Why not believe it? It is at the very least a possibility because they acquired beats. They research reactions all the time, you now go from a situation in where that port + bundled headphones are eliminated...I'm guessing saving them about $1 per phone. Consider it spread across all models over the next couple of years is already damn near 100 million dollars saved.Very extreme scenario and why would a phone lock the phone app breh?
I don't believe this rumor for a second tbh tho.
Not only saved the money....drop the 3.5MM Jack, eliminate the options people have to buy cheap $1-$10 earbuds...introduce a new "revolutionary" way to listen to things on your phone with this magnificent jack that only apple can apparently do.
Introduce Apple headphones that are ONLY $100 or sell them an "apple certified" adapter for the lightning to 3.5MM Jack for $30.
I can almost bet that they had those conversations before and will have data to prove that most people were not using the bundled headphones.