> I haven't followed closely enough, but are other accessory manufacturers able to produce headphones for the new iPhone, or is it completely limited to whatever Apple release?
I cannot fathom the amount of (legitimate) outrage that would follow Apple's decision to limit audio output to Apple-branded products.
Several companies already make Lightning-connected headphones, and you can still connect whichever Bluetooth headphones/speakers you want.
The thought process would be "Apple want to own the peripherals market for their devices and their fans won't be perturbed by such a buyer hostile approach".
IIRC from a previous comment here Apple are charging about $5 per lightning connector that a 3rd party makes. They presumably designed it exactly for the purpose of getting money from every sale in "their" product space.
I cannot fathom the amount of (legitimate) outrage that would follow Apple's decision to limit audio output to Apple-branded products.
Several companies already make Lightning-connected headphones, and you can still connect whichever Bluetooth headphones/speakers you want.