Profile Podswap Airpodsleswingcnbc: We all have a friend who loves to talk about their new AirPods, and we’ve all been in situations where it’s not appropriate to give them a hard time. But what if there were an alternative?
If you’ve ever been plagued by someone’s incessant AirPod bragging, you’ll know how irritating it can be.
Well, now there is, and it’s perfect for those times when you just can’t wait to offer your own unsolicited advice.
Introducing, Profile PodSwap AirPods. A pair of AirPods that have been expertly designed to mimic the look of the real thing. They are available in a variety of colors, and they feature Bluetooth connectivity, so you can answer calls, switch tracks and more by simply tapping them on your ear.
Which means that you can finally shut up about your AirPods.
The product was created by Dan Forsmark, and it’s the brainchild of a Swedish startup called Profile. The two-year-old company is based in Stockholm and already has a number of products on the market, including a smartphone holder with built-in speakers.
However, Forsmark says that the AirPods are his most successful creation to date.
“We were all fed up with the AirPods. They’re just the personal mode of a MacBook and the iPhone, but for me it’s more than that,” he says. “I’m also a person who appreciates a good conversation and to be able to talk on a phone or WhatsApp, so this is how I’m using them.”
The product was developed out of necessity, but Forsmark says that he was inspired by fellow Swedes who’d already started incorporating their headphones into their lifestyle.
“I’ve been observing my countrymen, making sure they have the headphones on, and then start talking to them. But they are not listening, they’re listening to audio,” he says. “This is a bit funny and absurd.”
Forsmark hopes that the product will change the way people behave when they’re out in public, but he’s yet to see if it has had an impact.
“It’s still early days for me,” he says. “But I’m still planning for the future. There’s always someone who has to have the opposite of what everyone else is doing.”
The design, which was inspired by AirPods and how we interact with them, is crucial to the product. So much so, that Forsmark says that he tried to mimic Apple’s design as closely as possible.
“When you hold it in your ear, it feels just like an AirPod,” he explains. “It actually feels better in your ear because it’s not hard plastic. Also, the color coordination and how it’s designed, we really wanted that to be as close to an AirPod as possible.”
But there’s one big difference: When you get a pair of Profile PodSwap AirPods in the post, they are not actually connected. They rely on a cord that you connect them to via the 3.5mm jack.
Forsmark says that this is because the company wanted people to get used to using them before doing away with their old pair of headphones altogether.
“The new pair of PodSwap AirPods, that is the new norm. People who like them will replace their old ones,” he says. “We wanted people to get used to it before they invested in the Bluetooth pairing.”
Profile PodSwap AirPods are available to buy at profil.se for 500 SEK (£41) a pair and it comes with two pointed tips and a case. They are also available in three colors: Silver, Black and Rose Gold.