Apple's Greg Joswiak on AirPods Growth: 'It Was Almost Like Wildfire'

Apple's AirPods have been doing better than the company could have ever imagined, Apple's Vice President of Product Marketing Greg Joswiak said in a new report by Wired. Joswiak notes how the growth of AirPods "was almost like wildfire."

airpods family
Joswiak touched upon Apple's vision for a wireless future. Apple crossed a pivotal point in its push towards a wireless future with the controversial decision to remove the headphone jack from its iPhone lineup beginning in 2016 with the launch of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

We had this incredible wireless product, the iPhone. And yet, what began to feel odd is when you saw somebody using wired headphones. Right then you thought, why would you attach the wire?

Joswiak also shared some of the development stages of the AirPods lineup.

We had done work with Stanford to 3D-scan hundreds of different ears and ear styles and shapes in order to make a design that would work as a one-size solution across a broad set of the population. With AirPods Pro, we took that research further – studied more ears, more ear types. And that enabled us to develop a design that, along with the three different tip sizes, works across an overwhelming percentage of the worldwide population.

Apple recently reported its financial results for the second fiscal quarter of 2020, and Apple CEO Tim Cook proudly announced that a quarterly record for wearables had been set. In the first fiscal quarter of 2020, Cook had also announced that Apple's wearables category had set a new all-time revenue record. In addition, it was mentioned that Apple's wearables business is now the size of a Fortune 150 company.

Apple's first generation AirPods were first launched alongside the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in 2016. Since then, Apple's second-generation AirPods launched in March 2019, while the AirPods Pro were released at the end of October.

Related Roundups: AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 3
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With a Rough iPhone Fold Mockup

Monday December 29, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple is rumored to be introducing a foldable iPhone in September 2026, and since it will bring the biggest form factor change since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, curiosity about the design is high. A 3D designer created an iPhone Fold design based on rumors, and we printed it out to see how it compares to Apple's current iPhones. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Users Report Static Speaker Noise While Charging

Tuesday December 30, 2025 10:39 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max owners are having trouble with the speakers of their devices, and have complained about a static or hissing noise that occurs when the iPhone is charging. There are multiple discussions about the issue on Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and Apple's Support Community, where affected users say there is a noticeable static noise "like an old radio." Some people report...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID Front camera in...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Monday December 22, 2025 8:47 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple released iOS 26.2, following more than a month of beta testing. It is a big update, with many new features and changes for iPhones. iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. Below, we have highlighted a total of eight new features. Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen A new slider in the Lock...
samsung glitter blue

Samsung's Year End Sale Introduces Major Discounts on Popular Monitors and TVs

Monday December 29, 2025 6:29 am PST by
Samsung kicked off a new end-of-the-year sale this week, introducing great deals on monitors, TVs, Galaxy smartphones, and home appliances. Many of these deals are the exact same all-time low prices we tracked during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep ...
iOS 26 Glass Feature

The 5 Most Important Apple Software Features Introduced This Year

Tuesday December 30, 2025 1:00 am PST by
2025 was a significant year of advancement for Apple's software, with a noticeable focus on visual design, productivity, and communication. While Apple introduced and continued to iterate on a wide range of features throughout the year, several additions stood out for their scope and practical impact across multiple devices. As the year comes to an end, these five new features provide a...

Top Rated Comments

john123 Avatar
74 months ago

I don’t get why they are so special compared to other headphones and earphones out there. Can someone enlighten me?


Attachment Image
Score: 49 Votes (Like | Disagree)
john123 Avatar
74 months ago
Imagine that! You strip people of their ability to use one type of product and instead force them to use another type of product.

Then you introduce a version of that second product priced at $139 and up. You market it aggressively to people who already own at least one of your products, knowing full well that many of them care a lot about the brand and its cachet. It's a good product, but with gross margins around 60%, it's absurdly profitable.

And that new product does well! I say again – imagine that!

Full disclosure: I own a pair of AirPods Pro myself.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BF1M Avatar
74 months ago

"Why would you attach a wire?"

Because it sounds better, and choices are a good thing unless you're the company trying to force everyone down one specific path.
...you can still use wired with your iPhone. Nobody is forcing anyone down a path. Gentle pushing maybe...
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
74 months ago
Apple once again, made a controversial move that proved being right in the long run.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Herrpod Avatar
74 months ago
"Why would you attach a wire?"

Because it sounds better, and choices are a good thing unless you're the company trying to force everyone down one specific path.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Moakesy Avatar
74 months ago
Apple wearables the size of a Fortune 150 company...

Wow.....!
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)