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We round up all the wireless headphones and earbuds that have the same “magic” of AirPods.
By Tucker Bowe
Published
·
When Apple released the first AirPods in late 2016, they had what no other wireless headset had before it: Apple’s W1 chip. This special processor allowed AirPods to quickly pair to an iPhone — no need to open Bluetooth Settings and wait to be discovered — which was actually a pretty deal at the time; 2016 was also the year when Apple introduced the iPhone (iPhone 7) without a 3.5mm headphone jack, so more and more people were converting to Bluetooth headphones.
Products in the Guide
Beats Studio Pro
Read moreBeats Studio Buds +
Read moreApple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)
Best AirPods
Read moreBeats Fit Pro
Read moreAirPods (3rd Generation)
Read moreBeats Studio Buds
Read moreBeats Flex
Read moreAirPods Max
Read moreAirPods Pro (1st Generation)
Read morePowerbeats Pro
Read moreApple AirPods (Second-Generation)
Read moreBeats Powerbeats
Read moreBeats BeatsX
Read moreBeats Solo Pro
Read moreBeats Studio3 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones
Read moreBeats Solo 3 Wireless
Read more
In addition to fast pairing, the W1 chip helped the original AirPods establish a more stable Bluetooth connection to your iPhone. It worked with the AirPods’s built-in optical sensors so that music automatically play/paused when you placed the earbuds in/out of your ears. It also allowed for quick switching between Mac and iOS devices. And, thanks to later software updates, the W1 chip enabled features like audio sharing so that two people with AirPods could listen to one iPhone.
Apple’s Headphone Chips, Explained: W1, H1 and H2
Tucker BoweApple has made newer and better versions of its original W1 chip. In 2019, Apple released its next-generation H1 chipset which enabled an even faster and more secure Bluetooth connection. It also enabled hands-free “Hey Siri,” meaning any wireless headphones or earbuds with the H1 chip could respond to a voice command. (Previously, early AirPods summoned the voice assistant with a double tap on their side.
As of September 2022, Apple has introduced the H2 chipset with the newest AirPods Pro. This builds on the W1 and H1 platforms but enables the AirPods Pro to have significantly improved noise-cancellation and transparency modes. It also enables personalized Spatial Audio, which allows the newest AirPods Pro and AirPods Max to deliver an even more immersive experience.
If you’re in the market for a new pair of wireless headphones or wireless earbuds that work particularly well with your iPhone and other Apple devices, we’ve rounded up the best options below with the W1 and H1 chips below.
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How We Tested
Tucker BoweWe’ve had hands-on and tested most of the wireless headphones and wireless earbuds that work exceptionally well with Apple’s iPhone and other devices. Each of the below options are integrated with one of Apple’s proprietary chips — except for the Beats Studio Buds — and therefore support fast iPhone pairing. We’ve also tested each of them for fit, comfort, sound quality and other features such as noise cancellation and support for spatial audio.
The Wireless Headphones and Earbuds for Your iPhone (Newest to Oldest)
Beats Studio Pro
BeatsBeats Studio Pro
$349.99(14% off)
Pros
- Work very similarly to AirPods Max, but cost significantly less
- Work really well with Android smartphones, too
- Physical power button is nice
Cons
- Mostly the same design as Beats's previous noise-canceling headphones
- Lacks support for Bluetooth multi-point for Apple's ecosystem
- Chip: custom Beats chip
- Type: Wireless over-ear headphones
- Noise-cancellation: Yes
- Battery life: up to 40 hours
- Release date: July 2023
The Beats Studio Pro are the company’s flagship wireless noise-canceling headphones — and they are essentially a more budget-friendly alternative to Apple’s AirPods Max. The Studio Pro lack one of Apple’s special chips, but they do have a custom-made Beats chip that gives it most of the same abilities and features as the AirPods Max; Both support fast iPhone pairing, hands-free “Hey Siri” and Apple’s Find My network. They also support for Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking. The main tradeoff with the Studio Pro is that while good, the sound quality as well as noise-canceling and transparency modes aren’t quite as elite. On the plus side, the Studio Pro are significantly cheaper and lighter. Unlike AirPods Max, the Studio Pro support lossless audio when used as wired headphones (via USB-C) which is pretty cool.
Beats Studio Buds +
BeatsBeats Studio Buds +
$169.95(12% off)
Pros
- Very cool transparent design
- Improved sound quality, noise-cancellation and call quality
- $80 cheaper than AirPods Pro
Cons
- Noise-cancellation isn't on par with AirPods Pro
- No wireless charging
- No multi-point Bluetooth for iPhone
- Chip: None
- Type: Wireless earbuds
- Noise-cancellation: Yes
- Battery life: Up to nine hours (per earbud)
- Release date: May 2023
The Studio Buds + are new-and-improved versions of the 2021-released Studio Buds. The “Plus” models have the same design, but have been upgraded in just about every way — better sound, better noise-cancellation, better call quality and longer battery life. They also are available in a unique transparent finish that’s pretty darn cool. Just like the Studio Buds, the Studio Buds + are more affordable alternatives to AirPods Pro. They have very similar features, but since these Beats’s wireless earbuds lack an Apple-designed chip, they can’t do everything that AirPods Pro can do; for example, they support spatial audio but not with dynamic head tracking. Again, it’s worth noting that while the Studio Buds + deliver good sound and noise-cancellation, both aren’t as effective as AirPods Pro.
Apple AirPods Pro 2
AmazonPros
- Apple's best-ever wireless earbuds
- Supports spatial audio and Dolby Atmos
- Solid noise-cancellation
- On-ear controls for volume are a great addition
Cons
- Still pretty expensive
- If original AirPods Pro don't fit your ears, these won't either
- Chip: H2
- Type: Wireless earbuds
- Noise-cancellation: Yes
- Battery life: Up to six hours (per earbud)
- Release date: September 2022
These are the newest AirPods Pro — which are the only AirPods Pro that Apple now sells. They are the same size, shape and design as the 2019-released AirPods Pro but pack Apple’s new H2 processing chip. This helps these newest AirPods Pro sound better, as well as drastically improve their noise-canceling and transparency abilities. The H2 chip powers personalized Spatial Audio, too, so they are able to sound even more immersive.
Beats Fit Pro
AmazonBeats Fit Pro
Pros
- Earhook-design easily stays in your ears
- Support noise-cancellation and transparency modes
- Supports spatial audio and Dolby Atmos
Cons
- No wireless charging
- Sound and ANC aren't as elite as AirPods Pro
- Chip: H1
- Type: Wireless earbuds
- Noise-cancellation: Yes
- Battery life: Up to six hours (per earbud)
- Release date: November 2021
The Beats Fit Pro have a lot in common with Apple’s AirPods Pro (first generation). They are powered by the same H1 chip. They have the same active noise-cancellation and transparency modes. They also support spatial audio with dynamic head tracking. They don’t sound quite as good, however. And the other big difference is that the Fit Pro has a flexible earwing tip design that helps them better stay in your ears.
Apple AirPods 3
AppleAirPods (3rd Generation)
$169.00(17% off)
Pros
- Work mostly like Apple's AirPods Pro
- Supports spatial audio and Dolby Atmos
Cons
- No active noise-cancellation
- Lack silicone ear tips
- Chip: H1
- Type: Wireless earbuds
- Noise-cancellation: No
- Battery life: Up to six hours (per earbud)
- Release date: October 2021
The AirPods 3 are Apple’s mid-range wireless earbuds. They fit similarly to the AirPods Pro (although without the silicone ear tips), but lack active noise-cancellation and transparency modes. They do, however, support spatial audio and wireless charging. They’re sweat- and water-resistant. And they have a battery life of up to 6 ears (per earbud), which is better than any other model of AirPods (except for the new AirPods Pro 2) that Apple sells.
Beats Studio Buds
BeatsBeats Studio Buds
Pros
- Work basically just like AirPods Pro
- Pairs well with both iPhones and Androids
- Available in multiple colors
- Supports spatial audio and Dolby Atmos
Cons
- Noise-cancellation isn't as good as AirPods Pro
- Don't support all features of AirPods Pro, like multi-device pairing or audio sharing
- Chip: None
- Type: Wireless earbuds
- Noise-cancellation: Yes
- Battery life: Up to eight hours (per earbud)
- Release date: June 2021
The Studio Buds are noise-canceling wireless earbuds that can be viewed as an affordable alternative to the AirPods Pro. They are an outlier on this list because they do not pack either W1 or H1 chipset, but since Apple owns Beats they figured out a way to work similarly to AirPods Pro — such as fast iPhone pairing and support for spatial audio and Dolby Atmos — but also allowing them to work with Android smartphones.
Beats Flex
BeatsBeats Flex
$70.00(30% off)
Pros
- Very affordable right now
- Support fast pairing with your Apple devices
- Earbuds magnetically snap together for easy transport
Cons
- Not true wireless earbuds
- Not as rugged as Beats's other options
- Chip: W1
- Type: Wireless earphones
- Noise-cancellation: No
- Battery life: Up to nine hours
- Release date: January 2021
Released in late 2020, the Beats Flex are the next generation of the 2017-released BeatsX wireless earphones. The two big upgrades of the Flex are that they charge via USB-C (as opposed to Lightning) and they cost just $50 (as opposed to the $150 that the BeatsX originally sold for). They still have Apple’s W1 chip so they can fast pair with your iPhone, but they lack hands-free “Hey Siri” because they don’t have Apple’s newer H1 chip.
AirPods Max
AmazonAirPods Max
Pros
- Superb sound quality and support for spatial audio
- Excellent noise-cancellation
- Available in multiple different colors
- Chip: H1
- Type: Wireless over-ear headphones
- Noise-cancellation: Yes
- Battery life: Up to 20 hours
- Release date: December 2020
These are Apple’s first and only pair of over-ear headphones — and they’re luxurious. The earcups are made entirely of stainless steel (no plastic) and the sound quality and noise-canceling ability are both top-notch. They have all the same features and abilities of the AirPods Pro, such as support for spatial audio and Dolby Atmos. If you can stomach the high price tag, you can’t go wrong with the AirPods Max.
Discontinued: Apple AirPods Pro (1st-Gen)
AmazonAirPods Pro (1st Generation)
Pros
- Still very good wireless earbuds
- Support fast iPhone pairing, "Hey Siri" voice controls and audio sharing.
- Good noise-cancellation
- Supports spatial audio and Dolby Atmos
Cons
- Apple has stopped selling them
- Sound quality and ANC isn't as good as the new Pros
- No on-stem playback controls
- Chip: H1
- Type: Wireless earbuds
- Noise-cancellation: Yes
- Battery life: Up to five hours
- Release date: October 2019
The AirPods Pro are Apple’s original noise-canceling wireless earbuds and the first to feature silicone eartips and a truncated design. Compared to the regular AirPods, the Pros had upgraded drivers and new sensors; this allowed them to support higher-end audio technologies, such as spatial audio and Dolby Atmos.
Note:The first-generation AirPods Pro have been discontinued, but you can still buy them from third-party sites.
Beats Powerbeats Pro
BeatsPowerbeats Pro
$250.00(20% off)
Pros
- Unique design and fit
- Still one of our favorite wireless earbuds for working out
- Work very well with iPhone and Apple devices
Cons
- Charging case is huge
- Still quite expensive despite being older
- Chip: H1
- Type: Wireless earbuds
- Noise-cancellation: No
- Battery life: up to nine hours (per earbud)
- Release date: May 2019
The Powerbeats Pro are wireless earbuds for people who want AirPods but want them to fit more securely and be more sweat-resistant. They have an earhook design and swappable silicone eartips, so they’ll fit pretty much any ear. They also have button controls on the earbuds, making adjust the volume and play/pausing very easy. Lastly, they’re available in several colors other than white.
Apple AirPods (2nd-Gen)
AppleApple AirPods (Second-Generation)
$129.00(23% off)
Pros
- Apple's most affordable wireless earbuds
- Work excellently with any iPhone or Apple device
Cons
- Have to pay extra for a wireless charging case
- No noise-cancellation
- Chip: H1
- Type: Wireless earbuds
- Noise-cancellation: No
- Battery life: Up to five hours (per earbud)
- Release date: March 2019
Apple released these second-generation AirPods in early 2019. They’re upgraded with Apple’s newer H1 chip, which gives them improved battery life — Apple says 50 percent more talk time — and enables hands-free “Hey Siri.” You can buy them with or without a wireless charging case.
The Best Wireless Earbuds with Earhooks for Working Out
Discontinued: Beats Powerbeats
BeatsBeats Powerbeats
Pros
- An affordable alternative to Powerbeats Pro
- Support fast pairing with your Apple devices
Cons
- Not true wireless earbuds
- Apple and Beats no longer make them
- Chip: H1
- Type: Wireless earphones
- Noise-cancellation: No
- Battery life: Up to nine hours
- Release date: March 2020
Note: The Beats Powerbeats have been discontinued, but you can still buy them from third-party sites.
The Powerbeats are the exact same as the Powerbeats Pro, but there’s a wire connecting the two earbuds. The features and sound quality are the same. The advantage of the two earbuds being tethered together is that the Powerbeats are less likely to have connectivity issues (sometimes a left or right earbud doesn’t sync). Plus, they’re more affordable. The Best Wireless Earbuds for Running and Working OutRead More
Discontinued: BeatsX
AmazonBeats BeatsX
Pros
- Supports fast-pairing with Apple devices
- Earbuds magnetically snap together
Cons
- Apple and Beats no long sell them
- More expensive than the Beats Flex
- Not true wireless
- Chip: W1
- Type: Wireless earphones
- Noise-cancellation: No
- Battery life: Up to eight hours
- Release date: February 2017
Note: The BeatsX have been discontinued, but you can still buy them from third-party sites.
The BeatsX are older versions of the Beats Flex and have since been discontinued. At the time of their release they were selling for $150, which is their biggest downside over the $50 Flex. They also charge via Lightning rather than USB-C.
Discontinued: Beats Solo Pro
BeatsBeats Solo Pro
Pros
- Supports fast-pairing with Apple devices
- Available in a variety of fun colors
- Comfortable on-ear design
Cons
- Apple and Beats no longer sells them
- Active noise-cancellation isn't elite
- Chip: H1
- Type: Wireless on-ear headphones
- Noise-cancellation: Yes
- Battery life: Up to 22 hours
- Release date: October 2019
Note: The Beats Solo Pro have been discontinued, but you can still buy them from third-party sites.
Released in late 2019, the Solo Pro are wireless on-ear headphones that look very similar to the company’s Solo3 Wireless, but they pack a couple of big differences. They have Apple’s newer H1 chip, charge via Lightning charging port and, most importantly, they have active noise-cancellation. Additionally, Beats gave the Solo Pro improved drivers and redesigned ear cups so that they sound better are better at blocking out ambient noises.
Discontinued: Beats Studio 3 Wireless
AmazonBeats Studio3 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones
Pros
- Available in a wide variety of colors
- Supports fast pairing with Apple devices
Cons
- ANC isn't as elite as AirPods Max
- Still quite expensive
- Still charges via micro-USB
- Chip: W1
- Type: Wireless over-ear headphones
- Noise-cancellation: Yes
- Battery life: Up to 22 hours
- Release date: October 2017
Note: The Beats Studio 3 Wireless have been discontinued with the introduction of the 2023-released Studio Pro. You can still buy them from third-party sites, however.
The Studio 3 Wireless were the first over-ear headphones by Beats to feature Apple’s W1 chip. At the time, they were selling for $350, but you can buy them for significantly less than that now. They’re a budget alternative to AirPods Max, but we recommend buying the much newer Beats Studio Pro. Also these headphones still charge via micro-USB.
Beats Solo 3 Wireless
BeatsBeats Solo 3 Wireless
$199.95(35% off)
Pros
- Fairly affordable
- Available in a variety of fun colors
- Supports fast pairing with Apple devices
Cons
- No active noise-cancellation
- Still charges via micro-USB
- Chip: W1
- Type: Wireless on-ear headphones
- Noise-cancellation: No
- Battery life: Up to 40 hours
- Release date: June 2016
Quite incredibly, Beats still sells these 2016-released headphones. The Solo 3 Wireless have an on-ear design rather than over-ear, and they don’t have noise-canceling or transparency modes. They have the same W1 chip as the (now discontinued) Studio 3 Wireless and work basically the same. The Solo 3 Wireless charges via micro-USB.
New and Upcoming Releases
The most recent wireless earbuds that Apple released were the second-generation AirPods Pro, which came out in September 2022. There are quite a bit of rumors of new AirPods Max as well as a couple of next-generation headphones and wireless earbuds by Beats. Here’s what to look out for:
AirPods Max 2: Apple is rumored to be working on the next-generation AirPods Max, which were released in late 2020, but they aren’t expected to be announced until late 2024 or even early 2025. The one thing that these new headphones are expected to have is, as first spotted by Patently Apple, new haptic controls to the earpads and potentially get rid of the digital crown.
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2: These workout-focused wireless earbuds are a fan-favorite, but they’re also long overdue for an update. They’ve been around since mid-2019 and Beats could release the next model with updated chipsets, improved audio and, hopefully, a charging case that’s significantly more pocketable.
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