Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority
- Certain companies are selling knockoff variants of Apple’s wired Lightning earbuds that require a Bluetooth connection to work.
- These manufacturers save some money by avoiding Apple’s standards and not relying on the Lightning connection to transmit audio.
- The wired connection draws power from the connected iPhone, while the Bluetooth chip handles audio transmission.
Today, I learned that on this planet, not in a parallel universe, a mythical creature roams among us. From afar (and even upon closer inspection), it looks just like any pair of wired Lightning earbuds for iPhones. However, concealed deeply within it is a dark secret that only remote villagers know of. It appears that some companies have been selling knockoff wired iPhone earbuds that need Bluetooth to function. You’ve read that right.
A crazy experience — I lost my earbuds in a remote town in Chile, so tried buying a new pair at the airport before flying out. But the new wired, iPhone, lightning-cable headphones didn’t work. Strange.