According to the latest report from reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple"s upcoming iPhone 12 may not come with EarPods included in the box, in a bid to drive up the sales for AirPods, which are sold separately. The Cupertino firm has included earbuds with the iPhone since the first model of the smartphone was launched in 2007.
Kuo also stated that no new models of AirPods or AirPods Pro are expected to launch until next year, and the firm may substantially discount the AirPods during this holiday season. When the iPhone 7 was launched, the firm offset the exclusion of the headphone jack by including EarPods in the box. If the company no longer offers it, customers requiring headphones will be forced to buy either EarPods with Lightning Connector, or spend more money on AirPods. Apple"s web store offers EarPods for $29, and the base variant of AirPods starts at $159.
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a slump in Apple"s sales this year; however, Kuo believes that sales will grow by the holiday season, and there will be a strong year-over-year (YOY) growth in sales of AirPods Pro, with the firm expected to ship 80 to 93 million units this year.
Source: 9to5Mac