[slim]

The airpods are compared to wired ear buds. Once Apple removed the jack port, they effectively created the added waste which was not there before.

[gnicholas]

True, although my wired Apple headphones never lasted more than two years, which seems to be roughly the useful life of AirPods.

[theshrike79]

YMMV.

I'm on my second pair of airpods since launch. (Left pod on the previous pair stopped connecting).

As for wired headphones, no pair lasts over 2 years in my use. The cord always gets tangled and broken and off to the bin they go. No matter how thick, thin or even swappable the cord is, I still manage to break them.

It's wireless or silence for me =)