The perks of the new Apple wireless earphones appear to have fallen on deaf ears, with questions emerging about their practicality and safety amid concerns the micro speakers could be a potential choking hazard.
Apple unveiled the AirPods on Wednesday, describing them as "innovative new wireless headphones that use advanced technology to reinvent how we listen to music, make phone calls, enjoy TV shows and movies, play games and interact with Siri."
The thinking behind the wireless AirPods was to "eliminate the hassles of wireless headphones," with sensors that can automatically play and pause music.
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They will retail at $229 from October and will have a five-hour battery life and are designed to be kept inside a charging case when not in use.
However with dimensions at 16.5 millimetres x 18 millimetres x 40.5 millimetres, the new AirPods fits within the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's Product Safety Choke Check. If something fits inside the Choke Check it has the potential to block a child's throat.
The Choke Check is a online resource which assists in identifying choking hazards for young children. The tool can be printed out and cut into a cylinder shape, which mimics the size and shape of a child's throat up to the age of 36 months.
![Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing at Apple, unveils the AirPods headphones during the Apple ...](/web/20161017014255im_/http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/b/a/g/j/image.related.articleLeadwide.520x294.grbaxs.png/1473297942572.jpg)
At the specified dimensions, a test conducted by Fairfax Media found that the AirPods would fit within the cylinder.
On its website the ACCC advises that the Choke Check is "intended only as a guide for consumers and should not be relied on to check for compliance with standards and the law."
A spokesperson for the ACCC said many household items posed choking hazards to children, adding that the product was not intended to be a toy for children, and therefore was not subject to the mandatory safety standards for children's toys.
![The Choke Check is intended only as a guide for consumers and should not be relied on to check for compliance with ...](/web/20161017014255im_/http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/b/b/w/f/image.related.articleLeadwide.520x294.grbaxs.png/1473297942572.jpg)
"As these headphones are small, parents and carers are encouraged to be vigilant to keep them out of reach from young children," he said.
iPhone 7 AirPods stick out of ears. Easy to lose and child choking hazard. Bad design. https://t.co/XsAX23V92M via @CraveOnline
— Pam de Butler (@pjdebutler) September 7, 2016
Ruth Barker, a Brisbane-based emergency paediatrician, said safety around products like headphones was a constant challenge.
"You could look at the old earphones with the cord and say that was a strangulation hazard. So this is part of the problem parents with young kids face, there are so many hazardous things around the home. The Apple headphones look swallowable and like they would fit in the Choke Check."
Dr Barker said one of the aspects parents might not consider with wireless headphones is that they contain a battery.
"So a child who swallows something like that, depending on what sort of battery it is, could have a battery-related related injury," she said.
"These look really great but think about how you are going to keep them away from little kids. They are visual predators, they will watch where you put it ... they're sneaky, and this is what parents don't appreciate."
Social backlash
Another criticism of the AirPods has surrounded their practicality, with social media commentary highlighting how easily they could be lost.
When not in use, the AirPods can be stored in their charging case, however many have argued that this will not prevent the tiny headphones from being misplaced.
Apple fans have also expressed disappointment that the tech giant has introduced yet another device that requires charging, despite its advertised "industry-leading battery life."
While the AirPods will need to be purchased separately, Apple has said it includes earphones with the iPhone that connect to the lightning port, currently used for charging and data transfer.
Apple has been contacted for comment.
RT if you've already lost four pairs of Air Pods and the new IPhone isn't even out yet. #AppleEvent
— nascarcasm (@nascarcasm) September 7, 2016
*buys iPhone 7**unpacks airpods**loses airpods immediately* pic.twitter.com/1vW3m8PD0Y
— Andrew Gruttadaro (@andrewgrutt) September 7, 2016
Masters of the under statement: "Apple suggests there are advantages to using its Airpods, which will cost £159" https://t.co/cJKJ3isuKN
— Nick Corston (@nickcorston) September 7, 2016