Final yr, I misplaced my previous AirPods in my house and relied on my old-school Lightning EarPods for months earlier than upgrading to an iPhone 16. Actually, apart from lacking wi-fi connectivity, I hadn’t seen a lot distinction. That’s why I nonetheless suppose they’re a superb 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 very best value we’ve seen and a wise purchase should you’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 newest iPhones, which have ditched the Lightning port in favor of USB-C. Apart from that, although, they’re nearly an identical to the Lightning EarPods that when got here bundled with the iPhone (they even embrace inline controls for quantity and playback). They could lack just about all the bells and whistles discovered on Apple’s newest AirPods, however many people 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 exchange once you lose them, which, given my monitor file, I most actually will.