There are plenty of reasons why the new over-the-ear Apple AirPods Max are unique, but one big one is that they're offered in so many different colors. While nostalgic Apple products in the aughts were blooming with color, like the iconic neon blue iMac computer, which has evolved a lot in other ways as well, newer Apple selections are a bit demurer. And, though Apple has started offering some light colors in their desktop computers and iPhones, the familiar AirPods are still the same bright white that they were when they first came out. Ultimately, Apple's color choice has a few explanations, but it all comes down to branding and marketing the company's products.

Despite the new changes in Apple's color palettes, every generation of the AirPods and AirPods Pro are only available in white. These devices continue to get more and more savvy, with options like noise cancellation, Personalized Spatial Audio, and consistently improved battery life. If you examine the market for budget-friendly AirPods alternatives, you will find similar features from other companies, like the TREBLAB Noise Cancelling and Waterproof Wireless Earbuds, which retail for less than half the cost of new AirPods. However, the marketable differences that keep users coming back to Apple are the AirPods' compatibility and ease of use with other Apple Devices, their elite reputation, and, of course, the familiar look of the white earbuds. This is ultimately why Apple keeps their earbuds the same color: there's simply no mistaking where the familiar white devices came from.