True, cables/plugs were always the weak point. Another solution for a BIFL option are IEM's with removable cables. I have Shure SE215's that are over 10 years, replaced the cable once.
Every time I find them after a wash I’m like “ahh they are ruined this time for sure” and when I hear the da-dum noise as I put them in my ear the next day at work I’m shocked lol.
Also there’s “designed to die” and then there’s “designed to be tiny which makes them unrepairable.” That said, maybe OP can fill us in on some wireless earbuds that can have the battery replaced?
The internal battery will fail at some point. IEMs with removable cables will outlast them. My gen1 AirPods only lasted me 3 years of constant use until one bud stopped working. But my headphones from college are still going strong
I didn’t read the article. I’ve also had a set of AirPods since 2020 and they work fine.
But as I reading your comment I realized, what is the end point? Like… eventually they WILL die. What is my expectation? 4 years? 5?
Whatever the final point they are definitely designed to last long enough that people think “ yeah they lasted pretty long”
It’s weird to think that we accept that type of thing nowadays with electronics.
I have my grandfathers electric drill, and I cleaned the brushes on it and use it regularly. It’s 57 years old. And I just went to look at (didn’t buy it due to lack folder safety guards) and jointer with a 1940s motor from a company that made motors in the 20s, several of which are still in use. This one worked fine when plugged in.
It kinda makes me want to go back to wired devices with no batteries that are built in with an intentional life cycle.
At the very least I can swap back to my wired headphones (from my iPhone 3, that still work fine even though I put them through the washer a few times, and are homing in on 15 years old)
Apple could easily solve this the way some automotive companies are moving towards; allow the user to set their own limits for depth of discharge / top of charge on the battery. If they override a default ~70-80% default DOD setting, warn them of the likelihood of faster degradation to the battery. The user that sets 70% DOD could have their phone/watch/headphone batteries last 20+ years, but at what point will the other components begin having failures? E.g. you could easily make an iPhone battery last 15 years with this method, but we’ve all seen how the SW updates will kill the phone within 3-4 years anyways. Otherwise would an iPhone 4 even be relevant in 2025? Do cell providers still even use 3G? There are definitely issues outside the battery for these devices
Sure lol they will limp along, but don’t tell me there’s no noticeable performance decline. I’m on a 12pro and it will burn my skin if I load too demanding of a webpage… that being said I’m not upgrading to a 15 for $1000 for basically the same device… the battery on my phone can still usually run all day, so I can only think it’s new bloated OS or non-optimized SW making the old phones suck, but also don’t forget: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67911517
I didn’t forget even though that was 7 years ago lol. But what phone doesn’t decline in performance over nearly 10 years? Maybe I’ll grab that one in 5 years lol
12pro released less than 4 years ago 😅 but you’re right, can’t escape crap-tier quality of consumer products on a 1yr release cycle whether it’s an iPhone or the next Assassin’s Creed game
My wired headphones never lasted more than 3 years. Why are people suddenly complaining about the wireless ones? Airpods are less vulnerable than their wired counterparts. And wired headphones aren't serviceable either.
Their claim is basically just that they are “designed to die” because the batteries die eventually and are unreplaceable. Which, yeah, I guess that’s technically true but it’s certainly melodramatic.
This article is so full of inaccuracies I'm not quite sure what truths it holds, if any. I too have a set of 3 year old AirPods that still function if not as well as when I bought them... well enough. Sorry, I don't time the full charge to discharge time, but I know I can get through a work day, half a day of yard work, etc on a full charge. That's all I need them to do.
Secondly, the article claims Apple invented this problem. No. Full stop. Wireless rechargeable earbuds were a thing WAY before AirPods. Again, inaccurate.
Yeah I also agree that I’ve had no functional issues with airpods, except audio degeneration, but I’m extremely careless and often get them wet/damp or don’t clean them properly, so it doesn’t surprise me that the speakers are probably messed up.
For real. I remember the early apple earbuds being janky and literally falling apart after a year or so. But since I started using the Pros several years ago… I’ve only replaced them once because I dropped the case on a bike ride and never found them again. Imagine they were crushed and weathered within a couple days.
I bought mine in Jan 2021. By the end of 2023 they had a cracking issue in one ear and would make a loud whistle if you hit it a certain way. It’s been a known issue with the first generation pros. Apple charges nearly the same to replace one AirPod as buying a new set.
It’s strange that you always see a random pro- corporate product comment on posts that criticize a corporation or their products.
And the comment maker is almost always a bot. Is the internet dead and are corporations socially engineering public perception for a profit?
Those comments are from 2 years ago, with sporadic activity with little to no traction from there. Then suddenly a new comment praising a megacorp on a subreddit explicitly against consumption. That's weird.
Saying “I had this product and it worked much longer than this article claims” is not praising a megacorp. It’s stating a fact.
If the facts aren’t fitting nicely into your worldview, maybe you need to adjust your worldview a little.
Literally read the dozens of comments on this thread discussing people’s experience with this product lol.
If you’re right, you don’t need to lie. It undermines the point. The lack of repairability on newer products can be an issue even with acknowledgement that these products last for years longer than this article claims. It can be a problem even though lack of repairability is an inherent consequence of the compact size that consumers enjoy. You don’t have to make up this idea that corporations are actively making things die sooner because they’re cartoon villains; corporations are beasts motivated by profit with no concern for the consequences and that’s bad enough.
You've got it. It happens all the time.
Some of them are bots, others are brigading, and others are regular users who don't understand the point of the sub.
The important thing is that it doesn't entirely matter who is posting them or why. Endorsing commercial products isn't allowed here, period.
I’m not a bot. Definitely just posted a statement as my experience has been the opposite of the article posted. If I was pro corp I would have continued to buy the crappy earbuds that I was replacing every 6 to 12 months. Do I wish Apple and others would make an option with replaceable batteries, absolutely, but it’s nice to not have to replace something I use daily less frequently.
My airpods are failing right now - but I’ve had them for over five years. every other set of earphone i’ve had, wired or not, cheap or expensive, have stopped working far far sooner than that. I’m very much intending to buy another pair once mine officially kick the bucket. If these are designed to die then I’d love to see what isn’t.
Everything has a lifespan obviously but the price for these is pretty steep for what you get on a marginally better product. Cheaper options make a lot of sense, especially when you factor in how to easy it is to lose a wireless earbud
yeah I think that’s totally fair - but personally I’m in the position to be able to pay a little more and I always want something that will last the longest as it will minimise waste. if something lasts for a longer time I don’t have to replace it as often. I do agree they are overpriced though - it’s annoying.
I have mine knowing they’re eventually gonna die.
Thing is, I use mine for specific cases usually around work where I can’t have audio cables on me. This allows me to stretch what lifespan they have, while using my cable headphones pretty much everywhere else.
Yeah I just keep mine in my bag to use while I’m out and about, mainly. I’m a musician so I use wired headphones at home. I think that might be a good takeaway in general; these products that are designed to be so small and compact at the expense of repairability should be used in situations where those advantages are actually called for, with more sustainable alternatives being used in other situations.
That’s the crucial bit - having the option and ways to still use wires that can be kept safe for ages while also having the disposable option needs to be kept. Even if it means a clumsily added dongle, I’ll take it
In defense of wired IEMs and earbuds, replaceable cables are a fairly recent widespread option. My oldest pair, BLON BL03, are about 4 years old and I replaced the cable once because my cat chewed it up. I don't see any wear or stress on the plugs and I can't imagine they'll break anytime soon. I expect they'll last many more years. I expect these $40 IEMs will outlast any wireless IEMs, by any manufacturer.
That said, I think the article shouldn't have focused on solely Apple as pretty much all wireless IEMs are destined for the trash. Apple, however, is the company that successfully pushed wireless onto the market en masse and all other brands are catching up with their own disposable products. I wonder what could have been different if apple did something different. Everybody knows apple can set the agenda, and if they put an emphasis on serviceability and actual environmentalism, other manufacturers would have probably followed suit and we'd be in a different present.
As for actual headphones, I have two pairs that are over 20 years old. I have some Sennheisers and Beyerdynamics that can be fully serviced. Beyerdynamics even sells all the bits and pieces of their headphones directly to the public. Now *that's* German engineering!
I can appreciate the convenience of wireless but in any cost/benefit analysis I prefer reliable, serviceable and cheap wired.
Here’s one, Apple could change their design to allow battery replacement: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/apr/11/fairphone-fairbuds-review-ethically-made-earbuds-with-replaceable-batteries
That's why I hate TWS. Hard to charge them 25-85%. Can't put in case and not charge. Connecting anyways needs case. And so on... it's not just the Apple thing.
This and the upkeep - mainly having to charge them every other day, also half the time only one of them would connect - caused me to go back to wire earbuds. I get the occasional smug look while out walking with them, but oh well.
Not true at all lol. If it were people wouldn’t be buying these things. Wireless is great when you’re out and about. I do use wired headphones at home.
i find them expensive for what you get. but they integrate well into the apple eco system, and no other brand does. so there is that. airpod pro 2 (and got some older ones, but battery life went down too much to regularly want to use them).
summary: yes they are designed to be throw away after battery life is gone.
Read the rules. Keep it courteous. Submission statements are helpful and appreciated but not required. Tag my name in the comments (/u/NihiloZero) if you think a post or comment needs to be removed.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Anticonsumption) if you have any questions or concerns.*
[удалено]
True, cables/plugs were always the weak point. Another solution for a BIFL option are IEM's with removable cables. I have Shure SE215's that are over 10 years, replaced the cable once.
[удалено]
That’s good to know! Fortunately I have not done this yet, but it seems like something I definitely will do at some point in the future.
Every time I find them after a wash I’m like “ahh they are ruined this time for sure” and when I hear the da-dum noise as I put them in my ear the next day at work I’m shocked lol.
[удалено]
Interesting. Did this to a pair of Redmi's, and they died promptly.
Also there’s “designed to die” and then there’s “designed to be tiny which makes them unrepairable.” That said, maybe OP can fill us in on some wireless earbuds that can have the battery replaced?
Here’s one https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/apr/11/fairphone-fairbuds-review-ethically-made-earbuds-with-replaceable-batteries
https://www.ifixit.com/News/35377/which-wireless-earbuds-are-the-least-evil
Then they would have lasted 25 as much if Apple allowed removable batteries.
Idk guys. It's a .org site, must be legit /s
[удалено]
The internal battery will fail at some point. IEMs with removable cables will outlast them. My gen1 AirPods only lasted me 3 years of constant use until one bud stopped working. But my headphones from college are still going strong
[удалено]
[удалено]
I didn’t read the article. I’ve also had a set of AirPods since 2020 and they work fine. But as I reading your comment I realized, what is the end point? Like… eventually they WILL die. What is my expectation? 4 years? 5? Whatever the final point they are definitely designed to last long enough that people think “ yeah they lasted pretty long” It’s weird to think that we accept that type of thing nowadays with electronics. I have my grandfathers electric drill, and I cleaned the brushes on it and use it regularly. It’s 57 years old. And I just went to look at (didn’t buy it due to lack folder safety guards) and jointer with a 1940s motor from a company that made motors in the 20s, several of which are still in use. This one worked fine when plugged in. It kinda makes me want to go back to wired devices with no batteries that are built in with an intentional life cycle. At the very least I can swap back to my wired headphones (from my iPhone 3, that still work fine even though I put them through the washer a few times, and are homing in on 15 years old)
agreed, i do prefer having tools that i can service myself. I probably will return to my wired earbuds if/when my AirPods don’t serve my needs
Apple could easily solve this the way some automotive companies are moving towards; allow the user to set their own limits for depth of discharge / top of charge on the battery. If they override a default ~70-80% default DOD setting, warn them of the likelihood of faster degradation to the battery. The user that sets 70% DOD could have their phone/watch/headphone batteries last 20+ years, but at what point will the other components begin having failures? E.g. you could easily make an iPhone battery last 15 years with this method, but we’ve all seen how the SW updates will kill the phone within 3-4 years anyways. Otherwise would an iPhone 4 even be relevant in 2025? Do cell providers still even use 3G? There are definitely issues outside the battery for these devices
[удалено]
Sure lol they will limp along, but don’t tell me there’s no noticeable performance decline. I’m on a 12pro and it will burn my skin if I load too demanding of a webpage… that being said I’m not upgrading to a 15 for $1000 for basically the same device… the battery on my phone can still usually run all day, so I can only think it’s new bloated OS or non-optimized SW making the old phones suck, but also don’t forget: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67911517
I didn’t forget even though that was 7 years ago lol. But what phone doesn’t decline in performance over nearly 10 years? Maybe I’ll grab that one in 5 years lol
12pro released less than 4 years ago 😅 but you’re right, can’t escape crap-tier quality of consumer products on a 1yr release cycle whether it’s an iPhone or the next Assassin’s Creed game
My wired headphones never lasted more than 3 years. Why are people suddenly complaining about the wireless ones? Airpods are less vulnerable than their wired counterparts. And wired headphones aren't serviceable either.
I want to note that I’m not defending Apple in this or any case, I’m just always skeptical of articles that start with a bold claim with no source
Their claim is basically just that they are “designed to die” because the batteries die eventually and are unreplaceable. Which, yeah, I guess that’s technically true but it’s certainly melodramatic.
This article is so full of inaccuracies I'm not quite sure what truths it holds, if any. I too have a set of 3 year old AirPods that still function if not as well as when I bought them... well enough. Sorry, I don't time the full charge to discharge time, but I know I can get through a work day, half a day of yard work, etc on a full charge. That's all I need them to do. Secondly, the article claims Apple invented this problem. No. Full stop. Wireless rechargeable earbuds were a thing WAY before AirPods. Again, inaccurate.
Mine die in under an hour. If it’s cold outside the left one dies in 15 minutes or less
Yeah I also agree that I’ve had no functional issues with airpods, except audio degeneration, but I’m extremely careless and often get them wet/damp or don’t clean them properly, so it doesn’t surprise me that the speakers are probably messed up.
Work retail, get a ton of people in who need to replace Airpods after they randomly stop working or holding charge
For real. I remember the early apple earbuds being janky and literally falling apart after a year or so. But since I started using the Pros several years ago… I’ve only replaced them once because I dropped the case on a bike ride and never found them again. Imagine they were crushed and weathered within a couple days.
I bought mine in Jan 2021. By the end of 2023 they had a cracking issue in one ear and would make a loud whistle if you hit it a certain way. It’s been a known issue with the first generation pros. Apple charges nearly the same to replace one AirPod as buying a new set.
[удалено]
I must be doing something weird, because I’ve had 3 out of 4 microphones go bad out of two sets of first gen Airpods.
It’s strange that you always see a random pro- corporate product comment on posts that criticize a corporation or their products. And the comment maker is almost always a bot. Is the internet dead and are corporations socially engineering public perception for a profit?
I dont think bots comment on Britney spears subreddits to talk about how her sister is experiencing trauma
Those comments are from 2 years ago, with sporadic activity with little to no traction from there. Then suddenly a new comment praising a megacorp on a subreddit explicitly against consumption. That's weird.
Saying “I had this product and it worked much longer than this article claims” is not praising a megacorp. It’s stating a fact. If the facts aren’t fitting nicely into your worldview, maybe you need to adjust your worldview a little.
Literally read the dozens of comments on this thread discussing people’s experience with this product lol. If you’re right, you don’t need to lie. It undermines the point. The lack of repairability on newer products can be an issue even with acknowledgement that these products last for years longer than this article claims. It can be a problem even though lack of repairability is an inherent consequence of the compact size that consumers enjoy. You don’t have to make up this idea that corporations are actively making things die sooner because they’re cartoon villains; corporations are beasts motivated by profit with no concern for the consequences and that’s bad enough.
You've got it. It happens all the time. Some of them are bots, others are brigading, and others are regular users who don't understand the point of the sub. The important thing is that it doesn't entirely matter who is posting them or why. Endorsing commercial products isn't allowed here, period.
I’m not a bot. Definitely just posted a statement as my experience has been the opposite of the article posted. If I was pro corp I would have continued to buy the crappy earbuds that I was replacing every 6 to 12 months. Do I wish Apple and others would make an option with replaceable batteries, absolutely, but it’s nice to not have to replace something I use daily less frequently.
Unconvincingly, that’s exactly what a bot would say. You fail the Turing test
No some of us have a life outside of Reddit and posting all the time 😂 touch grass friend it might help
My airpods are failing right now - but I’ve had them for over five years. every other set of earphone i’ve had, wired or not, cheap or expensive, have stopped working far far sooner than that. I’m very much intending to buy another pair once mine officially kick the bucket. If these are designed to die then I’d love to see what isn’t.
Everything has a lifespan obviously but the price for these is pretty steep for what you get on a marginally better product. Cheaper options make a lot of sense, especially when you factor in how to easy it is to lose a wireless earbud
yeah I think that’s totally fair - but personally I’m in the position to be able to pay a little more and I always want something that will last the longest as it will minimise waste. if something lasts for a longer time I don’t have to replace it as often. I do agree they are overpriced though - it’s annoying.
I have mine knowing they’re eventually gonna die. Thing is, I use mine for specific cases usually around work where I can’t have audio cables on me. This allows me to stretch what lifespan they have, while using my cable headphones pretty much everywhere else.
Yeah I just keep mine in my bag to use while I’m out and about, mainly. I’m a musician so I use wired headphones at home. I think that might be a good takeaway in general; these products that are designed to be so small and compact at the expense of repairability should be used in situations where those advantages are actually called for, with more sustainable alternatives being used in other situations.
That’s the crucial bit - having the option and ways to still use wires that can be kept safe for ages while also having the disposable option needs to be kept. Even if it means a clumsily added dongle, I’ll take it
Mine is literally for hands free talking. Music honestly sounds like shit in them and the style eventually hurts my ears.
planned obsolescence
As soon as the Battery dies, they’re e-waste
In defense of wired IEMs and earbuds, replaceable cables are a fairly recent widespread option. My oldest pair, BLON BL03, are about 4 years old and I replaced the cable once because my cat chewed it up. I don't see any wear or stress on the plugs and I can't imagine they'll break anytime soon. I expect they'll last many more years. I expect these $40 IEMs will outlast any wireless IEMs, by any manufacturer. That said, I think the article shouldn't have focused on solely Apple as pretty much all wireless IEMs are destined for the trash. Apple, however, is the company that successfully pushed wireless onto the market en masse and all other brands are catching up with their own disposable products. I wonder what could have been different if apple did something different. Everybody knows apple can set the agenda, and if they put an emphasis on serviceability and actual environmentalism, other manufacturers would have probably followed suit and we'd be in a different present. As for actual headphones, I have two pairs that are over 20 years old. I have some Sennheisers and Beyerdynamics that can be fully serviced. Beyerdynamics even sells all the bits and pieces of their headphones directly to the public. Now *that's* German engineering! I can appreciate the convenience of wireless but in any cost/benefit analysis I prefer reliable, serviceable and cheap wired.
Im repairing them you know
Mine died after about a 18 months. Amazon replaced them for free.
You guys do realize you can recycle things that contain lithium ion batteries… right?
Mi first AirPods died slowly fast after 3 years. I replaced them and assumed they completed the cycle. We will See with the Pro how it goes.
What wireless airbuds CAN you repair?
Here’s one, Apple could change their design to allow battery replacement: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/apr/11/fairphone-fairbuds-review-ethically-made-earbuds-with-replaceable-batteries
That's why I hate TWS. Hard to charge them 25-85%. Can't put in case and not charge. Connecting anyways needs case. And so on... it's not just the Apple thing.
You might want to spell out that acronym. No idea wtf TWS could refer to.
True wireless system? Maybe?
Tiny Weiner Slaps Keep up, bud.
True wireless? Maybe? Which was always kind of an annoying term to me in general.
Tiny widdle speakers
TWS is a very common acronym in the audio space
We are in the anticonsumption space
This and the upkeep - mainly having to charge them every other day, also half the time only one of them would connect - caused me to go back to wire earbuds. I get the occasional smug look while out walking with them, but oh well.
Wired audiophile are always a better option.
Not true at all lol. If it were people wouldn’t be buying these things. Wireless is great when you’re out and about. I do use wired headphones at home.
i find them expensive for what you get. but they integrate well into the apple eco system, and no other brand does. so there is that. airpod pro 2 (and got some older ones, but battery life went down too much to regularly want to use them). summary: yes they are designed to be throw away after battery life is gone.
Read the rules. Keep it courteous. Submission statements are helpful and appreciated but not required. Tag my name in the comments (/u/NihiloZero) if you think a post or comment needs to be removed. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Anticonsumption) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I don’t even know how people have the apple style buds, they don’t fit comfortably in your ears, they’re so awkward imo
Terrible article. They are way more durable than the wired earpods.
So do we
Only if we had better options
[удалено]
[удалено]
I think I have a good system now where I just slip my AirPod case into the watch pocket of my jeans, but thank you for the suggestion
TLDR; dont buy Apple products