← Back to context

Comment by abram

5 years ago

I find Apple's suggestion to use Siri to control the volume on the AirPods Pro [0] to be worse than some of the ideas on that page. The idea of having a spoken conversation in public in which I must request a volume change via a branded AI (and then repeat that request multiple times if necessary to reach my desired volume) just feels humiliating.

[0] "To change the volume, say 'Hey, Siri,' then say something like 'Turn down the volume.'" -- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212203

30 comments

abram

Reply
geenew  5 years ago

I discovered you can say ‘hey Siri volume N’ where N is the volume percentage. 70 usually works out for me for normal listening.

Not that I disagree with your main point; I refuse to use Siri in public, like you say, it’s humiliating.

totetsu  5 years ago

It's like how redbull reps tell the barkeep to only pour half the can In the drink and give you the can to hold and carry around. It makes you into a billboard for the product talking to Siri in public.

lxe  5 years ago

"Please drink verification can" doesn't sound too far-fetched now, does it?

gumby  5 years ago

One of the teens in the house has discovered you can say “Hey Alexa shut the fuck up”.

I’m afraid the joyless Siri just ignores you when you say that.

  • DaiPlusPlus  5 years ago

    I actually really like that feature - it works with any _strongly-worded_ “stop” command: Alexa detects user annoyance and swiftly stops whatever it’s doing with the minimum of back-and-forth.

    The best part is that whereas with most commands, if Alexa has any doubt about what you said or you weren’t clear it always asks you to clarify or disambiguate, even various stop/pause/volume-down/mute commands - but when spoken with an angry tone or with an f-bomb or two then she defaults to stopping without question, even if she didn’t hear you clearly.

  • schmorptron  5 years ago

    Ha, I've been doing the same thing with google assistant. Try it politely once, and then if it doesn't work or understand change to "shut the fuck up" and it somehow always gets it.

RandallBrown  5 years ago

I just reach into my pocket and press the physical buttons on the phone. Works pretty well.

I do wish there was a way to do it by touching the headphones though. I held off on buying AirPods for a few years mostly for that reason.

  • matsemann  5 years ago

    But you still ended up buying them? I didn't know it's not possible, glad I went with Jabra Elite Active instead. Cannot imagine trying to muck around with that crap while out running.

    • RandallBrown  5 years ago

      I did end up buying them.

      Apple's ear buds are the only ones that fit comfortably in my ears so it's sorta my only choice. (The pros do not, which is unfortunate.)

      I don't typically run with headphones in so that's not an issue, but even if I did, it's pretty easy to hit the volume button on my phone unless it's in a backpack or something.

chrisseaton  5 years ago

Does seem odd they couldn't have squeezed another switch in there, or let you lower volume with the switch in one ear and raise it with the switch in the other ear.

  • gumby  5 years ago

    Crying out for a slider interface like the unlamented Touch Bar. The stems are long enough for the gesture (not absolute positioning).

    • vxNsr  5 years ago

      Yea, I actually thought that’s how they worked when I first got them, I remember seeing a demo where that was done, but it was probably either concept art or a different product.

bredren  5 years ago

This was the correct decision.

iPhone has squeeze your pocket to change the volume adjustments.

Apple Watch has volume control just using a crown.

AirPods Pro too small to handle a moment or twist.

AirPods Max trials on-head crown and whole better than other product physical controls, quality fine physical gradient control on even a large mounted device is tricky.

bserge  5 years ago

Not as humiliating as on Android, so there's that.

  • deregulateMed  5 years ago

    What makes one better or worse?

    I'm always a bit embarrassed when I'm in public and a buddy calls me over to look at something on a MacBook. Like - "No it wasn't me who fell for Apple marketing."