Apple’s wireless earbuds, designed primarily for its first-ever jackless iPhone and released four months ago, appear to be a hit with users, at least if the results of a new survey are anything to go by.
Conducted by market research firm Creative Strategies in partnership with Experian, the findings reveal an impressive 98 percent satisfaction rating in a poll of nearly 1,000 AirPod users.
Breaking the figures down, 82 percent said they were “very satisfied” with the $159 earbuds, while 16 percent were “satisfied.” The remaining 2 percent were split between “neither satisfied not dissatisfied,” or “dissatisfied,” while no one appeared to be “very dissatisfied.”
Ben Bajarin, principal analyst at Creative Strategies, said in a post that the overall customer satisfaction level of 98 percent “sets the record for the highest level of satisfaction for a new product from Apple.” Bajarin added, “When the iPhone came out in 2007, it held a 92 percent customer satisfaction level, iPad in 2010 had 92 percent, and Apple Watch in 2015 had 97 percent.”
Digital Trends’ in-depth review praised Apple’s AirPods for their “rock solid reliability and range,” decent battery life, and fast, compact charging case. However, they were found to offer “average” sound quality and risked slipping out “during rigorous or particularly sweaty workouts.” In addition, it costs a pricey $69 for a replacement pod or charging case.
When the poll participants were asked to explain their ranking in more detail, the researchers noted down the most frequently used words, which included “sound quality,” “convenient,” and, importantly, “fit.” However, “magic” and “love” also came up, suggesting Apple’s wireless earbuds have indeed found a special place in the hearts of some users.
Other findings included the discovery that 82.5 percent of AirPod owners wish they had “more control over their content by tapping the AirPods to do things like turn volume up or down or skip to next song,” something that can currently only be done manually or by calling on Siri. And 62 percent said they “strongly or somewhat agree” that the pods have prompted them to consume more audio content — including not only music but also videos, audio books, podcasts, and so on — suggesting that Apple’s wireless device may have helped to drive more business to the tech giant, as well as third-party outfits.
Putting the results of the survey to one side, how are you getting on with your AirPods?
