How did I live like this for all those years? I certainly didn’t feel any cooler wearing Apple’s aging but in-vogue headphones, and I frequently had to resist the urge to go back to the convenience of my wireless Beats buds. I also found myself frustrated that I couldn’t charge my iPhone while listening to music - a problem I haven’t had to worry about since Apple killed the headphone jack on the iPhone 7 I bought in 2016. I desperately missed the active noise cancellation (ANC) of those pricier earbuds, particularly when I walked past a construction site or had to hear my dog’s snoring while trying to work.
The EarPods felt incredibly loose after years of enjoying the secure silicon fit of the AirPods Pro and, more recently, the Beats Fit Pro. I’ve accidentally knocked my phone off of my desk on multiple occasions as a result of being tethered, and using wired headphones makes it harder to freely pace around the apartment when I’m on calls. I didn’t miss having to untangle my earbuds every time I wanted to listen to some music, and don’t even get me started on wearing them with a mask (pro tip: mask first, EarPods second). Your CNN account Log in to your CNN accountĪs someone who’s been using wireless earbuds almost exclusively since 2018, adjusting to my crummy old EarPods was rough at first.