Originally released on October 23, 2001, Apple earbuds are a proprietary, in-ear sound device created by Apple Inc. Since their inception, they’ve been included with all Apple’s music and mobile devices.

Apple earbud versions

Several iterations of the Apple earbuds were released since their introduction. Brief details about each are listed below.

  • Apple earbuds - The original, released with the first iPod. This model underwent three generations with minor changes, such as a small plastic piece used to close the gap between the headphones, and smaller sound grills.
  • Apple EarPods - These are the second version of the earbuds. They came out on September 12, 2012, and were first packaged with the iPhone 5. As pictured in the example, Apple EarPods eventually transitioned from the mini plug to the Lightning plug after the iPhone 7 was released.
  • Apple AirPods - The latest version of Apple’s earbuds were released on December 13, 2016. They use Bluetooth technology to connect to devices wirelessly. AirPods features include a touch interface to activate Siri, a built-in microphone, and accelerometers in each earbud. Unlike other versions, AirPods were never included with the purchase of an Apple device.

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