How Long Do AirPods Last Lifetime? Find Out

April 22, 2021

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Apple Airpods is part of the true wireless earbuds family that is making audio devices more compact; either it’s Airpods or the upgraded version, Airpods pro; they are both great earbuds to own. Recently bought Airpods will give you a battery life of 5 hours. But once the battery life drops significantly and you have to charge it longer than you usually would, then your Airpods is about to reach its end of life.

So How Long Do Airpods Last Lifetime?

Airpods (such as Apple AirPods Pro) have a lifetime of about two-three years. Every time you charge your Airpods, the battery deteriorates a bit. This is unnoticeable for some time, but as the months pass, you will start noticing the drop in battery life.

After some time, they might not even hold a charge. Besides, getting the slated lifespan of 2 years isn’t guaranteed. Other factors like being a heavy user, listening to music in loud volume, and inadequate care of Airpods can also reduce the lifespan. Making and receive calls a lot also drains the battery more than listening to music.

Besides, the upgraded version of Apple Airpods, the “Airpods pro“, might not even last up to 2 years because it features the Active Noise Cancellation Technology which drains a lot of battery when in use.

Nevertheless, it is well known that using things, even if we are careful during usage, doesn’t mean they won’t still deteriorate. What you should do is to enjoy your Airpods to the fullest, and have a budget put aside if you feel you will need new ones very soon. Now that you know How Long Do Airpods Last Lifetime, below are a few things you should know about Airpods.

Read Also: How Long Do Headphones Last?

Do Airpods Break After Years?

The Airpods and their charging/protective cases are durable. It takes a long time before they start wearing, and even when they fall from certain heights, such as 10 feet, they still work perfectly fine, though falling from much higher altitudes than 10 feet can lead to some damage.

If they fall from high places frequently or you put too much pressure on them, then over time, they might break. But the breaking of Airpods seldom occurs due to the low probability of them falling off from very high places, which is the primary cause of broken Airpods.

Apple doesn’t offer a warranty for broken Airpods. You will have to get new ones if they get broken. To avoid this, make sure you don’t sleep on your Airpods, don’t leave them on the floor or places you are likely to sit on and be wary when using them in high places, for instance, when you are on a ladder. Taking these precautions seriously actually plays a huge part in preventing the wear of your Airpods.

Some Things To Note

Apart from your Airpods breaking, you should also consider the event of it being destroyed by water. Airpods (1st and 2nd gen) isn’t waterproof or water-resistant. However, Airpods pro is sweat and water-resistant but not waterproof. It has a water resistance of IPX4 rating, meaning it can only withstand splashes of water and sweat. So don’t let them get submerged in water or any liquid.

Avoid using your Airpods pro in these scenarios: swimming, taking a shower or bathing, putting them in the washing machine and dryer, steam rooms or sauna, water sports with the likelihood of submersion in water.

If any of these should occur, use a dry, soft, and lint-free cloth to dry your Airpods. Afterwards, put them in a place that is dry and has cool airflow. Leave it there for 2 – 3 hours before using them again. Don’t put your Airpods in the sun and avoid using a dryer to dry it.

Also, the charging/protective case is neither water-resistant nor waterproof, so make sure your Airpods pro is dry before putting them in the case. Needless to say, you shouldn’t let water enter your charging case at all. In the event that it does, make sure to clean it, following the procedures taken with the Airpods.

If your AirPods or Airpods pro get destroyed by water, the Apple one-year warranty doesn’t cover this. You will have to get a new one because they can’t be resealed or rechecked for water and sweat resistance, so it’s better to be on the safe side by being cautious of how you use them. You can get a hook and attach the charging case to it, then attach both to your belt loop or bag, because this allows you to store them easily and also to limit the chances of you sitting on them.

Do Airpods Last Forever?

Nothing lasts forever, and the same applies to Airpods. Over time you will notice a drop in your Airpods battery life. Your AirPods won’t last for five hours anymore, and as months passes by, the battery life will keep deteriorating until you find it unbearable to use.

Most consider this lifetime too short. But something to also consider is that several brands of wireless earbuds just have 2-3 years as their lifespan. In terms of sound quality and functionality, Airpods beats a lot of these other true wireless earbuds, hands down.

The Battery Make-Up Of Airpods

Other wireless earbuds, just like the Airpods, all come with non-replaceable rechargeable batteries. Over time a layer of crystalline coats the inside walls of the battery. This is the ageing process that increases electrical resistance, thereby reducing the amount of energy the battery can contain.

The compact size of true wireless earbuds is the major factor here. A lot of things need to be crammed into them, such as drivers, microphones, a Bluetooth chip, an antenna, a processor, controls, and a battery. This means earbuds come with less room that can accommodate the large size of replaceable batteries.

Besides, most earbuds companies are unwilling to increase the size because “small sizes” is what everyone wants, and the competitiveness among other earbud brands also makes them shy away from that idea.

Increasing Airpods Battery Life

Avoid extreme conditions: if you’re using your Airpods in harsh environmental conditions, such as places with extreme heat and cold, you will damage the battery over time. Also, direct sunlight can affect them. Stash them away when they are not in use in public places.
Keep the charging case closed: Don’t leave the charging case open after taking the earbuds out. You don’t want dust to enter it or to sit on it and destroy the charging case cover mistakenly. When you aren’t using your Airpods, put them in the charging case.
Avoid playing with the charging case: if you’re bored, nervous, or pondering over something, you might try masking whatever you’re going through by opening and closing the charging case repeatedly, especially if it’s in your hand. This usually happens subconsciously, but the moment you realize you’re doing this, you need to stop. This can weaken the cover of the charging case over time.
Avoid loud volume: the louder the volume, the more battery it consumes. Try keeping the volume at moderation. You wouldn’t just be saving your battery but also your hearing.

Maximizing Airpods Battery Life After Depletion

Once you notice your Airpods aren’t lasting as long as they used to, it’s time to take precautions so it can reduce the depletion rate.

Disable Noise Cancellation: the noise cancellation feature consume a lot of energy. Using them even when your battery is good still reduces the battery life of Airpods from 5 hours to 4.5 hours. Airpods comes with a press-and-hold gesture you can use to switch them off, or simply use your iOS device to disable them once your Airpods are connected to the device.
Disable Automatic Ear Detection: this feature stops the music when you take an Airpod out and resumes it when you put it back. This feature also consumes battery. You can turn it off. Once it’s off, you will have to pause and play the Airpods by tapping on it manually.
Use only one Airpod at a time: once you notice a significant drop in battery life, you can start wearing just one of the Airpods at a time. Charge the other Airpod inside the charging case. Switch them once they get low.
Get a power bank: when your Airpods starts running out of battery within a very short time, getting a power bank at this point is a lifesaver. If you’re the type who commutes a lot, the power bank will help a great deal. When the Airpods are in your ears, you can use that period to charge the case. Also, try getting a portable power bank that can fit seamlessly into a small space.

Servicing Your Airpods

Once you notice your Airpods aren’t lasting as long as they are supposed to, especially if it has not used up to a month. You can take them for service at an Apple store or an Apple-authorized service provider. If you’re still under the Apple One Year Limited Warranty, you won’t be charged for the servicing.

You can also purchase the $29 AppleCare+ for Headphones plan which extends the warranty to 2 years. You can use this plan for replacement coverage if the charging case or Airpods battery has depleted.

When visiting the Apple store, you’ll need to present them with your serial number. You can get the serial number on the underside of the charging case. If the Airpods are connected to a device, you can get your serial number under “settings”. Make sure you also take the proof of purchase along.

If you want to contact them on the phone, you can easily do that. You will be paired with an Apple Support advisor. For a small fee, you can get a replacement for the Airpods or the charging case within a week.

How Long Do Airpods Last On A Full Charge?

This article focuses more on the 2nd generation Airpods and Airpods pro. The 1st generation Airpods release date was on December 13, 2016, and was discontinued on March 20, 2019, when the 2nd gen Airpods were released, and on October 30, 2019, Airpods pro was released. The 2nd Gen Airpods (usually just called Airpods) and Airpods pro are still in use today. The general term for all of them is also “Airpods”.

However, there isn’t much difference between the 1st gen and 2nd gen Airpods. The only improvement the latter has is the H1 chip used instead of the formerly used W1 chip. The H1 chip supports voice-activated Siri, more reliable connectivity, faster connection to phone calls, and lower latency rate of 30% for gaming, rapid switching between devices, up to 50% more talk time, and better audio and voice quality.

1st Gen Airpods

On a full charge, the 1st gen Airpods have a battery life of 5 hours of listening time, and 2 hours of talking time. You can use the 2nd gen charging case to charge these Airpods so you can get 24 hours of listening time, and for talk time, you will get 18 hours.

Airpods

These Airpods has a battery life of 5 hours of listening time, for talking time you will get 3 hours when on a full charge. With the charging case that comes with it, you will get more than 24 hours of listening time, and for talking time, you will get 18 hours. It also features a quick charge. For just 15 minutes, you will get up to 3 hours of listening time and up to 2 hours of talking time.

Airpods Pro

Airpods Pro has a battery life of 5 hours on a full charge. When you turn on the Active Noise Cancelation feature, you will get a battery life of 4.5 hours. The charging case that comes with it offers multiple charges for more than 24 hours. Airpods pro also features a quick charge that gives you 1 hour of listening time for a 5 minutes charge.

How Long Do Airpods Last Lifetime – Conclusion

Airpods are incredible true wireless earbuds to own. They offer lovely sound, crisp and clear voice quality, and they fit perfectly in the ear. The silicone ear tips that comes with Airpods are silky soft, they add to your listening experience, and also add a little bit of style. The slated two years of Airpods lifetime is still enough time for you to enjoy them.

So that’s all you need to know as to How Long Do Airpods Last Lifetime. If you have any more question regarding this topic, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below.