What was considered speculation a few months ago was first confirmed when the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE debuted in September. Now that the iPhone 12 series has been unveiled, it seems the company hopes to establish a new trend all over again. The tech industry credits the introduction of the infamous display notch and removal of the 3.5 mm headphones jack to Apple. However, its removal of the EarPods and charger has drawn mixed reactions from consumers.

From the manufacturer's standpoint, it is a cost-saving decision that also comes with a benefit for the environment. On the other hand, some consumers find it an underhand move by the Cupertino-based tech group to market even more products on top of the premium price of its handsets. Although there are folks who will likely side with Apple on this, most are not pleased with the somehow barebones approach.

Before the "Hi, Speed" event went live, there were reports that the Beats by Dr. Dre landing page was not accessible. Given the recent removal of third-party audio products from its stores, it was rumoured that the AirPods Studio might be announced. Unfortunately, it was not, as the HomePod Mini was the only other product aside from the iPhone 12 lineup that was showcased during the online-only presentation.

Instead, shortly after the show wrapped up, the company introduced a new pair of wireless earbuds – the Beats Flex, reports the Independent. Unlike the AirPods series and Powerbeats Pro, there is a thin cable that connects the left and right buds. Apple reasoned out that most buyers of the Apple Watch Series 6, Apple Watch SE and iPhone 12 are possibly upgrading from older models and will still have the chargers and earphones with them.

Apple markets new accessories after removing some
Before the "Hi, Speed" event went live, there were reports that the Beats by Dr. Dre landing page was not accessible. Photo: Apple

Still, most are not convinced and believe Apple opted to do so to make up for the cost of the addition of 5G connectivity. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro will go up for preorder on Oct. 26 and ship out to buyers by Oct. 23. Meanwhile, preorders for the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max will be on Nov. 6 and hit retailers by Nov 13.

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