What started as a removal of the headphone jack with the iPhone 7 series in 2016 has now led to Apple removing the bundled earphones altogether with its iPhone 12 series. Wireless earbuds might be more convenient to use, but they are still relatively expensive. So, if you are looking to get cheap wired earphones for your iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro then read along to find our best recommendations.
With wired earphones, you don’t have to worry about battery life. Just plug and play on the go. There is no headache of losing a single earbud either. On top of that, wired earphones are relatively affordable compared to their wireless counterparts. Now that you are all set to go with wired earphones, let’s take a look at the best-wired earphone for iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro.
Best Wired Earphone for iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro
There are three types of wired earphones. We used to enjoy earphones with a 3.5mm jack. Now, you can get one with Type-C and Lightning connector as well. It all depends on what your use case is. For this post, we will mostly focus on wired earphones with the lightning connector as you won’t have to deal with a separate dongle on the iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro.
The Lightning connector that iPhones have been using since 2012 is a proprietary connector created by Apple. Inside each Lightning connector is a tiny authentication chip that tells your device it’s Apple MFi Certified. This is important because non-certified, or knock-off, lightning cables or earphones can be very dangerous to your device. We will mostly focus on MFi certified earphones in the list below.
1. Apple Earpods
Initially, Apple used to bundle Lightning ear pods with iPhone. The company reversed the decision with the launch of the iPhone 12 series. However, you can go ahead and get one from Amazon for as low as $16. It’s an entry-level offering so the sound quality is strictly okay. The earbuds lack silicon ear tips so there’s no passive noise cancellation as well.
➤ Buy Now – $16
2. Goodbong Lightning Earphones
These MFi certified earphones deliver premium sound with fine-tuned acoustics that balance strong bass, soaring highs, and clear mids with no distortion. As expected, you can control Siri, take or reject calls, and even play/pause music using the control buttons on the earphones. You can grab one from Amazon for $18.
➤ Buy Now – $18
3. FAPO Lightning Earphones
FAPO’s in-ear earphones for iPhone features 10mm high-performance, dynamic drivers to deliver good sound quality and full deep bass. It works perfectly fine with Siri and has the MFi certification from Apple. The earbuds are priced at $19 on Amazon.
➤ Buy Now – $19
4. Palovue Lightning Earphones
Palovue’s MFi certified earphones feature a 10-millimeter dynamic driver that has been tuned for crisper mids and deeper bass. The in-ear design helps minimize ambient noise for a more mellifluous experience. You can get one at $21 on Amazon. The earphones are available in two colors – Black and White. I prefer earphones with silicone ear tips as they offer better comfort and mild noise cancellation.
➤ Buy Now – $21
5. Belkin In-Ear Lightning Earbuds
Belkin is a well-known name in the Apple accessory ecosystem. Belkin claims to offer high-quality sound, supreme comfort and fit, and exceptional durability. Belkin also offers three sizes of ear tips for an easy fit to ears. On top of that, you don’t have to worry about sweat and accidental water splash on the device.
Belkin earbuds are priced at $25 on Amazon. They come in Black and White colors.
➤ Buy Now – $25
6. KZ ZS10 Pro Earbuds
This one comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack. So you will need a dongle to enjoy the offering on the iPhone 12. KZ ZS10 Pro includes two drivers for high frequency, two drivers for mid-frequency. With this configuration, you can expect transient, dynamic, and bright sound in all respects. KZ ZS10 Pro is available in two variants – with mic and without a mic. The range of color options includes Black, Blue, Purple, and Yellow. The earphones are priced at $49 on Amazon.
➤ Buy Now – $49
7. RHA Earbuds
RHA earphones utilize Siri’s advanced functions to control your device via its built-in Lightning’s microphone. The earbuds are built around 380.1mm dynamic drivers that produce deep bass and detailed treble. You can get one from Amazon for $60 in Black color.
➤ Buy Now – $60
8. JBL Reflect Earphones
JBL Reflects offer noise cancellation with adaptive noise control for adjustable ambient sound. The earphones feature 14.8mm dynamic drivers with a frequency range of 10Hz to 22kHz and use the Lightning connector to deliver audio and power for noise cancellation directly from the iPhone 12. You can adjust the amount of noise cancellation and ambiance awareness directly from the JBL app on the iPhone.
➤ Buy Now – $64
9. 1More Triple Driver Earphones
1More offers the first triple driver earphones with an MFi certified lightning connector. The setup includes two balanced armatures as well as one titanium dynamic driver and a high definition DAC that delivers superior definition with lossless clarity. You can buy one in Black or Gold color. The device is priced at $99 on Amazon.
➤ Buy Now – $99
10. Pioneer Rayz Plus
Rayz Plus is one of the few earphones to support automatic voice recognition of ‘Hey Siri’ commands, allowing you to easily make a call, send a message, listen to music, and much more, just using your voice. The earphones come with smart noise-canceling technology that tunes its performance uniquely to you and the world around you. Users can pick one from Amazon for $99.
➤ Buy Now – $99
Which wired earphones are you going to pick for your iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro? Drop your choice in the comments section below.
