Final yr, I misplaced my outdated AirPods in my condominium and relied on my old-school Lightning EarPods for months earlier than upgrading to an iPhone 16. Truthfully, other than lacking wi-fi connectivity, I hadn’t seen a lot distinction. That’s why I nonetheless suppose they’re an excellent funding in 2025, and why I’m contemplating selecting up the newer USB-C EarPods now that they’re on sale for $15.99 ($3 off) at Amazon and Walmart. That’s the most effective worth we’ve seen and a sensible purchase for those who’ve misplaced your entry-level pair or just miss the simplicity of wired earbuds.
Launched in 2023, the USB-C EarPods are designed to work with Apple’s urgent updates iPhones, which have ditched the Lightning port in favor of USB-C. Except for that, although, they’re nearly an identical to the Lightning EarPods that after got here bundled with the iPhone (they even embrace inline controls for quantity and playback). They might lack just about the entire bells and whistles discovered on Apple’s urgent updates AirPods, however many of us at The Verge still swear by their mic quality, which, surprisingly, outperforms a few pricier wi-fi choices — together with older AirPods fashions. They ship impressively clear sound, too, which is why a few of my colleagues nonetheless attain for them throughout calls.
For me, although, what I really like most is how low-maintenance they’re. I by no means needed to fear about undesirable lag or battery life on lengthy commutes — I simply plugged them in and I used to be good to go. Better of all, they’re dirt-cheap to switch whenever you lose them, which, given my observe file, I most actually will.