Bluetooth earphones are like early smartphone cameras

There’s an increasingly hackneyed ideas that “the best camera is the one you have with you.” My experience has been about the same with…

There’s an increasingly hackneyed ideas that “the best camera is the one you have with you.” My experience has been about the same with bluetooth earphones — and that’s why I’m looking forward to trying AirPods.

When I’m just walking between places and want a quick burst of podcasts, being able to plug in an ear and almost immediately start listening, feels great.

That doesn’t mean they are all I use. At my work desk, I plug into Bose QC15s, and for working on the move or longer journeys, I have a pair of Beyerdynamic earphones for music, comfort and a good microphone.

But proportionately, those bluetooth earphones probably see as much action as any — maybe more when I was running.

The point is: even with iPhone 1, I found myself taking snaps that wouldn’t have bothered with before, as well as using my other camera. The extra usage for these devices is often not replacing a previous option but creating new possibility alongside it.

Alongside the convenience, AirPods also include smart features like only turning on when they hit your ears, making it easier to access Siri and pairing across all my Apple devices in one go.

Back when I was more sceptical about Apple releasing a watch, I wrote a piece for Wired that explain earphones might be a much stronger opportunity.

Listen up Apple: build a smart EarPod or someone else will
Apple should create a smart "EarPod" -- earphones that monitor fitness while also playing music -- or they'll lose out…

The fact that AirPods won’t have any buttons beyond Siri access only confirms to me that the relationship with the Watch is more significant than it first appears. Between the two, you will now be able to cover the most easy, casual actions you take day to day (especially if they bring in the “Hey Siri” auto-listening.)

  • Notifications? See on Watch, reply via Siri
  • Send a quick message/ reminder etc, just hit Siri.
  • Check in on Foursquare/ get directions on CityMapper, tap Watch.

I also like the phrase “nearables” to take in all these various devices in the constellation that now surrounds us.

What comes next

I think there’s an obvious reason the AirPods are relatively basic when it comes to sound quality. These are the pods that will eventually ship in the box, once they slip down the upgrade cycle.

A premium version at double the price will look smarter, improve sound quality and likely add to the feature set.

For now though, I’m very happy to continue my exploration of bluetooth earphones and see where AirPods usher the experience onward.

A sound of things to come.

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