Apple and Bose make products that often aren't the most cutting edge or quite as innovative as they claim to be - though they do make products that are both of those things. Some find their products overpriced.  

I'll sift through eBay auctions looking for a deal but often pay regular retail. I don't feel that I overpaid for a product from either company. Their products are well made (Apple's keyboard snafu's aside). Whenever a Bose or Apple product broke under warranty, I haven't had to do a lot of arguing to get them to either fix or replace the faulty device.

Yes, that's the point of a warranty. My experience with Apple and Bose products, even out of warranty, is good. It's one reason for loyalty.  

The latest example: my Bose Frames Rondo Bluetooth audio eyeglasses. I named this product the 2019 technology of the year. It's incredible how much I've come to rely on these glasses.  

When they broke, I was irritated not in that "what a piece of junk" way - which is how I felt when my Zungle bone induction audio sunglasses bit the dust. I used my Bose Frames every day, having upgraded them to prescription transition lenses. It was going to be an inconvenience going back to my regular glasses.

They are great for wearing around the office/studio. I keep my phone on a charging pad and listen to music or podcasts unobtrusively through the glasses. I go outside, and they are effective sunglasses. When I'm driving, the anti-glare coating is excellent. I often use my Frames instead of the stereo. Turn by turn directions, whispered right into my ears, is remarkable.  

In mid-April, the Bluetooth connection started to drop occasionally until the glasses would entirely drop the link and only boot up after being attached to the charger. They'd then fail again.

On the 15th, I called the Bose frames support number, did the troubleshooting they asked me to perform, and they determined that the frames were dead. They did sputter back to life briefly, but only one speaker worked, so they took them back. 

They had me ship my Frames back, and three weeks later, a replacement would arrive. Not the end of the world, but it was during this time when I realized just how accustomed I was to having these glasses in my life. Being able to listen to music or games while others were doing their own thing while not being completely isolated had become routine.   

Bose came through, even during a pandemic, and in less than seven days, a replacement pair was on the way. I opened the box, retrieved the Frames, and popped my prescription lenses right back in.  

These glasses are a beautiful piece of technology that I hope Bose continues to improve. I said in my original review that the battery life needs to get better. If they wanted to improve the speakers, that would be great, but I'm okay with how they are if I'm honest. I never expected a pair of glasses to sound like a pair of QC35 headphones. But for glasses, they are exceptional. I still marvel at how good music sounds while I'm wearing them out running. Yes, earbuds have better fidelity, but I like being able to hear the world AND still have great sounding audio.  

I am incredibly happy with my Bose frames and am keen to see what version 2 looks like.

Now don't get me started on my Bose sleep buds. I like them too, and the fact that Bose discontinued them is disheartening. I will be more than sad when they stop working, which eventually will happen. When that time comes, I am going to be left looking for a new solution or trying to hunt down an unused pair off of eBay.