The iPhone of the future may or may not look much like its predecessors, but at some point in the next few years it’s almost a sure bet that Apple is going to get rid of the Lightning port. The industry’s move toward wireless charging is clear, and by killing the headphone jack, Apple clearly has no love for any particular connector, even its own.
There’s a clear consequence of dropping all ports, though, and it begs the question: What will Apple do about the headphones?
Today, it packages Lightning EarPods in the box along with a dongle for traditional headphones. But any cellphone needs to come with a hands-free way of taking calls, and without a port, the answer is clear: go wireless.All of which leads to the inevitable conclusion that Apple will someday pack its wireless AirPods in the box with the iPhone.
Before you get too excited, remember the emphasis is on someday. For our recent project that imagines the iPhone of the future, we predicted Apple would do this by 2020, but it could be earlier or sooner. Just as EarPods took over for the older white Apple earbuds that came with every iPhone, AirPods will eventually take on that role.
AirPods are currently an optional accessory, but there’s precedent for smartphone makers packing higher-end headphones in the box. Samsung just upped the ante with the Galaxy S8 and its standard AKG by Harman earphones, so Apple adding some extra oomph to its default audio offerings is more warranted than…
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