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.
