Why Did Smartphone Makers Stop Putting Headphones In The Box?

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Smartphone manufacturers used to include a lot more in the box with new phones, like charging or power adapters, plus the USB cords, and sometimes wired headphones or earbuds. Companies stopped doing this years ago, though. At the time, smartphone makers stopped putting chargers in the box because it reduced electronic waste, and people already had a ton of power bricks and adapters handy.

That's precisely why Samsung says it stopped including earphones, as well. In an effort to "minimize the impact" of its products on the environment, these cheap items are now excluded. Apple did the same when it launched the iPhone 12 in 2020. The general idea is that the items that used to be in the box were of lower quality than something you might buy separately, leading to an increase in waste. Consumers always have the option to buy these items separately if they need them, which is likely part of the motivation, as well.

Samsung and Apple both sell high-quality headphones separately, à la AirPods and Galaxy Buds. Considering a lot of those same manufacturers stopped including headphone jacks in flagship models, the wired variety that used to be bundled wouldn't work anyway. What's interesting is that wired headphones seem to be going through a surge in popularity as people show a growing interest in retro experiences. Some folks are gravitating towards the wired options, ignoring the compatibility concerns, and are instead using adapters to sync with the latest phones.

You can actually connect wired headphones, earphones, and buds with Bluetooth-only devices like a newer smartphone. To do so, you need a relatively inexpensive adapter called a Bluetooth receiver, a solid example being the FiiO BTR11. FiiO's adapter also supports LDAC and hi-fidelity audio, meaning your music, podcasts, and other audio should sound great even over a Bluetooth connection and with high-res headphones.

Ultimately, you can take any wired headphones with a 3.5mm jack and plug them into the BTR11, connect that to your Bluetooth-only phone, and use them like normal, as if you plugged them right into your phone. Obviously, the signal between your phone and the receiver is wireless, but the connection from that little device to your headphones is wired.

That opens up your listening device opportunities to a wide range of additional gear, vintage options most of all. You can use everything from cheap and affordable wired headphones to expensive pro-grade options with a phone that otherwise wouldn't support it. Consumer Reports gave a top rating to a Grado wired headphones set that's relevant. And if you want to go more old school than that, you can still use your pick with something like the iPhone 17 or Samsung Galaxy S26.