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Apple AirPods Make More Money Than Spotify, Twitter, Snapchat, and Shopify Combined (kevinrooke.com) 124

An anonymous reader shares a blog post from Kevin Rooke, investment specialist and co-founder of blockchain marketing agency agency0x: Imagine a startup with $12 billion of revenue, 125%+ YoY revenue growth (two years in a row), and Apple-esque gross margins (30-50%). Without knowing anything else about the business, what would you value it at? $50 billion? $100 billion? More? That's Apple's AirPods business, the fastest-growing segment of the world's most valuable company. Though Apple doesn't share sales numbers for AirPods, industry analysts have converged on estimated sales numbers for each of the last 3 years. In 2017, Apple sold an estimated 15 million devices, each priced at $150. That gave Apple a $2.25 billion revenue boost, only a 1% boost to Apple's $215 billion iPhone revenue.

But in 2018, AirPods sales began to quiet Apple bears. 35 million pairs were sold, still priced at $150. That gave Apple an additional $5.25 billion in revenue, then representing 2.4% of iPhone revenue. And in 2019, Apple has pulled off yet another incredible year of AirPods sales. Apple sold an estimated 60 million units, but in 2019 the prices increased too. Apple's second generation AirPods launched at $200, and their newest variation, the AirPods Pro sell for $250. Assuming an even split of sales between Gen 1, Gen 2, and AirPods Pro, Airpods revenue was $12 billion in 2019. That's 4.5% of Apple's iPhone revenue. Investors are paying attention now. AirPods make as much money as Spotify, Twitter, Snap, and Shopify combined. And considering their triple-digit growth two years in a row, I would be shocked if AirPods didn't earn more money than Uber in 2020.

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Apple AirPods Make More Money Than Spotify, Twitter, Snapchat, and Shopify Combined

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  • Well yeah (Score:5, Interesting)

    by ScooterBill ( 599835 ) on Tuesday January 07, 2020 @10:37PM (#59597962)

    The new Air Pods Pro are amazing. I love them and I don't begrudge Apple for making money off something that I find really useful.

    • Well, yeah. They have the advantage of proven, reliable resources (human, material [materiel? =P], technological) already arranged in a convenient corporate structure and supply chain. They can scale fast, because it's like building houses from your existing plan book.

      They get logistics practically for free. And quality control. And contacts. And know-how. And, and, and...

      • Mostly fairly easy to get to build your own product if you can design it. Top Tier Contract Manufacturers will accept you as a customer. They have their own supply chain and can delivery to you in shipping containers FOB then you just need to contact a shipper and tell them how many containers you want each month. Next just get some retailers to take your product. Apple don't have so many advantages that are not available to the average Joe, however they have product experience which counts for a lot and a
        • Having their own walled garden pre-populated with users definitely hasn't hurt them.

          • by NoMoreACs ( 6161580 ) on Wednesday January 08, 2020 @01:37AM (#59598190)

            Having their own walled garden pre-populated with users definitely hasn't hurt them.

            What's "Walled" about someone's choice of BT Earbuds?

            Do you have any idea just how many choices an iPhone/iPad/Mac User has in the way of BT Earbuds? Just exactly as many choices as a non-iPhone/iPad/Mac User has.

            No "Walled Garden" at all, sorry to disappoint.

            • Well, AirPods aren't exactly BT earbuds now, are they? It's only the latest Bluetooth spec, Audio LE, that addresses streaming audio to multiple devices: left- and right-side ear pieces in this case.

              As an Apple user I'm not inclined to buy AirPods because they don't appeal to me: they have a limited lifespan; they are not repairable; and having no cable running between the left- and right-side ear pieces isn't really a selling point.

              • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

                by clive27 ( 889511 )
                Have you tried AirPods Pro? They're truly "magical" earbuds. Since Apple introduced iPhone 3Gs, this is the first time that I felt Apple did something amazing. I have used AirPods and hated it. It didn't fit my ears well and kept falling off. Sound wasn't good either, so I only used it when I'm working on my desk. I also used Bose QC 35 for working in extremely loud laboratory and Bose SoundSport for exercising. Now AirPods Pro replaces all of them. It fits very well and never drops out, even when I'm runni
    • Re:Well yeah (Score:5, Insightful)

      by b0s0z0ku ( 752509 ) on Tuesday January 07, 2020 @10:49PM (#59597974)
      My earpods are amazing. $10 and they come with a wire to charge them as they're being used. Wow! The technology!
    • Anybody who can compare the active noise cancellation of the Air Pods Pro to the Bose QC20 earbuds, I would love to hear from you.
      • by ToasterMonkey ( 467067 ) on Wednesday January 08, 2020 @01:51AM (#59598214) Homepage

        Most of the people on this thread can't spell noise cancellation, let alone tell you what it is or offer a comparison.

        But man are they raging at some earphones, lol.

        • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

          by Ol Olsoc ( 1175323 )

          Most of the people on this thread can't spell noise cancellation, let alone tell you what it is or offer a comparison.

          But man are they raging at some earphones, lol.

          Let's face it. if a company's headphones throw someone into a rage, the problem is with him, not the company.

      • And the more responses you'll have from users of one of those models, the worse the noise cancellation, since they noticed you? A clever plan!
      • Marco Arment recently said on the Accidental Tech Podcast that he took the Airpods Pro and the over-ear Bose ANC headphones on a plane trip, and his recommendation is to leave the Bose at home. I know that's not the exact comparison you're looking for, but it does speak well to the level of ANC the AirPods pro are capable of. (I think it was on ATP. I went looking and couldn't find it, but I can't remember when he mentioned it.)

        There's also this. Basically several people claim that the ANC is as good or bet

        • Wow, if that is the case, I actually think the Airpods Pro are not a bad price. I ride motorcycles and I get a lot of value from good noise-cancelling earbuds.
    • by Anonymous Coward

      Ahh... the old joke:

      Why are airpods shaped like tampons? Because they're made for cunts.

  • How does this person have any credibility? Like at all?
  • by Mr. Dollar Ton ( 5495648 ) on Tuesday January 07, 2020 @10:54PM (#59597984)

    The world's business with the best growth and the best margins.

    FTW!

    • Yep. It's terrible these things don't have replaceable batteries. Millions of these will end up in landfills in no time.
  • by thesjaakspoiler ( 4782965 ) on Tuesday January 07, 2020 @10:57PM (#59597992)

    of an achievement seen their burn-rate.
    An average IT engineer in the valley makes more profit than WeWork.

    • An average IT engineer in the valley makes more profit than WeWork.

      An average homeless person in the valley or not in the valley makes more profit than WeWork and Uber together. A few billion dollars more profit.

    • That’s why the article compares revenue rather than profits.
  • bwahaha (Score:5, Insightful)

    by n3r0.m4dski11z ( 447312 ) on Tuesday January 07, 2020 @11:02PM (#59597996) Homepage Journal

    Well no wonder they obsoleted the headphone jack on their devices. Straight up gravy.

    It is puzzling, because from what i understand, you can buy knock off ones on amazon for $30. But thats apple suckers for you!

    • Sure is puzzling (Score:5, Insightful)

      by SuperKendall ( 25149 ) on Tuesday January 07, 2020 @11:11PM (#59598020)

      It is puzzling, because from what i understand, you can buy knock off ones on amazon for $30

      It sure is puzzling why anyone would want to buy a really well engineered miniaturized device over an utter piece of crap that might catch fire in your ear given the reliability of cheap Chinese devices and batteries...

      Oh and it will also sound worse, but hey $30!

      • It is puzzling, because from what i understand, you can buy knock off ones on amazon for $30

        It sure is puzzling why anyone would want to buy a really well engineered miniaturized device over an utter piece of crap that might catch fire in your ear given the reliability of cheap Chinese devices and batteries...

        Oh and it will also sound worse, but hey $30!

        I've tried a few, and they sound pretty bad. Like 1930's AM radio midrange only bad.

    • Well no wonder they obsoleted the headphone jack on their devices. Straight up gravy.

      It is puzzling, because from what i understand, you can buy knock off ones on amazon for $30. But thats apple suckers for you!

      Funny. That's exactly what I looked for on Amazon for my iPhone (and it even has a headphone jack!).

      Just look for Earbuds that support AAC. Fortunately, that's getting easier by the day. I found several acceptable examples on Amazon in the $30-50 range. All of those work with any Apple device supporting Bluetooth (which is all of them, I believe).

    • The sad thing is, the people buying these massively overpriced Apple products are likely the same that complain about millennials not having as much wealth as those icky boomers used to have. Maybe don't piss it down the drain on disposable 200$ headphones?
    • Well no wonder they obsoleted the headphone jack on their devices. Straight up gravy.

      It is puzzling, because from what i understand, you can buy knock off ones on amazon for $30. But thats apple suckers for you!

      I have a little adapter that allows me to plug right into the iPhone. Dunno how that would be straight up gravy as it came as part of the phone. So if you want to plug in a Big Lot's 5 dollar buds or headset, U can doez it.

    • I bought a pair of Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2s, which are pretty much airpod knockoffs.

      They were like $100, and I'm pretty happy with them. Fit/grip of the silicone tips isn't always great, but mostly it is. Voice and audio are great (aptX), and the battery life has been excellent, too. I think I've only charged the case twice in two weeks of use.

      I'm awful tempted to buy a pair of the $30 clone lookalikes, although I'm sure they'd be disappointing, but maybe something worth tossing into the car or lap

  • by Anonymous Coward

    Too bad they still lose sync in a public place, or around sources of interference (which is nearly every apartment building or public intersection or bus), I've had problems where one earbud is out of sync with the other or sounds like it's skipping or both are cutting out. Not to mention falling out when I'm doing housework and don't have clean hands to keep shoving them back in the right spot. Fuck those things. A cheap pair with silicone tips lasts way longer and don't fall out and still have AptX HD.

  • No thinking allowed (Score:5, Interesting)

    by DogDude ( 805747 ) on Tuesday January 07, 2020 @11:21PM (#59598036)
    BE sure to ALWAYS have something in your ears. Make sure that you never think on your own. Stay plugged in. Everybody else is doing it.

    I instantly discount everybody I see with shit in their ears all the time. That's a lot of people, but people without any sort of introspective voice aren't particularly interesting to talk to.
    • by Gavagai80 ( 1275204 ) on Wednesday January 08, 2020 @02:03AM (#59598224) Homepage

      Frequently I'm not even listening to anything in my earbuds, I'm just trying to trick you into not talking to me.

      • Get the AirPod Pros. With noise cancellation you straight up won't hear them, even if you aren't listening to anything.

    • by Kokuyo ( 549451 )

      So what, you see someone on public transportation wearing earphones and you immediately extrapolate that they're mindless drones?

      • Yes?

        J/k but seriously for a moment, I noticed that it somehow became more acceptable to wear them in situations it previously wasn't. Like when actually with other people IRL. I did that as an angsty teenager who didn't want to listen to their parents but now I see grown-ass adults with airpods in while with their partner or friends. Maybe they're not listening to music, but that still makes them assholes if not mindless drones.

        • by Ol Olsoc ( 1175323 ) on Wednesday January 08, 2020 @09:55AM (#59598954)

          Maybe they're not listening to music, but that still makes them assholes if not mindless drones.

          They're missing the chance to interact with a person who judges people because of earphones. What are you going to talk about? The other assholes on the bus? The assholes outside the bus? Your Asshole boss, wife or children? The assholes on Slashdot?

          If people don't want to talk with you, maybe the problem is you.

      • How did you get public transportation out of that comment? Trying hard to be outraged? I work with people that have those in their ears all day long.
    • Remember:

      A distracted slave is a happy slave.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      I'm listening to science and philosophy podcasts; my introspective voice is just fine. I'm just trying to cram interesting and useful information into my day and drown out the sounds of the city around me as best I can.

      But please, yes, don't talk to me. You're exactly the sort of obnoxious city noise I'm trying to block out.

      • The big problem is that people just can't draw an appropriate line for using their phone. If everyone was just blocking out city noise with their headphones, that would be one thing. But no, you need to be having a fucking loud conversation with someone while standing in line waiting for a coffee, pissing off everyone around you, and then when you get to the counter you don't even know what you want because you're so distracted, and are now holding up the god damn line.

        Or maybe you're the jackass with his p

        • Those would be good odds, if I felt like you had a leg to stand on in the first place. You only notice the obnoxious assholes, and not the normal people that go about their day with their headphones in, but politely take them off before talking with the barista. I never leave my headphones in during a conversation—I can't think of a worse way to disrespect the person I'm having a conversation with. (I'm not inclined to conversation with strangers, but even then, I give them my attention if there's a r

    • BE sure to ALWAYS have something in your ears. Make sure that you never think on your own. Stay plugged in. Everybody else is doing it. I instantly discount everybody I see with shit in their ears all the time. That's a lot of people, but people without any sort of introspective voice aren't particularly interesting to talk to.

      Why you hate deaf people dude?

  • Courage (Score:1, Flamebait)

    Now that courage is worth 12 billion dollars I can't wait to see what Apple sycophants will happily wait in line next for.

    I mean seriously $150 for low end Bluetooth earphones with a horrible frequency response curve to match... whatever floats your boats people. .. You could always donate to local charities or something...

    • How about we have "courage" to remove the charging port? Lots of fanbois will still buy that iPhone but now will have to buy a special proprietary Apple wireless charger as well, that is compatible only with the iPhone and does not work with anything else, and make sure the iPhone cannot be charged by anything other than the Apple wireless charger.

      Now, if we could thing of a way to make the charger have to be replaced every six months we would be in business. I know, lets make it wireless too with a batte

      • Re:Courage (Score:5, Informative)

        by 3247 ( 161794 ) on Wednesday January 08, 2020 @07:14AM (#59598590) Homepage

        How about we have "courage" to remove the charging port? Lots of fanbois will still buy that iPhone but now will have to buy a special proprietary Apple wireless charger as well, that is compatible only with the iPhone and does not work with anything else, and make sure the iPhone cannot be charged by anything other than the Apple wireless charger.

        In reality, Apple is using the Qi standard and has not even released a wireless charger for iPhone.

    • Re:Courage (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Freischutz ( 4776131 ) on Wednesday January 08, 2020 @03:49AM (#59598342)

      Now that courage is worth 12 billion dollars I can't wait to see what Apple sycophants will happily wait in line next for.

      I mean seriously $150 for low end Bluetooth earphones with a horrible frequency response curve to match... whatever floats your boats people. .. You could always donate to local charities or something...

      From a psychological standpoint it is really interesting how half the people clicking on these Apple stories to comment on them have (A) never used the Apple product in question and (B) would rather be doused in diesel oil and burned alive than do so and yet they know for a fact that said Apple product sucks ass.

      • From a psychological standpoint

        I guess all this just comes down to a personal choice.

        You could chose to compare the price of Airpods with other similar products.

        You could chose to objectively compare frequency response of airpods with other products.

        You could elect to do the same using any other objective criteria...

        Or you could simply invoke unfalsifiable "psychological" gibberish.

        Apple stories to comment on them have (A) never used the Apple product in question and (B) would rather be doused in diesel oil and burned alive than do so and yet they know for a fact that said Apple product sucks ass.

        I know for a fact they cost $150 and have a shitty low end.

        Whether I have used AirPods and whatever my personal opinion of Apple facts stubbornly remain fac

        • Re:Courage (Score:5, Insightful)

          by Dixie_Flatline ( 5077 ) <vincent@jan@goh.gmail@com> on Wednesday January 08, 2020 @06:05AM (#59598520) Homepage

          The Sonys and Jabras and whatnot are all in the same price range. Apple is not the only player in the space. And while I've heard that the Sonys are slightly better sounding, the AirPods Pro stack up pretty well and are more convenient if you own an iPhone.

          Even if you're talking about the non-pro ones, there are plenty of other "true wireless" earbuds in the same price range from big brands (whether you believe those brands are better than the random ones from Amazon is a different matter), and again, people are buying them for convenience and fashion as much as sound, and those are two totally valid reasons to buy a thing. I'm using Ankers myself, but 90% of my mobile listening is podcasts, so having a weak low end wouldn’t be relevant to me.

          Really, nobody should be looking for ultimate sound quality from their mobile listening experience anyway. Good enough gets you around town. If you want a great audio experience, plug some decent headphones into a proper amp and source at home.

          • Re:Courage (Score:5, Interesting)

            by Freischutz ( 4776131 ) on Wednesday January 08, 2020 @07:51AM (#59598664)

            The Sonys and Jabras and whatnot are all in the same price range. Apple is not the only player in the space. And while I've heard that the Sonys are slightly better sounding, the AirPods Pro stack up pretty well and are more convenient if you own an iPhone.

            Even if you're talking about the non-pro ones, there are plenty of other "true wireless" earbuds in the same price range from big brands (whether you believe those brands are better than the random ones from Amazon is a different matter), and again, people are buying them for convenience and fashion as much as sound, and those are two totally valid reasons to buy a thing. I'm using Ankers myself, but 90% of my mobile listening is podcasts, so having a weak low end wouldn’t be relevant to me.

            Really, nobody should be looking for ultimate sound quality from their mobile listening experience anyway. Good enough gets you around town. If you want a great audio experience, plug some decent headphones into a proper amp and source at home.

            Nobody should be looking for ultimate sound quality from earbuds. Furthermore, anybody who complains about the poor effects that Bluetooth compression has on the audio quality of earbuds has a remarkably sensitive ear if he is able to pick up on the ever so slight increase in crappiness the Bluetooth compression causes on top of all the already existing audio crappiness of that is endemic to earbuds in the first place.

            • Nobody should be looking for ultimate sound quality from earbuds.

              It's unclear why you believe your opinions have any relevance. The fact is nobody stops to consider your thoughts before purchasing or stops to consider your opinions before deciding on what factors should matter to them.

              Personally I demand good sound not cheap crap and refuse to be ripped off by snake oil peddlers offering provably inferior products for outrageous prices.

              You can get quality drivers with way better frequency response for less than a quarter of the price of AirPods from multiple vendors. T

          • The Sonys and Jabras and whatnot are all in the same price range. Apple is not the only player in the space. And while I've heard that the Sonys are slightly better sounding, the AirPods Pro stack up pretty well and are more convenient if you own an iPhone.

            You can get better sounding wireless shit for a third of the price including wireless charging so you can waste even more energy for even less of a reason.

            Really, nobody should be looking for ultimate sound quality from their mobile listening experience anyway. Good enough gets you around town. If you want a great audio experience, plug some decent headphones into a proper amp and source at home.

            Nobody is talking about ultimate anything. My remarks are specifically about Airpods being overpriced and under-delivering.

            • But you have no way to justify that claim. You haven't used them, and you feel that they undeliver on the low end because you heard that somewhere. But even assuming that that's true, that's not the only reason to buy a set of headphones. Fashion is definitely a factor, and it is, frankly, a perfectly reasonable reason to buy something. Lots of us buy clothes, jewellery, whatever, etc., for the sake of fashion. That's why your house doesn't have (presumably) ugly 70s era green and brown wallpaper and orange

      • Re:Courage (Score:4, Insightful)

        by Ol Olsoc ( 1175323 ) on Wednesday January 08, 2020 @10:02AM (#59599010)

        From a psychological standpoint it is really interesting how half the people clicking on these Apple stories to comment on them have (A) never used the Apple product in question and (B) would rather be doused in diesel oil and burned alive than do so and yet they know for a fact that said Apple product sucks ass.

        From a psychological standpoint it illustrates the remarkable capacity and need for intense hatred that many people have.

        I use Apple computers because much of the work I have to do uses software that is only available for Macs.

        I use an iPhone because it integrates seamlessly with my other Apple products.

        I also use Windows and Linux, depending on what I need to use.

        But the "I'm outraged at Apple" crowd just seem like people who would throw a temper tantrum at a metric wrench. They need their hatred for some reason.

        • From a psychological standpoint it is really interesting how half the people clicking on these Apple stories to comment on them have (A) never used the Apple product in question and (B) would rather be doused in diesel oil and burned alive than do so and yet they know for a fact that said Apple product sucks ass.

          From a psychological standpoint it illustrates the remarkable capacity and need for intense hatred that many people have.

          I use Apple computers because much of the work I have to do uses software that is only available for Macs.

          I use an iPhone because it integrates seamlessly with my other Apple products.

          I also use Windows and Linux, depending on what I need to use.

          But the "I'm outraged at Apple" crowd just seem like people who would throw a temper tantrum at a metric wrench. They need their hatred for some reason.

          Same, except I get to skip the Windows bit ...

          • I use Apple computers because much of the work I have to do uses software that is only available for Macs.

            I use an iPhone because it integrates seamlessly with my other Apple products.

            I also use Windows and Linux, depending on what I need to use.

            But the "I'm outraged at Apple" crowd just seem like people who would throw a temper tantrum at a metric wrench. They need their hatred for some reason.

            Same, except I get to skip the Windows bit ...

            Yeah, I wish I could skip the Windows, but there is an SDR program and an intermod analysis program I have to use for work, so I'm stuck.

            I've been converting a lot of Windows machines to Linux as well for some DIgital comms. The Windows version of the programs works, but W10 updates screw the pooch with the programs, changing sound drivers and CAT ports. The Linux versions are stable, and survive updates.

            The places I've been always have an army of IT people to keep the Windows machines running. But as

      • by Quirkz ( 1206400 )

        Not the OP, and I've got nothing against Apple, but when my phone only cost $120, I just can't see paying MORE for the headphones than I did for the device.

  • I can have a one trillion dollar revenue company and still go bankrupt next week. Revenue is meaningless without additional info. Also, YoY growth is meaningless too, because that growth doesn't last forever (just ask Apple about their iPhones). But that is the tech VC hypesters talking. Of course, I can imagine that Apple is making a ton of money off of their headphones because they are selling $20 devices for $150.

  • I'm sure they sell more headphones but this company still sells $999 monitor stands right?
    • I'm sure they sell more headphones but this company still sells $999 monitor stands right?

      So tell us about the features of this 999 monitor stand. Is it just a hunk of Aluminum? I've looked at it, and I'm not going to buy one, but the I hate Mac crowd acts like it is merely a regular hunk of aluminum stand.

  • So many waste (Score:5, Informative)

    by AncalagonTotof ( 1025748 ) on Wednesday January 08, 2020 @02:06AM (#59598232)
    Disgusting, so many of these stupid things will end in a drawer after only one or two years because of failing batteries. iFixit says zero, zero, zero :

    First zero [ifixit.com]
    Second zero [ifixit.com]
    Third zero [ifixit.com]

    Bullshit
    • And before someone says that it's the cost of technology:
      Galaxy Buds - Six [ifixit.com]

    • I agree, and I disagree.
      There are no replaceable batteries that exists in a standard form factor for consumers. You are in the situation where you are ordering the same batteries from Chinese mass production. Its not like it used to be, where you can buy AA batteries and just replace them. Heck, as far as I remember it was a era where the options where fire hazard lithium batteries vs AA batteries that had to be replaced whole sale.

      Then at some point, tech had improved to the point where consumer electronic

  • Tell me why I should pay $200 for a pair when they break down in a year from my ear wax.
    • by clive27 ( 889511 )
      My suggestion is to use that $200 to visit ENT specialist to fix that excessive ear wax production.
      • Clearly you don't have ear wax problems.

        An ENT can't "fix" it. The best you can hope for is to remove impacted wax (can you spell "impacted cerumen"?), but that does nothing for the source of the problem. I have yet to see an in-ear device that's ear wax friendly.

        For that and a dozen other reasons, I'll keep my cheap, corded, super high-fidelity ear buds.

  • I had to Google what airpods are. People are paying $250 for this stuff?

    WTF?

    • It's a clever con. Apply (and others) removed the perfectly good headphone jack, and now a shocking number of people think they have no alternative.

      I don't get it either. More money for an inferior product with a very short lifespan, and super easy to drop & lose. Of COURSE it's a money maker.

  • What a shooting gallery of completely worthless companies that don't improve the world in any way... not even their own ... working so hard every day... to make a damn number in a database grow bigger ... by taking as much money from people as possible, while giving back as little as possible ... for the sole purpose of becoming better at making that same number grow bigger.

    What a waste of human lives.

  • Why? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by argStyopa ( 232550 ) on Wednesday January 08, 2020 @07:15AM (#59598592) Journal

    The idea that people - many of whom will cheerfully claim that we're in tough economic times - are dropping $150 for EAR BUDS that will inevitably become useless in what, a year from the unreplaceable battery? - makes me throw up in my mouth, a little.

  • Overpriced shit made on a Red Country...
  • An actual physical product making more money than an imaginary one?
  • About the real reasons WHY Apple decided to remove the headphone jack ?
    While users have a choice of BT headphones, Apple is well aware that their fanbase are likely going to pick the ones with the Apple logo on them.

    Even if only a fraction of Apple users went with Apple branded headphones, it's still more money in Apple's pocket than there was with a headphone jack.

  • They're ugly, they're too expensive, and I hate ear things that get stuck in there. But I guess I am in a minority.

  • Headline might be BS? This guy dug in and found the numbers don't match reality [twitter.com]. Beware...
  • They have a battery that will die. They are hard and don't fit well. When they fall out you can break or lose them. They are overpriced.

    Remember when earbuds came free with iPhones? I never used them b/c they hurt my ears or fell out. No way would I ever pay for these new wireless ones... ridiculous.

  • According to those estimates they've sold 110 million sets in 3 years. Just how many sets of wireless headphones are needed in the world? Whatever that number is, while we're not there yet, Apple can't increase sales 125% / year for too much longer.
  • AirPods are a very strong business, but this analysis has been debunked by Neil Cybart (who crunches these numbers all day and has for several years).

    According to Neil, last year's revenue is about 7.5 billion, not 12 billion. https://twitter.com/neilcybart... [twitter.com]

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