Friends, Romans, Apple fans, lend me your ears: the iPhone 7 is here and, as suspected, it's lost its 3.5mm audio port. 

If, like most, your headphones very much require one of those until-now-ubiquitous sockets, you have three musical options with your upgrade: use the new Lightning-connected EarPods boxed in with the iPhone 7; use the slightly hefty 3.5mm adaptor in there, too; or buy some new wireless headphones.

With the latter in mind, Apple has made its own – the snazzily named AirPods – and it seems the internet has already decided it doesn't like them. We're pretty convinced that's because people have assumed they're compulsory, so we had a play with them to see if the backlash has been a little premature.

Apple Airpodspinterest
Apple

They look suitably slick, rising out of their carry case-cum-Lightning charger. The case is smaller than the standard EarPods box and powers them to five hours of playback and 24 hours of standby. A clever idea, for sure, but then you realise it's the only way to charge them – lose your box, and you'll need to buy another, as you can't power direct.

An Apple-coated version of Bluetooth pairs the AirPods easily with both your iPhone and your Watch, although the room we tested them in was full of people doing the same, and this made pairing a little twitchy. Others had a better time with it, so we'll have to test more thoroughly later. 

Apple AirPods pairing with an iPhone 7, Apple Event in San Francisco, September 2016pinterest
Digital Spy

What did work consistently was removing the buds one at a time to pause music, or take both out to turn off completely. Genuinely handy. When music played, it was surprisingly loud and powerful, even in a room of hundreds, but we're not the biggest fans of wireless headphones generally so we're intrigued to get a better handle on quality. 

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The headphones' looks are the real acquired taste – that kind of futuristic call-centre vibe seems to rub people up the wrong way in the same way Google Glass did, comparisons from Kubrick earrings to bodily fluid being thrown out willy nilly. Personally, we think they're fine. Pricey, but fine.

Our biggest issue is how ridiculously light they are – comparable to the standard EarPods again – but without a wire holding them on, or together, they're prime candidates for being lost down sofas or just altogether. We dropped one of them within seconds, and any kind of fitness is a definite no-no.

Apple AirPods First Impressions

The reveal of the AirPods at the same time as losing the iPhone audio port AND unveiling Lightning-fuelled EarPods has definitely confused people – the fact is these are a nice optional extra and in no way a necessity, so what's the beef?

When you peel away that emotion and audio nostalgia, they're actually a well-made and functionally sound musical accompaniment that at their best, like everything Apple does, just work. 

However, the very real fear of losing the little guys, not to mention our long-held suspicions of wireless music quality, at a pricing level that is not chump change, means the jury's still out here. Our lugs are keen to hear more, though.

Apple AirPods will cost £159 from late October.