I did read the article.
I just fail to see how removing a jack, effectively making you headphones a Bluetooth device is an improvement. It just looks to be a way to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.
No, they did not effectively make your headphones a bluetooth only device.
Apple included both a set of earbuds that work with the Lightning connector and an adaptor that works with all standard 3.5mm jack earphones that users already own or may choose to buy. If you have an earphone you like, plug the adaptor into the jack and you're good to go, keep it plugged into the earphones and you mostly won't notice the difference.
Unless SOMEONE takes this step of ditching the old tech, good enough will rule the day for audio headsets. Apple has stepped up to the challenge by making it possible for headphones to move into the next generation by providing more voltage and a broader bandwidth for data through a modern interface.
For wireless, Apple has re-designed the Wireless Bluetooth system, re-inventing the system by putting a processor into their wireless earbuds that can handle more bandwidth for far better sound reproduction than anything that has preceded it in the Bluetooth world. They've eliminated pairing so that the devices can instantly recognize Apple devices that belong to the same owner and instantly switch between them. These are major improvements. Apple is going to license this technology to all comers who wish to make headphones