An iPhone 12 without headphones is good news for AirPods, says DigiTimes

News
By
published

AirPods Pro
AirPods Pro (Image credit: Daniel Bader / iMore)

What you need to know

  • Apple's new iPhone 12 doesn't come with any headphones.
  • That could spur demand for Apple's AirPods and its new Beats Flex.
  • A new DigiTimes report says the lack of EarPods will help drive sales of both.

A new report from DigiTimes says Apple's AirPods and new Beats Flex headphones will see increased demand due to the iPhone 12's lack of EarPods.

From the report:

The launch of the iPhone 12 lineup without the inclusion of wired earphones will help boost sales of Apple's AirPods devices as well as non-AirPods TWS products, according to industry sources.While removing its wired headphones from the iPhone 12 package, Apple instead has launched a new series of neck-mounted headphones, dubbed Beats Flex, under its Beats brand for US$49.99.According to supply chain sources, Beats Flex is fast gaining sales momentum, which is expected to last into the first half of 2020.

The report says AirPods sales have also been "brisk" and that they were the top-selling true wireless product in Q2 of 2020, taking 35% of the global market share.

Interestingly, the report also claims that "more handset players are likely to follow in Apple's footsteps" to launch new smartphone models without earbuds, which will also benefit TWS vendors.

The report says that true wireless sales usually tail off in the fourth quarter of the year after peaking in the third, but that this year demand remains strong into Q4, driven by demand from people who need earbuds to work from home without interference.

You can check out our Beats Flex Review where we decide whether Apple's latest $50 headphones are worth the money. With a low price tag, W1 chip, and great battery life, there's a lot to get excited about.

Stephen Warwick
Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design. Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9