[dwaite]

You can just bluetooth to any device.

However, pairing an audio device is an exchange of settings and encryption keys, and Apple will sync that pairing that to your entire account. Hold your AirPods near your Phone and tap the button to create the initial pairing, and they start working with your Mac and Apple TV.

[38]

that doesn't explain the previous status quo, which appears to be that previous (and maybe current) incarnations cant Bluetooth pair without an apple ID.

[evan_]

This just is not true, you can pair any model of airpods to any device that supports bluetooth. (Maybe there are exceptions but I'm not aware of them.)

I use my airpods with my Nintendo Switch and Samsung TV all the time. No Apple IDs on there.

[klabb3]

I have many fights to pick with Apple. Pairing of accessories is not one of them. Honestly, if I stop using iPhone in the future, it’s likely I’ll stop using my AirPods as well. There’s in either case very little point paying premium for Apple accessories and pairing them over Bluetooth.

Bluetooth is one of the worst protocols to work with. That goes for both implementers and users. It’s one of the key selling points of Apple devices - they just work together.

Troubleshooting which device is hijacking the Bluetooth speaker is not how I want to spend my relax time. And don’t get me started on anything IoT. Solving the pairing issue is a massive selling point.

As for Apple ID specifically, I know that it’s used for tracking lost devices, and connecting with other devices that you may not have paired individually in a n^2 fashion. It could be, for instance, that Bluetooth pairing would conflict with apples own discovery/ownership protocol - say you only use BT (no account) and then an iPhone with temp access to your AirPods could “take over” your AirPods since they didn’t have a logical owner before.