Technical Description:
Apple Airpods
Dennis Chen
The City College of New York
ENGL 21007: Writing for Engineering
Professor Julia Brown
October 22, 2020

Table of Contents :

• Definition 3
• Overview 3
• Components 4
• Explanation 4&5
• Visuals 5&6
• Conclusion 7
• References 7

Definition:
The AirPods are wire-free headphones that were made to be more convenient and beneficial to
the user in comparison to wired headphones. They allow the user to connect through Bluetooth
which means they do not have to deal with issues like the cable and all functions can be done on
the AirPods like changing the volume or using Siri. Other features include being able to stop the
audio when the AirPods are taken out and they will resume with ease when put back on. The
AirPods are mainly for Apple products as it contains components that are specifically included
so that pairing with Apple devices are efficient but still work with other brands.

Overview:
The appearance of the AirPods vary depending on the generation you have. All AirPod
generations are mainly sold in white but their shape is different as the older generations resemble
the EarPods, while the newer ones are designed differently in the sense that the tip where they
would fit in the ear are fitted with a silicone tip to reinforce the noise cancelling feature that it
comes with. There are different silicone sizes to fit everyone as well. The newer generation
released in October 30, 2019 AirPods (AirPod Pros) also have a larger charging case in
comparison to the older models as it contains more features. However, the function of the
AirPods remain the same regardless of generation. The charging case consists of a LED light that
will tell the user whether it is charged or not and a Bluetooth connection button used to pair
devices together.

Components:
The main components of the AirPods regardless of model include a charging case which is
where each individual AirPod would be placed and charge when not used. The next component
would be the left Airpod and right Airpod, each one going into the respective ear where they will
connect through Bluetooth. The charging cable would be the last component included which
charges the charging case and AirPods if they are inside. Other important components within the
AirPods themselves is the W1 chip which allows for seamless pairing between other Apple
products. Lastly, the sensors that are also located inside the AirPods enable the feature to stop
audio when they are taken out of the ear.

Explanation:
The first approach to using the parts correctly in order to make them function would be to pair
the AirPod charging case to the device that will be paired with. The pairing process would be
much quicker on Apple products because of the W1 chip allowing for smooth connection. In
order to pair the devices together, we would hold onto the button on the back as stated
previously, and the case would start blinking white meaning it has reset it’s connection and is
ready to pair with a new device. Following that, the user needs to turn on the Bluetooth on the
device and select the AirPods to connect when the option is displayed on the screen. If they are
brand new it will not display your name and will just say Apple AirPods so that the consumer
knows they are pairing with the right ones. Once they are connected the AirPod display will
change to the battery levels of each AirPod but if they are not taken out of the charging case the
screen will indicate the battery of the case instead. When the AirPods are taken out and put on, a
sound will indicate that the sensors realize that they are on and will connect. From here any
audio from the paired device will be played through the AirPods meaning functions of the
AirPods will be accessible such as changing volume or skipping songs. Additionally, the
charging case is optimized to fully charge the AirPods within 15 minutes and will be indicated
by the same LED light found on the charging case. There will be another audio indication that
the AirPods are low if still being used.

Visuals:
➢
Here is the back side of the AirPod charging case. The small
circular button is where the consumer would press and hold
in order to reset connection and pair with a new device. It
will indicate white on the inside LED

➢
Here is the opening of the AirPod case which holds the left and
right AirPods. When they are in here, they will be charging which
is indicated by the orange LED in the middle. Otherwise they
would be green for fully charged. If the light is red, it means that
the charging case itself needs to be charged.

➢
This is the lightning cable that is used to charge the
AirPod case which would also charge the AirPods too
if inside. To charge the AirPod case plug in the
smaller end to the port at the bottom of the charging
case.

➢ Using the lightning cable, connect it with the
wall charger with the AirPod case plugged in
and it should start charging each Pod and the
case as well.

Conclusion:
In summary, the AirPods were made to be more convenient and available to use for consumers
providing quick connection and wire-free experience. Originally introduced on December 13th,
2016, the concept and appearance were very different from the standard headphones, which is
why the initial reaction to them were not great. At the price point and initial impression, it took
awhile for it to pick up among consumers. The convenience of the product was realized and
along with very strong media promotion with memes and it being present everywhere, the
AirPods became much more popular.

References:
Newcomb, A. (2016, September 08). First Reactions to Apple’s AirPods? Anger, Confusion –
and Memes. Retrieved October 23, 2020, from https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/apple/firstreactions-apple-s-airpods-anger-confusion-memes-n644886
Airpod Memes News: Latest News and Updates on Airpod Memes at News18. (n.d.). Retrieved
October 23, 2020, from https://www.news18.com/newstopics/airpod-memes.html
Apple. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2020, from
https://support.apple.com/kb/SP750?locale=en_US
Dempsey, P. (2019, May 30). Teardown: Apple AirPods, wireless ear buds. Retrieved October
23, 2020, from https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2019/05/teardown-apple-airpodswireless-ear-buds/