But while smaller is usually better with Apple, perhaps this is going too far.
Its possiblethe rumor is trueand Apple is making one of its tiniest computers even tinier.
After all, thats what it does.
The new AirPods Pros are at the top and the older AirPods are below.Lifewire / Lance Ulanoff
But a few moments thought shows that removing the stems causes way more problems than it fixes.
Even sources close to Apple doubt that its possible.
Like the white cables running from its earbuds in the iPod era, the white stems are iconic.
If you see them, you immediately know what they are.
And if you dont know what they are, you want to find out.
AirPods white stems are free advertising, carried in the ears of all the cool kids.
Technicalities
Thats not to say that there arent technical problems with removing the stems.
This can impact range.
AirPods Pro have excellent range, even compared to the already-good non-pro AirPods.
But stemless buds just cant beam their Bluetooth signal as far.
The range is less than the AirPods I have, but I also bought the Rowkin in 2016.
This is far superior to the regular AirPods, which are controlled by tapping the AirPod itself.
This tap booms into your ear every time you do it.
The stem-squeeze is quieter, and, in use, more reliable.
The stems seem essential, then.
Instead of ditching them, then, Apple could pack even more functionality inside.
Fit and Fitness
Another use for the stems is purely mechanical.
They make it easier to put the pods in your ears, and to get them out again.
That said, those little stemless earbuds arent as hard to use as you might expect.
Will Apple make stemless AirPods?
Its almost certain that they exist in an Apple laboratory somewhere.
It seems unlikely, but with Apple, you never really know.
