Airpods high battery drain with Skype

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Level 1

128 points

Airpods high battery drain with Skype

Hi everybody.

I'm using Airpods with iPhone 7, iPad Air, and 2 different MacBook Pros all running the most current versions of iOS and macOS. They work fabulously for music and phone calls, battery life meets expectations nicely - about 5 hours of use before they need a charge from the case.

I use Skype for many overseas business calls on any of my devices. The Airpods work well for Skype audio, but I notice that the batteries drain rapidly during these calls - from 100% to dead in 2 hours or less. AFAIK, only Skype exhibits this behavior, and I am posting this issue with Microsoft as well.

Has anyone else experienced this behavior? Discovered anything useful?

I confess, given that Skype is made by Microsoft, I don't have high hopes for much in the way of quality. It's simply a lowest-common-denominator means of communication with Windows users.

iPhone 7, iOS 10.2.1

Posted on Mar 2, 2017 11:18 AM

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Answer 1

Mar 22, 2017 10:49 PM in response to BradPDX

This isn't a problem with Skype. The reduced usage time is because you're using the microphones as well as the speakers in the airpods. They're only rated for two hours of talk time.

This is directly from the AirPods tech specs on apple.com

AirPods with Charging Case: More than 24 hours listening time,(3) up to 11 hours talk time(6)

AirPods (single charge): Up to 5 hours listening time,(2) Up to 2 hours talk time(5)

15 minutes in the case equals 3 hours listening time(4) or over an hour of talk time(7)

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Answer 2

Mar 2, 2017 12:02 PM in response to BradPDX

I haven't tried Airpods with Skype yet. Thanks for the heads-up. Skype was really great and innovative before Microsoft bought it.

There are several other alternatives now for inexpensive overseas calls: Google Voice, Reliance Global Call, and even some carriers. AT&T, for example, has international plans that are almost as inexpensive as Skype for just $5/month.

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Answer 3

BradPDX Author

Level 1

128 points

Mar 2, 2017 2:37 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

Thanks, Lawrence. I'm not sure if those services are better or worse in regards AirPods battery life. It may be an issue with Skype and Bluetooth headsets in general, I don't know. I will experiment and see.

Unfortunately, it really doesn't matter as the parties with whom I speak are invariably business contacts using Skype. They have no interest (and often no ability) in using any other product for calls like this - especially conference calls.

Even worse, some of them are stuck via corporate policy with Skype for Business. If you thought regular Skype wasn't exactly ship-shape, then you'll love Skype for Business. An even uglier interface with substantially inferior audio, a simply dismal product.

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Answer 4

Mar 2, 2017 2:48 PM in response to BradPDX

Ah, thanks for explaining the situation. Most of my business contacts won't use Skype because it isn't secure. The up and coming voice service is Symphony (https://symphony.com/), which supports audit trails as well as encryption. A couple of mine now use Signal, which is probably the most secure voice service.

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Answer 5

luke-wd

Level 1

11 points

Mar 3, 2017 8:13 AM in response to BradPDX

I have exactly the same problem, please let me know if you find a solution.

I have actually found that the problem is not limited to skype. I also use Zoom.us for conference calling, in the same way I use skype, and I experience similar battery drain issues there...

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Answer 6

BradPDX Author

Level 1

128 points

Mar 3, 2017 10:01 AM in response to luke-wd

Interesting. I wonder if zoom.us and Skype (and presumably others) use a different connection type to Bluetooth than does PhoneKit. I note that when using Skype, Siri is reduced to her "low-fi" self, unlike the experience without Skype.

Bluetooth has a bunch of ancient old codecs for telephony. I have a hunch that they don't follow power conservation rules, or something to that effect. Since this happens on both macOS and iOS, it makes some sense.

I have another set of Bluetooth headphones to try, but they are of significantly lower audio quality (Plantronics BackBeat Fit) and don't offer an accurate battery indicator. I'll see what I can learn.

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Answer 7

Keeter

Level 1

4 points

Mar 7, 2017 2:59 PM in response to BradPDX

I use Skype for Business on a Mac and have been experiencing this same problem when on meetings using the AirPods. About 2-2.5 hrs the both AirPods are totally drained. End up having to put one in the charger and swap them to keep on the long meetings 🙂 but this is a problem that I hope either Microsoft or Apple gets fixed.

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Answer 8

BradPDX Author

Level 1

128 points

Mar 22, 2017 10:55 PM in response to Mark Wimmer

Good catch. I am still not sure why I haven't observed this same behavior on regular phone calls. It may simply be that most of my Skype calls are interminable meetings that drain all the meaning out of work and life, in addition to batteries.

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