Of course you can (but you must have a box for the first time you connect to the device). . But battery life can be a problem.
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One is that there is no way to charge in real time without a box.
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Second, when not placed in the box, the airpods will always be connected to the Bluetooth of the mobile phone (of course, the automatic recognition and switching of the audio output device of the headset does not affect), and you need to manually turn off the Bluetooth to disconnect or turn on the Bluetooth to connect the headset to save power. When the headset is placed in the box, the Bluetooth is automatically disconnected. When the headset is opened, the Bluetooth is automatically connected.