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I want to get them but reliability is a big concern. Everyone in my family has had problems with our first gen pros. Mine started developing crackling issues. D
by pwpw 4y ago
I want to get them but reliability is a big concern. Everyone in my family has had problems with our first gen pros. Mine started developing crackling issues. During the pandemic I remember hearing that it was a known problem and could be fixed at the Apple store, but all of the stores were closed. I put off bringing them in until later. I finally got around to it this past week as the issue has grown a lot worse recently, and they said it is indeed a manufacturer defect, my AirPods are now out of warranty, and it will cost $180 to repair them. They then encouraged me to just buy a new pair given the high repair price.
That just rubs me the wrong way. They spent a good amount of time during the conference today highlighting their commitment to the environment yet are incentivizing that I purchase a new set. If these ones demonstrate stronger reliability and get USB C a year from now, I'll definitely consider them.
- happyopossum 4y agoErr, Apple was replacing those things left and right during the pandemic - you didn’t need to go to a store. Sorry you waited so long, but…
- pwpw 4y agoAhh I didn't know that! The problem was nonexistent for me during that period, so it wasn't a priority to "fix" my working product. The issue has become much more pronounced in the period since the warranty expired. Lesson learned: bring in the working product if there's a known recall regardless of if it's fine at the moment. Won't let that happen again.
- askafriend 4y agoYeah I had a similar issue and the process was super painless. It didn't require going into a store. They shipped you a box with a prepaid label where you put in your problematic AirPods. Then they shipped you a new pair for free. Turnaround time was fast.
- pwpw 4y agoThis thread has been eye opening. I’ll check out online support and see if that’s better than in person. In person is a lot stingier now than it was 5 years back.
- askafriend 4y agoAlso check out this comment if you've been having issues with noise during phone calls: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32758233 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32758233 I didn't even realize this setting existed but turns out it makes a big difference!
- dobs 4y agoIt might be worth giving the Apple Store or online support another shot. I was in basically the exact same position a month ago (pros bought launch week, very out of warranty, known crackling issue) and they replaced the ear pieces (but not the case) without question or hesitation.
- pwpw 4y agoJust wanted to follow up and say that reaching out to online support landed me the replacement for free. Thanks all!
- rib3ye 4y agoI have had the crackling issue twice, and Apple twice replaced them for free (actual free) without having to leave my home.
- initplus 4y agoIf you bought them before October 2020, they qualify for the recall program and should be replaced for free. If you complain loudly enough maybe they will replace them for free anyway even if not covered (did so for mine).
- pwpw 4y agoHuh I did, and it looks like the page says up to 3 years later, but I was outright rejected.
- Handytinge 4y agoThe issue here is the consumer laws in your country. If my 3 year old AirPods developer a manufacturer issue, Apple would be required by law to replace, repair or refund, free of charge.