Almost one in three orders for Apple headphones in the Onlíner catalog is for the regular wired EarPods. A year ago, their share was noticeably smaller, and in the US, after five years of decline, the entire wired headphone market has started to grow as well. What is making people choose a cable again in the age of wireless headphones? Let's figure it out.

What is going on?

According to research firm Circana, after five years of continuous decline, the wired headphone market in the US unexpectedly turned upward: in the second half of 2025, revenue grew by 10%, and in the first six weeks of 2026, it was already up 20%. And how are things here?

If you compare the number of orders for all headphones over the same periods in 2025 and 2026, the difference is within the margin of error. So we can't yet talk about noticeable market growth in the Onlíner catalog.

With AirPods, however, the picture is more interesting. From January 1 to September 24, 2026, wired EarPods accounted for 28.6% of all Apple headphone orders in the Onlíner catalog. A year earlier, over the same period, the wired model was only in third place with a 19.9% share, noticeably trailing the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2.

How did it happen that, years after the boom of Apple's TWS earbuds, people are rediscovering Apple's wired earbuds? Let's figure it out.

Reason one. The cable is noticeably cheaper

The most obvious argument is price. In the US Apple Store, EarPods with USB-C cost $19, while the base AirPods 5 cost $129. The difference is almost sevenfold. Prices in the Onliner catalog are different, but the principle remains the same: wired EarPods with Type-C start at 75 rubles, while wireless AirPods 4 without ANC start at 589 rubles.

And it's not just about Apple. According to Circana's estimates, the average price of wired headphones in the US in 2025 was about $13, while Bluetooth models were about $99. Of course, for the extra money, the buyer gets more features: no cable, noise cancellation, and other functions. But if you need headphones mainly for calls, the commute, and a couple of videos a day, not everyone is willing to pay for all that.

Wireless headphones with microphone, in-ear, portable, truly wireless (TWS), Bluetooth 5.3, fast charging, 4-hour battery life, 20 hours with case, active noise cancellation

Reason two. They don't need to be charged

And you don't have to choose just one. Wired models are often bought as a second pair — for the office, trips, or in case the wireless ones run out of battery. Incidentally, the author of this article has exactly that setup: AirPods 4 for trips/cooking, while EarPods are handy during the workday or an evening round of Counter-Strike.

It seems wired headphones haven't beaten Bluetooth, and don't even plan to. It's just that ten years after the AirPods came out, it turned out that an ordinary cable still has plenty of scenarios where it's more convenient.