New iPhone 12 could be FIRST Apple mobile to ditch £30 headphones from box – and fans are furious
THE next iPhone could be the first to ship without any wired earphones in the box.
Apple's white "EarPods" have been bundled with nearly all of its gadgets since the original iPod, but they'll allegedly be sold separately for the release of the iPhone 12, which is expected in September.
Those picking up the mobile may instead have to fork out for a pair separately, with prices starting at £30 on Apple's website.
The shock news comes from trusted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who regularly leaks the California firm's plans long before they're public.
In a letter to investors this week, Kuo suggested the move may be part of a push by Apple to sell more of its wireless earphones, the AirPods.
The analyst said he expected Apple to heavily discount the second-generation AirPods in the run up to Christmas.
Currently, second-gen AirPods start at £159 on Apple's website. The most up-to-date AirPods, the AirPods Pro, go for £249.
On social media, Apple fans weren't too happy about the decision.
"My iPhone 11 EarPods are still sitting in the box untouched but I’d prolly still be a bit miffed if they weren’t there," one Twitter user wrote.
Another said: "It's entirely unnecessary to quit producing the EarPods. Some people still fancy it, no matter how few those people are they still exist."
The move to ditch the EarPods shouldn't come as a complete surprise.
Their death certificate was arguably signed the moment Apple binned the iPhone's headphone jack in 2017.
Apple has made a big push in recent years to get people using its wireless AirPods, instead.
Rumours suggest the company plans to eliminate the iPhone's charging port in 2021, meaning the EarPods' days are numbered one way or another.
iPhone release date history
Here's the full list...
- iPhone – June 29, 2007
- iPhone 3G – July 11, 2008
- iPhone 3Gs – June 19, 2009
- iPhone 4 – June 21, 2020
- iPhone 4s – October 14, 2011
- iPhone 5 – September 21, 2012
- iPhone 5c – September 20, 2013
- iPhone 5s – September 20, 2013
- iPhone 6 – September 19, 2015
- iPhone 6s – September 25, 2015
- iPhone SE – March 31, 2016
- iPhone 7 – September 16, 2017
- iPhone 8 – September 22, 2017
- iPhone X – November 3, 2017
- iPhone XS – September 21, 2018
- iPhone XR – October 26, 2018
- iPhone 11, September 2019
- iPhone SE (2nd) – April 24, 2020
What is the iPhone 12?
Apple is expected to launch at least three new iPhone models in September – and maybe even four.
Given that last year's trio was named 'iPhone 11', it seems safe to assume we'll get the iPhone 12 this year.
It's likely we'll see something along the lines of an iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
All eyes are on Apple for a spectacular line-up too.
The 2019 roster of iPhone models wasn't hugely different from the previous year.
But now industry insiders are expecting Apple to launch its first 5G iPhone model.
Rival phone makers have also charged ahead with all-screen front designs – and Apple could follow suit.
Sadly, Apple is keeping the final design and specs of its next smartphone top secret.
But reliable leaks will start emerging in the weeks running up to the launch, and that might be in the very near future.
Most read in Phones & Gadgets
In other news, this impressive iPhone 12 concept video could show off Apple's secret design ahead of time.
Apple recently released a new "cheap" version of its iPhone SE.
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The iPhone 12 could be the thinnest ever thanks to new screen technology.
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