AirPods Now Closing in on a Decade

Today marks 9 years since Apple launched the archetypal AirPods. Unveiled successful September 2016 alongside the iPhone 7, the wireless headphones became disposable connected December 19, 2016, pursuing a flimsy delay.


At the time, wireless headphones were already connected the marketplace but had not yet reached existent wide popularity. AirPods helped redefine the class done their convenience and seamless integration with Apple devices. Apple's Phil Schiller astatine the time:AirPods are the archetypal headphones to present a breakthrough wireless audio experience, and with the caller Apple W1 spot they present innovative features including precocious prime sound, large artillery beingness and automatic setup. AirPods are elemental and magical to use, with nary switches oregon buttons, automatically connecting to each your Apple devices simply and seamlessly, and letting you entree Siri with conscionable a treble tap. We can't hold for users to effort them with iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2.

Priced astatine $159, the first-generation AirPods introduced cardinal features specified arsenic one-tap pairing with Apple devices and in-ear detection for automatic play-pause functionality. Powered by Apple's customized W1 chip, they delivered enhanced audio prime compared to wired EarPods and acceptable a caller modular for artillery beingness successful a compact, wholly wireless design.


AirPods were initially met with skepticism pursuing their unveiling, with overmuch of the absorption focused connected their unconventional stem-based plan and the removal of the headphone jack connected the ‌iPhone‌ 7. The earbuds were wide mocked online and compared to wired EarPods with the cables chopped off, portion immoderate critics questioned their practicality and artillery life. However, aboriginal reviews and real-world usage rapidly shifted perceptions, arsenic the convenience of automatic pairing, reliable wireless performance, and all-day artillery beingness made AirPods progressively fashionable among ‌iPhone‌ users.

AirPods rapidly grew into 1 of Apple's astir palmy accessories, helping to normalize genuinely wireless earbuds and accelerating the diminution of the accepted headphone jack crossed the industry. While Apple does not disclose income figures, analysts estimation that tens of millions of units are sold each year, making AirPods the best-selling wireless earbuds globally and a large contributor to Apple's wearables revenue.


Since their debut, AirPods person evolved with the merchandise of second-, third-, and fourth-generation models successful March 2019, October 2021, and September 2024. These updates brought improvements specified arsenic amended audio quality, longer artillery life, hands-free "Hey Siri" functionality, a wireless charging case, and, astir recently, progressive sound cancellation. A fifth-generation is believed to be successful the works. The merchandise enactment has besides expanded with the premium AirPods Pro, featuring an in-ear plan and progressive sound cancellation, successful October 2019, and the over-ear AirPods Max successful December 2020.
This article, "AirPods Now Closing successful connected a Decade" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

Discuss this article successful our forums