Apple Unveils iPhone 7 With Water Resistance, A10 Fusion, New 'Jet Black' Color, Updated Cameras, No Headphone Jack, and More

[Sasparilla]

The unlocked version usually turns up around Christmas.

Last year it was in October if I remember right.

Like the extra battery life and the other updates. Will be getting one. Sales for Apple will be just fine...JMHO...

 

[McScooby]

Apple Airpods aka iPod Hi-Fi 2.0.

They're not that good, I've got 2 1.0, would never sell 'em!

 

[Nuvi]

Love that Jet Black iPhone design but thats as far as is goes. Removal of 3.5 mm jack was idiotic move at best. Humans listen to analog music so that analog connector was there for a reason. Moving the DAC outside the case is just inconvenient move for many and most likely requires some extra spending if you want high quality external DAC. Anyway, if Apple had USB-C instead of lighting then one could have seen this merge as new standard way of connecting wired headphones but since all of the Android manufacturers are going with USB-C then Apple is left alone with their proprietary lighting connector. The worst part is that Android has over 80% market share and when one includes computers with USB-C then you end up with massive economics of scale benefits for USB-C camp.

 

[boraxatude]

That's not huge. It's tiny actually, because you're talking about connecting your head to a wall for extended periods of time. How often do you think people will really want to do this?

You're buying an expensive mobile device (with the best battery life yet for an iPhone) but, oh no, you don't want to spend a few bucks on wireless headphones to avoid routinely connecting your head to a wall???

Also, if that's really what you want to do, you'll be able to buy a pass-through adapter that will allow you to charge and listen to wired headphones at the same time.

This has to be the worst argument for keeping the old headphone jack.

In Los Angeles, people are in their cars for better part of the day. Ever try using a map app and listening to music through your phone without charging while stuck in traffic for 1 - 1 1/2 hours?

 

[mandrake2016]

Oh CNN

 

[chiefsilverback]

I think you are thinking of another plan. My plan will not be decreasing after the contract ends....this is the same with all of the older subsidized rates.

My point is that the amount you pay each month on an 'old plan' likely includes a 1/24 or 1/18 cost of the phone itself and if you switched to a new plan you'd see your monthly cost drop, but you would have to purchase a phone. At the end of the day most people are in the same net position because they're paying less each month for their service but they now incur a distinct monthly hardware cost.

The only thing I was correcting is that the carriers have never subsided the phones. That's what they wanted you to believe, but they don't make money by taking a $500 hit on every phone they hand out!!!

 

[yesjam]

This may fall on deaf ears, but I was in the Apple Store the other day when it hit me that "the cult of Apple" and the "walled garden" really stifles my own freedom to use my tech how I want to use it. Frankly, I cannot really think of any disadvantages to harmonizing my use of Apple computers with Android mobile devices. And the ability to get away from an ecosystem that monopolizes all my tech and all of my data is frankly worth the switch.

I'm so looking forward to saying goodbye to the iPhone after 6 years.

 

[Geckotek]

So not true when the 3GS was launched the price of the phone was not built into the contract and you did not get a discount after two years and you could turn around and sell your phone and essentially get a free upgrade after two years.

Wrong. I had a 3Gs and it was subsidized.

 

[Michael Scrip]

But I'm a bit annoyed at the fact that the 7 Plus gets a significantly improved camera over the 7 -- I much prefer the smaller form factor, but I also want the better camera.

Does the 7 Plus camera have anything extra besides the 2X optical zoom with the 2nd camera?

When Phil started talking about the major camera improvements... he was talking about the regular 7 camera.

You might not get the "fauxkeh" blurred background effect... but the regular 7 camera will have everything else: great sensor, better lenses, better ISP, OIS, etc.

 

[jacobj]

It had to happen sometime. I'd say courage is accurate.

This is not a step forward: audio through the lightning connector has always been possible. This is not retiring a redundant interface (e.g. floppy & DVD) as we still need to get audio off the devices and even Apple isn't offering bluetooth headphones as the default. So the default is actually a new proprietary system that blocks charging at happening concurrently.

All prior decisions to retire were because the industry offered a better current and open platform:

Floppy >> DVD
DVD >> Wireless

Apple are taking backward steps at the moment:

USB C loses the magsafe charger
Lightning audio is losing the option to charge and is proprietary

This doesn't work.

 

[TheNewToMacGuy]

I guess it's time to upgrade from my 4S.....

Do yourself a favor, please upgrade. Same goes to me.

 

[Nicksd84]

So this confirms there is no good reason that Apple excluded OIS in the 6 and 6S

 

[Larry-K]

That's not actually true. 3.5mm headphone jack is analogue, so it has to covert the digital recording into analogue which means quality loss in the sound. Lighting is fully digital. So it will be better quality.

How dense are you people? You can't hear a digital signal!

Stick a lightning jack in your ear, and let me know what it sounds like.

 

[enigma21182]

[iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are also available through the iPhone Upgrade Program, starting at $27/month and $32/month in the United States respectively
​

Is that right? Apple site says 7 32GB $32.41/mo.

 

[Sampple]

What is the problem?

They are providing you an adapter free of charge. And they're moving into the fully digital world.

To me it sounds like a win-win.

I run every morning with sony's Z5 in-ear earphones, which are made in Japan and while pricey are incredible and I don't want to have an extra adapter bouncing around ... Must pass.

 

[DoctorDoctor]

Maybe he's an American?

In the USA, about half the population between 18 and 65 years old is unemployed and have no prospect for attaining full time employment in their lifetime.

Surely you are kidding or are you just that ignorant. US doesn't have 50% unemployment. And the jobs available are crazy. Check out any job web site in the US. No prospect for attaining full time employment in their lifetime....most ignorant comment EVER.

 

[lazard]

How dense are you people? You can't hear a digital signal!

Stick a lightning jack in your ear, and let me know what it sounds like.

the dude could be a robot...you never know.

 

[rnizlek]

Does anyone know if any thunderbolt headphones have a power passthrough port? If you're low on battery power, how will you power your phone & listen to wired headphones? While I can get BT headphones, but what if they need to be charged as well?

I'm not sure about lightning headphones, but this will indeed be possible. Apple is offering a dock on their site that allows simultaneous charging and playback, eliminating my largest fear. If it can be done with a dock, it can be done with some sort of an 3.5mm + charge cable, we just need to wait for a vendor to come up with one. Although the dock will work for my purposes.

 

[Rychiar]

jet black sure is sexy... til it all scratches off... FAIL. The last case i bought had an option of glossy black and i decided on matte gray instead for that reason... oddly the matte gray scratched off and it was glossy black underneath. I'm still shocked by that lol

 

[ph001bi]

or they just release devices with a port which takes both USB-C and lightening plugs. Just like e-Sata/USB on Dell laptops.

 

[RedOrchestra]

SO, can I use the "new" Lightening Ear Pods with my iPad ?

 

[hojx]

Why did removing the analog jack need to be done?

Replacing it with a dongle is just plain bad design and removes the ability to listen via wired headphones and charge at the same time.

I understand why they'd do it in terms of profits - licensing fees to non-beats headphone makers, car stereo makers and home stereo makers, sales of dongles that will invariably get lost, and lots of sales for their new line of Beats Lightning headphones, but it's a really big step back in the user experience for a lot of people.

Did you just create a new forum account for the sole purpose of criticising the removal of the 3.5mm jack?

 

[RossMak]

It's a good deal if you like paying over-the-odds for an iPhone and supporting Apple's planned obsolescence. After all, if they're offering a plan whereby they replace your phone each year, they need a phone that you want to 'upgrade' to.

So that's a yes?

 

[morcutt11]

No headphone jack, no thanks.

Courage, please.

Awesome - more for the rest of us.

 

[boraxatude]

What car do you have? I'm sure there will be dongles that allow a lightning connector and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

It's a 2006 mazda. And you're right, I just found a bluetooth kit that supposedly works with the stereo - $140 plus labor to install.