
The death of the iPhone's headphone jack may well be the worst kept secret in recent tech history, but we still don't know exactly what will replace it until Apple's iPhone 7 launch event later today. We know that they'll probably go wireless, but according to one analyst, they will be expensive and they won't come included with the device.
KGI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo, responsible for a number of now more-or-less-confirmed rumors, believes that Apple will announce a pair of high-end "AirPod" earbuds tomorrow as a premium accessory for iPhone 7 buyers. Inside the box will be a pair of standard Earpods with a Lightning port connector, leaving the new Beats products in the middle of the market.
"We believe Apple will position Beats in the midrange market once it launches Apple's own-brand wireless headphones, in order to maximize profit with a dual-brand strategy," Kuo says in a note reported on by MacRumors, 9to5Mac, and AppleInsider.
Kuo also says Apple will use a low-power "Bluetooth-like communication chip" for the high-end headphones, implying that the company won't use the standard Bluetooth technology. He adds that Apple has "higher requirements for power-saving, communication specs and potential rapid growth," which suggests that the current Bluetooth standard isn't up to Apple's standards. The new wireless technology will be "own-designed," according to Kuo.
Kuo has a strong history of getting these kinds of predictions right, but we won't know for sure until later today. Check back then.
Here's everything else we know so far about the iPhone 7.