iOS 14.2 Suggests Apple Won't Include EarPods in the Box With iPhone 12

[farewelwilliams]

Better ways? Sure for audiophiles. But that’s a far cry from saying you shouldn’t even be using them and comparing it to a bad bed.

Not talking about audio quality exclusively. Convenience is a factor as well. For one, Lightning EarPods can only be used with iPhones. What about MacBook? What about portable game consoles? Some iPads? Future iPhones without Lightning port (are you really going to buy a $20 female lightning to male usb-c adapter for your $20 earbuds)?

Lightning EarPods will be incompatible with the ecosystem soon.

I’ve been on thousands of hours of conference calls using these things.

How many people have been on thousands of hours of conference calls? Not many. How many conference calls can be done on speaker phone or held up to face? Many.

Sounds like you're in a minority.

Also for someone spending a lot of time with earbuds on, noise isolation or cancellation will protect your ears so that you won't be increasing the volume to dangerous levels. My bed analogy stands here.

Nothing wrong with buying luxury items if that is what you want, but I don’t think it justifies removing essential parts to the phone and saying it’s cheap, just pay for it in addition to the new phone.

It's not essential especially when an iPhone purchase isn't people's first pair of earbuds. Or they can use the speaker phone. A charging cable is essential, not earbuds.

Or use the left overs from the last phone you bought. If it’s so cheap apple can just as easily offer them to the people that want them at no extra cost. Those that want better can decline and pay extra for better headsets.

Why not include a USB-C and a USB-A cable (or the USB-A to USB-C adapter along with USB-A) too? I'd argue that's far more essential than Earpods.

Throw in regular EarPods with MacBooks, iMacs, Mac minis, and Mac Pros. Include them with the iPad mini and the new iPad since they still have a headphone jack too. Right?

No, that's extremely wasteful. Majority of those customers don't need them. And over the past several years, that became true with iPhone customers.

Apple has sold about a hundred million AirPods. They know a good chunk of iPhone 12 customers are returning customers so a majority of them will not need it. That's on top of whatever data they have that shows Lightning Earpods are increasingly irrelevant.

Then there's the environmental factor which people on this forum think it's bs so I'm not going to get into that.

 

[Apple Mac Daz]

But you don't need an USB-C charger to charge any iPhone.

correct on current iPhones

iPhone 12 is rumoured to have USB C to Lightning cable in the box

 

[Arctic Moose]

iPhone 12 is rumoured to have USB C to Lightning cable in the box

Considering the iPhone 11 Pro already comes with a USB-C cable (and charger) this is probably a pretty safe bet.

If you have a USB-A charger you wish to use you probably have a USB-A to Lightning cable or two laying around as well.

 

[Tozovac]

Worth it? Producing and shipping tons of e-waste so that a small number of people do not have to spend a few dollars extra every few years? Hardly.

What’s your source for only a “small number” of folk?

 

[The Game 161]

Hardly matters though

 

[I7guy]

What’s your source for only a “small number” of folk?

Anecdotally. And even if a "small number" is incorrect, according to the rumor it's happening.

So those future iphone 12 customers that:
- never had a smartphone or always gave away/sold their headsets and chargers or,
- those that have zero USB ports or charging bricks from any other USB accessory in the house or,
- those that have never had an iphone and don't know any iphone owners who can give them a cable or don't have any cables with lightning connectors or,
- those that don't have any BT headsets

That universe above, will have to deal with it if they want an iphone 12.

If they claim on MR they won't get an iphone due to lack of cables/chargers, so be it. I'm sure Apple guesstimated that universe into their internal sales projections, and decided to proceed along these lines anyway.

 

[Steve121178]

I'm fine with that. It's only more plastic junk I never asked for, or used.

 

[Arctic Moose]

What’s your source for only a “small number” of folk?

I extrapolated from practically everyone I know.

 

[Tozovac]

Anecdotally. And even if a "small number" is incorrect, according to the rumor it's happening.

So those future iphone 12 customers that:
- never had a smartphone or always gave away/sold their headsets and chargers or,
- those that have zero USB ports or charging bricks from any other USB accessory in the house or,
- those that have never had an iphone and don't know any iphone owners who can give them a cable or don't have any cables with lightning connectors or,
- those that don't have any BT headsets

That universe above, will have to deal with it if they want an iphone 12.

If they claim on MR they won't get an iphone due to lack of cables/chargers, so be it. I'm sure Apple guesstimated that universe into their internal sales projections, and decided to proceed along these lines anyway.

Amazing. I must be related to (and be friends with) a bunch of troglodytes with penchants for breaking or losing things. Not a single friend or relative I know who doesn't complain every now and then about needing another cable or charger, or complaining how expensive the OEM replacement they bought was.

 

[I7guy]

Amazing. I must be related to (and be friends with) a bunch of troglodytes with penchants for breaking or losing things. Not a single friend or relative I know who doesn't complain every now and then about needing another cable or charger, or complaining how expensive the OEM replacement they bought was.

The post was more about my opinion of the universe of luddites that have no charging accessories vs those that claim they won’t get an iPhone because apple (rumored) won’t include a charger or pods.

I understand people break / lose things.

edit:https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...power-adapter-up-to-20w.2258211/post-28978068

 

[Furman]

Funny. I found some old iPhone boxes yesterday. Collected 3 sets of earpods. Probably couldn’t give those things away.

 

[lefty2184]

So no earbuds anymore. There excuse will be save material to be more green when they use recycled everything anymore. but really to make more money off us again. they will be able to say no usb-c incase you have a pair of earbuds from iPhone 11 and want to use them still but its only to save them money and charger block this makes no sense to me what if your a new first time iPhone customer you have to buy apple block and earbuds from lets say apple. I love apple devices so don't think im just hating on them. last year I spent over $4000 dollars on devices and they just seem to be getting left in the past more and more compared to other cellphone suppliers. almost last to release 5g,usb-c, display speed and displays are still only 2500 or so. thankfully they make the best chips and software but for these prices were paying they need to be the best and first for everything. I miss jobs making sure only the absolute best was released.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Funny. I found some old iPhone boxes yesterday. Collected 3 sets of earpods. Probably couldn’t give those things away.

If they are unused you could. Wired earphones are still vastly popular believe it or not.

 

[Tozovac]

Funny. I found some old iPhone boxes yesterday. Collected 3 sets of earpods. Probably couldn’t give those things away.

Are they the teardrop shaped ear pieces? If so I’d take them gladly.

 

[MrGuder]

Here is an idea. Let them choose whether they want earpod, charger, cable or not. If they just want the phone, give them discounts. This way, people with a lot of chargers/BT headphones at home can save some money. It’s a simple problem.

This is actually a brilliant idea, tick the box at ordering this avoids waste and you get what you need. Apple can adjust the price accordingly at checkout based on what box you tick or not tick. It’s a win win for Apple and the consumer. It also creates a more personalized experience.

 

[Tozovac]

This is actually a brilliant idea, tick the box at ordering this avoids waste and you get what you need. Apple can adjust the price accordingly at checkout based on what box you tick or not tick. It’s a win win for Apple and the consumer. It also creates a more personalized experience.

Except for the fact that Apple and only Apple knows what the customer should want.

 

[I7guy]

Except for the fact that Apple and only Apple knows what the customer should want.

Is what every customer wants supposed to be the same for apples’ 500 millions customers? Did these very same customers want to keep the headphone jack?

Apple does its homework and while some deride apple for this decision the longer term with the headphone jack, face id and now this...won’t amount to a hill of beans.

And of course Apple might implement the ops suggestion.

 

[I7guy]

... I miss jobs making sure only the absolute best was released.

You may be remembering it wrong. Apple under Jobs didn’t release the absolute best first as Apple under Cook doesn’t release the absolute best first.

 

[Arctic Moose]

this makes no sense to me what if your a new first time iPhone customer you have to buy apple block and earbuds from lets say apple

Sorry for beating this dead horse, but how does this not make sense? Very many customers are not first-time buyers, and even if they are, perhaps prefer many of the better and/or cheaper options available? (Personally, I’d never buy an Apple charger, I prefer smaller and lighter chargers with multiple ports.) If you desperately want it all, and Apple doesn’t provide a coupon, and you cannot find anyone to donate what you want, you only need to add $68 to your $1000 purchase. Makes perfect sense to me.

almost last to release 5g,usb-c, display speed and displays are still only 2500 or so.

Have you read any of the 5G reviews? The phones and the experience almost universally suck.

I miss jobs making sure only the absolute best was released.

Yeah, like the iMac puck mouse, molasses Mac OS X 10.0, the don’t-hold-it-wrong-iPhone-4 and the LISA?

 

[Abazigal]

So no earbuds anymore. There excuse will be save material to be more green when they use recycled everything anymore. but really to make more money off us again. they will be able to say no usb-c incase you have a pair of earbuds from iPhone 11 and want to use them still but its only to save them money and charger block this makes no sense to me what if your a new first time iPhone customer you have to buy apple block and earbuds from lets say apple. I love apple devices so don't think im just hating on them. last year I spent over $4000 dollars on devices and they just seem to be getting left in the past more and more compared to other cellphone suppliers. almost last to release 5g,usb-c, display speed and displays are still only 2500 or so. thankfully they make the best chips and software but for these prices were paying they need to be the best and first for everything. I miss jobs making sure only the absolute best was released.

Nothing’s stopping you from buying only the best that Apple has to offer. There’s just a lot more options for people with lesser spending power, and that’s not a bad thing in my book.

 

[Nicksd84]

if it's something you use a lot, you shouldn't be relying on an average pair of earbuds. it's like finding the cheapest mattress to sleep on for the next 10-15 years.

Again your perspective on macrumors forum vs normal people. Normal people aren’t going to investigate better buds. People use their phones for phone calls and FaceTime with buds. You don’t need some fantastic pair of buds for phone calls.

 

[farewelwilliams]

Again your perspective on macrumors forum vs normal people. Normal people aren’t going to investigate better buds. People use their phones for phone calls and FaceTime with buds. You don’t need some fantastic pair of buds for phone calls.

Why is your opinion considered normal and my opinion not normal?

Unless you have some data to back that up, you’re literally just throwing out another opinion.

 

[Nicksd84]

Why is your opinion considered normal and my opinion not normal?

Unless you have some data to back that up, you’re literally just throwing out another opinion.

Apologies I don’t have a statistically valid data set to present to you. I do interact with my wife, her family, my parents, my sister, and multiple people through my job in professional services and I can tell you there’s 4 people that use wireless buds. One of which I bought them for. The rest use buds that come with the phone. You might say, well now they’ll go explore better buds. The point is they’re not dissatisfied with what comes in the box and for phone calls they work just fine.