Before It Was Cool

iPhone + factory headphones

Inexpensive, old-fashioned, hard-wired headphones are cool:

Fashionable young celebrities including Bella Hadid, Lily-Rose Depp and Zoë Kravitz have been photographed strutting around town with blatantly corded headphones...Apple corded headphones go for just $19, and those from other brands can cost even less. For disorganized types, corded headphones are easier to keep track of and needn’t be charged. Plus, some folks have vague, pseudo-scientific objections to “radiation” that they associate with wireless pods.

I've had wireless pods fall out of my ear on the street and in bathrooms, and what happened next prevented me from wearing them again...'nuff said about that. The corded buds also drop out but don't reach the ground.

And there's no worrying about bluetooth radiation, which scientists say is harmless, but scientists have been known to change their minds.

I switched off the AirPods when the airlines were adamant about turning off wireless transmissions from all devices. Not having to worry about earpieces running out of juice during a five-hour flight is an under-appreciated benefit of wired headphones, and I continued to use them even after AirPods were permitted to be used during flights.

Choosing what best works for you, and not trying to catch up with a trend, makes for a happier life.