Plus the iPhone 3G an new Touch were in development at the same time and they must have thought about compatibility. If there isn't a good technical reason why they couldn't make them compatible I'd guess that they will be. They wouldn't cock up that much, would they?
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Apple In-Ear Headphones NOT compatible with Iphone?
- Thread starter barkomatic
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So the engineers who work on the iPod touch do not talk to the iPhone engineers and say "Hey we have a new set of headphones which we are developing with the new iPod, but it requires set hardware, do you want the same thing?"
Now do you think the iPhone engineers would say
A: Yes
B: No
These specifications will have been set out at least 6 - 9 months ago, if not longer.
I am almost certain that it is a software fix and should (sorry better) be launched with 2.1.
THEY WILL BE COMPATIBLE! Look at the headphone jack during the keynote and you'll see that it's a 4-conductor 3.5mm jack, which is the same jack used on the current (non-volume control) iphone headphones. I WIN 
THEY WILL BE COMPATIBLE! Look at the headphone jack during the keynote and you'll see that it's a 4-conductor 3.5mm jack, which is the same jack used on the current (non-volume control) iphone headphones. I WIN
Then why aren't they listed on the product page? I really hope your right thou!
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MA850?mco=MTcyODA3Mw
"*Compatibility Information
The remote and mic are supported only by iPod nano (4th generation), iPod classic (120GB), and iPod touch (2nd generation). Audio is supported by all iPod models."
'tis odd. No mention of iPhones at all, unless you'd call an iPhone an 'iPod model' (Apple doesn't on those store pages).
My guess: phones are fine, web page is crap
So all the connectors have the built-in capability to receive signals for volume control? If that is the case, why did Apple sell the Apple Remote for the older iPods, which you had to plug in to the dock connector instead of the headphone jack? I am not being sarcastic. I'm just curious.
For the 2nd and 3rd generation iPods, a remote control protocol was available through a non-industry-standard 4th ring on the headphone jack.
For the iPod Photo, iPod 5G, and most generations of the iPod Nano, the non-standard 4th ring on the headphone jack was re-purposed for use as a composite video output. (Maybe more models too? I don't have the specs.) This broke compatibility with anybody's existing previous-generation remotes. Newer remotes had to connect with these iPods through the dock connector.
With the iPhone, the 4th ring of the non-standard headphone jack was re-purposed once again, to act as a mic input. It also serves double-duty to act again as a rudimentary form of remote control input, but clearly not the same kind of remote control that existed in the 2nd and 3rd generation iPods.
With the 2nd generation iPod Touch, the 2nd generation iPod Classic, and the 4th generation iPod Nano, the non-stanard 4th ring is also used as a double-duty mic input and rudimentary remote control input. It appears that the remote control protocol has been augmented to include some extra actions that hadn't been possible (so far) on the iPhone.
Well, the first ipod remote *did* plug into the headphone socket (this was before the dock connector was invented!) Although if memory serves me, it also plugged into the firewire socket (yes, iPods used to have an actual, full sized firewire 400 socket on the top).
The more recent iPod remote has an FM radio built in too, and I would assume this functionality involves several of the dock connector pins (that's how you can tune in the radio from the ipod's clickwheel)
If what you're saying is true, then it's as simple as a software upgrade for the iPhone to get these new in ear headphones to be fully functional.
It's conceivable. It's also possible that they are too different on a hardware level. I haven't seen any protocol specs about how the mic/remote pin actually works on the iPhone versus on the 2nd generation iPod Touch, so it would be irresponsible of me to speculate on whether or not it is software-upgradable.
As posted in this thread:
New Apple Headphones
I had an online 'chat' with and AppleStore 'expert' and was told these new headphones are NOT compatible with the iPhone...
I hope they are wrong, but it isn't looking good
New Apple Headphones
I had an online 'chat' with and AppleStore 'expert' and was told these new headphones are NOT compatible with the iPhone...
I hope they are wrong, but it isn't looking good
As posted in this thread:
New Apple Headphones
I had an online 'chat' with and AppleStore 'expert' and was told these new headphones are NOT compatible with the iPhone...
I hope they are wrong, but it isn't looking good
Wow, go figure...
As posted in this thread:
New Apple Headphones
I had an online 'chat' with and AppleStore 'expert' and was told these new headphones are NOT compatible with the iPhone...
I hope they are wrong, but it isn't looking good
Again, please define what you mean by "compatible".
Do you really think that if you plug in these headphones into the iPhone, you will get no sound? Really???
This sounds like the same AppleStore expert that told me my older dock wouldn't charge my 3G phone, when it does perfectly well.
"If" is just an "if." I did not say the new headphone's volume control would be incompatible with iPhones because yada yada... I was just speculating that if the incompatibility is there, then hardware incompatibility would be a legitimate reason for it.
I, like you, hope that the new headphone will be compatible with the iPhone.
I'm just quoting what the AppleStore 'expert' told me:
I really do hope they have either:
a) got it wrong; or,
b) Apple is simply saying these are 'not compatible' to stop people who buy them for their iPhone complaining that the remote volume function does not work, even if the audio, mic and pause buttons DO work.
But then again, the function of the 'fourth' connector on Apple's 4-way 3.5mm plugs has changed several times (see earlier posts), so it might be that there are hardware compatibility issues between the iPhone and the new iPods which means the mic and pause button function on the new headphones won't work on the iPhone.
I do agree that it would be very surprising the audio doesn't work at all on the iPhone, and I'm sure that audio will work with the new headphones with an adapter that commons the 3rd and 4th connectors (such as the third-party adapters that let you use standard 3.5mm plugs with the 1st gen iPhone).
I guess we will have to wait until the new headphones appear in the stores to find out...
They'll support audio + the next track function. No volume controls or previous track options. This is confirmed. ArsTechn
I would hardly say it's confirmed. Some random Apple employee saying that he *thinks* everything but volume will work is not enough proof.
We'll have to wait until Apple responds officially about this, if 2.1 on Friday makes any difference, but most likely we'll have to wait until the headphones are released in October and someone tests them out.
I'm really hoping they work, or it's back to v-moda or ultimate ears.