As a peripheral derivative of Apple’s iPhone, the true wireless Bluetooth earphone can be said to have been pushed to the mass market by Apple alone, but unlike the iPhone, Apple’s adjustment frequency on the AirPods series seems to conflict with its own product principles.
In 2016, Apple released the first true wireless Bluetooth earphone AirPods. Although the media commented that the new AirPods earphones are stylish and easy to use, but it is still not enough for Apple to abandon the 3.5mm headphone jack. Apple AirPods earphones are exquisite but easy to lose. However, since the Android camp completely canceled the 3.5mm headphone jack, many mobile phone manufacturers and headset manufacturers have also entered the true wireless headset market, and Apple has firmly occupied the global true wireless headset market share and business with better design and wearing comfort. Take the top spot in the share list.
From the first release in 2016 to the second-generation AirPods released in 2019, Apple can be said to be alone in victory in terms of product, market, and revenue. This advantage allows Apple to habitually continue the iPhone product thinking-the design will not be changed, only the hardware will be improved, so we only saw the new H1 chip and the increase of wireless charging on the second generation of AirPods.
But at this time Apple’s authority in true wireless Bluetooth headsets has been challenged. Among them, the best-performing company is Sony, and the product is the Sony WF-1000XM3, which inherits the elegant and modern appearance of the 1000X noise reduction family, it has reached new heights in terms of noise reduction, sound quality, connectivity, and control. The most outstanding is the industry’s famous active noise reduction technology, equipped with HD noise reduction processor QN1e and dual noise sensor technology to actively eliminate environmental noise The interference caused greatly improves the noise reduction performance.
In a market environment where the price of the second-generation Apple AirPods is almost the same, the Sony WF-1000XM3, with its excellent noise reduction effect, has risen rapidly, challenging Apple’s king status. Of course, Apple will not sit still. In October 2019, Apple launched a new generation of AirPods Pro, which is Apple’s first wireless earphone that supports active noise reduction.
It is only half a year away from the previous generation product. At the same time, the appearance adopts a new in-ear design instead of the classic appearance of EarPods that has been used for many years. AirPods Pro can be said to be the first time Apple has made changes to its competitors. At this moment, Apple is still the king of the industry.
Don’t forget, Apple also added a transparent mode to this earphone, allowing users to listen to music while the headset also collects the surrounding environment sound for users to hear at the same time, this use scenario is common in outdoor running. Combined with a pressure-balanced ventilation system and advanced software, it can partially reduce noise.
On December 8, 2020, Apple once again made changes to true wireless headsets. This time Apple announced the launch of the headset AirPods Max. Its main functions include high-fidelity audio, adaptive equalizer, active noise reduction, and spatial audio. Every component from the dome to the ear pads is carefully designed, among which the breathable woven dome can distribute weight and reduce head pressure. The stainless steel headband frame brings toughness, flexibility, and comfort, and can be adapted to various head shapes. In addition, the telescopic sleeve rod can be smoothly extended and fixed in a suitable position to maintain an ideal fit.
Compared with traditional headsets, AirPods Max does not compete with traditional Hi-Fi headsets in terms of unit, materials, cables, structure, and acoustic design. Instead, it focuses on interactive experience, noise reduction capabilities, and computational audio, this makes AirPods Max the new benchmark for headphones.
According to the latest news, Apple’s new AirPods Pro earphone body adopts a different design from the past, completely canceling the earphone stem that has been used in three generations of products but adopts an in-ear solution similar to Samsung and Bose. Compared to the previous generation, the volume is significantly reduced, enabling a smaller wind noise experience.
At the same time, the new AirPods Pro will be equipped with the same Apple H1 chip as the previous three generations of products. The audio, noise reduction effect, and user experience are not much different from the previous products, but the new AirPods Pro will bring more excellent water resistance. The ability to dust helps improve the durability of the product. At present, the new AirPods Pro has already begun off-line production, among which domestic Winbond Electronics is one of the manufacturers that supply NOR flash memory to Apple, and it is expected to officially debut in April this year.
Jason 
Sean Lee 
