Apple has released a new set of Airpods earphones and people have compared to them to a pair of hairdryers, the video game character Q*Bert and the weird long-nosed characters found in Dr Zeuss books.
The £249 AirPods Pro are the first Apple-made earbuds to include noise-cancelling, which uses built-in microphones to filter out background sound when being used.
Their distinctive look is achieved by the weird things at the ear-insertion end, which look like squid beaks but are actually soft tips which can be changed.
They are designed to hold the earphones in place snugly so they don’t plunge from the wearer’s ear and downwards into irreparable oblivion.
The new look has prompted a lot of discussion on social media.
‘The AirPods Pro look like hair blowers,’ tweeted Ava Villaflores.
An Englishman called Matthew Sweeney, who has 55 followers, then mansplained: ‘You mean a hairdryer. WTF is a hair blower?’
One anonymous user who goes under the pseudonym Passion Fruit went on to ask: ‘Bro what the fuck the AirPods Pro look like fucking Q*Bert these VSCO girls gonna be puttin’ little orange men in their ears.’
Translation: he expects women who use the app VSCO to enjoy wearing the new AirPods.
The earphones will be available from Wednesday October 30.
Apple said the devices feature Transparency Mode, which enables users to hear sounds from the world around them – such as traffic or transport announcements, while also listening to audio.
As part of a redesign to the earphones, they will now come with changeable, soft ear tips for the first time, Apple said.
Apple senior vice president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller said: “AirPods are the best-selling headphones in the world.
‘The one-tap setup experience, incredible sound and iconic design have made them a beloved Apple product, and with AirPods Pro, we’re taking the magic even further.
‘The new in-ear AirPods Pro sound amazing with Adaptive EQ, fit comfortably with flexible ear tips and have innovative Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode.
‘We think customers are going to love this new addition to the AirPods family.’
The wireless earphones were first introduced in 2016, with a second-generation that also came with a wireless-charging compatible case introduced earlier this year.
Apple confirmed the new AirPods Pro would also come with the wireless charging case.
Cable-free earphones have become increasingly popular products for major smartphone and tech brands – companies including Huawei, Google, Samsung and Microsoft have all released or are planning to launch their own versions of wireless earphones.
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