Apple altered the entire headphone market overnight when it first dropped the AirPods. Yes, there were plenty of true wireless earbuds on the market already, but it was Apple that defined the industry. Since that first drop in 2016, AirPods became — and remained — the most popular and recognizable earbuds in the world.
This success doesn’t tell the full story though. Despite their triumph, stagnation is creeping in. Aside from the launch of the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max, there’s been little truly exciting happening with Apple’s headphones over the past few years.
But all this could change with one bold move: to meld together AirPods and an iPod, to put a screen on the case, and create a standalone music player.
So, how would this work? What would be the benefit? And would Apple actually do this? Well, let’s find out.
AirPods: Struggling or successful?
To me, AirPods are in an interesting gray area. They’re hugely popular, yet uninspiring. Outside of the launch of the aforementioned Pro and Max, updates to the range have been minimal. The biggest revision so far was the AirPods 3, which overhauled the design of the entry-level earbuds to look… a little bit more like the AirPods Pro?
Aside from that single aesthetic change, AirPods updates have been incremental. This includes useful, but not really alluring, upgrades like improved chips, better battery life, and tweaking the fit. As someone who owns every type of AirPods, I can safely say the only real reason to buy a new pair these days is when the battery life falls. And honestly? That takes years of use.
Basically, AirPods are getting less exciting — and the rest of the market is catching up.
In Q1 2019, Apple had a 48.1% share of the true wireless market. By Q3 2023, this was down to 21%.
At the time Apple first released its earbuds, many other big tech companies hadn’t figured out how to make high-quality and seamless pairs of their own. This is no longer the case. Not only are there some excellent options out there, like the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Sennheiser Momentum range, but the public are also fully aware of the benefits of true wireless earbuds and are happy to branch out.
To put all this in perspective, in Q1 2019, Apple had a 48.1% share of the true wireless market. By Q3 2023, this was down to 21%. Obviously AirPods are still hugely successful, but it’s increasingly clear the company’s hold on the market is slipping.
And the solution? Being bold: putting a display on the AirPods case and turning it into a standalone music player.
A whole new world for AirPods
It’s a simple idea: place a small screen with a stripped down version of watchOS onto an AirPods case. Effectively, making a blend of AirPods, the Apple Watch, and an iPod.
At first, these AirPods with a screen would play MP3s, downloaded music from apps like Apple Music and Spotify, and podcasts, with all the syncing done via a phone or computer.
There’s also huge scope for updates in the future. The second edition, for example, could add cellular support, the ability to play FLAC, and increased amounts of storage. Over time, it could develop into a device you could take out instead of your phone for short journeys.
In other words, it could become a modern iPod in everything but name. God, I’m excited just thinking about it.
Where would it fit in Apple’s ecosystem — and would it be a success?
In a previous piece on the potential Apple Ring, I pointed out the difficulty in launching that hardware because it doesn’t easily fit into the company’s wearable ecosystem. In other words, unless it does something substantially different to the Apple Watch (which would be unlikely), there’d be little reason for people to get one.
The standalone AirPods music player wouldn’t have the same issue.
This is the sort of thing people would buy alongside other Apple gear. A dedicated music player with AirPods is worth upgrading for. It’s something that’d appeal to both hardcore gadget nerds and the growing segment of society that wants to cut down their screen time. Also, let’s not forget the iPod enthusiasts still out there.
The AirPods as a standalone music player would also fit seamlessly into Apple’s product line. Firstly, you could rename the current entry-level AirPods to, say, the AirPods Air. Then move the current Pro versions into simply being AirPods, and make the earbuds with a screen the updated AirPods Pro. Smooth and easy.
To be quite honest, it’s hard to see AirPods with a screen not succeeding. This leads us onto another, more important question though.
Will Apple ever release these AirPods?
If I’m honest? Truly, deeply honest? No, I don’t think they will.
There are a range of reasons why, but I think the most pertinent is that Apple isn’t an innovator. What the company does best is taking technology that already exists, that has a solid use case, and a devoted small audience, and perfecting it and then marketing it to a mass of people.
This has been the route it’s taken from everything from the iPod all the way through to the Vision Pro. These aren’t product categories Apple invented, they’re pre-existing technologies it sees opportunity in.
True wireless earbuds combined with a screen isn’t something that currently has a big market share or consumer demand. So far, JBL is one of the few companies to have done this with the Tour Pro 2, although its execution is quite different to what we’ve discussed here. Until a company comes along, makes a similar product, and shows its viability, expect Apple to remain stationary.
These aren’t product categories Apple invented, they’re pre-existing technologies it sees opportunity in.
Just look at the HomePod as an example. People are crying out for a screen on the smart speaker — something Google and Amazon have done with their devices — and this feature still hasn’t dropped.
Ultimately, Apple is a cautious company. And this works well for it. AirPods are still the most successful true wireless earbuds in the world, after all. Yet, if Apple were willing to be a bit more daring, I think they could redefine the market… again. A whole new world of earbuds is possible, the question is whether Apple is courageous enough to do it.
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- AirPods Max are still the best headphones I've ever had
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- I tried living without AirPods Pro 2 — I lasted two weeks
