Unless Bluetooth earphones support AAC over Bluetooth, they are going to sound bad on an iPhone. So there is the potential for the Airpods to sound much better

Unless Bluetooth earphones support AAC over Bluetooth, they are going to sound bad on an iPhone. So there is the potential for the Airpods to sound much better than cheaper earphones. Looking at the presentation, they do pack a lot of faszinating technology. So, taking the typical Apple pricing into consideration, I do not think they are especially expensive. Of course, all depends on how good they actually sound.