If anyone remembers Jony Ive’s tenure at Apple, the executive’s design videos almost immediately come to mind. They commonly featured Ive, or at least the voice of Ive, talking about the design behind a new product that the company was announcing.
Here’s an example if you need remembering:
Ive’s voice was always unmistakable, and Google is making a bet that everyone will still remember it now.
Earlier today, the company released a new video to its YouTube channel that, quite intentionally, appears earily reminiscent of the videos that Ive was a part of before leaving Apple. The new video, in addition to poking fun at Ive’s narration, also mocks other phone companies like Apple for not featuring a headphone jack on their phones.
Calling this perfectly-symmetrical, technological marvel, a “headphone jack” may feel like an understatement…but technically, that’s what it’s called, so… fair enough. Behold! The Headphone Jack, on the Google Pixel 5a with 5G.
Of course, Google needs to stick with the Google Pixel 5a with 5G for this joke to work. The company’s own flagship, the Pixel 5, does not feature a headphone jack and the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are not expected to either.
Many phones have dumped the headphone jack after Apple did as the promise and capability of wireless headphones grew. Not only are wireless headphones more convenient, they represent an enormous business opportunity to each phone brand that also sells its own wireless headphones.
AirPods, for example, would equate to a Fortune 100 business if the product line was split off into its own company from Apple. While it’s easy to poke fun, Google is surely looking to recreate that kind of business with its Pixel Buds line.
Apple is expected to release the 3rd generation of AirPods at an event on September 14 with a release date of September 30. At least, that is what the current rumors point to.
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