I think smartwatches fill that niche now - at least those models with physical buttons. I'm actually impressed by how ergonomic the music listening experience on my Garmin is.
1) the Watch works great for every single one of my smartphone needs, but you are required to pair it with an iPhone that has a phone plan…even if you keep the iPhone turned off 95% of the time.
2) the AirPods fall out of my head when I smile. I’ve tried the different sizings. For such an expensive gadget, I expect to be able to make them stay in my head without fear of losing them simply because I’m having a nice time.
3) people sometimes report that they can’t hear me very well through the AirPods even if I’m sitting still in a quiet room with no obstructions. This happens regardless of whether the pods are tethered to the Watch, computer, or iPhone.