When my iPhone earphones broke, I searched for “the best earphones for remote work,” but ultimately concluded that iPhone earphones offer the best cost performance.
My Broken iPhone Earphones
My iPhone earphones (included with iPhone), which are an important item for remote work, broke.
Since this affected my work, when replacing the earphones I thought “Maybe there are earphones better suited for remote work?” and researched it. However, I ultimately concluded that iPhone earphones are the best and bought the same product again. Let me share this story.
Earphone Situation at Remote Work Companies
Classmethod Inc. - Recommended Earphones for Remote Work
What we recommend for immediate use is the iPhone's included microphone earphones (4-pole plug).This is fairly well-known in remote work circles, but since the microphone quality is relatively good, it can ensure minimum audio quality on the remote side. (If you’re not an iPhone user, you might be able to get them from someone who buys a new iPhone every year)
The earphones recommended in Classmethod’s technical blog were iPhone’s included microphone earphones.
Misoca Inc. - Recommended Earphones for Remote Work
For comfortable multi-person conversations, you need Yamaha's conference microphone or better products. Conversely, for individual use, iPhone's included earphone mic is sufficient.
Misoca Inc., which has a reputation for remote work, also introduces in their technical blog that “iPhone’s included earphone mic is sufficient for individual use”. That’s right.
Tokyo Otaku Mode Inc. - Recommended Earphones for Remote Work
Note that Tokyo Otaku Mode's conclusion is that iPhone's included earphone mic is the easiest to obtain and provides problem-free quality for microphone headphones.
Tokyo Otaku Mode Inc., which has many full remote work engineers, also concluded that iPhone’s included earphone mic should be used.
What Earphones Did I Buy for Remote Work?
Apple Official EarPods with 3.5 mm Headphone Plug
After introducing so many iPhone earphones, the earphone mic I bought for remote work was:
There was no plot twist here. At 2,800 yen (excluding tax), I think they offer the best cost performance.
For purchasing, I recommend buying from Apple’s official website when buying from EC sites. They’re also sold on Amazon, but there seem to be counterfeits, and Apple products rarely get discounted below retail price, so buying from the official site is safe. Shipping was also free in Tokyo.
Apple Official AirPods Have Mediocre Microphones
Let me write about how AirPods are as remote work earphone mics.
AirPods Disadvantages for Remote Work
- Microphone sound quality is mediocre. It's hard to hear from the listener's side, causing stress
- Sometimes unusable because they're not charged
- Sometimes unusable due to pairing issues
Besides these disadvantages, the price of 16,800 yen (excluding tax) makes it hard to casually recommend to others.
That’s all about continuing to use iPhone earphones for remote work from the Gemba.