Apple has a habit of experimenting with ideas it never ships. Some of them resurface years later as fully formed products. Others quietly disappear, becoming interesting footnotes in Apple’s design history. One of those ideas feels especially familiar if you remember the iPhone 5c era.
According to newly surfaced prototype images, Apple once tested first-generation AirPods with bright, playful charging cases that looked like they were designed to sit right next to an iPhone 5c.
Bright Colors Apple Never Released
The images were shared by Apple leaker and prototype collector Kosutami, who claims they show early AirPods prototypes with pink and yellow charging cases. The earbuds themselves remained the same glossy white Apple has stuck with since day one, but the exterior of the case was anything but subtle.
The colors immediately call back to the iPhone 5c lineup, which launched in blue, green, pink, yellow, and white. At the time, Apple leaned hard into fun, approachable hardware design, something it has largely stepped away from in recent years.
Apple has only ever released AirPods in white, making these prototypes feel even more out of place when viewed today.
AirPods Almost had an iPhone-Style Color Strategy
This was not a one-off experiment. Back in 2023, Kosutami also shared images of pink AirPods prototypes and claimed Apple had developed as many as five different color options.
Those colors were reportedly intended to roughly match the iPhone 7 lineup, suggesting Apple briefly explored the idea of color-coordinated accessories. The plan appears to have been limited to the charging case rather than the earbuds themselves, but even that would have been a major shift from Apple’s current accessory design philosophy.
Ultimately, Apple walked away from the idea.
Why Apple Likely Backed Out
Looking back, the decision makes sense. AirPods were positioned as a universal accessory, not something tied to a specific phone generation or color trend. A white case works with every iPhone, every iPad, and every Mac, regardless of finish.
There is also brand recognition to consider. Today, AirPods are instantly identifiable from across a room. Introducing multiple colors, even just for the case, may have diluted that visual identity at a time when Apple was still establishing AirPods as a product category.
The Irony in Hindsight
What makes these prototypes especially interesting is how Apple’s thinking has evolved since then. The AirPods Max are now sold in multiple colors, and Apple has leaned back into bolder finishes across iPhones, iMacs, and accessories.
Yet standard AirPods have remained untouched, visually frozen in their original white design.
These colorful AirPods prototypes feel like a snapshot from an alternate Apple timeline. One where AirPods launched alongside the iPhone 5c as a playful, color-matched accessory instead of the minimalist white icon we know today.
Sometimes, Apple experiments are less about what ships, and more about showing just how many paths the company chooses not to take.
