Although Apple's AirPods arrived almost two months later than originally scheduled, their sleek, minimalist design, powerful underlying technology, and ease of use remind us of Apple's original music product, the iPod. In addition to the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, Apple Watch Series 2, and the new Touch Bar MacBook Pro, what other device can be considered a powerful electronic computer this year? Yes, it is the wearable wireless earphones AirPods that use advanced audio beamforming technology. Compatible with Mac (macOS 10.12), iOS devices (iOS 10), and Apple Watch (watchOS 3), AirPods use standard Bluetooth enhancements and Apple's unique near-field pairing technology to seamlessly connect to your laptop, iPhone, and even Apple Watch through iCloud. Of course, it is also compatible with standard Bluetooth audio sources. Apple's AirPods are small and light, which is the biggest difference from Samsung's own wireless earphones released earlier this year. Samsung's earphones have built-in music players and storage space, but Apple users don't seem to need these things because their phones, laptops, and even watches are their players, not to mention storage space. Next, let's take a look at this long-awaited new product: AirPods also have many unique features in terms of sound processing technology. It uses sound accelerometers and beamforming microphones to reduce noise interference. In addition, users can call up Siri anytime, anywhere through this wireless headset. You may wonder why Apple redesigned a headset when it already owns Beats, and Beats' Powerbeats 3 and Beats X also use the same W1 chip as AirPods. Perhaps Apple wants to continue the music track that iPod once had through AirPods. Apple's music road begins to move forward In 2001, Jobs launched the iPod, which was another route opened up by Apple after the traditional computer business and a big step towards music time. Together with iTunes, iPod changed the way we listen to music. After acquiring Beats in 2014, Apple's ambitions in the music field have taken another step forward. Over the past 15 years, Apple's iPod has transferred millions of music listeners from CDs to portable devices, especially mobile devices, which has benefited Apple greatly. Users no longer need to carry around bulky devices, and through iCloud and iTunes digital downloads, and later the music streaming service Apple Music, users can enjoy a more convenient music experience. The advantage of mobile music playback is its portability, just as desktop computers are increasingly replaced by laptops or handheld devices. Apple associated the iPod with the classic white earphones, and at the time, most MP3 players on the market looked the same, and the iPod's white earphones let people around you know that you were using an iPod to listen to music. Wireless headphones are a difficult task. Although everything about the iPod looked great and the sound quality it delivered was also very good, the iPod's cumbersome headphone cables did get tangled easily. It wasn't until 2004 that it seemed that the solution appeared, that is, wireless headphones. However, it took a long time to solve this seemingly simple problem. In the process, Apple focused on solving a series of simpler problems, such as making the iPod thinner, and then using the Mac platform to develop a mobile computer that not only acted as an iPod, but also a breakthrough Internet device, which was the iPhone in 2007. In terms of audio, Apple didn't rush to tackle the wireless headphone problem. Instead, they launched the iPod HiFi, a speaker system that was later considered less successful, and later Apple developed AirTunes, which was later renamed AirPlay. Bluetooth Beats Apple's iOS devices, and even some iPods, use industry-standard audio Bluetooth technology. In 2011, the iPhone 4s was the first smartphone to use Bluetooth 4 technology and integrated the "LE" (low energy) standard. The Bluetooth standard had long been used in some early bulky, strange wireless headphones, but these headphones were difficult to really arouse people's interest. After acquiring Beats, Apple hopes to expand the influence of the Bluetooth standard further. According to data, in the United States, Beats accounts for 32% of all headphone revenue share, 46% of Bluetooth headphones, and 60% of high-end headphones. iPod turns 15 It's been 15 years since the iPod was released, and Apple's first headphone AirPods are only now arriving. Why did it take so long? First, Apple knew it couldn't just build an average product. It had to be more advanced than existing solutions. AirPods uses special hardware and software to build Bluetooth technology, making it effortless to pair AirPods between multiple devices. This is particularly useful for some users today, who often have to switch between different iOS devices and Macs, not to mention the Apple Watch. The unpairing and re-pairing process is annoying, which also makes AirPods different from ordinary standard Bluetooth technology. Another difficulty is the battery life of wireless headphones. Apple has leading battery technology in both notebooks and mobile devices. In addition, since 2008, Apple has been working hard on ARM-based chip technology, which allows Apple to provide more power with minimal power consumption. For AirPods, the W1 custom chip developed by Apple can handle power consumption and wireless transmission. It also allows you to use Siri to control audio playback. Apple's second wearable device In addition to being a Bluetooth headset, AirPods can also be seen as Apple's second wearable device. Just as the wrist is to the Apple Watch, the ear is also an ideal place to spread information. AirPods also sense your behavior, and when you take them off, the music will start playing again. You can also use one earphone to listen to music and the other to charge it. Paired with an Apple Watch, you can use AirPods to listen to music, podcasts, or other audio, just like a small wearable device. AirPods are like EarPods without the wires, which is equivalent to the buttons on the EarPods cable being upgraded to touch controls on AirPods. Design brings experience Along the way, the design of Apple's headphones has undergone a series of changes. Apple launched a redesigned headset with the iPhone 5 and named it EarPods. Before the iPhone 7 conference, we didn't know whether Apple would continue to sell Beats headphones or develop a high-end headset of its own. In the end, Apple did both. In addition to AirPods, Apple also prepared a pair of EarPods equipped with a Lightning interface for the iPhone 7. AirPods use a special charging method. Users can charge the headphones by simply placing them in a special charging box. The charging box has two contacts for power supply, instead of inductive charging like Apple Watch. The method of charging this charging box is also very simple, just like charging an iPhone. Considering that Apple Watch is Apple's first step into the field of wearable fashion, AirPods highlights Apple's development trend and trajectory, and adheres to Apple's consistent design concept. As for whether this product can bring greater impact, it will be left to the market and time to test. As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity. |
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