Every Apple AirPods Generation: A Full History of Release Dates

Apple has a slew of products disposable beyond iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The tech elephantine has dilatory begun to present assorted iPhone accessories implicit the past decade, specified arsenic Apple Watch, and these person proven to beryllium a large success. Another large accessory we've seen from Apple is nary different than AirPods. The marketplace for wireless earbuds dilatory began to turn fashionable successful 2015, but thing shook up the marketplace much than the motorboat of AirPods. With galore antithetic models and merchandise lines available, you mightiness not retrieve each procreation that Apple has released. Below, we've compiled each procreation of Apple AirPods, truthful buckle up and hole for a travel done this iconic device.

How Many Apple AirPods Generations Have There Been?

Apple has released a full of seven antithetic Apple AirPods generations. The archetypal exemplary was released successful 2016, with the latest arriving successful 2024. We've included each AirPods merchandise ever connected this list, with the modular AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max each included.

Every Apple AirPods Generation successful Order of Release

Apple AirPods (1st Generation) - December 13, 2016

The Apple AirPods (1st Generation) were the brace that started it all. Despite bundling successful wired Apple EarPods with all iPhone models, this marked Apple's archetypal leap into the wireless earbud space. The AirPods were brilliantly casual to usage acknowledgment to the Apple W1 Chip, which granted users the quality to flip unfastened the AirPods and seamlessly connect them to immoderate Apple device.

Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) - March 20, 2019

While Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) looked conscionable similar the archetypal brace connected the outside, galore changes were made internally that paved the mode for a important upgrade. Apple archetypal replaced the W1 spot with the H1, a spot that allowed for quicker connectivity overall. Additionally, portion the artillery beingness remained unchanged, Hey Siri functionality was added for users to rapidly entree Apple's AI assistant.

Apple AirPods Pro (1st Generation) - October 30, 2019

The AirPods Pro marked Apple's archetypal foray into the premium wireless earbud market. Instead of an open-ear design, AirPods Pro has silicone tips that spell wrong your ear, which opened the doorway for some higher prime dependable and Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). Apple offered 2 ANC modes connected AirPods Pro: Active Noise Cancellation & Transparency Mode. The second allows for voices to participate and premix with the dependable portion keeping each different noises cancelled out.

Apple AirPods Max - December 15, 2020

In 2020, Apple released the AirPods Max, a brand-new instrumentality connected Apple AirPods. This exemplary has a implicit over-ear design, which looks overmuch person to the Sony WH-1000MX5 oregon Bose QuietComfort 45. AirPods Max inactive offers the champion dependable prime to day connected immoderate AirPods model, with a large equilibrium and prime bass performance. Apple did merchandise an updated mentation of the AirPods Max successful 2024, but the lone alteration was a USB-C port.

Apple Apple AirPods Max Wireless Over-Ear Headphones

Features: Active Noise Cancelling, Transparency Mode, Spatial Audio, Digital Crown for Volume Control, Bluetooth Headphones for iPhone

Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) - October 26, 2021

Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) was a large shakeup successful plan compared to the past generation. This time, the plan was overmuch person to Apple AirPods Pro, with the lawsuit overmuch much rectangular, and the AirPods themselves having shorter stems. This procreation besides improved the artillery beingness successful a large way, with implicit six hours of further listening clip connected Apple AirPods (3rd Generation).

Apple AirPods (3rd Generation)

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) - September 23, 2022

Three years aft the merchandise of AirPods Pro, Apple released AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) successful 2022. This upgrade replaced the lightning larboard connected the charging lawsuit with USB-C, accrued h2o and particulate resistance, and more. Sound prime was besides overmuch improved with this model, particularly successful regards to Active Noise Cancellation performance. Recently, Apple adjacent added enactment for a clinically-validated proceeding trial to AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) that tin gauge receptor wellness and showcase listening habits to users.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) with MagSafe Case (USB-C)

Apple AirPods (4th Generation) - September 20, 2024

The astir caller AirPods model, Apple AirPods (4th Generation) marked the archetypal clip that Apple offered aggregate models for 1 AirPods gen. You tin take betwixt either the modular exemplary oregon a exemplary equipped with Active Noise Cancellation. A caller plan was made specifically to acceptable successful arsenic galore user's ears arsenic possible, with a coagulated upgrade successful dependable prime offered arsenic well.