On Apple products and the subjectivity of “expensive”

Until the Apple Watch came along, I had gone 20 years without wearing a watch. And before that, the most I had ever spent on one was $50. A watch was not an object I was willing to spend more money on than that. But then Apple released a very compelling product, and I went for it. (Even if, in retrospect, the original iteration of the Apple Watch was… underwhelming.)

I’ve owned three Apple Watches: the original (a.k.a. “Series 0”), a Series 3, and my current one, a Series 5. But after visiting a local Apple Store yesterday and looking at the latest models, I decided it was time to upgrade my Apple Watch experience once again, so today I ordered a Series 8… and for the first time, I sprung for the extra $100 to get one with cellular. Now I can finally go out running without bringing my phone. This will transform my running experience… once the snow melts and I’m back outside, that is. (But actually it will transform my experience on the indoor track too. I hate having my phone in my pocket when I run!)

Of course, running without my iPhone means that also means I need wireless earbuds. I may be willing to drop a lot of cash on a lot of Apple products, but AirPods are one area where I feel their options are way overpriced. Well… maybe not overpriced for what they offer, but more than I am willing to spend, for features I don’t really care about.

What’s worse, I can’t stand hard plastic earbuds, and Apple’s only option with silicone tips is the $250 “Pro” models. There’s no way I’m paying that much of a premium for something so easily lost. I’d rather stick with my tried-and-true $9 wired Panasonic earbuds. (But of course you can’t use wired earbuds with the watch!)

Anyway, I found these no-name Bluetooth earbuds on Amazon for $20. I’m going to give them a try before I go for anything higher-end. Hopefully they won’t explode while I’m wearing them!