iPod earbuds are the iconic white
earphones that ship with all music players designed and marketed by
Apple Inc. These earphones are manufactured solely by the
Fostex corporation of
Japan.
History
The white
earphones (or "earbuds") that ship with all iPods have become symbolic of the brand.
Advertisements feature them prominently, often contrasting the white earphones (and cords) with people shown as dark
silhouettes that are usually seen on iTunes gift cards. The original earphones came with the first generation iPod. They were revised to be smaller after Apple received complaints of the earbuds being too large. The revised earphones were shipped with second through early fifth generation iPods, the iPod Mini, and the first generation Nanos. The earbuds were revised again in 2006, featuring an even smaller and more streamlined design. This third design was shipped with late fifth generation iPods and the second-generation nanos. All first generation iPod Shuffles and the second generation up until 30 January 2007 (when color models were introduced) were shipped with the second design; those that shipped after that date were distributed with the third design of the earbuds. The third generation
iPod Shuffle comes with the earphones with remote on the right earphone, and third generation
iPod Touch comes with the earphones with remote and mic on the right earphone.
Safety
The theft and robbery of iPods has been a noted concern in several countries. To avoid robbery some owners of iPods replaced the telltale white earphones with other headsets, to avoid unwanted attention. It has been recommended that replacing the distinctive white earbuds with older headphones suggest cheaper equipment and help reduce robbery risk. after iPod thefts on the subway rose from zero in 2004 to 50 in the first three months of 2005. In 2007, in San Francisco, an increase in iPod robberies prompted
BART officials to place flyers at stations warning riders that the signature white earbuds could make them targets for iPod theft.
Varieties
There are currently 4 varieties of iPod headphones: The basic
Apple Earphones (no controls), which ships with all iPods except the 3rd Gen. Shuffle and 3rd Gen. Touch (32 and 64 GB); the Shuffle
Apple Headphones (with Remote), which ships only with the 3rd Gen. Shuffle; the
Apple Earphones (with Remote and Mic), which ships with the iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch 3rd Gen, iPhone, and is also sold independently; and the optional "premium"
Apple In-Ear Headphones (with Remote and Mic), introduced on September 9, 2008, which are sold independently. The last three of these versions have buttons that allow users to adjust volume and control music and video playback. The control capsule located on the cable of the right earpiece includes three buttons and a
microphone on the last two versions. Users can: adjust volume by pressing the + and - buttons, control music and video playback — including play/pause and next/previous — by pressing the center button, and record voice memos on supported iPod and iPhone models. There have been many reports of moisture problems with the remote/mic earbuds. The original iPhone and iPhone 3G came with a modified version of the Apple Headphones - The iPhone Stereo Headset. These were the Apple Headphones but with an additional clicker and remote on the right side of the headphones. The iPhone headset differs from the Apple Headphones with Remote and Mic by not including the volume control.
See also
Timeline of Apple products
Fostex
References
External links
Apple - iPod - In-Ear Headphone
Category:IPod accessories
Category:IPhone accessories
