Is it pedantic, though? I was honestly confused. If someone was asking "What's an iPhone that doesn't run iOS?" it would be fair to ask clarification.

Damn! Thank you! Didn't know that airpods are a Iphone thing. But yeah, its the other ones.

I mean you can just not install that app and they will usually work just fine. You can also install the app once to configure the headphones and then uninstall it again. I have never heard of commercially available wireless headphones with an open source app for them, so either just get ones that dont require an app or do what i mentioned previously. Unless you are willing to reverse engineer the app i guess :D I have moondrop in-ears and those come with a sus chinese app, but you can just configure them once and then you never need the app again.

I've had a bunch of generic earbuds and have never even been offered an app. Which ones did you get?

The ones available to the US market are different https://us.fairphone.com/fairbuds

It has technical advantages, it allows for a better antenna (afaik) and a (slightly) bigger battery. But aesthetically I don't like the design either.

It really did! But if all companies didn't try to replicate the biggest in market, we may have, gasps, product diversity!
WE CANT HAVE DEI PRODUCTS! /s (obviously)