AirPods Now Closing in on a Decade

Today marks nine years since Apple launched the original AirPods. Unveiled in September 2016 alongside the iPhone 7, the wireless headphones became available on December 19, 2016, following a slight delay.

At the time, wireless headphones were already on the market but had not yet reached true mass popularity. AirPods helped redefine the category through their convenience and seamless integration with Apple devices. Apple’s Phil Schiller at the time:

AirPods are the first headphones to deliver a…