3 Signs It’s Time to Upgrade Your AirPods

AirPods are meant to last for years, but at some point you may be forced to buy a new pair or upgrade to a newer model. There are signs and we’ll go over what to look for here in this guide.

If you lose your AirPods, they get damaged, or one or both buds suddenly stop working, you’ll obviously need to find a replacement. However, there are other reasons why you might want to buy a new pair.

At some point during their shelf life, you’ll have a decision to make: Stick with underperforming and outdated buds or buy a new pair.

If you’re a longtime AirPods user, you may know some of these tells already, but if you aren’t an expert or an enthusiast, we want to highlight the things to look for.

Here are five telltale signs it’s time to buy new AirPods.

Poor Battery Life

The battery inside your AirPods that keeps them charged will, like any lithium-ion battery, start to degrade over time.

At that point, you won’t be able to use them as long as you did when you first pulled them out of the box and you’ll need to put them in the charging case more frequently.

If your AirPods are having trouble holding a charge, or the buds takes a long time to charge, it’s probably time to think about buying a new pair.

Everything depends on how often you use them, but in our experience, most AirPods last two to three years before the battery becomes a real nuisance.

Bad Sound Quality

Over time, you may start to notice issues with sound quality and their connection to other devices. We hear and see complaints about these issues all the time.

While these issues can strike at any time, they’re typically more prevalent in AirPods that have been in use for a long time.

As the buds age, you may start to hear static, random clicks, and crackling noises. Sometimes these issues can be fixed manually, but they may be indicative of an internal issue where the device’s components are failing.

This could be due to old age, repeated drops, or other damage that may not be outwardly apparent. Whatever the case, if manual fixes like a software update fail to work, it might be time to move onto a different pair.

Outdated Software

Apple will keep AirPods updated with new software for several years. These updates aren’t as frequent as releases for iPhone and iPad, but they’re still important.

AirPods updates deliver bug fixes for ongoing issues and sometimes they will deliver new features. As AirPods get older, these updates may become less frequent.

Updates for older models tend to be much smaller as well, meaning, they don’t include newer features Apple’s developed.

For instance, the first-generation AirPods Pro didn’t get Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, and Personalized Volume when Apple released iOS 17. The second-generation AirPods Pro did.

Newer AirPod models will offer the best features and if you feel like you’re missing out, it might be time to upgrade.

Apple is planing to launch at least one pair of new AirPods before the end of 2024 so make sure you keep an eye on the rumor mill if you need to upgrade, but aren’t thrilled with your options right now.