Please say it isn’t so. We’re still not over the fact that almost all flagship smartphones don’t include a conventional 3.5mm headphone jack anymore. It now seems possible that the upcoming Apple iPhone 12 will ship without any EarPods in the box.
Read: iPhone 12 leaks fully reveal display and other details
This prediction comes from Ming-Chi Kuo, an Apple analyst that has been correct with nearly every piece of information over the last several years regarding the Cupertino company. According to his report, when the iPhone 12 launches in September it will leave out the wired earphones.
This is all still speculation, of course, but as mentioned Ming-Chi Kuo’s reports have been very accurate.
There are several reasons Apple would possibly decide to do this. Firstly, they have been very clear about their shift to wireless earbuds. When they were the first to drop the headphone jack, the intent was clear. Ditch your wired earphones and buy new AirPods. While they will still sell EarPods for $29 if they make this move, this will surely drive up demand for AirPods.
Kuo says that Apple will offer a special AirPods deal if bought alongside the iPhone 12 (given they drop the EarPods from the device).
Apple’s reluctance to make any improvements to their EarPods over the last several years is a clear sign that they see it as an old piece of tech, and believe AirPods are the future.
The second possible reason for omitting the EarPods could be a bit more altruistic, according to Kuo. We all have several pairs of earbuds laying around, as we get new ones with every device. Now that smartphones have been ubiquitous for several years, we’re piling up our electronic junk that ends up in landfill.
It may also mean that if Apple ditches the Earbuds they might launch a budget version of the AirPods, positioned below the $159 AirPods and the $249 AirPods Pro. Again, this is all speculation.
Would you be upset if Apple ditches the EarPods with its new flagship iPhone 12 devices? Let us know in the comments below.
