The Apple AirPods 1 (1st generation), the first wireless earbuds to have been introduced by Apple, were initially released on December 13, 2016. The first generation AirPods are configured with a built-in microphone capable of filtering out any background noise, commences phone calls and interactions with Siri. Externally, the AirPods appear identical to the standard Apple wired EarPods – of course, without the wire itself – the distinctive difference being a thicker arm noticeable on the AirPods explained by the necessity to fit both the device’s battery and microphone inside it.