Hands-On With Apple's New AirPods

Following a wait that was close to two months, Apple's AirPods have finally made their way into the hands of customers. The first AirPods orders started arriving to customers who pre-ordered last week, and Apple retail stores also began brick and mortar sales.

After waiting in line at 6:00 a.m. in the freezing cold in Palo Alto, MacRumors videographer Matt Gonzalez managed to snag a set of AirPods and has spent the day testing them out for a hands-on video. To get a closer look at the AirPods and see what Matt thought, watch below.


Customer reactions to AirPods have been largely positive, and users have been impressed with the fit, the sound quality, the syncing process, and the battery life.

Sound quality and long-range Bluetooth seem to be one of the biggest surprises, and many customers have said the sound is better than the standard EarPods, even likening the sound to more expensive headphones. With the W1 chip, the AirPods connect to the iPhone and other devices within seconds, and charging speeds are impressive -- Apple's promised 3 hours of playback for 15 minutes of charging, which has turned out to be accurate.

Most Apple Stores sold out of AirPods stock within an hour or two as people lined up ahead of when stores opened, but some stores are already receiving new shipments and Apple has promised regular stock. In-store pickup to check stock is not yet available, but should be coming in the near future.

Best Buy also had a limited amount of stock today for online orders, but supplies were exhausted quickly. There's no word yet on whether Best Buy will be getting more stock, but the site is now listing the seventh of February as a delivery date.

AirPods ordered today from the online Apple Store will not ship out for six weeks, so customers hoping to get AirPods before January will need to keep an eye on stock at their local retail store.

Related Roundup: AirPods 4
Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Neutral)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Max 80% Charge Limit: One Year Later, Was It Worth It?

Wednesday September 24, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
With the iPhone 15 series, I did an experiment and kept my iPhone's Charge Limit set at 80 percent for an entire year. It provided an interesting look at the impact of charge limits on battery longevity, so I decided to repeat it for the iPhone 16 line. Since September 2024, my iPhone 16 Pro Max has been limited to an 80 percent charge, with no cheating. As of today, my battery's maximum...
AirPods Pro 3 Newsroom

Apple's 'Back to School' Offer Ends Soon, Now Applies to AirPods Pro 3

Wednesday September 24, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Apple's annual "Back to School" promotion for students ends soon, so act fast if you want to score free AirPods with the purchase of an eligible new Mac or iPad. Until Tuesday, September 30, college students and qualifying educational staff in the U.S. can receive free AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation when they purchase an eligible new Mac or iPad from Apple. This is a $179 value. ...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

Apple Blames In-Store MagSafe Chargers for iPhone 17 Pro Display Model Scratches

Wednesday September 24, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
The marks on the iPhone 17 Pro models that people have noticed at Apple retail stores are caused by the chargers that Apple uses, Apple confirmed today. Apple told 9to5Mac that worn MagSafe charging stands in stores are causing marks on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple says that the marks are not scratches, and are instead material transfer from the stand to the phone. The...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Skipped the iPhone 17 Pro? Here's What is Rumored for iPhone 18 Pro

Tuesday September 23, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. This story was published previously, and it has been updated to reflect the latest rumors. Many early rumors prove to be true, but nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple's...
Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Thursday September 25, 2025 1:11 pm PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple smart home hub concept based on rumors This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system. In a report last month, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform ...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about. New Apple Intelligence Languages Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPo...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Confirms iOS 26 Wallet Passport Feature is Coming in 2025

Tuesday September 23, 2025 1:06 pm PDT by
Digital ID, the iOS 26 feature that lets U.S. passport holders add their passports to the Wallet app, is coming later in 2025, Apple confirmed today. Apple updated the release timing wording of Digital ID on its iOS 26 features page. "Digital ID will be coming later this year with US passports only," it reads. Prior to today, the footnote for the feature said "Digital ID will be available ...
apple tv 4k new orange

Next Apple TV Expected to Launch This Year With These New Features

Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Likely Features N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7 Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
iPhone 17 Pro USB C Port

iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers

Monday September 22, 2025 7:29 am PDT by
The website ChargerLAB has tested the iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple's chargers, from 18W to 140W. The device reached a peak charging speed of around 36W with the following Apple chargers:40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max 61W USB-C Power Adapter 67W USB-C Power Adapter 70W USB-C Power Adapter 96W USB-C Power Adapter 140W USB-C Power AdapterFor...

Top Rated Comments

andy.ringwood Avatar
115 months ago
One word :- fugly old design
That's three words.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BigJayhawk Avatar
115 months ago
Honestly, as someone who has had DOZENS and DOZENS of Apple products, this is THE MOST REVOLUTIONARY CHANGE in a long time.

This is like FOUR products in one. As someone who uses the phone A TON as a consultant, I had to revert to wired in the car because the Bluetooth headsets would go dead. AirPods are like TWO Bluetooth headsets for the price of one. That's two things. Now add the battery pack / storage container for 24 hours of charge. That's a THIRD item. Finally, when listening to a call or music with one AirPod and you hit a song you really like, just put in the other AirPod and voila, your FOURTH item - an instant set of wireless headphones that sound better than Apple'S regular ones and my old beats Bluetooth headphones.

All of this is WITHOUT CORDS to look silly when one is out of your ears and when you are meeting with professionals while consulting.

Seriously, the MOST transformational Apple product I've had in YEARS and I have them ALL. Do not under-estimate this. It is seriously like comparing my Palm Phone to my first iPhone in 2007. AND FOR ONLY $159. Nothing currently compares at ANY price in my opinion.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CXsjr Avatar
115 months ago
"Airpods sound just as good if not better than earpods" - MKBHD ('//www.youtube.com/watch?v=KftNp6hdO5g')

$159 vs $30 for slightly better? LOL...Apple, this is pathetic.
Nearly as pathetic as some of the trolls hanging around these forums of late ....
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
115 months ago
I sometimes wonder if Jony understands real world usability or simply cares about visual aesthetics.
I sometimes wonder if half the people spouting criticism have actually used the new product rather than just criticising it.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
115 months ago
Are you again harassing me
Not at all. A question doesn't constitute harassment or your definition of harassment is used out of context. Again, why did you edit your response from Post #1? Have you tried the Airpods or tested them? This is a forum for discussion and I asked You a question.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sinsin07 Avatar
115 months ago
Why did you delete your original post listed below for Post #1? (Which you were quoted on).

@Sunnysunnysingh quoted: "One word :- fugly old design"
Easy answer: Got caught out there, so he tried to flip the script.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)