Apple’s AirPods quickly became synonymous with wireless earbuds following their release eight years ago, and now the company has added the original model to its “vintage and obsolete products” list, as MacRumors points out.
Originally announced in September 2016 and going on sale a few months later in December, AirPods were visually differentiated from similar products with their long stem design, but it was the proprietary W1 chip that truly set them apart. Allowing for nearly instant pairing across Apple’s ecosystem of products, the technology (when it worked) helped eliminate the pairing frustrations that come with Bluetooth devices.
Over time, Apple has tweaked the AirPods design by creating a more customizable fit with the introduction of the AirPods Pro model in 2019, which added noise cancellation and shortened the stem length.
So what makes a product “vintage” in Apple’s eyes? According to the company’s support site, “products are considered vintage when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 5 and less than 7 years ago.” After that, they are moved into the “obsolete” category.
From a support standpoint, products classified as vintage can still get service from Apple and authorized repair shops. Other products joining the vintage category include the iPhone X (released in 2017) and first-generation HomePod speaker, which is just six years old.
Of the three products, it looks like the originally $350 HomePod has held the most value — a quick look at eBay shows pre-owned speakers being listed for $150 and up. Meanwhile, the unlocked iPhone X launched at $1,000, with used 64 GB models starting at $100 depending on network compatibility.
Editor’s Note: Read our guide to the biggest announcements from Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, held last month in Cupertino, California.
