We know Apple for its clean design philosophy, but newly leaked images indicate the company once considered a much bolder look for AirPods. Fresh photos shared by leaker Kosutami @Kosutami_Ito on X show early AirPods prototypes and reveal an experimental design choice that never reached consumers.
According to reports, these colourful prototypes are believed to date back to the development phase of the first-generation AirPods. While Apple ultimately launched the earbuds only in white, internal testing reportedly included several vibrant colour options.
The newly surfaced images add weight to earlier reports suggesting Apple explored finishes inspired by the playful colour scheme of the iPhone 5c.
The pink and yellow variants, in particular, appear to reflect Apple’s past efforts to appeal to younger users and those looking for more expressive devices. Notably, these prototypes seem to be fully developed designs rather than early-stage mock-ups, indicating serious consideration within Apple’s product teams.
This is not the first time evidence has emerged of Apple experimenting with different AirPods colours. Back in 2023, Kosutami revealed that Apple had tested AirPods in colours meant to complement the iPhone 7 series including Pink, Product Red, Purple, Black and Blonde. Despite these trials, Apple chose to stick with its signature white finish for the final consumer release.
Among those earlier experiments, the purple version was reportedly dropped before launch. This aligns with Apple’s long-standing approach of testing bold colour options internally before settling on more conservative choices for mass-market products.
However, Apple continues to sell its standard AirPods and AirPods Pro only in white.
The newly revealed prototypes offer a glimpse of how different the AirPods lineup could have looked if Apple had embraced a more playful design language early on. They also join a growing list of unreleased Apple products that have intrigued enthusiasts over the years, such as the cancelled AirPower charging mat and various prototype devices linked to Apple Vision hardware.
Answer. They showed Apple once tested bright pink and yellow AirPods, inspired by the playful iPhone 5c design.
Answer. They are believed to date back to the first‑generation AirPods development phase, though Apple only released white models.
Answer. Yes, in 2023 leaks revealed Apple tested colours like Pink, Product Red, Purple, Black, and Blonde, but none reached consumers.
Highlights Vivo is still finalising the camera setup for the X500 Ultra and is currently…
Highlights iQOO has confirmed the Z11 Lite will launch under ₹20,000 in India on July…
Highlights Infinix XPAD 30 Pro has surfaced on retailer listings and promotional images revealing design…
Highlights Leak suggests Oppo and OnePlus are developing smartphones with 10,000mAh+ batteries. Oppo may debut…
Highlights OnePlus India denies India exit rumours and confirms operations remain normal despite speculation of…
Highlights Redmi Note 17 is tipped to launch in India on August 6, although there…
This website uses cookies.