Airpods vs Earpods: What’s the Better Fit For You in 2024?

In this post, I explain the differences between Apple Airpods 2 vs Earpods earbuds.

In a rush and just want to know the main differences between the two?

Apple Airpods are wireless and Apple Earpods are wired. Airpods come in two models: one with a wireless charging case and the other with a standard wired case. Wireless charging gives you up to 24 hours of listening time while the standard charger gives you just five.

There are some other key differences between the models as well.

In this post, I take a deeper dive into the differences between Airpods vs Earpods as well as the key distinction between the wireless and standard charging cases of the two Airpods models.

Airpods vs Earpods: Side-by-Side

Following is a side-by-side features comparison of the Airpods vs Earpods earbuds from Apple:

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Video Review: Apple Airpods 2 vs Earpods in Action

If you want to see them up close, Skyforce95 provides a nice review of the Apple Airpods vs Earpods earbuds.

Nice job with the review young lady.

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Airpods: Apple’s Premium Earbuds

If you commute to work or school, work out a gym, or live on a college campus, you don’t need to look very far to see someone sporting a pair of Apple’s premium and famously white Airpods earbuds. These super popular buds are known for their superior sound in a wireless headphone but there are other benefits too. These include the ability to let in ambient sound, charge them wirelessly, interact with Siri via Dual beamforming microphones a speech-detecting accelerometer. They also have the ability to automatically synch via Bluetooth with your Apple devices using the same Apple ID if they are running iOS 10, Mac OS Sierra or Apple Watch OS 3 or higher.

Wireless vs Standard Charging Case

You have two options for charing your Airbuds: wired or wirelessly. An of course, in a very Apple-esk fashion, the added convenience of the wireless charging case comes with a more expensive price tag.  However, it gives you the added convenience of using a Qi-compatible wireless charging station plus a significantly longer battery life. You can also opt to charge them [more quickly] using the lightning cable if you so choose.  The AirPods with the Wireless Charging Case with give you more than 24 hours of listening time and up to 18 hours of talk time.

Customers who have upgraded to the wireless charging model say that “you will never go back” if you upgrade.

Standard AirPods will give you up to five hours of listening time and up to three hours of talk time.

Alternatively, you can use the “quick charge feature with either case.” On a 15-minute charge, you can get up to three hours of listening time or up to two hours of talk time.

The Verge provides a nice unbiased overview of the Airpods here.

Pros

• Wireless buds are less constrictive for active listeners
• Auto syncs up with new iOS devices, including iPhone, iPad, and Mac OS Sierra
• Quick charge feature gives [lightning cable] gives you 3 hours of battery life on a 15-minute charge
• Works with Siri: Just say “Hey Siri….” to get weather, directions, answers to common questions and more delivered to your ear

Cons

• Total charge time is limited to five hours with a standard charging case.
• Charging time with the wireless charger is a bit slow.
• Lack of adapters means they might not fit snugly in your ear. [I suggest trying them out an Apple Store first.] You can find the closest Apple store to you here.

Or, if you want to try them out, you can get them at Amazon here.

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Earpods: Great-Sounding But Wired Buds

OK, so hopefully by now, you have figured out the main difference between Airpods and Earpods is that the Earpods are wired. In comparison to the Airpod, the design is almost identical. Like the Airpods the Airpods also let in ambient noise. You can also control music playback, and interact with Siri. You just need to do it using the controls on the wire instead of the device itself.

Pros

• Sounds is almost identical to wireless buds
• Way less expensive than wireless buds
• Do not require a charge

Cons

• More restrictive due to cords
• Weight of wire may cause buds to fall out of your ear
• Control on the wire more difficult to navigate than tapping on buds

You can also check out the Apple Earpods on Amazon here.

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Verdict

Here is a quick recap of the major points in this article:

• If charging time is an issue and you like the idea of being able to charge your earbuds overnight by plopping them on a charging pad, the Airbuds with wireless charging is worth a look.
• However, if you simply want some great wireless airbuds and battery life or wireless charging are not a major concern, you can save yourself a few bucks and go with the Airpods with the standard charger.
• If you don’t mind wires and are confident that Earpods will stay in your ear even when you are on the go, then the Earpods provide excellent sound from a very low-cost in-ear headphone.

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Pricing and Availability

Both sets of Apple Airpods with the wireless and standard charging stations are available now.

I recommend the Apple Airpods with the wireless charging station on Amazon here.

You can see the Apple Airpods with the basic charging using the link up above.

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Airpods vs Earpods – Your Turn

So what do you about my comparison of Airpods vs Earpods?

They certainly sound the same, so I can see why so many of you wrote in asking me to write this post.

Do you like the idea of being able to cut the cord and listen to your favorite tunes, YouTube videos, and make calls untethered?

Are you a fan of Apple Siri or do you prefer Amazon Alexa?

Anyhow, I hope you found this article helpful. Please leave a comment below and let me know.  Thanks!

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Related Posts

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Echo Show vs Echo Plus vs Echo Dot: Which Alexa Speaker is Best for Music?

Amazon vs Google vs Apple: What Smart Home Ecosystem is Best?

How To Troubleshoot Alexa Multi-Room Music on Amazon Echo

Amazon Nebula vs Sonos Beam: Which Alexa Soundbar Sets the Bar Higher?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tim Brennan, a tech blogger and host of the @TecTimmy YouTube channel, writes about smart homes at oneSmartcrib, home theaters at UniversalRemoteReviews, and AI in writing at Writeinteractive. He holds a Journalism degree from Northeastern University and has covered technology for three decades. He lives on the ocean in Nahant, Massachusetts.