AirPods range?

Max range is Class 1 Bluetooth connection.

I have AirPods, love them! So I'm walking around the house and I have to be 100 feet away. The AirPods are absolutely clear. How is this possible? High power bluetooth range is about 30 feet right... ??? There is more to Bluetooth now and to find the answer we need to look at Apples W1 chip. The Apple "Wx" series is a series of custom made processors with focus on wireless and Bluetooth connectivity.

The Apple W1 chip is a SoC from Apple used in their wireless AirPods and a select variety of Beats headphones. It maintains a Bluetooth Class 1 connection with a computer device and decodes the audio stream that is sent to it.

Range for a class 1 Bluetooth connection depends on the versions of bluetooth.

BT 3 - 10 meters (33 ft)

BT 4 - 60 meters (200 ft)

BT 5 - 240 meters (800 ft)

If your device is BT 3, you only get 33 feet. If you have a iPhone X, you get 800 feet…. Well that is if the AirPods are BT 5. I’m still looking all over for the version of BT in the AirPods / W1. So far all I can find is Bluetooth technology for the AirPods and the W1, no version number.

I have been using Blue tooth since day one. I have experienced all the improvements since 1.0, 2.0, 2.X, and now what being called 4.X. I have several high end Bluetooth Headsets (Bose, Beats...) they all start to drop off at 30 some feet. These new AirPods stay linked to my iOS newer devices (iPhone 8 Plus, iPad Pro) for well over 100' with no noise or drop off. I have switched from One to Two (Second one auto links) and then removed the original one to put it in the case to recharge it. The new iOS gives you a heads up that the battery in a Single (or if your wearing booth, booth) before they just die. I have been on a couple Webinars which exceeded an hour and I did the switch between Right Only, To Both, The put the Right one in the case for recharging and my fellow callers (and me quite frankly) never missed a "Beat" (Pun Intended)... Truly a typical Apple device, not first to market, but vertically best in market results!

I have a pair and simply love them. I can easily go 30 feet or more, quite comparable as other bluetooth headphones. Your range will depend on your environment. I can easily move around around my open office without issue. I can usually get 1-3 walls between me and my phone without interference.

I have a set of AirPods. The W1 chip allows them to be used at a substantially greater distance that regular BT headphones, which generally top out at about 30 feet. With AirPods and nothing large and metallic in the way, I've gone as far as 100 feet with no issues.