{"id":15256,"date":"2023-04-14T13:00:19","date_gmt":"2023-04-14T12:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/?p=15256"},"modified":"2025-02-17T14:31:19","modified_gmt":"2025-02-17T14:31:19","slug":"airpods-buyers-guide-should-you-buy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/2023\/04\/14\/airpods-buyers-guide-should-you-buy\/","title":{"rendered":"AirPods buyer&#8217;s guide: should you buy?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Apple\u2019s AirPods range is a must-have for any iPhone user, but with so many different models and generations, it can be hard to decide which to buy.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to this AirPods buying guide, you\u2019ll be able to work out the exact differences between all of the AirPods models and generations, so you can decide which is best for you.<\/p>\n<p>Keep reading to discover AirPods guide and tips to help your decision-making, including everything you need to know about each model and which is best for your budget!<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>In this blog:<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#Which-are-the-best-AirPods-to-buy\">Which are the best AirPods to buy?<\/a>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"2\"><a href=\"#Airpods\">AirPods<\/a><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"2\"><a href=\"#Airpods-pro\">AirPods Pro<\/a><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"2\"><a href=\"#AirPods-Max\">AirPods Max<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#AirPods-user-guide\">AirPods user guide<\/a><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#Where-to-buy-Apple-AirPods\">Where to buy Apple AirPods?<\/a><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#Can-you-buy-AirPods-without-the-case\">Can you buy AirPods without the case?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 id=\"Which-are-the-best-AirPods-to-buy\">Which are the best AirPods to buy?<\/h2>\n<p>With many models and generations of AirPods on the market, it can easily leave you wondering, \u201cwhich AirPods should I buy?\u201d Luckily, we\u2019re here to break down each AirPods model and the generations that are on offer.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"Airpods\">AirPods<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/airpods.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13897 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/airpods.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/airpods.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/airpods-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/airpods-768x480.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>These types of AirPods are Apple\u2019s entry-level options and there are currently three generations to choose from.<\/p>\n<p>The standard AirPods are the cheapest option when compared to the AirPods Max or AirPods Pro version of the same generation, so if you\u2019re thinking, \u201cshould I buy AirPods or AirPods Pro\u201d and want to keep costs at a minimum, the standard AirPods will be the best choice for you.<\/p>\n<p>AirPods increase in price depending on the generation you want to buy. Usually, the older generations will cost less, as they aren\u2019t as new and don\u2019t offer the latest and greatest updates\/features.<\/p>\n<p>To help you decide on which generation to choose from, here is a list of specs:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table style=\"height: 275px;\" width=\"706\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><strong>AirPods (1st gen)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>AirPods (2nd gen)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>AirPods (3rd gen)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Active noise cancelling<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Transparency mode<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Connectivity<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Bluetooth 5.0<\/td>\n<td>Bluetooth 5.0<\/td>\n<td>Bluetooth 5.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Battery (case)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>More than 24 hours<\/td>\n<td>More than 24 hours<\/td>\n<td>Up to 30 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Battery (earbud)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Up to 5 hours<\/td>\n<td>Up to 5 hours<\/td>\n<td>Up to 6 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Water resistance<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>IPX4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Charging<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Lightning only<\/td>\n<td>Lightning only<\/td>\n<td>Lightning, Qi, MagSafe<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Custom chip<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Apple W1<\/td>\n<td>Apple H1<\/td>\n<td>Apple H1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"Airpods-pro\">AirPods Pro<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/pro.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-14845 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/pro.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"502\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/pro.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/pro-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/pro-768x482.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The AirPods Pro are the Pro versions of the standard AirPods, and so they cost a little extra &#8211; but for good reason. Whether it\u2019s a better chip, added water resistance, or a noise cancelling feature, the AirPods Pro will always one up the matching AirPods generation.<\/p>\n<p>There are currently two generations of AirPods Pro models: AirPods Pro 1st gen and AirPods Pro 2nd gen. Like with the standard AirPods, the higher the generation, the more expensive the AirPods will be, as they will be newer.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re wondering, \u201cshould I buy AirPods or AirPods Pro\u201d and you\u2019d happily sacrifice an extra few pounds in exchange for better earbuds, we\u2019d suggest opting for the AirPods Pro instead!<\/p>\n<p>To help you decide on which generation of AirPods Pro to choose from, here is a list of specs:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table style=\"height: 271px;\" width=\"637\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><strong>AirPods Pro (1st gen)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>AirPods Pro (2nd gen)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Active noise cancelling<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Transparency mode<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Connectivity<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Bluetooth 5.0<\/td>\n<td>Bluetooth 5.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Battery (case)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>More than 24 hours<\/td>\n<td>Up to 30 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Battery (earbud)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Up to 4.5 hours<\/td>\n<td>Up to 6 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Water resistance<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>IPX4<\/td>\n<td>IPX4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Charging<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Lightning, Qi, MagSafe<\/td>\n<td>Lightning, Qi, MagSafe<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Custom chip<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Apple H1<\/td>\n<td>Apple H2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"AirPods-Max\">AirPods Max<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/max-.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-14847 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/max-.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/max-.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/max--300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/max--768x480.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Unlike both the AirPods and AirPods Pro, the AirPods Max are actually headphones rather than earbuds; therefore they don\u2019t come with a charging case and offer different features.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, there is only one generation of AirPods Max, so there\u2019s less research needed before making your purchase.<\/p>\n<p>To help you decide if the AirPods Max are right for you, here is a list of specs:<\/p>\n<table class=\"style=&quot;height:\" width=\"453\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><strong>AirPods Max<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Active noise cancelling<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Transparency mode<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Connectivity<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Bluetooth 5.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Battery (case)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>N\/A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Battery (earbud)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Up to 20 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Water resistance<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Charging<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Lightning only<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Custom chip<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Apple H1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 id=\"AirPods-user-guide\" style=\"text-align: center;\">AirPods user guide<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/how-often.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-14849 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/how-often.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/how-often.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/how-often-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/how-often-768x480.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Now that you\u2019ve looked through our AirPods buyers guide and have decided on the AirPods for you, it\u2019s time to figure out how to use them!<\/p>\n<h3>Pair your AirPods<\/h3>\n<p>To use your AirPods, you\u2019ll need to pair them to your Apple device. To do this, simply open your Bluetooth settings and pair to the AirPods. You\u2019ll then be able to listen to music, movies, messages and more.<\/p>\n<p>After you\u2019ve set up your AirPods with your Apple device, your AirPods will connect automatically to your other Apple devices where you\u2019re signed in with the same Apple ID.<\/p>\n<h3>Controlling sound and music<\/h3>\n<p>The AirPods controls are simple to use. With just a tap or a press, you\u2019ll be able to pause and resume video playback, skip music tracks and more!<\/p>\n<h3>Using Siri<\/h3>\n<p>If you want to use Siri on your AirPods, you can either turn on \u2018Listen for Hey Siri\u2019 in your settings or tap the stem of your AirPods Pro (for 1st and 2nd gen AirPods, you\u2019ll need to tap the top of you earbuds) to activate Siri.<\/p>\n<h3>Using noise cancellation<\/h3>\n<p>An AirPods tip for those with AirPods Pro (all generations) or AirPods Max is using the noise cancellation feature. To cancel external sounds, switch the noise cancellation feature on in your settings. And when you need to hear the dog bark or kettle whistling, switch to Transparency mode.<\/p>\n<h3>Finding your AirPods<\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s all too easy to misplace an earbud, that\u2019s why Apple added the Find My feature to AirPods! You can locate and get directions to your AirPods when they\u2019re lost or if they\u2019re nearby, you can play a sound on your AirPods to help you locate them.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"Where-to-buy-Apple-AirPods\">Where to buy Apple AirPods?<\/h2>\n<p>There are plenty of places you can buy Apple AirPods! The most obvious place to purchase some new AirPods would be with Apple, either in a store or on the website. If you don\u2019t fancy paying the expensive prices that most retailers offer, you can always switch to refurbished instead for a cheaper price!<\/p>\n<p>For those wondering, \u201cis it worth buying refurbished AirPods?\u201d we\u2019re here to tell you it is! It\u2019s no secret that AirPods are quite costly, so if you aren\u2019t willing to part with that much money, refurbished is a great solution.<\/p>\n<p>Refurbished AirPods from musicMagpie are thoroughly checked to ensure they\u2019re in perfect working condition, ready to be resold and put back to use. So if you\u2019re looking for a way of buying AirPods for less and are thinking, \u201cshould I buy second hand AirPods\u201d the answer is yes!<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"Can-you-buy-AirPods-without-the-case\">Can you buy AirPods without the case?<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/case.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-14848 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/case.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/case.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/case-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/case-768x480.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re looking to cut costs by purchasing the AirPods without the case, you\u2019ll be disappointed to know that AirPods can only be purchased with the case unless you\u2019re buying<a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/en-gb\/airpods\/repair\"> replacement AirPods<\/a> from Apple.<\/p>\n<p>You have to purchase both left and right AirPods along with the case; this is the case for both new and refurbished AirPods. If you already have AirPods but have lost the case or an AirPod, you\u2019ll be able to purchase a replacement for the part you have lost with Apple directly.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>Decided on your next set of AirPods? Get them cheaper when you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/store\/category\/sound-and-vision\/?filter=collections:apple-airpods\">buy refurbished AirPods<\/a> with musicMagpie. You can also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/sell-tech\/sell-apple-goods\/sell-airpods\/\">trade in AirPods<\/a> with us to get extra cash towards your next AirPods purchase!<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Plus, make your next phone even cheaper by shopping our huge range of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/store\/mobile-phones\">r<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/store\/mobile-phones\/\">efurbished phones<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/store\/category\/mobile-phones\/apple\/\">refurbished iPhone<\/a> models at the musicMagpie Store.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Apple\u2019s AirPods range is a must-have for any iPhone user, but with so many different models and generations, it can be hard to decide which to buy. Thanks to this AirPods buying guide, you\u2019ll be able to work out the exact differences between all of the AirPods models and generations, &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":14846,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2244,2154,4],"tags":[2333,2334,2335],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15256"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15256"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15256\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18024,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15256\/revisions\/18024"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14846"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15256"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicmagpie.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}