Retailers are braced for a surge in sales of wireless headphones after Apple scrapped the headphone jack on the new iPhone 7.
John Lewis said sales of wireless headphones were currently 60% higher than last week after Apple’s announcement on Wednesday.
Apple’s decision to scrap the traditional headphone socket has caused anger on social media and among analysts. Removing the jack means iPhone users must buy wireless headphones or use an adaptor to connect wired headphones to the battery port.
The company will sell its own wireless headphones, called AirPods, but these will cost £119.
Wireless headphones have been met with a mixed reaction from consumers. Although they are easy to use and comfortable, there have been questions about the sound quality and the rechargeable battery. Some models, such as the Bose SoundSport, have been dogged by technical problems.
Nonetheless, retailers expect the market to boom as the technology improves. Katrina Mills, an audio buyer at John Lewis, said: “Wednesday’s announcement will drive the biggest sales in wireless headphones yet. Ahead of the news, we had already seen an increased demand for wireless headphones, with noise cancelling functionality and sport models proving popular.”
Sales of Bose headphones were up 260% on the same period last year, John Lewis said. Other popular brands included Sony, Sennheiser, Bang & Olufsen and Beats, which is owned by Apple.
