freecia

Timely article on some of the challenges to recycling e-waste https://www.washingtonpost.com/techn...=.e57038752d7d

OEM Samsung swappable batteries (for S5 and the like) are getting harder to find, too. If you like buying things with replaceable batteries (currently not popular in gadget design) and tend to use them for several years then you may also want to buy a backup OEM/high quality battery before the product goes off the market.

Apple didn't introduce a battery replacement service due to faulty battery issues. It reduced the pricing on its existing battery replacements service after complaints were made about throttling performance due to battery degradation https://lifehacker.com/how-and-why-t...ery-1821736142 It is a sealed battery which seems to be your main complaint, though. Apple AirPods are extremely popular and iFixit rates the repairability score of 0/10 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/AirPods+Teardown/75578 . On the optimistic side, most owners I've spoken to really like their AirPods and you couldn't pry them out of their hands/ears if you wanted to so they'll probably get a decent usage lifespan instead of languishing in a landfill after a few months of use like some cheaper BT earbuds.

TheMadBrewer

I have the same and love it. I carry a spare charged AAA in the case. If on a long trip (> 10 days) I also have a small (and light) two battery USB powered charger I take along to recharge the batteries. Only once in the many years I've had it, have I had to scramble to buy AAAs because both rechargeables were dead.

Gig103

My QC15 have a carry case and I keep a AAA battery next to the stereo 2-prong adapter. So it isn't a 'nil' situation. I'd think more people would carry the AAA than yet another USB charger.

​​​​​​I prefer AAA to the rechargeable and intentionally bought the 15 over the 35. I'd be annoyed if I forgot to charge it before a flight because I love NC. I even use them for LAX-PHX hops.

I have an Airmod aftermarket Bluetooth adapter coming today in the mail. My coworker loves his.
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nkedel

There's not much of a scramble -- they sell alkaline AAAs almost everywhere -- including almost all convenience/grocery/drug stores outside the airport, and almost all airport gift shop or news stand.

It's a pity there isn't a relatively standard size of small LiIon battery the way 18650/26650s are starting to be for some larger devices.

kennycrudup

For those low-amperage IEC-standard-sized cell applications there's always rechargeable NiMH; you can buy those in grocery stores.

deniah

A USB charger covers more purpose than does the AAA. Critically, it charges ones most important device - the smartphone. In addition to things like ultrabooks, tablets, e-readers, etc.

Also, headphone battery life life are getting impressive. I'm awaiting delivery of the Sony WH1000XM3 which purports to have 30 hours (!!) with something like 5 hour use from 10 minutes charge.

There are people taking opposite position. Myself speaking, I wouldnt have bought it if it involved AAA

Dodge DeBoulet

I actually ordered the AirMod for my QC25s based on this post, but sent them back unopened when I realized I'd have to carry a proprietary charging cable that required me to remove the device from the headphones every time I needed to recharge it.

I'm going for the Btunes device instead. Uses a ubiquitous Micro-USB cable for charging and I don't have to remove it from the headphones to charge. Same price, and the Btunes unit pairs to two devices simultaneously (maybe the AirMod does too, but I couldn't find anything definitive on that).

lhrsfo

One of the great advantages of my Bose earbuds is that I no longer have to carry spare batteries. A major plus in my book.

Dodge DeBoulet

I wish I could use in-ear phones ... they're just incredibly uncomfortable to me; I have some sort of skin condition in my ear canals that makes them impossible to use.

freecia

:/ I have small ear canals (if there was a complaints poll for device design ignoring petite customers, I'd choose earbud tip sizing instead of two handed smart phones) and most inexpensive IEM tips are not comfortable or tend to pop out. The QC20's fit decently in the outer ear canal/cavum? for me if the condition is limited to the inner canal. I've wondered if Custom molded IEMs would be a better non-active-NC choice in the long run.

lvovsky

hmmm... i haven't seen Btunes on the market when I bought my AirMod.