I don't know about that. I still have my original AirPods, and they had no noticeable battery loss, and it's been over 3 years by now. They might have lost some battery if I tried to measure it empirically, but I have no way of knowing without measuring it explicitly, as I cannot really catch a battery loss of less than 5-10% with normal use over the course of 3+ years. But I use them all the time interchangeably with Airpods Pro, and both deliver on battery so far. Airpods Pro have already hit the 2-year mark for me as well, no issues either.
I had to replace one of the OG airpods because I lost it (around 2 years ago), but replacing a single airpod was only like $50.
I had to replace one of the OG airpods because I lost it (around 2 years ago), but replacing a single airpod was only like $50.