Apple EarPods, introduced on September 12, 2012Earbuds that shipped with the second generation iPod Touch and third generation iPod Shuffle
Apple Inc. has produced and soldheadphones since 2001, available for standalone purchase and bundled withiPhone (until 2020) andiPod (until 2022) products. Apple's current product line consists ofEarPods (wired earbuds available with a3.5mm headphone,Lightning connector, andUSB-C),AirPods andAirPods Pro (wirelessBluetooth earbuds), andAirPods Max (wireless Bluetooth over-ear headphones). The idea for modern Apple headphones, specifically the AirPods, came from a team led by Bart André,Jonathan Ive, and Richard Howarth, under the vision ofSteve Jobs.
Apple's original earphones shipped with the original iPod, released on October 23, 2001. They were never given a formal name and were referred to variously as "iPod headphones"[1] and "the iPod's earbud-style headphones".[2] They were bundled with two pairs of foam covers.[3] The second generation added a plastic slider to allow the user to limit the gap between the wires. The third generation were redesigned with a slightly longerstrain relief, a slightly smaller speaker grill, and the left/right marking being moved from the outside to the inside.
The iPhone Stereo Headset was introduced in 2007 and was bundled with theoriginal iPhone andiPhone 3G, and featured a control capsule in-line with the left earbud's wire with a microphone and a single button, actuated by squeezing the unit, which can be programmed to control calls, presentations, music and video playback, launch Siri, or take pictures with the Camera application. There was also a version without the microphone that was more rare. There have been many reports of moisture problems with the remote/mic.[4]
iPod In-Ear Headphones were introduced in January 2004 as premium headphones compared to those bundled with iPods, and were available for $39. They included three different sized plastic caps, and Apple claimed improved sound quality and bass response. They were discontinued in 2008.[5]
Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic were introduced in 2009 and were bundled with theiPhone 3GS,iPhone 4,iPhone 4S, the third-generationiPod Touch, and sold independently.[6] They expanded on the iPhone Stereo Headset by adding two other buttons dedicated to volume control. A variant without a microphone shipped only with the third-generation iPod shuffle.
Apple In-Ear Headphones[7][8] were introduced on September 9, 2008, intended as a premium option compared to Apple's bundled earbuds. Like the regular earbuds they have a remote control and microphone built-in. They add silicone ear tips and dualbalanced armature drivers advertised as "engineered for superior acoustic accuracy, balance, and clarity".[7] The remote and protective case was redesigned on September 12, 2012, with the remote matching that of EarPods. Apple has since removed them from their online store.
EarPods were introduced in September 2012 alongside the iPhone 5 and replaced Apple’s earlier circular earbuds. EarPods are characterised by an asymmetric, contoured design intended to better fit the humanear and improve comfort and sound performance.[9] The EarPods are available in three connector options:3.5mm headphone,Lightning andUSB-C. EarPods were previously bundled with various iPhone models from 2012 to 2020.
Apple's iPhone 7 and newer models lack a headphone jack (released in September 2016), and until September 12, 2018, included a Lightning to 3.5mm dongle.
iPhone models from theiPhone 7 to theiPhone X also shipped with a Lightning-to-3.5mm headphone jack adapter, enabling customers to connect 3.5mm headphones to a Lightning port. Thanks to an iOS update (iOS 10.3), it is backwards compatible, meaning it can be used with any previous device with a Lightning port (fromiPhone 5 onwards). It is no longer included as of theiPhone XS andiPhone XR, but remains available for purchase from Apple and third-party retailers.[citation needed]
Since 2024, the Lightning-to-3.5mm headphone jack adapter has been discontinued in favor of transitioning from the Lightning connector to the USB-C connector[10]
A USB-C-to-3.5mm headphone jack adapter was introduced in 2018 alongside thethird-generation iPad Pro, which uses the USB-C connector.[11] It is also intended for use with theiPhone 15 series and later, which also use the USB-C connector.[12]
TheiPhone Bluetooth Headset was introduced in 2007 priced at $129 and later reduced to $99. It was discontinued in 2009. It was designed for phone calls only and could not be used for listening to music. The integration included showing an icon for the headset and its battery level. It was bundled with a "Travel Cable" that charged it and a30-pin iPhone simultaneously, and a docking station called the iPhone Dual Dock that could charge it and anoriginal iPhone was also available.[5][13]
AirPods were announced alongside the iPhone 7 and were released on December 16, 2016.[14][15] They are wireless earbud-style headphones with microphones, dual accelerometers, IR sensors used to pause music if they are not in the user's ears, and motion touch sensors that are used to activate controls. They are advertised as having a battery life of five hours, and come with a charging case that gives them a total of 24 hours of battery life. The original case is charged byLightning, and in 2019 a second case was introduced withQi charging. AirPods are compatible with iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, Macs, the 6th generation iPod Touch, and the 7th generation iPod Nano, but automatic pairing with an iCloud account requiresmacOS Sierra,iOS 10, andwatchOS. They are also compatible with devices on other platforms that support Bluetooth, but it limits the AirPods' functionality.[16][17]
AirPods Pro were released on October 30, 2019 as a premium option compared to AirPods. They feature the sameH1 chip found on the second-generation AirPods, and boast a slimmer design, control by pressing the force sensor on the stems instead of double tapping on the ear pieces,active noise cancellation, adaptiveEQ,IPX4 water resistance, a new charging case withQi standard, and include silicone tips.[20]
On September 23, 2022, the AirPods Pro 2 was released. They feature theH2 chip, added swiping control for adjusting the volume, major improvement on theactive noise cancellation, an increased battery life, theU1 chip that supportsFind My tracking, built-in speaker for locating and status updates, added compatibility with the Apple Watch charger (in addition to theQi standard wireless charging and wiredLightning connector charging), lanyard loop added to the side of the charging case and added extra-small silicone tip size (in addition to large, medium and small silicon tip sizes).[21]
On September 22, 2023, alongside the launch of theiPhone 15 models andiPhone 15 Pro models, the updated AirPods Pro 2 features the improvedIP54 dust resistance, added the support for lossless audio with theApple Vision Pro, and a charging case withUSB-C port instead of aLightning port.[22]
On September 9, 2024, following the announcement of thefourth-generation AirPods and the updatedAirPods Max with USB-C port, Apple announced the all-new advanced hearing health features for the AirPods Pro 2.[23]
AirPods Max, released on December 15, 2020, are wirelessBluetooth over-ear headphones. They feature two H1 chips,active noise cancellation and transparency mode, a Digital Crown and on-head detection.[24][25][26][27]
On September 9, 2024, AirPods Max replaced theLightning port with aUSB-C port.[28]
Apple's white earbuds are prominently featured in the majority of their distinctive "silhouette style" iPod advertisements.[39][40] Most often as a dancing black figure in [silhouette] with a starkly contrasted white earbuds and cord while holding a whiteiPod.[39] The background is usually another bright colour so the iPod and headphones clearly stand out compared to the rest of the image.[40]
