AIRPODS PROblems

Having never owned a pair of gen 1 AirPods, when AirPods Pro launched late 2019 it seemed like a good time to purchase my first pair of truly wireless earbuds. After watching countless reviews I managed to whittle my shortlist down to just two pairs; Airpods Pro and Sony WF-1000XM3.Ultimately, it made the most sense for me to go with AirPods for the ease of use across multiple Apple devices.

The ownership experience of Airpods Pro has generally been pleasant. The multiple sound modes really come into their own when commuting. Using Noise Cancelling mode in the train, then with a squeeze of the stem switching over to Transparency mode while walk on the street.

After around 8 months of daily use, an issue developed with the right earbud. Playing audio at medium volume produced a static sound. Even walking with the AirPods in Noise Cancelling mode resulted in a static buzz with every step. Thankfully, unlike iPhones, AirPods are covered by a global warranty which was a great relief for me having moved from the UK to Japan for work last year.

A trip to the Genius Bar was in order. Marunouchi Apple Store, close to Tokyo Station happened to have an available appointment the next day. At the time of my appointment, I was notified that only a Japanese speaking staff member was available to see me, which I didn't think was an issue as the problem with my AirPods would be obvious to anyone. Once all of the standard checks were performed on the earphones, the Apple Genius diagnosed the issue as loose part within the AirPod. At this point I was wondering if I would receive a replacement pair of AirPods, or if my pair would have to be taken in for repair. Since the charging case and left AirPod were in full working order, the Apple Genius explained that they would only be issuing me with a replacement right AirPod. The appointment lasted 15-20 minutes in total , after which I was able to leave the store with fully functioning AirPods.