The AirPods are Tim Cook’s most underrated achievement
Apple Silicon chips. The iPhone's dominance. Apple Vision Pro. During Tim Cook's 15-year tenure as Apple CEO there were highs - and in the case of the Vision Pro, maybe a low - that helped define Apple as one of the most dominant forces in tech even without Steve Jobs. But one product doesn't get the recognition it deserves, as evidenced by The Verge's Apple Top 50 products, where the original AirPods don't even crack the top 10.
Before AirPods, almost all earbuds were still wired back to your phone or iPod. Apple's ads leaned into the aesthetic with vibrant neon backdrops to frame dark, dancing silhouettes connected by the iconic, stark wh …