Have you ever been on the subway and suddenly one of your AirPods stops working, leaving you to overhear the complaints of the commuter next to you? It might not be that exact scenario, but it’s undeniably frustrating when one of your AirPods loses power before the other, especially when they were both charged at the same time.
Although not as frequent as the irritation of untangling wired earphones that somehow manage to knot themselves into a complex ball, this issue can still be quite bothersome. It brings to mind Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in “Inception” saying, “Arthur keeps telling me it can’t be undone”—a humorous reference that loses its punch when explained.
By now, with all the advancements in technology, one might expect Apple to have resolved these minor issues with its widely used AirPods. Unlike the old tangled wired earphones, at least they never ran out of battery.
This frustration has led many people to voice their concerns on social media. Luckily, the YouTube channel ‘Apple Explained’ has provided insights into why this happens.
The uneven battery life issue often stems from poor contact within the charging case. “When placing your AirPods inside, it’s possible that one may not make full contact with the charging pins,” the video explains. As a result, the AirPod’s battery may deplete rather than recharge.
Fortunately, there’s a simple solution: use a cotton swab to clean the inside of the case around the metal pins, along with the AirPod stem, even if there’s no visible dirt.
Another explanation is that the different functions of each AirPod can affect their battery life. For those not experiencing this issue, there might be other factors causing rapid battery drain.
You can balance the battery usage by adjusting settings on your iPhone. Apple users should also be mindful of which AirPod they remove when interacting with others.
Surprisingly, this can lead to ‘uneven degradation’ of the battery over time.
When one AirPod is not in use, it typically enters power-saving mode, while the other continues to operate. This can result in one AirPod requiring more frequent charging, leading to different battery capacities. Make sure to use both AirPods equally to avoid one dying prematurely.