Apple's Phil Schiller Recommends Lightning Dock for Charging an iPhone 7 While Listening to Music

[MacRumors]

Apple's new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus ship without a headphone jack, requiring customers to use either Bluetooth or Lightning-equipped headphones. Many customers who routinely charge their iPhones while also listening to music have been questioning whether that usage scenario will possible sans headphone jack, and as it turns out, Apple has a solution.

In an email to a customer, Apple SVP of marketing Phil Schiller says that while he prefers to use the wireless AirPods to listen to music, customers who want to listen to wired headphones while charging an iPhone 7 can use the Apple Lightning Dock, which has a built-in headphone jack.

Priced at $49 and available in colors to match each of the iPhones, the Lightning dock has both a USB input and a 3.5mm headphone jack built in, making it perfect for customers who want to charge and listen to music at the same time. Unfortunately, it's an expensive solution compared to former method of using 3.5mm EarPods and a Lightning cable, which came free with the iPhone. Belkin also just announced a $40 Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar adapter designed to let users listen to Lightning headphones while charging, but it's both bulky and pricy.

To ease the transition away from the 3.5mm headphone jack, Apple is providing customers with both a Lightning to 3.5mm adapter and a set of EarPods with a Lightning connector. Of course, when using these accessories, charging is not possible at the same time.

Apple's ultimate goal seems to be to transition customers to wireless headphones like its recently announced AirPods. While on stage at yesterday's event, Schiller explained that one of the reasons why Apple moved away from the headphone jack was to push wireless technology forward. The AirPods, which have been in development since the Apple Watch was conceived, feature a proprietary wireless W1 chip and up to 24 hours of battery life implemented through a charging case.

AirPods, priced at $159 and similar in design to EarPods, are entirely wireless with no cord connecting the two earpieces and feature technology like gesture recognition, voice isolation, and more. AirPods have been receiving largely favorable reviews, but $159 is a lot to pay for the ideal iPhone 7 music experience.

Apple executives have explained that the removal of the headphone jack took a lot of "courage," but was necessary to free up valuable space and improve technology in the iPhone 7 and future iPhones.

(Thanks, Zaheen!)

Article Link: Apple's Phil Schiller Recommends Lightning Dock for Charging an iPhone 7 While Listening to Music

 

[mdelvecchio]

will this silence the whining? no. of course not. there must always be whining.

there was also a BT clip posted to MR not long ago that had a 3.5mm jack in it, i believe. simple solution for older cars (or a replacement head unit, of course).

 

[RedOrchestra]

Upselling at its best - Phil for President.

It's a work-around NOT a solution.

 

[pushingrobot]

will this silence the whining? no. of course not. there must always be whining.

Well, suggesting people pay $50 to get back what they had before is pretty much asking for that.

 

[sinsin07]

Of course he does.

 

[tejaykay]

I bought my first Bluetooth headphones two months ago. Haven't looked back. Cables feel all wrong now.

I like good audio, and I can't hear any difference in quality.

 

[Goftrey]

Schiller with the smooth moves.

 

[Drumjim85]

I wonder how the output in the dock sounds compared to the adapter they're providing for free.

 

[iRockMan1]

Wait, so you have to buy a 50 dollar accessory that doesn't work with the lightning earbuds included with the iPhone 7?

 

[lolkthxbai]

It should be noted that the dock actually starts at $39 for the plastic white model. The aluminum docks that match the color of iPhone are priced at a $10 premium.

 

[obiwan]

So let me get this straight - we now have to carry around an adaptor AND a dock with us, just in case we might want to charge and listen to our iPhone at the same time. What about in car use?

 

[RedOrchestra]

Schiller with the smooth moves.

I nominate Phil for Dancing with the Stars.

 

[Dydegu]

That's cool of Phil for responding to emails from customers. I wonder if he had the response ready to go.

 

[uknowimright]

Phil just comes off as an unpleasant human being

 

[BootsWalking]

It takes courage to recommend that customers pay an extra $49 to regain the functionality that was lost from the previous generation device.

 

[djsukebe]

Upselling at its best - Phil for President.

It's a work-around NOT a solution.

Just like the external CD/DVD drive everyone uses on their new MacBook/MacBook pros

 

[krause734]

I will just use the built in speakers. Never use headphones anymore except the occasional airplane ride.

 

[cardfan]

So let me get this straight - we now have to carry around an adaptor AND a dock with us, just in case we might want to charge and listen to our iPhone at the same time. What about in car use?

Just get the belkin adapter for car. This isn't a big deal.

 

[Oblivious.Robot]

I've never tried to listen to music while my iPhone is charging, never thought that was so common up until now of course.

Honestly, I personally prefer to keep my iPhone out of hands and out of use while it's charging.
Thought that was the best way to keep the wires from breaking and prevent overheating.

Edit - I cannot think of the restrictiveness knowing that the iPhone is connected to the charger on a wall/port somewhere and having earphones on, it'd require one to just sit around relentlessly and not even move the head too much.

But everyone certainly does have their own preferences so perhaps the future iPhones aren't for those? I mean if it ain't working for you, its best to switch to another no? If not then the alternatives are adapters or embracing the wireless sets and not just the AirPods but others too.

 

[LordQ]

Lucky me I can't imagine an scenario where I would need to charge the phone and listen to music with headphones at the same time.

EDIT: Don't bring up the trips and flights argument—you should be responsible enough to bring your phone at 100% to the trip. Plus, the phone lasts at least 2 more hours than the 6s and since you can't use mobile or wifi while in a plane, you don't have that much to do but enjoy 40 hours of music AND low power mode eventually.

 

[rolsskk]

Gotta love it. What's next, rebranding the lightning dock as the new 3.5mm adapter??

 

[RedOrchestra]

Just get the belkin adapter for car. This isn't a big deal.

Is that the one that bolts onto the roof of your car?

 

[Hexiii]

I just had an image of Phil Shiller dancing around the house with the Apple AirPods...

 

[cale508]

For them (Apple) $40-$50 is pocket change.

 

[bladerunner2000]

Must have taken a lot of courage to respond to that question....