Apple CEO Tim Cook Stands By iPhone 7, Insists Headphone Jack Was Removed For ‘More Important Things’

Tim Cook did an interview with “Good Morning America” recently that was aired early Wednesday, and in the conversation, the Apple CEO did not miss a chance to address the company’s widely criticized move to ditch the iPhone 7's headphone jack.

According to Cook, the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack was necessary, since the company was looking to use the space it eats up for “more important things,” which he claims to be the larger batteries for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus and new stereo speakers. Cook also maintained that the future is all about wireless technology and that it's all about getting there "as soon as you can."

The removal of the headphone jack stirred a lot of discussion in the tech community ever since earlier rumors about Apple’s move surfaced ahead of the company’s big September event. Now that the iPhone 7 handsets have become official, most reviews are fairly negative about the absence of a hardware feature that has been with the iPhone since the first model was launched in 2007.

As part of the iPhone 7 rollout, Apple also launched the AirPods, a set of $159 wireless headphones. While many reviewers pointed out that the headphones could easily be misplaced or lost, Cook insisted in his “GMA” interview that the design of the device makes it impossible to fall out of a user's ears.

“I’ve been wearing them for a while, and because they don't have wires on them — the wires tend to help the earbud to fall out, because it applies weight on those. By snipping the wires, I have never personally had one fall out. I’ve been on treadmills. Walking. All the things you would normally do,” Cook said after noting that the charging case of the AirPods is the best place where to keep them.