TIL that knock-off wired iPhone earbuds need Bluetooth to work :/

Today I learned that on this planet, and not in a parallel universe, there is a mythical creature wandering among us. From afar (and even upon closer inspection), they look like a pair of wired Lightning earbuds for iPhones. But deep within lies a dark secret that only remote villagers know. It seems that some companies are selling counterfeit products wired iPhone earbuds that need that Bluetooth Operate. You read that correctly.

Josh Whiton shared his wild adventure on Twitter, shedding light on a lesser-known practice that has spread in certain regions. In a remote Chilean town, Josh bought a pair of wired Lightning earbuds to use with his iPhone. The new pair didn’t work when connected to his device, so he sought the help of the villagers. They confidently and unanimously asked him to turn on Bluetooth on his iPhone and pair it first. And sure enough, the wired earbuds started working as soon as the wireless connection was established. Wired AirPods?

Josh also tried a 3.5mm to Lightning adapter, and even that required Bluetooth! Yes, the wired dongle required Bluetooth.

So it turns out that this is a sneaky practice that some unknown brands choose to save money. Because Lightning is Apple’s own port, manufacturing and licensing wired audio accessories would cost companies more. It’s simply cheaper for them to rely on a Bluetooth chip to transmit the audio – while the wired connection only provides the necessary power to fuel the (technically) wireless earbuds. The Lightning adapter also uses the same principles, with the wired dongle sending the audio signal wirelessly to the phone which is physically just a few inches away.

Since the iPhone 15 series has already moved to the universal USB-C standard, this practice should disappear within the next decade as people stop using Lightning iPhones. Until then, try turning on Bluetooth on your iPhone if you’re having trouble using wired Lightning earbuds.