd fall to the ground with the slightest movement. You'll net the best performance in quieter settings, considering that they don't isolate sound like some other options on the market, and if you're a frequent air traveler or often find yourself working in noisy environments, you'll probably want to consider other options. That said, folks who don't need the absolute best or want to save up for a better solution should find these to be sufficient -- we didn't have a chance to do any in-depth testing and analysis, but expect that to come after we've had a chance to digest all of today's new gadgets. For now, you can take a closer look in the hands-on gallery just below.
Apple's signature earbuds rebranded for iPhone 5 as 'EarPods'
Yes, finally -- finally -- Apple's years-long headphone debacle may finally be at an end, with the introduction this morning of redesigned earbuds. Their new name: "EarPods." Like so many things from today's Apple press conference, the new earphones look an awful lot like a leak we saw earlier this month. Apple says the new earphones feature, "a breakthrough design for a more natural fit and increased durability, and an incredible acoustic quality typically reserved for higher-end earphones." As seen above, they feature a main and secondary grill on each "pod," and the iPhone version has an inline remote / microphone built-in along the wire. The set looks starkly different from past Apple earphone offerings -- no rubber, distinctly less visible metal, and an all-plastic outer shell. Rather than create a plugged-up seal as most in-ear headphones do, the pods rest at the edge of your ear canal with the main grill directed straight into it. A port on the back of each bud helps airflow to enhance the midrange, while dual ports on the bottom of each stem helps the bass response. Overall, the intention is to maximize airflow for optimal sound quality. Apple claims the design results in, "overall audio quality [that's] so impressive, they rival high-end headphones that cost hundreds of dollars more." They're available today for purchase as a standalone, and will ship with the new iPod Touch, Nano, and iPhone 5. A standalone set with an inline remote / mic will cost you the same $29 price point of its predecessor -- and they're already available at the source link below. Joe Pollicino contributed to this report.
