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Apple Removed Headphone Jack From New iPhones Because It Owns Largest Bluetooth Headphone Company (theverge.com)

Posted by msmash on from the that-explains-it dept.

Apple's new iPhones -- the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus -- don't have the headphone jack. The company's SVP Phil Schiller said the move signifies "courage" from the company to put a 100-year-old audio standard to bed. But there could be one more reason for this transition to a Bluetooth/Wireless headphones future: it owns the largest Bluetooth headphones company -- Beats. The Verge reports: More likely is that the lack of a headphone jack on the iPhone -- and increasingly, on Android phones as well -- will lead to an uptick in sales of Bluetooth headphones. And it just so happens that Apple owns the number one Bluetooth headphone company, Beats. Beats brings in more revenue from Bluetooth headphones than LG, Bose, or Jaybird, according to NPD figures released in July. In terms of unit sales, it controls over a quarter of the Bluetooth headphone market. Bluetooth headphones are also disproportionately profitable among headphones. NPD has them accounting for 54 percent of all dollars spent in the market, despite representing only 17 percent of units sold in the U.S.. These headphones sell at high prices with high margins, and Apple's company is making the best of it so far. Sales of Bluetooth headphones are already growing, with units up 64 percent year over year according to NPD's US figures. And Apple's removal of the headphone jack is likely to give them another boost.

7 of 311 comments (clear)

  1. Apple is trying to make money? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Gasp! It's like...everything they do is about making more money! I never realized!

    1. Re:Apple is trying to make money? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      It's called courage now.

    2. Re:Apple is trying to make money? by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 3, Funny

      last time I was in the UK, it was explained to me that 'courage houses' were the worst ones to go to for good beer.

      not sure if there is a linkage here or not, but I learned to think of 'courage' as stuff you don't want. at least when it comes to bitters and lagers.

      --

      --
      "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
    3. Re:Apple is trying to make money? by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 5, Funny

      I don't think it could be much smaller, Maybe a little shorter, but then the contacts are closer together and it will be more picky about the plug fitting exactly. It can't be much smaller in diameter since humans have to get it in the hole and a smaller hole is harder to hit unless you're concentrating on it, I can plug the headphones into my phone without looking ...

      Oh... headphones. I wasn't sure where you were going with this. I was thinking: worse pick-up line ever...

      --
      It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  2. Upgrade your iPhone 6 to an iPhone 7 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    With one of these: http://appleplugs.com/

  3. Re:Not Causal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Of course they might have reasons that benefit users.

    Such as providing an inspiring example of "courage"?

  4. Buy apple, jack off by Stonefish · · Score: 1, Funny

    It just fits.