Apple's AirPods Are A Sign Of The Future

The iPhone 7 Apple event has come and gone, and now you know absolutely everything about the upcoming releases. Among those releases, it was revealed what may be the single most controversial, provocative, and scrutinized announcement of the lot: Apple's new bluetooth earbuds, called "AirPods." The change came in concert with the iPhone 7 abandoning the traditional headphone jack in favor of wireless listening, but maybe you're wondering: Why are they called AirPods?

It's not as though the name comes as a big surprise, or defies any conventions for the tech giant. Apple's been fond of using the word "air" in their products and software before ― AirPlay and MacBook Air are two common examples. Simply put, the light, pleasant connotations that the word "air" stirs up align pretty well with Apple's forward-facing brand, so from a simple marketing perspective, it's an easy choice.

Also, perhaps needless to say, calling them AirPods speaks to the wireless nature of this newest bit of Apple gadgetry. Whether you're a fan or not, this is the direction the company has decided to go, and AirPods fits comfortably within the annals of Apple product names.

Also, the headphones that came packaged with every new iPhone sold were called "EarPods," so simply swapping "ear" for "air" makes all the sense in the world.

In any case, the new wireless AirPods will surely be a hot topic of conversation in the days and weeks to come. They're slated for release in October, starting at a price of $159 for a single pair ― quite a chunk of change for a pair of devices that look, to me, so prone to being lost or misplaced. I'll probably try treating my old EarPods with some more care and attention in the month or so before the new wireless models come out, if only to give me some practice for dealing with the wireless AirPods.