by Luisa Bloom
A life without AirPods is a sad, sad life.
At this point in time, anyone who owns an iPhone also owns a pair AirPods — and if they don’t, there’s no way they don’t feel filled with regret.
AirPods are known for being its first of their kind for their familiar and iconic Apple headphone shape. They’re wireless, easy to connect with, and have amazing sound quality. The Double Space asked a few Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts) students and teachers what they thought about the ubiquitous electronic.
“At first I thought it was a little dumb cause I feel like they like would fall out easily. Since they’re not like attached to anything and like people can lose them. But they look cool, they look nice for the fit,” said Anaiyah Burks, a student at ChiArts.
Taneya Bell, however, said she thinks AirPods are an accident waiting to happen.
“They’re easy to break and they’re easy to lose. I feel like if I have a pair, I’m gonna lose them when I get them. I feel like It’s a big responsibility to have them,” Bell said.
Riqui Hernandez agreed. “I recently lost mine somewhere in my house. They’re just somewhere in my house thats all I know but if you lose one AirPod, it’s over with,” Hernandez said.
AirPods do seem to be game of lost and found with people. Because they’re wireless, it’s increasingly easy for them to get lost. When that happens, many students said, it’s game over. Each individual AirPod costs a whopping $69.
“I think they’re for rich people; that’s why I can’t have them,” Sonia Florey said.
The AirPods’ total retail price comes to $150. Not many students are able to afford them at such a high cost.
There are, however, a number of knock-off brands on the market. A quick search on Amazon yields hundreds of results, with decently rated models clocking in at under $20.
But Burks isn’t sold.
“I bought a pair of knock-off Beats and I got made fun of so much. I didn’t know they were knock-offs but we got them at a laundromat,” Burks said, adding, “I’m never buying knock-offs again.”
A person scrolling through social media is bound to run into an ad talking about their cheap $15 dollar AirPods. Sure, they’re cheaper. However, the sound quality drops a ton, and some people say that knock-off AirPods feel heavier and uncomfortable.
Overall, not many ChiArts students are happy about AirPods. Perhaps Apple will take heed and will start making AirPods easier to deal with for everyone.
