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

[iSee]

Some people plug their phone into their car stereo and charge it at the same time. Or into a home stereo and charge. Or on an airplane and into a power bank. You ever think about that genius?! Bluetooth connection is not as clear. Its not even close. The point is, now you have to buy more dongles and adapters. This "screw the customer, we want more money" attitude is the real and only reason they removed the hp jack. Go ahead and make excuses for them though. Apple loves its brainwashed customers.

> Youever think about that genius?!

Yes, which is why I mentioned a pass through adapter. Notice that these cases can get *better* with an adapter that you can leave in-place since you only need to plug one cord into your phone each time you hook it up, not two.

Also, you can't seriously claim audio quality concerns in cars and airplanes, come on.

It's not like you aren't getting anything in exchange for the minor use cases that are impacted a little: battery life, water resistance, stereo speakers.

Do you have to be brainwashed to like getting a lot in exchange for a little?

Personally, I haven't used the audio jack on my phone in years yet somehow I manage.

 

[cradavis]

Courage? I think they meant "arrogance."

 

[Michael Scrip]

No, you are comparing apples to oranges. Just stop.

If you want to talk a subsidized rate vs a non-subsidized rate you have to compare recent/similar plans. Posting plans from years ago is completely irrelevant and only proves your own point of services not reducing as technology ages/improves as completely wrong.

The point of showing older plans was to show how much things have changed.

Back then... you paid your bill... and you had no idea how much of it was for the phone and how much was for the service. And people were hypnotized by the $199 price of the iPhone.

Now... you see exactly how much per month the phone costs... and how much per month the service costs. And it's even easier to understand since there aren't various minute plans and text plans anymore. Your bill is simply based on how much data you want and which phone you want. Voice and texts are included. Everybody gets them.

Look... maybe you can explain how subsidized rate vs a non-subsidized rate works.

I've seen more than one person here say that subsidies were a crock and that it was simply a loan. Why don't you go fix them.

I was simply sharing information that I thought to be correct.... but I'm more than happy to be wrong and get accurate information from you.

This topic seems to bubble up more and more lately ever since contracts and subsidies went away. Teach us.

 

[HarryWild]

I just hope Apple comes up with a black lightning to 3.5mm dongle since all my headphones cords with the exception the Apple earbuds are black! I know they will charge for it but hopefully they keep the cost under $20.

 

[Geckotek]

The point of showing older plans was to show how much things have changed.

Back then... you paid your bill... and you had no idea how much of it was for the phone and how much was for the service.

Now... you see exactly how much per month the phone costs... and how much the service costs. And it's even easier to understand since there aren't various minute plans and text plans anymore. Your bill is simply based on how much data you want and which phone you want. Voice and texts are included. Everybody gets them.

Look... maybe you can explain how subsidized rate vs a non-subsidized rate works.

I've seen more than one person here say that subsidies were a crock and that it was simply a loan. Why don't you go fix them.

I was simply sharing what I thought to be correct.... but I'm more than happy to be wrong and get accurate information from you.

This topic seems to bubble up more and more lately. Teach us.

I get all of that. I've long been a proponent of getting rid of the subsidies. But here is an extremely simplified formula using fake numbers to describe why people are pissed off:

2014 - I pay $199 for the smallest storage iPhone 6
Monthly service on Carrier is say $100/mo
2016 - new iPhone 7 now costs me $649 for the smallest storage iPhone 7 (they may finance it for free, but this aspect is irrelevant to the math)
Carrier is still charging me the same $100/mo without offering me a reduced plan or reduced cost on an iPhone.

My 2 year cost has now increased by $400, the difference in the subsidized price in 2014 vs the unsibsidized price in 2016.

Now, IF you carrier offers your exact same plan with the same data and features for a $16/mo discount, then perhaps you have nothing to complain about. But it seems that many people don't have this option. I myself will be following up with Verizon, but last time I checked there was no cheaper option for me.

 

[Oridus]

Go figure the time I finally decide to go with a plus they raise the price another $20.

If you can't cover $20, don't buy an iPhone at all.

 

[mguzzi]

No, you are comparing apples to oranges. Just stop.

If you want to talk a subsidized rate vs a non-subsidized rate you have to compare recent/similar plans. Posting plans from years ago is completely irrelevant and only proves your own point of services not reducing as technology ages/improves as completely wrong.

Back in 2008, 2009 it was cheaper. It may have even been cheaper in 2010 but as customers stopped using cell phone minutes and paying for text messaging the carriers had to find another way to make money. If you kept or had one of the original unlimited data smart phone plans where you could upgrade every two years and add a line those really didn't have a subside that amounted to anything close to the actual cost of the phone.

 

[aldrinjtauro]

Will be looking into the upgrade plan that is now in the UK.

Is it a good deal for anyone who is currently on it?

I mean, it isn't really a "deal", it's pretty much a 24 month no-interest loan on the device plus AppleCare+ where you can trade the device in after having paid 12 months' payment and owned the device for 6 months. The trade-in negates the value of the contract and you can then re-apply for the plan on the next device.

 

[jujufreeze]

-No headphone jack
-Disgusting adapter
-Lightning-only, no USB C
-Horribly designed $159 Airpods with 5 hour battery

Welp. after 6s+ dies time to switch brands.

 

[ben.boyd437]

I've only missed 3 upgrades in the past (3GS, 5 & 6S). This year will be the first time I've skipped two upgrades, staying with the 6.

waiting for the 8
wait, will there be a 7S??

 

[Oridus]

-No headphone jack
-Disgusting adapter
-Lightning-only, no USB C
-Horribly designed $159 Airpods with 5 hours battery life.

Welp. Its been good fam; after 6s+ dies time to switch brands.

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Adapter is only for people who wish to still use AUX... which is a declining amount of people. Eventually it'll be a thing of the past, with the availability and cost of bluetooth headsets and vehicle systems.

Lightning only = no problems since the iPhone 5. USB C still is limited in mobile space anyway. Not like it's the industry standard by any means.

Airpods, while i'll agree that they looked kind of strange, the battery is actually 24 hours. It only takes 15 minutes to give it a 3 hour charge, and with the battery case having a battery backup, and that said 15 hour charge, it doesn't take a lot to get the full 24 hours out of it. Battery life is constant usage too. If you can't spare 15 mins to get 3 hours of usage, maybe small mobile tech isn't for you. I don't know what you're expecting out of something that freaking tiny..


P.S. We're not fam.

 

[maxsix]

Agreed. iPhone's short battery life makes plugging in to power & headphones at the same time a must for any long term listening. I expect a big market for dongles, docks & cases that let you listen & charge at the same time.

Quite right.

Sometimes I wonder if Apple's in bed with the vast network of iPhone accessories makers...

 

[Oridus]

Agreed. iPhone's short battery life makes plugging in to power & headphones at the same time a must for any long term listening. I expect a big market for dongles, docks & cases that let you listen & charge at the same time.

Not for everyone. I haven't used the 3.5mm port for 4 years. I've used bluetooth in that entire lapse of time. Meaning I've always been able to charge while listening, without the existence of the port. With everything becoming wireless, I view this to be a temporary setback for most. After a few years people will forget about the 3.5mm jack and life will all be well.

 

[mguzzi]

You're definitely the exception these days. It will probably be your last and you'll be doing the full price or installments when you upgrade to the 8s in two years.

You are very lucky. Take advantage and get the best phone that you can afford. That way you will get the most future resale value and the most for your money. Enjoy !!!!!!

 

[maxsix]

Having to use a dongle makes the experience worse. Beyond being just plain awkward, I have to buy extra dongles or carry my dongle with me at all times so I can use any of the headphones I already own or anyone else's headphones. Requiring a dongle to be able to use the billions of headphones already in the world is the opposite of the "it just works" philosophy that used to be the hallmark of Apple design. Apple backtracked on the recessed headphone jack of the original iPhone. Hopefully they will come to their senses. More likely, this will contribute to Apple's decline. Best case, we end up with a new fragmented category of consumer electronics device.

Very True.

If Samsung required a dongle the haters would be out in full force. It'd be front page news on the forum. Yes indeed.

 

[jujufreeze]

Adapter is only for people who wish to still use AUX...

Disgusting.


USB C will soon be the industry standard.



"The AirPods will also feature industry-leading battery life of 5 hours with only one charge."

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

Nice I like it.

 

[Oridus]

Having to use a dongle makes the experience worse. Beyond being just plain awkward, I have to buy extra dongles or carry my dongle with me at all times so I can use any of the headphones I already own or anyone else's headphones. Requiring a dongle to be able to use the billions of headphones already in the world is the opposite of the "it just works" philosophy that used to be the hallmark of Apple design. Apple backtracked on the recessed headphone jack of the original iPhone. Hopefully they will come to their senses. More likely, this will contribute to Apple's decline. Best case, we end up with a new fragmented category of consumer electronics device.

Lucky for us, we don't HAVE to use the dongle. I've not used the headphone jack for 4 years. I've used bluetooth. It's a way of the times. It's the passing of the torch. Just like MicroUSB is on it's way out, and just like the iPhone 16 pin port left us with the iPhone 5, the 3.5mm jack will too be a thing of the past. Give it a few years.

 

[flat five]

Yes it does.

You still pay one monthly fee to your carrier.

Some of that is for the phone... somewhere between $27 and $40 a month depending on the model.

mine is $21.88/month

(through sprint.. i made a $225 down payment when i got the phone so it's $525 over 24months)

but you're right.. that $21 is simply added to my bill which is ~$100/month.. if i paid in full at time of purchase, my bill would be ~$80/month).. i don't pay a bill for my service then another bill for my phone.. it's all one thing.

in other words, from a user standpoint at least, it's exactly the same as in the past with the companies 'subsidizing' phones in which you pay some up front then spread the rest out over the contract..

that said, i think a lot of people used to think they were getting their iPhone for $200 since they signed a 2year contract.. they didn't realize they were actually paying the full price of the phone via monthly payments..
the way it's set up now, it makes the user much more aware of the fact that if they buy an $800 iPhone, they're certainly going to pay all 800 of those dollars for the thing.

 

[Oridus]

Disgusting.


USB C will soon be the industry standard.



"The AirPods will also feature industry-leading battery life of 5 hours with only one charge."

USB-C replaces microUSB. Industry standard is fine, but since when has Apple used the industry standard charging port. People who own iPhones have never used the industry standard. Why should it be any different now?

 

[Rigby]

2014 - I pay $199 for the smallest storage iPhone 6
Monthly service on Carrier is say $100/mo
2016 - new iPhone 7 now costs me $649 for the smallest storage iPhone 7 (they may finance it for free, but this aspect is irrelevant to the math)
Carrier is still charging me the same $100/mo without offering me a reduced plan or reduced cost on an iPhone.

You do get a reduced price if you pay in full or finance the phone rather then taking a traditional 2-year contract with a "subsidized" phone. For example, on AT&T the access fee on a 2-year contract is $40/month, but only $20 if you pay or finance the phone. As someone wrote earlier, the "subsidy" was nothing but a loan where the payments were baked into your monthly rate.

 

[maxsix]

Love the seamless design. It may not look that much different from the 6/6s, but when you look closer it's just stunning.

Yes it's nice for what it is.

But it's just not enough compared to my stable, reliable iPhone 6S Plus.

I have no desire to upgrade for just one year when all indications suggest the real upgrade and fresh design will be just twelve months out. Devotees argue that one can sell their current iPhone to offset the difference. But that still takes time, is inconvenient and I'm truly not interested in the 7 anyway.

Time will tell and I'm a patient waiter.

 

[flat five]

Cell service has absolutely gotten cheaper over time. I don't understand how you don't get this.

i sort of feel like my phone bill has been about the same for the past 15 years or so.. around $100
(ugh, when saying it like that, i see it's about $18,000 )

that said, i'm getting a lot more for that $100 than previously.. much better devices are being used then
unlimited talk/text/data + 5GB 4GLTE hotspot w/ unlimited 2G tethering after.. for $60
then taxes and phone for ~$100 total.

but if i tried to get similar last year, it would be costing me a lot more.
so, for me at least, same cost but more functionality (in certain instances, a lot more functionality)

---
(i don't disagree with you btw.. i feel i'm saying similar as you just in a different way)

 

[Geckotek]

You do get a reduced price if you pay in full or finance the phone rather then taking a traditional 2-year contract with a "subsidized" phone. For example, on AT&T the access fee on a 2-year contract is $40/month, but only $20 if you pay or finance the phone. As someone wrote earlier, the "subsidy" was nothing but a loan where the payments were baked into your monthly rate.

As I said earlier, if that's the case, then there is no real reason for complaint. However, it appears new activations don't have this option on Verizon. Luckily, as an existing customer, I'll be able to take advantage of the 2 year subsidized price again.

 

[Oridus]

Yes it's nice for what it is.

But it's just not enough compared to my stable, reliable iPhone 6S Plus.

I have no desire to upgrade for just one year when all indications suggest the real upgrade and fresh design will be just twelve months out. Devotees argue that one can sell their current iPhone to offset the difference. But that still takes time, is inconvenient and I'm truly not interested in the 7 anyway.

Time will tell and I'm a patient waiter.

What do you consider a "real upgrade". Outside of the design, this is on par for upgrades internally from an S series iPhone to a full series iphone. They simply didn't change the design all that much.