Apple’s AirPods Once Made Me a Meme
The AirPods launched at Apple’s 2016 iPhone event, and the wireless earbuds’ weird, cigarette butt pipestem look wasn’t well received. We’ve gotten used to Apple’s iconic wireless bud design, which changed the face of the headphone industry, but a decade ago, it looked like a ridiculous misfire. It’s a reminder for me that public perception of new tech isn’t always a great indicator of future success.
I put those AirPods in my ears in the post-keynote demo room, posed as CNET’s James Martin took my photo — and the rest was meme history. But I also remember that Apple’s earbuds were addictively easy to wear. They weren’t always as good as wired earbuds, but they were more convenient. They didn’t have noise cancellation, sometimes experienced Bluetooth dropouts and lacked the battery life they have now. But they charged quickly, were great for phone calls and eliminated tangled...
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