Of all the tech. purchases I’ve made in the past few years none have had as positive effect on my quality of life as my AirPod Pro’s. The sound quality is fine, but it’s sound cancelling and integration with my other Apple tools is exemplary.

Being able to discreetly mask environmental noise has been illuminating, you don’t know what you are experiencing until it’s gone. The fact that they are the only wireless in-earphones that will stay in my ears while running, is a boon to being able to communicate while active.

But after a year of use they are starting to develop some quirks; each time I take AirPods out of their case one of the ear buds will have its battery drained and as such is unusable. A quick 10 minutes in the case brings it to life, but it casts doubt on the long term viability of the product. Particularly since is becoming a regular occurrence.

Perhaps this is the (hefty) price you pay for wireless earphones, or yet another example of how so many products we buy today aren’t built with longevity in mind. I have wired over the ear headphones that have last for years and years.