After 12 Years, Apple May Finally Discontinue EarPods

12 years after Apple's EarPods were introduced with the iPhone 5, the company may finally discontinue its $19 wired earbuds.

According to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris, major U.S. retailer Target has listed all three EarPods variants (Lightning, 3.5mm, and USB-C) as "Non-Carry Forward," suggesting that they are soon to be discontinued. While it is unclear when this could occur, the timing of the news coinciding with Apple's "It's Glowtime" iPhone 16 Apple event later today suggests that the move could be imminent.

Apple's EarPods were first introduced in 2012 as the standard earphones bundled with iPhones and iPods, replacing the earlier circular earbuds. Initially, the EarPods were equipped with a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, but with the launch of the iPhone 7 and the introduction of AirPods in 2016, Apple started removing the headphone jack from its devices. A new version of the EarPods were released simultaneously with a Lightning connector to match the new iPhone's only remaining port. Last year, with the switch to USB-C on the iPhone 15 lineup, Apple introduced a third revision of the EarPods with a USB-C connector.

EarPods have seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years owing to their excellent microphone and low price point, so their discontinuation would likely disappoint many fans of the inexpensive earbuds.