The next iPhones will reportedly ship without EarPods for the first time.
According to a report from Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple has decided not to include wired EarPods headphones in iPhone 12 boxes in an attempt to drive sales to its AirPods and AirPods Pro.
The company could promote and discount the AirPods in the holiday season to further drive sales and reduce the sting of not receiving free headphones with a new device.
Though Apple was planning to refresh both its standard and Pro AirPods this year, it’s now expected that the company will hold off until 2021.
Apple removed the headphone jack – controversially, at the time – with the iPhone 7, but it shipped EarPods with a Lightning connector and an adapter as a workaround.
By taking away the “free” option from consumers, Apple would force them to purchase a Bluetooth set of headphones, whether that’s Apple and Beats-branded or a third-party headphone seller.
Ming-Chi Kuo shared the news last month that Apple wouldn’t make changes to the AirPods this year, and now all signs are pointing to discounted AirPods or a new iPhone and AirPods bundle, allowing consumers to purchase a new iPhone with AirPods for an additional $100.
EarPods, which are a basic version of the AirPods but wired, retail for $29 on Apple.com.
Do you think this is the right strategy? Would you be irked not to receive a pair of EarPods? Let us know your thoughts on social media and check back soon for more news.