Give your AirPods a dose of retro chic with Colorware’s pricey earphone redesigns

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A blast from the past

Colorware's AirPods Retro designs for the Apple AirPods Pro 2.
(Image credit: Colorware)
  • Colorware has launched two retro-themed AirPods redesigns
  • They come in Mac-style cream and NeXT-inspired black
  • The revamps are available for the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2

Apple’s best AirPods are only available in white, which isn't surprising given Apple’s near obsession with minimalism. But if you want a bit more color in your earphones, Colorware has now started selling AirPods in a range of custom retro designs.

The Colorware AirPods Retro collection features two options: a Light design in matte cream, and a Dark version in matte black. They’re intended to mimic the look of classic Steve Jobs computers, with the former replicating the beige appearance of Apple Macs from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, and the latter paying homage to the NeXT computers that Jobs worked on after he left Apple in 1985.

In both cases you’ll get rainbow-tinted highlights that nod to the rainbow logo Apple used for much of its early existence. Past Macs also incorporated this multicolored motif into their designs.

Colorware’s Retro Collection comprises revamps of the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation and the AirPods Pro 2. You’ll pay $439 for the AirPods 4 version and $499 for the AirPods Pro edition. That’s a significant markup in each case, as these earphones normally cost $179 and $249, respectively.

Expanding the color palette

Colorware's AirPods Retro designs for the Apple AirPods Pro 2.

(Image credit: Colorware)

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Colorware offering custom overhauls of Apple products. The company recently launched a range of skin-tone remakes for much of the AirPods range, and it also sells a retro-flavored Mac mini with similar stylings to the firm’s latest AirPods redesigns.

Unfortunately, this is one of the few ways you can add a splash of color to your AirPods. There are claims that Apple at one point considered selling AirPods in a variety of tones, but that never came to pass. Instead, you can have AirPods in any color you like, as long as it’s white.

Colorware’s souped-up earphones are a pricey way to inject a lick of paint into your audio life, but they’re certainly an eye-catching option. If you’ve been wanting to jazz up your AirPods and don’t mind paying a premium for the privilege, they might be worth a look.

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Alex Blake
Alex Blake
Freelance Contributor

Alex Blake has been fooling around with computers since the early 1990s, and since that time he's learned a thing or two about tech. No more than two things, though. That's all his brain can hold. As well as TechRadar, Alex writes for iMore, Digital Trends and Creative Bloq, among others. He was previously commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine. That means he mostly covers the world of Apple and its latest products, but also Windows, computer peripherals, mobile apps, and much more beyond. When not writing, you can find him hiking the English countryside and gaming on his PC.

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