AirPod 3rd Generation = Inspiring

A Blog entry about AirPod 3s? But this isn’t an electronics Blog. I don’t regularly review Apple products or electronics and don’t have a YouTube channel where I unbox stuff and explain features and what I like and don’t like. Yes, I’m obsessed with headphones, but my recent purchase of Air Pod 3s isn’t about quality audio, but instead about a company getting something so completely perfectly right.

And when I find a product created so perfectly right, it brings joy.

The AirPod 3rd Generation earbuds might not be perfectly right for everyone, but for what I do and what I want, they are. And because they work so perfectly right for me, and I almost feel like I was on some braintrust idea panel where Apple designed them around my needs and wants, I’m comforted thinking other people must have my same list of priorities.

Perfection Moment 1:  They work immediately. They work every time. They work quickly. Every time I pull an AirPod from the case and put it into my ear, the very moment they go into my ear, I hear the Apple chime alerting me that (a) they’ve connected to my phone and (b) are ready to do what I need …listen to music, and Podcast, or take a phone call.

Perfection Moment 2: AirPods are great for making phone calls. I hate holding a phone to my ear. I talk on the phone alot for my job. Maybe 4+ hours a day I’m on the phone. I take calls in the car. Holding the phone to my ear hurts my arm. It’s dangerous and distracting to drive with one arm. If it’s a work call, I can take notes while talking on the phone. Most importantly, AirPods have no lag or bad connection. Never, not once has anyone not quite heard me, or have we done the start-stop, you-go, no-you-go because of an audio lag. AirPods are nearly as clear and connected as an old landline. Nobody on the other end of my call has ever said, “are you outside,” or, “can you call me back on a different line,” or any other complaint that can ruin a good phone call. AirPods are designed by Apple ONLY for their own Apple products, so they work together like a symphony. I have many, many other brands of earbuds and headsets and NONE work like Apple’s own products. For a while I only used Apples wired headphones with inline microphone, but AirPods are so good, I’ve retired the wire.

Perfection Moment 3:  No. Ear. Fatigue. None. I can wear these ALL DAY. Hours on end. And the way their designed to go in your ear, twist just a little, and with how lightweight they are …I forget I even have them in my ear. Again, back to the main reason I use AirPods …phone calls …this is important. The math says I am on the phone about 5 hours per day. That’s 25 hours per week (Monday through Friday). The only other thing I listen to is Podcasts (spoken word .. . .I will NOT listen to music with AirPods because I’m snobby about that and for that I use my Harmon Kardon FLY over-the-ears OR I use Sennheiser in-ear wired cancelling earbuds) so AirPods are perfect for spoken word, too. I listent to 15-20 hours of Podcasts weekly. AirPods are the only earbuds or headphones that are completely void of ear fatigue.

Those three things. Those the most important things to me. And they must be important to many others, because why else would Apple hit an absolute grand slam on these?

It brings joy.

Yes. Silly, $200 AirPods bring me joy because they work. I can depend on them. I can hear people when I’m talking with them. They can hear me. AirPods work every time.

Not many things in life always work or a truly designed with an end result and “joy” as the goal.

AirPods do.

Makes me think …is there anything in my life that I think through, all the way to the end user, and design what I do and how I do it with the goal of bringing joy to another human?

I work in sales. People buy things from me hoping the advertising and ideas they’re buying from me will work. I can’t guarantee that with advertising. But the “joy” can be in the presentation, the attention to detail, the follow through, and the customer service. I can be perfect every time with those things. And I can always work.

I’m a Dad. My kids look to me for wisdom and caring and unconditional love and honesty. I can’t be a perfect Dad, but I can be perfectly honest and caring and loving every time and always work on it.

I’m a husband.

I’m a brother. A son. A coach.

I’m going to start thinking, where it’s possible that I can work every time, always, and consistently and bring joy, I’m going to do it. I’m going to be an AirPod in this world.