Yes, AirPods come with an automatic charging shut feature when once the case is fully charged.
The Apple AirPods surely have revolutionized the headset industry since their launch in 2016. If you are also planning to purchase your very own AirPods and want to know how long do AirPods last, you have landed at the right place.
The superior bass and sound quality offered by Apple AirPods have made it the most likable wireless headset. It has so far introduced 7 variants, each with different features and battery life.
So we will be covering all the models of Apple AirPods and briefly explaining how long their battery lasts and for how many years you can use it.
Apple has launched 3 versions of the base AirPods model till now. Here’s a brief about the battery life and lifespan of each generation of AirPods.
| Model | Battery Life (AirPods) | Battery Life (Case) | Lifespan |
| 1st Generation | 4.5 Hours | 24 Hours | 2–3 Years |
| 2nd Generation | 5 Hours | More than 24 hours | 2–3 Years |
| 3rd Generation | 6 Hours | 30 Hours | 3–4 Years |
| 4th Generation | 5 Hours | 30 Hours | 3-4 Years |
The first model of AirPods, known as 1st Gen, was launched in 2017. And just after its launch, Apple innovated other headset brands to launch their version of in-ear wireless headsets.
Although the 1st Gen model has been discontinued for sale on official websites and stores, you can still get refurbished models. The quality and battery life won’t be much different from the actual factory version of the AirPods.
The battery life of AirPods 1st Gen is:
The lifespan of 1st Gen comes with 2–3 years and provides around 300–500 charging cycles. Case usually takes an hour to fully charge and about 20 minutes to fully charge your AirPods. The model comes with a lighting cable and cannot be charged through MagSafe or type-C cable.
The 2nd Generation of AirPods is still available despite its launch in 2019. Just like 1st Gen, you can only charge them with the lightning cable.
The battery life of 2nd Gen AirPods is:
The battery life of 1st and 2nd gen is not that significant apart from its design. It roughly takes 40–60 minutes to fully charge up your case and a 15-minute charge for AirPods. Moreover, the lifespan of 2nd gen AirPods is 2–3 Years, with 300-500 charging cycles.
AirPods 3rd generation was launched in 2021 and is the current latest base variant in the series. The major difference between previous models and 3rd Gen is the introduction of spatial audio that provides cinema-like sound from videos. Additionally, the 3rd Gen model comes with sweat and water resistance that somewhat increases its lifespan.
With 3rd Gen, you get up to:
Like its previous model, the charging time for AirPods is around 15–20 minutes, with a lifespan of 3–4 years. The case takes around an hour to fully charge with 300-500 charging cycles, and it has the option to charge them with the MagSafe.
Recently launched in September 2024, Apple for the first time introduced 2 models for AirPods. One is with ANC and another is without ANC, both variants come with the latest H2 chip and have IP54 dust, sweat, and water resistance.
The battery life of 4th Gen is:
The 4th gen charging case provides 1 hour of listening time with 15 minutes of charge, whereas the case takes up to 1 hour to fully juice up. Like its previous model, we can expect it to give a lifespan of around 3–4 years, and the charging cycle of the case is expected to be 300-600.
So these were the base variants of Apple AirPods; now let’s discover the Pro model.
The AirPods Pro model is considered to be better in terms of bass and has a distinct feature called ANC (Active Noise Cancelation) that blocks the background noises. The Pro model also has better ear fit due to its sleek design and silicon ear tips. The estimated battery life of AirPods Pro is:
| Model | Battery Life (AirPods) | Battery Life (Case) | Lifespan |
| 1st Generation | 4.5 Hours | 24 Hours | 3–4 Years |
| 2nd Generation | 6 Hours | 30 Hours | 3–5 Years |
Launched in 2019 along with AirPods 2nd Gen that introduced the first ever ANC mode and adaptive mode in the line-up. The pro models provide you with approximately a battery life of:
The average lifespan of AirPods Pro 1st Gen is a 300-500 charging cycle that is around 2–3 years but slightly better than base variants due to the sweat and water resistance of IPX4. It takes around an hour to fully juice up the case and approximately 20–30 minutes to charge up the AirPods, which provides 5 hours of playback without ANC. But the actual distinction in the AirPods came with the launch of Pro 2nd Gen and Max models.
Now coming towards the final in-ear model that comes with anti-dust, water, and sweat resistance and has the latest H2 chipset launched back in 2022.
The playback time of AirPods 2nd Gen is:
15 minutes charge of AirPods is enough to give you around 2–3 hours of playback time, and it takes around 30 minutes to fully juice up AirPods. The case takes about an hour as usual as its predecessor models with 300-500 charging cycles. Although many claim the lifespan of AirPods Pro 2nd Gen is approx 2–3 years, the pro model is known for its durability as it comes with sweat and dust resistance. If taken care of properly, the AirPods Pro 2nd Gen will run for 3–5 years. You can charge them with a type-C cable and a MagSafe charger as well.
The most expensive AirPods in the lineup are basically wireless headphones with similar features as AirPods Pro 2nd Gen. Unlike other AirPods variants, this variant allows you to pick from a variety of color options and has more battery backup as well.
The AirPods Max was launched in 2020 with an H1 chip that gives you around 20 hours of playback time. Even though it costs $549, the model comes with lithium-ion batteries that limit its charging cycle to 500-600.
AirPods Max comes with a smart case that limits its battery consumption when placed inside, so when you are not using them, make sure to place them in the case. Furthermore, the expected lifespan of AirPods Max is around 3–4 years due to the absence of dust, sweat, and water resistance.
The lifespan mentioned above in all the models is just the expected timeframe, which is the average of multiple users around the globe. If you want to know when your AirPods are about to become obsolete and how to increase their lifespan, just follow along.
Every AirPods has a charging cycle and each charging cycle reduces the battery life. Usually, Apple AirPods have a charging cycle of 300-500 or even more, depending on your usage and how you charge them.
After that, AirPods started to perform poorly and eventually stopped working. Here are some common symptoms that show your AirPods are way past their prime, and soon you have to get a new one.
Any kind of breakage or damage to the case or AirPods can severely impact their performance too. In the long run, how you take care of AirPods physically and how you use them on a regular basis have decided their lifecycle, so make sure to adhere to the tips mentioned below.
Your charging habits are the major influential reason that determines how long your AirPods can run. To increase longevity and have satisfied usage from AirPods, follow these tips below:
Apart from taking care of battery life, you should also emphasize the physical condition of AirPods. Any kind of breakage, crack, or unclean AirPods severely impacts its performance. Here are some tips to keep them safe.
Furthermore, you can also purchase AppleCare+ which is worth around $30 with AirPods, which will save you a lot of hassle. Every AirPods comes with a 1-year warranty, and purchasing AppleCare+ will extend your coverage to 2 years.
This will cover your AirPods from accidental damage and provide replacements from authorized Apple stores.
So these were some methods through which you can increase the lifespan of Apple AirPods regardless of the model.
So that’s the wrap-up of the complete guide on how long do the AirPods last. Whether you have an AirPods Pro, Max, or base variant, we have briefly mentioned the charge cycle of each model to help you make an informed choice.
Moreover, once the lifespan of your AirPods is over, don’t just throw them away. Instead, hand them to any of the authorized Apple Stores as the organization recycles them, hence reducing the plastic waste.
Yes, AirPods come with an automatic charging shut feature when once the case is fully charged.
Apple has gradually improved the bass of AirPods generation by generation. Currently, of all the existing models, AirPods Pro, AirPods 3rd Gen, and AirPods Max have the best bass quality.
AirPods 1st generation lasted up to 4.5 hours on full charge. The 2nd and 3rd generations would usually last up to 5 and 6 hours, respectively. Furthermore, AirPods Pro 1st and 2nd gen had 4.5 and 5 hours of listening time. In terms of battery life, AirPods Max is the winner with 20 hours of listening time.
Use your AirPods with low volume and minimize the usage of ANC as it drains the battery much faster. Moreover, avoid frequent overcharging and charging from counterfeit wires, as it may damage the battery health of the case.
Yes, Apple AirPods are hard to repair because their components are glued rather than screwed like the iPhone’s. Moreover, AirPods aren’t designed to be repaired once there is any fault on any of the models, you just have to throw them away.
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