It’s easy to forget how weird they looked. Back in late 2016, when Tim Cook stood on stage and introduced the Apple AirPods Generation 1, the internet basically imploded with memes. People compared them to Electric Toothbrush heads. They joked about how easily they’d fall into subway grates. But then, something shifted.
Honestly, the original AirPods changed the way we move. They weren't the first wireless earbuds—brands like Bragi and Eratu were already struggling with connectivity issues—but they were the first ones that actually worked. No wires. No fuss. Just a little white dental floss case that clicked with a satisfying snap.
If you're looking back at these now, you’re probably wondering if they’re still usable or if they're just e-waste. Let's get into the weeds of what made these things a cultural phenomenon and what happens when you try to use a pair in 2026.
The W1 Chip Was the Secret Sauce
Most people think Bluetooth is just Bluetooth. It isn't. Before the Apple AirPods Generation 1, pairing Bluetooth headphones was a nightmare of holding down buttons, waiting for blinking blue lights, and praying your phone would "see" the device.
Apple fixed this with the W1 chip.
By designing their own silicon, Apple allowed the AirPods to communicate with an iPhone the second you flipped the lid open. A little card popped up on your screen. You tapped "Connect." That was it. This wasn't just a convenience; it was a fundamental shift in user experience. The W1 chip also managed the battery more efficiently than the off-the-shelf components competitors were using at the time. It synchronized the audio between the left and right buds, a task that was notoriously difficult for early true wireless stereo (TWS) technology.
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Sometimes the audio would drift. You'd hear the snare drum in your left ear a millisecond before the right. It was maddening. Apple’s solution was to have the phone talk to one "primary" bud which then relayed the signal, or in later firmware updates, handled the sync through proprietary sniffing.
Real World Battery Life: The Brutal Truth
Apple claimed five hours of listening time.
In the beginning, they actually hit that mark. You could fly from New York to Miami and still have juice left. The case held another 24 hours of charge. It was a revelation. But here is the thing about lithium-ion batteries: they die. They don't just stop working; they fade.
Because the batteries in the Apple AirPods Generation 1 are so tiny—roughly 93 milliwatts—they degrade fast. After two years of daily use, most original owners found their "five hours" had turned into twenty minutes. You’d be on a work call, hear that depressing "bloop-bleep" low battery tone, and then... silence.
Since these units are glued shut, there is no official way to replace the battery. You can't just pop them open. This led to the rise of services like PodSwap, where users could trade in their dying buds for refurbished ones with fresh cells. It’s a bit of a tragedy of industrial design. We created one of the most popular tech products in history, and it was essentially designed to be disposable after 24 to 36 months.
Sound Quality vs. Convenience
Are they audiophile grade? God, no.
The Apple AirPods Generation 1 sound exactly like the wired EarPods that used to come free in the box with an iPhone 6. They have a mid-forward sound signature. The bass is there, but it doesn't rumble your skull. The highs are clear enough for podcasts but can get "shouty" if you crank the volume.
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- They use an open-back design.
- This means they don't seal your ear canal.
- You will hear the bus engine.
- You will hear the person next to you chewing gum.
For many, this was a feature, not a bug. It meant you could wear them in an office and still hear your boss calling your name. It made them safer for runners who needed to hear traffic. But if you wanted to disappear into your music on a loud plane, these were useless. You’d end up maxing out the volume just to hear the lyrics, which is a great way to earn yourself some early-onset tinnitus.
Identifying the First Gen from the Crowd
It’s actually hard to tell the difference between the first and second generation just by looking at the buds.
Check the model number in your iPhone settings or printed in tiny text on the underside of the earbud. The Apple AirPods Generation 1 carry the model numbers A1523 or A1722. If you look at the charging case, the status light is on the inside of the lid. If the light is on the front of the case, you’re looking at a wireless charging case, which was usually sold with the Gen 2 or as a standalone upgrade.
Also, the Gen 1 does not support "Hey Siri." To talk to the assistant, you had to double-tap one of the buds. You could customize this in settings—left ear for play/pause, right ear for Next Track—but you couldn't just shout at your pocket. The processor simply wasn't powerful enough to be "always listening" without nuking the battery.
Common Glitches and The "Rice" Myth
These things weren't perfect.
One of the most common issues was the "One Bud Out" syndrome. You’d put both in, but only the right one would play. Usually, this was caused by earwax buildup on the tiny metal charging contacts at the bottom of the stem or inside the case. A quick wipe with a Q-tip and some 70% isopropyl alcohol usually fixed it.
And please, if you drop them in water, do not put them in rice. Rice does nothing but get dust inside the charging port. Just air-dry them. The Gen 1 had no official IP rating for water resistance, but they were surprisingly hardy. Thousands of people accidentally ran them through a washing machine cycle and found they worked fine after a day of drying out. Don't test that theory on purpose, though.
Why Collectors Care
It sounds weird to talk about "vintage" tech from 2016, but we are seeing a trend where the original AirPods are becoming a collector's item for tech historians.
They represent the end of the headphone jack era. When Apple removed the 3.5mm port on the iPhone 7, the AirPods were the "solution." They are the physical embodiment of that controversial transition. Buying a "New Old Stock" (NOS) pair of Gen 1s is getting harder because, even sitting in a sealed box, those tiny batteries are chemically aging. If you find a sealed box from 2016 today, there’s a 50/50 chance the batteries won't hold a charge at all.
Using Them With Android
Surprisingly, you can use Apple AirPods Generation 1 with an Android phone.
They just act like standard Bluetooth earbuds. You lose the fancy "open-to-pair" animation. You lose the automatic ear detection (where the music pauses when you take one out). But the core functionality remains. For a long time, they were actually some of the best-performing buds for Android users because of their stable connection and decent mic quality.
The microphones on the original AirPods were actually better than many expensive headsets. Because the stems point directly toward your mouth, they pick up your voice clearly. Apple used beamforming microphones and an accelerometer to detect when your jaw is moving, helping to filter out background noise during calls.
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Final Verdict on the Legacy
The Apple AirPods Generation 1 weren't just a product; they were a shift in social etiquette. They made it okay to walk around looking like you were talking to yourself. They made "wireless" the default expectation rather than a luxury niche.
While the AirPods Pro and the newer AirPods 4 have better sound and active noise cancellation, the original 2016 model set the blueprint. The weight of the case, the magnetic "thunk" of the buds seating themselves, the white plastic finish—all of it remains largely unchanged in the base models today.
What to do if you still have a pair:
- Clean the Contacts: Use a dry cotton swab to clear out the bottom of the charging case. If there is green oxidation, use a tiny drop of alcohol.
- Check Battery Health: If you get less than an hour of life, they are likely at the end of their functional cycle.
- Repurpose Them: If the batteries are weak, keep them as a backup pair for your laptop or a dedicated pair for sleep/podcasts where you don't mind them dying.
- Recycle Responsibly: If they are truly dead, please don't throw them in the trash. The lithium batteries are a fire hazard in garbage trucks. Take them to an Apple Store or a Best Buy for proper recycling.
If you're thinking about buying a used pair on eBay, honestly, don't. The battery degradation risk is too high. You're better off looking for a refurbished pair of Gen 2s or the newer entry-level models which have significantly better efficiency and connectivity. The original AirPods had their time in the sun, and they changed the world, but their batteries are almost certainly on their last legs by now.