Google Cuts USB-C Headphone Adapter To Apple Price

Google's gone to war with Apple with a single accessory, one dongle that connects the past to the future: the headphone jack adapter. This dongle connects to the Pixel 2's USB-C port on one end, and a standard 3.5mm headphone plug on the other. Google's just reduced the price of this dongle from $20 down to $9.

This might not seem like a big deal to most everyday average tech users. But a difference is made based on the way vocal users react to generational changes in smartphone companies' most major hardware. Google heard the rumblings about the headphone jack, but they decided that the benefits outweighed the potential negative effects, like lowered unit sales numbers.

SEE TOO: Google: Pixel 2 'still comes with a headphone jack' but...

With the USB-C to headphone jack adapter, Google didn't need to be especially competitive while their Pixels had their own headphone jacks. Now that the Pixel 2 is well on its way to market, Google's got to amp up the head by dropping the price.

A $20 bill is an uncomfortable pill to swallow to replace one's own dongle. To be especially clear, here, both the iPhone 8/8 Plus and the Google Pixel 2 come with these same dongles in their boxes. The first one comes free – it's only after you lose that first one that you've got to buy another.

So for such a simple connection with no extension of abilities beyond the basics, $9 is a fair price. That's what you'll find this dongle for at the Apple Store, and as of today, at the Google Store too (each with their respective versions, of course). Now that Google's seen the light with this one, single accessory pricing, perhaps they'll lower their smartphone prices to compete with Apple even more – you never know!

Meanwhile there's one whole heck of a lot of other dongles out there now for both the Pixel and the iPhone 8, and 7, and iPhone X, and future iPhones too, with no headphone jacks. No headphone jacks on any of them!