Apple AirPods (2nd generation) vs Apple EarPods (3.5mm Headphone Plug)

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AirPods (2nd generation) compared with EarPods (3.5mm Headphone Plug)

	AppleAirPods (2nd generation)	AppleEarPods (3.5mm Headphone Plug)
Overview
Released
Released	March 2019	September 2012
Sound
Type
Type	Open-ear	Open-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	No	No
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	No	–
Spatial audio with head tracking
Spatial audio with head tracking	No	–
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	SBC and AAC	None (wired)
Lossless over USB-C
Lossless over USB-C	No	–
Chip
Chip	H1	–
Audio features
Audio features	Automatic ear detection with dual optical sensors and a motion accelerometer; AAC Bluetooth audio; SBC support listed by What Hi-Fi?	–
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 5 hours	No battery (wired)
Wireless charging
Wireless charging	Yes	–
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	More than 24 hours of listening including case recharges, according to Apple; launch announcement claims up to 50% more talk time than first-generation AirPods	–
Charging case
Charging case	Lightning Charging Case charges by cable; Wireless Charging Case supports Qi-certified chargers and Lightning, with a front status LED; both measure 53.5 x 44.3 x 21.3 mm	–
Fast charging
Fast charging	15 minutes in the case provides up to 3 hours of listening	–
Design
Weight (each earbud)
Weight (each earbud)	4 g	–
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.0	–
Headphone cable
Headphone cable	No	Yes
Controls
Controls	Double-tap to play, skip forwards or answer a call; hands-free Hey Siri; double-tap actions can be assigned separately to each earbud	Inline remote for volume, music and video playback, and answering or ending calls; not all older iPod models support volume controls
Microphones
Microphones	Dual beamforming microphones and speech-detecting accelerometer	Inline microphone
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Fixed open-ear shape without interchangeable tips; each earbud measures 40.5 x 16.5 x 18.0 mm	Non-sealing earbuds with a fixed shape and no ear tips
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	–	Apple states protection from sweat and water but does not publish an IP rating
Case weight
Case weight	38.2 g for either case, according to Apple's specifications	–
Works with
Works with	Full Apple features with compatible iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch, Mac and Apple TV software; standard Bluetooth audio with fewer features on non-Apple devices; Live Listen, headphone levels and Headphone Accommodations	Audio through a 3.5mm headphone socket; Apple lists remote and microphone support for iPod, iPhone and iPad, with model-dependent volume control support
Colours
Colours	White	White
In the box
In the box	AirPods, chosen charging case, Lightning to USB-A cable and documentation	EarPods with 3.5mm Headphone Plug