Apple’s AirPods Made More Money Than Nintendo Last Year

AirPods may be small in size, but in terms of revenue, they’re huge. Last year, AirPods made Apple over $18 billion in revenue, according to Bloomberg.

If that sounds like a lot, it’s because it is. In fact, it’s more than many big-name tech companies made overall in 2023, including Spotify ($14 billion), Nintendo ($12 billion), eBay ($10 billion), Airbnb ($10 billion), DoorDash ($9 billion), Shopify ($7 billion), and OpenAI ($4 billion).

That being said, it’s worth noting that this is revenue, not profit. Revenue is the overall amount a company makes from products or services, as opposed to profit, which is how much a company clears after expenses. So while these numbers don’t necessarily illustrate how much the sale of 75 million AirPods in 2023 added to Apple’s bottom line as opposed to, say, Spotify’s 220 million subscriptions, it is nevertheless a stunning fact.

Apple’s wireless white earbuds were released on this day eight years ago. They were introduced alongside the iPhone 7: the first iPhone without a headphone jack. While this move angered many Apple customers who were forced to abandon one accessory and purchase an even more expensive one, it has clearly more than paid off for Apple.

AirPods are notorious for how easy they are to lose, and in some ways, that is their genius, at least for Apple. They end up abandoned on sidewalks, strewn on train tracks, and remain hidden in the depths of sofa cushions. In 2019, AirPods owners spent $700 million replacing them.

AirPods start at $129 for the latest model AirPods 4 and are $179 for the noise-cancellation version. AirPods Pro are a step up, with better sound than AirPods and rubberized eartips that fit in the ear canal. The latest model, AirPods Pro 2, is $249. The cost of any model is not negligible for most people, and their loss is not covered by AppleCare+, though you can replace a single AirPod or case for a fee. It’s easy to see how between their popularity, losability, and cost, AirPods are making Apple a fortune, even in the face of the fashionable embracing wired headphones. 

About Chandra Steele

Senior Features Writer

My title is Senior Features Writer, which is a license to write about absolutely anything if I can connect it to technology (I can). I’ve been at PCMag since 2011 and have covered the surveillance state, vaccination cards, ghost guns, voting, ISIS, art, fashion, film, design, gender bias, and more. You might have seen me on TV talking about these topics or heard me on your commute home on the radio or a podcast. Or maybe you’ve just seen my Bernie meme. 

I strive to explain topics that you might come across in the news but not fully understand, such as NFTs and meme stocks. I’ve had the pleasure of talking tech with Jeff Goldblum, Ang Lee, and other celebrities who have brought a different perspective to it. I put great care into writing gift guides and am always touched by the notes I get from people who’ve used them to choose presents that have been well-received. Though I love that I get to write about the tech industry every day, it’s touched by gender, racial, and socioeconomic inequality and I try to bring these topics to light. 

Outside of PCMag, I write fiction, poetry, humor, and essays on culture.

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