Why was the 3.5mm jack removed for 2 reasons. To save Money however small. And secondly so Apple could slowly create their own Bluetooth Alternative. Hear me out.
Since Qualcomm owns aptXHD a codec that makes Bluetooth Audio sound better than 3.5mm audio Apple Won’t pay those licensing fees.
Sony owns LDAC which is similar to aptXHD and Apple won’t pay to License LDAC.
This totally makes sense! On top of it Android added LDAC support in Android 8 so now most of the Android flagship phones (so the more expensive ones) support AAC (Apple's Bluetooth codec), aptX, aptX HD and LDAC. While none of those formats is comparable to analog quality, we also have to take into account the fact that we don't listen to that much quality music. So for most people aptX HD and LDAC are OK. What sucks for everyone (no matter iOS or Android user) is that you need both of your devices to support the good codecs - phone and headphones. Only premium Android phones support those codecs and the headphones that support them cost money (btw the popular Bose QC35 does not support them).
The Only Option left is for Apple to Create a Bluetooth Alternative, And when they release it. Apple will Charge a Licensing Fee to All companies and make a ton of Money.
So killing off the 3.5mm audio jack Had two Main Goal.
#1. Save Money.
#2. Make Tons more Money.
Phase #1 is complete. Phase #2 is almost there Apple release the W1 chip which analyzes all the Bluetooth data and gives it to Apple in addition to other things. Apple engineers are likely done analyzing all that data and are working in their own Bluetooth alternative Chip.
You are right though they are missing few points when it comes to the AirPods:
1. No ANC. Sony already made true Bluetooth wireless headset that supports Noise Cancelling, supports aptX HD and even analyzes the pressure in the plane to cancel noise better. They do cost more, but honestly offer more. They even have an app to control your music. Sony even has DSEE option and DSEE HD options in their phones that try to improve the quality of your music before sending it to the headphones. Trust me Apple is behind when it comes to music extensions.
2. The AirPods themselves have bad design. They are not physically isolating enough (bad for sound leakage, bad for noise isolation). And they might fall off quite easily.
Overall Apple has few things to take from the competition before they can offer good Bluetooth/wireless experience for people that care about sound quality. Now let's be honest here. Not everyone cares about this. And for those that do, we don't user earbuds for our media consumption while on plane or in hotel, we prefer bigger sound drivers. Headphones like Bose, Sony WH-1000XM series and the new Surface headphones are better in that case. They also help with the noise cancelling in the plane itself.
For the rest I am pretty sure AirPods work until they try something else that sounds better.
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My Bose QC35 II and B&W P7 Wireless which are the best wireless headphones out there don’t sound very good in comparison to wired headphones. It is not even close. ANC headphones are cute for going to work in a busy train/bus or whatever but that is it.
I can't talk about the B&W P7, but the Bose do not support the better codecs. Then again if you use them with Apple device you would not feel the difference as iOS itself does not offer better codecs.
Btw currently the prize for the best wireless headphones goes between Bose QC35 and Sony WH-1000XM3. Bose has a bit better Noise cancelling. Sony has noticeably better sound quality. The rest is a matter of choice. Some want the best noise cancelling out there, others want good enough noise cancelling and the best audio quality.
ETA: I forgot to mention a group of people that would care. The ones that use Garageband. I cannot imagine working with this app with cheap headphones. It would denote the purpose of using an app for music. Same for people that do seriously video editing on an iPad. For such activities people need quite good monitoring cans that do not enhance bass or anything else. I use Senheiser HD 280 PRO at work and they are good things for like that but they are not wireless. They require 3.5 mm jack.
. This decision was wrong for people like me who care about audio quality. Bluetooth has long way to go to reach the quality of the 3.5 mm jack.
