OMG No headphone jack! iPhone 7

TheGameguru wrote:

One thing that is annoying is the charging and listening at the same time.. something I do on a regular basis when I'm flying as I'm using an external battery pack to charge the phone.

I'm sure someone will come up with a device to connect but its yet another device to carry around.

Thank god you just mentioned that because I charge/listen ALL THE TIME. My car doesn't have bluetooth, so I'd be effectively chopped off at the knees if I couldn't charge and plug my AUX cable in.

The battery on my iPhone 6 doesn't last a day as it is.

I also charge and listen while I work. I don't know, but there's a good chance I'll be sticking to my 6s for a while (also because I just got it and I couldn't really get a new one now).

Also in the charge n listen camp. Bluetooth headphones solves that, but I'm not so sure that's an argument I support. I have a bluetooth/aux adapter for my car that I really like, but I have yet to find bluetooth headphones that fit my price point and style requirement. Not to mention how often I loose headphones. They're with me everywhere in a pocket and sometimes just come out unnoticed with my keys or whatnot. My wife laughs because when I find the right style for cheap, I buy several because I know I will lose them.

New AirPods seem cool, but I couldn't risk $150+ on something I could lose in a matter of months.

I have a bluetooth/aux adapter for my car that I really like

Do tell! Oddly enough, my AUX cable keeps popping out of my phone lately. Such a pain.

Certis wrote:
I have a bluetooth/aux adapter for my car that I really like

Do tell! Oddly enough, my AUX cable keeps popping out of my phone lately. Such a pain.

It was designed to do that. Planned obsolescence!

but I couldn't risk $150+ on something I could lose in a matter of months.

Plus, you can't use AirPods with essentially any audio source ever devised. The regular old 3.5mm jack works on almost anything.

If I was going to spend that much on headphones (and I have... a lot more, actually), I'd never buy a device with non-replaceable batteries and a non-universal audio adapter.

No headphone jack is a dealbreaker for me personally, and I won't be buying an iPhone 7.

My reasons:

  • I have several different pairs of earbuds that I use with my phone, so just keeping the dongle permanently attached to one pair isn't an option.
  • I sometimes plug my earbuds into devices besides my phone (tablets, the built-in jack in airplane seats, the built-in jack in the treadmill-with-TV at the gym) so replacing all of my earbuds with lightning-connector versions isn't an option.
  • Keeping the dongle always attached to the iPhone isn't going to happen. I don't want it always dangling, and when I remove to charge the phone it might get lost.
  • I don't like wireless / bluetooth earphones much because I find charging them to be a hassle. Getting them to pair reliably is sometimes a hassle as well.

I've been on iOS ever since I started carrying a smart device, so this is a pretty big bummer, as a I have a pretty big library of iOS software purchased.

I've currently got an iPhone 5S. My tentative plan now is to upgrade to a 6S (featuring 3.5mm jack compatibility!!) at some point -- maybe after prices drop -- and see what the landscape looks like a couple of years after that, circa early 2019.

What if the dongle came with a Domo-Kun or Totoro hanging off it.

Antichulius wrote:

New AirPods seem cool, but I couldn't risk $150+ on something I could lose in a matter of months.

Months? Try days, or perhaps hours in my case.

Eleima wrote:
Antichulius wrote:

New AirPods seem cool, but I couldn't risk $150+ on something I could lose in a matter of months.

Months? Try days, or perhaps hours in my case. :D

Why would you lose them?... they'd be right next to your iphone all the time because they sure as heck dont work with anything else.

I would totally remember exactly what my hands did with the tiny, detached devices blocking my hearing every single time, without fail, no matter what demanded my immediate attention. Totally.

Certis wrote:
I have a bluetooth/aux adapter for my car that I really like

Do tell! Oddly enough, my AUX cable keeps popping out of my phone lately. Such a pain.

This is the one I use. My first one had the side buttons stick after a few months, but they were great about sending me a replacement. It's been running well over a year no problems.

I do have to have a USB car charger available to charge it in the car instead of taking it in and out to charge elsewhere.

Don't know my plan, but if I decide to go 7, I'll likely have to buy 2-3 spare adapters, almost doubling the value of my soon-to-be-lost headphones. I know I couldn't keep track and move just one adapter to whatever I was using at the time. I actually designate different pairs to different tasks-- yard work gets its own, older set, sleeping has a separate setup entirely, which I totally love, BTW. That coupled with a white-noise/Binarual Beats app and my insomnia is cut from 1-2 hours every night to a reasonable 15-30 minutes on all but a rare few nights.

I just don't know. I usually stick to the $10 range for headphones, and then another $9 for an adapter. Blech.

I'm not in a position to jump the iOS ship, however. Too much already invested. I have a Galaxy S5 from work that I'm not a fan of using. I have a Nvidia Shield Tablet I like well enough, but gives me more headaches than I prefer. I already had to bail on one platform when WebOS (RIP) folded, and I'm not ready to do that again. A 6s may be the route for me. Feels weird buying year old tech when the new and shiny is here, but new, shiny, and crippled isn't quite the same as new and shiny.

I may still get the 7 for the waterproofing, improved battery and camera, and more storage (256 is overkill, but such appealing overkill!) and just bit the 3.5mm bullet. Decisions, decisions. But my 5s is well worn and ready for retirement.

In regards to adding bluetooth functionality to a car stereo, I very highly recommend this device, if your stereo has RCA inputs and you're up for a bit of DIY. I use this same unit on my bike stereo and it rocks. Great audio quality, automatic pairing, great range.

Beautiful.

WolverineJon wrote:

Beautiful.

That's perfect. Gotta "fix" those legacy iPhones.

DSGamer wrote:
WolverineJon wrote:

Beautiful.

That's perfect. Gotta "fix" those legacy iPhones.

IMAGE(http://appleplugs.com/img/animation-1.gif)
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/0...

Nomad wrote:
DSGamer wrote:
WolverineJon wrote:

Beautiful.

That's perfect. Gotta "fix" those legacy iPhones.

IMAGE(http://appleplugs.com/img/animation-1.gif)
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/0...

Someone please photoshoot that splitter on an iPhone with headphones plugged into an adapter on one side.

Apple: Think Different.

@RikerGoogling is also on point.

why don't combadges have headphone jacks anymore
purpose of tiny hair dryers

CollegeHumor, of course.

(NSFW language)

(Compare to their video for the iPhone 6)

New marketing idea:

iPhone 7 - Hey, at least it doesn't explode

I actually Pre-ordered the 7 because this was my 2-year upgrade. Right after I hit checkout, I had so much buyers remorse. I had no legitimate reason to get it other than I could and the camera was great. 10 minutes later I canceled my pre-order and immediately felt the weight off my shoulders. This has NEVER happened to me and I have been with iPhone since 3GS.

I am looking forward to what the Google Pixel has to offer or I may wait until this 10th anniversary iPhone.

Nomad wrote:

New marketing idea:

iPhone 7 - Hey, at least it doesn't explode

If this was any company (other than Apple) this might be the end of that company. From the article above.

But Samsung's Note 7 storm will "most likely blow over in a couple of months," he said. "Longer term, Samsung is a strong brand with great products. Most of them don't explode."

I think Samsung will survive this, but the accumulated bad press of daily headlines, late night jokes and airplane announcements has to be killing them.

The iPhone 7 headphone stuff is so minor in comparison.

From an article I read (lost the link, sorry) one reviewer was saying the $150 Air Buds are, sound-wise, about as good as the current $30 ear buds. We'll have to see.

My wife is pissed. Like others here, she doesn't have Bluetooth in her car, so she won't be able to charge and listen at the same time.

Oh, btw, Apple also owns Beats. Factoring that into the equation really underlines that this is about what is good for Apple, not the consumer.

Nevin73 wrote:

My wife is pissed. Like others here, she doesn't have Bluetooth in her car, so she won't be able to charge and listen at the same time.

How does she get audio out of it now, because the headphone jack isn't really made for that?

Kurrelgyre wrote:
Nevin73 wrote:

My wife is pissed. Like others here, she doesn't have Bluetooth in her car, so she won't be able to charge and listen at the same time.

How does she get audio out of it now, because the headphone jack isn't really made for that?

Both my current and my last van had an audio in jack that were for that purpose, years 2002 and 2008. Luckily I also have bluetooth now so I don't need it. In fact, my last van I used that port with an external bluetooth adapter to do the same thing.

because the headphone jack isn't really made for that?

Wait, are you asserting that the headphone jack isn't for audio out?

You do realize that car aux inputs are explicitly designed with headphone outs in mind?

DSGamer wrote:

I think Samsung will survive this, but the accumulated bad press of daily headlines, late night jokes and airplane announcements has to be killing them.

The iPhone 7 headphone stuff is so minor in comparison.

The difference is that the iPhone is defective on purpose! #courage

Oh, and on the Samsung problem: The Front Fell Off.

Malor wrote:

You do realize that car aux inputs are explicitly designed with headphone outs in mind?

I expect they're engineered with line output in mind instead of what could be crap coming out of a headset jack.