Coming into 2019, Airpods are the newest fad that has taken the internet by storm. Apple initially released these wireless earbuds online on December 13th, 2016, meaning they only recently rose to popularity a little under two years. As their popularity skyrocketed, several questions arose: Why did they become popular so quickly? Why has everyone changed their opinion of airpods since they were released last year? Why are Airpods seen more as a necessity now than just a desire?
It is expected that the consumer will examine products before making a purchase which is the case when one is considering purchasing Airpods. Airpods are wireless earbuds that come with their own charging case. The case and the airpods have their own separate battery charge level, allowing the user to listen for more than a day without charging the case. These wireless buds use bluetooth connectivity to function. Airpods also have a built in microphone and in-ear detection to be used with Apple’s Siri to control volume and other components.
Airpods have become a hotspot for discussion on the internet. Coming in at around $160, most people would not even consider these buds for that price. Airpods, however, are Apple-branded—we know how much the internet loves Apple and all their products. Sophomore Flora Oliva shares her thoughts on how people buy brand name products: “Lots of times, I see name brand products bought not necessarily because they work well, but more because of the brand itself. There is a certain pressure to buy Apple products because everyone has them and if you don’t have them you don’t belong.”
Aside from the fact that they are Apple-branded, the internet has created memes about the pricing of Airpods. If someone has Airpods, they cannot hear people without them because they do not “hear” or “smell broke”. People are affected psychologically after seeing these memes and feel pressured to do anything they can to obtain Airpods. Continuing upon psychological tactics, are Airpods even really the best wireless earbuds you could buy? In my personal experience, I have had some issues with Airpods and their connectivity to my phone. Sometimes when my phone is in my pocket, the audio will start cutting out for no reason even though the range is supposed to be up to 30 feet. On the other hand, some people do not have any problems with Airpods and their faults. Junior Leo Schroeder expressed how most of his problems come from with his friends messing with them, instead of other issues such as connectivity. “Sometimes while I’m using my Airpods, my friend will connect them to his phone just to spite me. Otherwise, I don’t really have any problems with them since the battery life is long.”
Airpods are a fad that started late last year and are still going strong coming into this year. Stores are selling out of Airpods right as they get a new shipment and it’s difficult to get a pair somewhere other than the Apple store. The excitement will die down eventually because that’s how fads work. They come and go all the time, with the next trend waiting to replace it. Everyone will be satisfied whether they have Airpods or not and we will all forget about them soon enough. That is…until the Airpods 2 come out soon.
