Twelve South introduced AirFly View on Tuesday, a new version of its popular wireless audio adapter that adds a built-in screen to make connecting AirPods easier.
With it, travelers can use their AirPods (or other Bluetooth headphones) with airplane entertainment systems that still rely on traditional headphone jacks.
AirFly View adds a screen to simplify setup
Twelve South’s line of AirFly adapters solves a common annoyance for travelers: connecting wireless headphones to in-flight entertainment systems that don’t support Bluetooth. Instead of using the airline’s wired headphones, passengers can plug an AirFly into the seatback’s headphone jack and listen through their own AirPods or other Bluetooth headphones.
The drawback for most people is that setup requires unpairing the AirPods from their iPhone and then connecting them to the AirFly. Previous versions of the adapter required users to remember which buttons to press to make that happen.
The new AirFly View adds a small built-in display that guides users through the pairing process. Setup instructions appear in 24 languages, eliminating much of the guesswork involved in connecting headphones to earlier AirFly models.
The screen also identifies connected headphones and displays the adapter’s remaining battery life.
Two pairs of headphones at once
The AirFly View can send an audio stream to two sets of Bluetooth headphones simultaneously. That makes it perfect for couples who want to watch the same in-flight movie.
The adapter offers up to 16 hours of battery life and recharges through USB-C.
A full-featured audio accessory
Although AirFly built its reputation as a travel gadget, it can make other devices with a standard headphone jack work with your AirPods, too. That includes gym equipment as well as older entertainment systems.
It can even flip things around — the wireless adapter can receive audio from a phone or tablet and send it to a speaker with audio input. That makes it useful for streaming music from a smartphone to a car stereo, for example.
AirFly View: Price and availability
At $79.99, AirFly View costs more than a basic Bluetooth transmitter. That said, its display, dual-headphone connectivity and included travel accessories might help justify the premium for frequent travelers.
The product can be ordered now.
Connect your AirPods or other Bluetooth headphones to any headphone jack with easy on-screen setup. Comes in 24 languages, with an international adapter and a case.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 26 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
