Exact Answer: 18 Hours
AirPods deliver an exceptional listening experience with all devices. Each model connects easily and carries high-quality sound into an innovative wireless device.
The limiting determinant of the lifespan of AirPods or AirPods Pro earbuds is the capacity of their batteries to retain a change. Besides, one will find that the AirPods won’t last up to five hours or more. Battery time per charge may fall gradually over several months of use.
How long this lasts depends on how much it’s used, but it seems the original AirPods will last about two years before a noticeable decline in battery function shows up, whereas AirPods Pro is unlikely to last much longer.
How Long Do AirPods Last?
| AirPod Type | Lifespan |
| First Generation | 5 hours of listening time; 2 hours of talk time |
| Second Generation | 5 hours of listening time; 3 hours of talk time |
| Pro | 5 hours of listening time (Non-ACN) & 4.5 hours (With ACN); 3.5 hours of talk time |
Conventionally, Apple says its first-generation AirPods offer up to five hours of listening time and two hours of talk time when charged once, while second-generation AirPods give an extra hour of talk time. AirPods Pro has the same battery time as AirPods with five hours of listening time, but in Active Noise Cancellation (ACN) mode, listening time reduces to four and a half hours, and talk time restricts to three and a half hours. The Charging Cases for all the designs offer 24 hours of extra listening time or over extra 18 hours of talk time.
The phrase ‘up to’ acts as a reason that Apple always chooses to apply that is not just to consider a particular usage scenario that can drain the battery quicker. It is also because if someone has owned AirPods for a while and uses them almost every day, they might struggle to receive anything near the stated battery life without recharging it a lot more frequently than they do.
In pure wireless earbuds, just like the AirPods, the battery manages to be the first thing that goes bad, which turns the battery lifespan a limiting factor in how long the AirPods will last. Aside from extreme heat, what ruins a battery is charging. Each time some charge AirPods, the batteries lose a small amount of capacity. Regrettably, this deterioration is unchangeable, later over time, it breaks down completely. All batteries have a confined number of charge periods until they can not retain the charge.
Why Do AirPods Last That Long?
There’s no mystery that batteries depreciate over time, and Apple’s AirPods are not any different. But their small size makes them especially exposed to the natural damages that occur throughout all lithium-ion batteries ‘ predicted lifespan. A little damage in an iPhone battery might be negligible, but the same-sized portion in an AirPod battery is going to be much more notable because of its moderately tiny volume in parallel.
The process by which the AirPods batteries discharge also has an impact on the actual battery life. For illustration, if one makes or receives numerous calls over their AirPods, as time will pass they are most likely to notice any irregularity in battery life between the left and right AirPods. That is because initially, only one AirPod turns on its microphone during calls.
A simple way to increase the life of the AirPods is by dodging deep discharges. While it’s a great idea to maximize every charge before the recharge of the AirPods, one might not want to completely discharge their batteries. An over-discharge of a lithium-ion battery might create irreversible alterations in the anode and cathode. This can trigger an internal short circuit when someone recharges the battery.
At the very least, a deep discharge will decrease the battery’s overall ability. The gentle spot between elevating charging cycles and battery lifespan is somewhere between 20% to 40% remaining battery life. An iPhone or iPad will notify the user when the charge of the AirPods has dropped to 20%. That’s when one must charge them. On hearing the alert tone at 10%, one is pushing their fate.
Conclusion
If someone owns an AirPods, it is necessary to check the lifespan of the AirPods. AirPods are very expensive, though the earbuds’ production also has unchangeable social and environmental consequences. It is the same for every wireless device, specifically true wireless earbuds, as the batteries rarely last past two years and are very difficult to service.
It is hard to estimate the precise influence of AirPods that correlates to wired alternatives, such as the EarPods. It would require a comprehensive stock LCA, also known as Life Cycle Assessment, from raw material extraction and the making of each element to shipping, energy use by consumers, and ultimately disposal.
The difference between wired and wireless devices is the battery or three batteries precisely, one in each earbud and one in the charging case. While rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are a huge improvement over single-use types of batteries, they are far from being clean technology.
References
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15295036.2019.1658885
- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8863769/
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Interesting to learn about the battery life and lifespan of AirPods. I appreciate the thorough investigation into this topic.
This is very informative and well-researched. It’s important to know the lifespan of these devices before making a significant investment.
Absolutely, it’s vital to be aware of these factors when purchasing any tech product.
It’s true, battery life is a crucial factor to consider when thinking about the long-term costs of AirPods.
If AirPods only last for two years, it makes me question the value for money. Perhaps more durable options should be considered.
That’s a valid point. Longevity is indeed a significant concern when choosing a product like this.
I agree, it’s disappointing to think that such expensive devices might not last very long.
The warning about deep discharges is especially useful. I had no idea that could impact the lifespan of the AirPods.
Definitely, understanding how to maintain the battery health is crucial in prolonging the life of any device.
This post raises ethical considerations regarding the impact of wireless devices on the environment. A thought-provoking perspective.
Absolutely, the environmental impact of consumer electronics is an important issue that often goes overlooked.