The AirPods began as a solution to the lack of a headphone jack on the iPhone 7
The company had been thinking about a wireless earphone for years before the AirPods were unveiled. Apple’s Joswiak said that the firm “had a vision for our wireless future for many years. We had this incredible wireless product, the iPhone. And yet, what began to feel odd is when you saw somebody using wired headphones. Right then you thought, why would you attach the wire?”
Interestingly, much of the research needed by Apple to design the AirPods Pro came from the research it did while upgrading its wired EarPods. And the company continued to collect data on ears even after the EarPods hit the market. As Joswiak notes, “We had done work with Stanford to 3D-scan hundreds of different ears and ear styles and shapes in order to make a design that would work as a one-size solution across a broad set of the population. With AirPods Pro, we took that research further – studied more ears, more ear types. And that enabled us to develop a design that, along with the three different tip sizes, works across an overwhelming percentage of the worldwide population.”
Last October, Apple unveiled the AirPods Pro online. Priced at $249, the accessory’s main selling point is Active Noise Cancellation. And when users need to know what is going on around them, they can turn on Transparency mode. The AirPods Pro also offers a customizable fit with small, medium, and large silicone tips in the box. This model also is resistant to sweat and splashes as it carries an IPX4 rating.
The AirPods design has become so iconic that most people can quickly identify someone wearing the product. The AirPods Pro, which has a smaller “stem” than the classic model, can also be identified by much of the public as being Apple’s wireless Bluetooth earbuds. While they might have looked funny at first, the design has managed to catch on with the public in a big way.
