Apple caused quite a stir by not including a headphone jack on the iPhone 7, but the company also debuted its AirPod wireless ear buds, which it touted as a better alternative to wired headphones.
Following the announcement, the company faced somewhat of a backlash, with many pointing out the obvious – i.e. that the ear buds were almost certain to fall out and get lost.
But while the tech community has been debating this hinge event, third-party manufacturer Spigen has created a safety strap to ensure the ear buds don’t disappear down the drain.
Related: Apple AirPods – What you need to know
The strap comes with a gripping plastic ring on either end which attaches to each AirPod, while the strap loops around the back of your neck to make sure if one, or both, fall out they stay on your person rather than on the ground.
Amazon has the strap available for £9.99, or $9.99 in the US, which is a fairly decent price for ensuring your £159.99 ear buds don’t go missing.
Buy Now at Amazon.co.uk from £9.99 | Amazon.com from $9.99
And while that £159.99 price tag might seem a bit much, you’re not just getting some Bluetooth headphones for that money.
The AirPods have an ultra-low-power W1 chip inside, allowing them to detect when they’re in your ears and automatically play and pause.
There’s also an accelerometer that can detect vibrations when you speak, plus beam-forming microphones that focus on your voice and filter out external noise. Double-tapping the AirPods enables you to access Siri as well.
Which makes it even more important to ensure the things stay in your ears. Thankfully Spigen seems to have done what Apple has neglected to do – although we’re sure an official safety strap will arrive soon, probably with a startlingly higher price tag than the third-party option.
The AirPods are not available until ‘late October’ but you can buy the safety strap as of right now.
WATCH: iPhone 7 Review
Will you be picking up Spigen’s safety strap? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
