From curating what we watch and changing how we listen to our tunes to whether or not Siri will give us the correct location to hide a body (legit, she will offer you dump sites, thanks Siri!), Steve Jobs and his Apple empire has a hand in pretty much everything we do. It’s Apple’s world and we’re all just living it. Which, if I’m being honest, I never really understood—until now. Yes, I own an iPhone (it came as part of my family’s phone plan package) and yes I have a MacBook (a super nice high school graduation gift), but those choices have always just felt sort of like the status quo. When it comes to all the other Apple accessories, I’ve been pretty content staying away from the Apple store. I still use my early 2000s headphones that came with my iPhone and even though the sound is *pretty* wonky at this point (what, your headphones don’t sound like they’re about to explode whenever you play music?), and untangling the cord on my commute leaves me feeling like this…
…I’ve always been fine with saving my money when it comes to my music listening experience. That’s all changed now. On October 30, Apple released their latest gadget, the AirPods Pro, and after trying out the latest ear candy from the mega brand, I’m sort of a changed woman. Because these earphones are pretty bomb. Here’s everything to know when making your own decision over whether or not to buy the pods.
They’re actually noise cancelling
The AirPods Pro use *science* to measure outside noise and counterbalance that with equal anti-noise, so you won’t hear outside sounds. And this is actually true. Popping in my new pods, it was seriously like being in a library—the sounds around me were that muted. So yes, I will 100% be wearing these to my next family holiday.
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But they also take your safety into account
One of my fave parts of the newest fruit of Apple’s labour is that they’ve given you the option to not only cancel the world out, but let it back in. While noise cancelling can be great for muting the snoring of the man sitting beside you on your morning subway commute, how many times have you had to yank your headphone out of your ear in order to hear the garbled announcements about a train delay over the TTC intercom? With AirPods Pro, a new “transparency mode” allows you to hear the outside world layered with your music.
Not only is this great for commuting, but as someone who runs—often alone—outside, it’s nice to know I can do so safely without completely foregoing any running music.
They’re water- (and sweat-) resistant
As a woman who proudly sweats like a sinner in church every GD day of my life, whether or not my headphones are going to fizzle out from my bodily juices is need-to-know info. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve been running on the treadmill, only to have my precious earbuds squeak and slide out of my ears right as Miley Cyrus was about to hit the peak of “The Climb.” It’s a truly tragic experience for anyone who has ever had the misfortune of running for 20-plus minutes on a motorized hamster wheel, because it completely throws you off.
Thankfully, the creators of Apple’s latest product had us sweaty folks in mind. The pods aren’t only sweat- and water-resistant (meaning while you can’t swim with them in—sorry Michael Phelps!—you’re good to stroll in the rain), but also have an expanded mesh microphone port, which improves call clarity during windy runs or hikes. This is AMAZING news for my mum, who consistently calls me while I’m walking home and spends about 10 minutes yelling “Are you outside? I can’t hear you!”
They’re functional
Because it’s Apple, no stone was left unturned when it come to functionality. The newest pods comes with three different sizes of ear tips which, once you find the perfect size, nestle neatly into your ear and create a seal so they don’t fall out. To make sure they got this right, the company scanned thousands of ears from around the world to make sure they were catering to any and all ear shapes and sizes. An “Ear Tip Fit Test,” which happens during the setup of your pods and measures the sound in your ears, makes sure that you’re using the right tip size.
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Also, if your pods do fall out (or you remove one from your ears) your music/podcast/phone call etc. will end, so you’ll know something’s up.
TMI, but my old earphones were seriously *disgusting* from all the times I literally ground them into my eardrum to stay put, so I appreciate this.
Another thing I appreciate? The freedom of being cordless! It’s a new, untangled world, baby—and I love it.
They come in at a relatively affordable price
Affordability is subjective, so I would never outright state that Apple AirPods Pro—or any tech purchase, for that matter—is affordable or accessible to everyone. But at $329 CAD, I would argue that they’re a mid-range luxury, and definitely attainable for those people who like to save and treat themselves (or their loved ones) every once in a while.
You feel *super* bougie
Honestly, this may be my biggest reason for falling in love with the pods. I love nice things. And even more than loving nice things, I love feeling self-important. And TBH, AirPods Pro help fit that bill. As someone who feels like they haven’t entirely fell into the cult of Apple, and felt pretty much until yesterday that AirPods were kind of overrated, there was a profound sense of je ne sais quoi to hopping on the subway, popping in my new pods and blasting the latest Cody Simpson banger (also something I thought I’d never say). I felt like the literal shit. It doesn’t really matter that no one knew about my new pods or what I was listening to. That’s between my AirPods Pro and I. I was feeling myself, and TBH that’s all that matters.
So, consider me a changed woman. And to my landlord: Yeah, I’ll probs be a little late on my rent.
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