I disagree. After owning a pair of AirPods for the better part of a year now, I have to agree with the author and say that they are one of the best products Apple have released in a very long time.

They have the ‘it just works’ magic of Apple products, the design is very well thought out, and the implementation is fantastic. The battery lasts seemingly forever, they pair instantly, and the sound quality is very good for their size.

The AirPods have completely changed the way I consume audio and video content. Before I owned a pair I would never just sit down and watch a short video, or listen to a few minutes of a podcast, simply because my wired headphones weren’t convenient. For starters, they were likely not to hand because they didn’t always stay with me. Even if they were, they would need untying before I could start watching and then tying again when I was finished. Although these are small barriers, they were enough to stop me pulling my phone out taking 5 minutes to watch or listen to something. Nowadays, on the other hand, my AirPods are always in my pocket and can be in my ears and paired within 5 seconds (and put away just as quickly).

Whether removing this barrier to consuming short bits of content at a moment’s notice is a good thing is a separate question, one which this article begins to explore. As for the AirPods as a device, however; not only are they the best Apple product I’ve purchased in years, I can confidently say that they are simply the best product that I have purchased in recent years.