Alas, Apple’s Latest AirPods Once Again Eschew Ear Tips

I recently learned that Apple released the first generation of AirPods five years ago, all the way back in 2016, which seems like a lifetime ago. To put things into perspective, Barack Obama was then serving as President of the United States. That means we’ve had half a decade for AirPods to permeate our cultural discourse, running the gamut from the butt of Twitter jokes to status symbol to essential tool for working from home. Last week, Apple unveiled the third generation of their ubiquitous earphones, and surprisingly they decided to keep certain design elements that prevents the AirPods from having truly universal appeal.

New Apple AirPods (3rd Generation)

Going back to their days making wired earphones, Apple has for years tried to force its distinctively shaped earbuds into the ears of every human on the planet. With the release of the AirPods Pro in 2019, however, it seemed like they had finally learned the error of their ways. Yes, the noise cancellation technology of the AirPods Pro is itself superior enough to merit its $250 price tag. But the biggest selling point has always been its interchangeable ear tips, allowing users to attach the size most fitted to their particular head shape.

When coming out with a third generation of AirPods, there was widespread hope that these would also include ear tips—or even if they didn’t come with them, they would at least support third party attachments. Neither is the case. Apple is stubbornly clinging to the delusion that all of their customers have ear shapes similar enough to use only one single design.

Apple has not taken this charge lightly. They claim that the newest AirPods boast a whole new design that is meant to fit snugly in more ears than ever before. Consider me a skeptic. Anything that simply rests on top of a body part is not going to be as secure as something that actually attaches via silicone tips. That is even more true when considering the tendency to employ AirPods in activities that require lots of motion, such as running and other forms of exercise.

Henry Ford famously said that customers could have any color Model T they want, as long as it was black. Well, Apple seems to be employing a similarly haughty strategy: You can have wireless earphones that fit any shape ear you want, as long as it is the shape and size they have predetermined.

Maybe this is a long play. Since Apple AirPods denote status, Apple may be hoping that natural selection allows only those with its sanctioned ear shapes to find mates and procreate. Solely passing along this physiognomical trait may save the company considerable amounts of money in the generations to come. This is the one of the only reasons I can think of for Apple so inconsiderately turning off a large part of its potential consumer base. It is either that or they just want those who need the tips to wait a little longer and pay the extra cash whenever the AirPods Pro 2 are finally released.