The launch of the Apple AirPods in 2016 introduced us to some of the latest innovations in the world of sound technology. Even today, Apple AirPods remain some of the best earbuds in the world. If anything, their sound quality has improved.
However, increased battery degradation and what seems like a short battery lifespan seem to be the deal-breaker. The AirPods battery drains at a rather alarming rate. What’s more, the clock battery life appears to be different even between individual earpieces, leading many people to ask; “why does one AirPod die faster than the other?”
Whether you get your AirPods Pro from the Apple Store or a verified retailer, you need to know what you’re getting into. While all AirPods boast rechargeable batteries, their battery capacity from a single charge has a direct impact on how many hours of listening time or extended talk time you can get from the device.
With that in mind, here, we’ll be looking at everything relating to the battery life of the AirPods Pro and answering a few key questions on the tech products and how to get the best use out of them.
Checking the Battery Life of Your AirPods
While the devices themselves don’t have screens, there’s a way to tell the battery percentage. That said, once you open the case of the AirPods, the power details of the case and the AirPods, themselves, appear on the screen of your phone.
However, because the AirPods are actually two distinct devices, what you get the battery percentage here is only an aggregate of the battery level of each device.
To get a more precise battery check, simply pull out one AirPod and you’ll get distinct readings for each device. With a first-gen product, though, knowing the exact battery level of each AirPod is moot because both will die immediately once one runs out of juice.
Everything to Know About the Apple AirPods Pro Battery
The types of batteries this device uses are made of lithium-ions. The physical battery of the AirPods pro and the AirPods 2 is incredibly small in size at a minuscule, 93 Milliwatt-hour battery. Straight out of the factory, it promises about 4 hours of battery life for listening and a little over 3 hours of talk time.
The physical battery size of this product is relevant because it slightly influences the overall battery status. To start with, you should know that in most cases where battery technology is concerned, battery power is often sacrificed for battery size. What this means is that the smaller the battery size, the lesser the battery power.
The longer AirPods are in use, the weaker they become and the less efficient they are at holding battery charge. The battery percentage will drop faster and you’ll see a significant reduction in overall hours of battery life.
In essence, battery technology helps us understand that the minuscule size of the AirPods batteries makes it more predisposed to degradation, even though it starts with relatively brilliant battery life. All of this explains the AirPods’ battery cycle, but it still doesn’t really touch on the question, “why does one AirPod die faster?”
Here’s what we know!
Why Does One AirPod Die Faster?
While there are a couple of reasons why this happens, the two most common reasons are:
- One of the AirPods is working as a microphone while the other is only a listening device during phone calls. The lithium-ion batteries of the microphone AirPod will weaken faster.
- If you use one particular AirPod more often than you use the other. Sometimes, we favor listening out of one ear over the other. This continuous use may cause one earpod to drain faster than the other.
Another reason that one battery may outlast the other is if the physical battery was somehow damaged. Faulty batteries can’t hold as long of a charge as batteries in good condition.
While the phenomenon was more prevalent with the first-gen product, it still needs to be mentioned that the two AirPods won’t charge at the same rate in the case.
The Good News
The recent iOS 14 update for AirPods plays a role in alleviating these battery issues, if only slightly. The Optimized Battery Charging feature extends the battery life by ensuring that the AirPods don’t sit in the case with 100% charge.
Another good thing is that these are fixable products.
There’s a service program you can leverage when you have dead batteries on your hands. Provided you have the necessary paperwork, you can get affordable battery replacement for the ailing battery of your AirPods.
But as the saying goes, prevention is better than the cure. Here are a few ways to slow down battery degradation and get additional listening time and extended talk time!
How to Minimize Aging Lithium-Ion Battery Problems with Your AirPods
- When not in use, keep your AirPods in their case at all times.
- Handle the AirPods case with extreme care.
- Don’t use your AirPods in extreme temperatures. This can damage the batteries significantly.
- If you can do without it, turn off advanced features like Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Automatic Ear Detection. Though fantastic features, they do take a significant toll on battery power.
- Consider using only one AirPod at a time.
- Even though AirPods are water-resistant and sweat-proof, ensure that you keep them clean and dry at all times.
Conclusion
Why does one AirPod die faster than the other? Now you know!
Even though it’s a common issue that’s relatively easy to avoid (or at least delay), we sure hope Tim Cook and Apple Support consider incorporating more advances in battery technology to make this issue disappear.
Until then, you can use some of the tips above to ensure you enjoy your AirPods for as long as possible!
Check out more great tips on audio devices, here!