Belkin's $40 Lightning Adapter Lets You Listen to Music and Charge Your iPhone 7 at the Same Time

[CarlJ]

Has anyone coined the term 'adapter-gate' yet? lol

Nope, and nobody needs to. In the long term, this is a good move bynApple. In the short term, there are some rough edges,mane some folks will be inconvenienced (including me). There is no wrongdoing or scandal here. "___-gate" refers back to an illegal break-in and ensuing conspiracy that brought down a government - what parallel do you see here? The term is hopelessly overused by people these days.

 

[jwdsail]

Almost... but actually not at all what people will want.

I think people want:

Lightning male ===== Lightning female and 3.5mm female. (for charging and listening at the same time at home)
Lightning male ===== USB male and 3.5mm male. (for changing and listening at the same time in the car)

Collect them all, for the insanely great price of $40/ea. ;-)
[doublepost=1473397722][/doublepost]

It will work just fine for the target use case. The vast majority of people, despite the whiners out there, don't sit there with a phone plugged in and headphones on.

How many users have you actually talked to to make this "majority" claim? Nearly every customer call (I always get a flood of curious calls from customers wanting info after Apple announcements) I've fielded since the announcement specifically mention listening and charging (in bed, on the plane, in airline lounge) at the same time, as a concern.. These aren't internet trolls or Apple haters, these also aren't luddites that can barely turn the phone on in the first place. These are long-time Mac and iOS users who do what you claim the majority do not..

(Several also were unhappy to find that the dual camera is only available in the phablet 7 Plus, and that the rumored 4k60fps didn't arrive at all.)

It's great that you, and many others here, don't see this as an issue. Congratulations. You're lucky that the new phone will suit your needs without kludgy adaptors that add additional costs to duplicate built-in functions of previous iPhones that others do actually find necessary.

For me, the lack of the aux jack is a deal breaker when the two items listed above are also missing from the 7. If the dual-camera were available in the 7, and Apple had managed to add 4k60fps recording, I'd likely be tempted to deal with the inconvenience and added costs that would be required to allow the 7 to walk and chew gum (charge and listen to music) at the same time. For now, I'm happy with my 2 year old iPhone 6, and will hope that by next year the adaptors will come down in cost and that the 7s will add the camera features I want w/o the phablet size I don't.

apple.com/feedback

 

[SeaFox]

It's a good thing this adapter came out from Belkin.

Now iPhone 7 users can spend $40 because Apple was too cheap to spend a couple dollars building a second lightning port into the phone to start with.

If only there had been someplace on the exterior of the device they could have fit this interface in...

 

[truthertech]

It's a good thing this adapter came out from Belkin.

Now iPhone 7 users can spend $40 because Apple was too cheap to spend a couple dollars building a second lightning port into the phone to start with.

If only there had been someplace on the exterior of the device they could have fit this interface in...

Sorry Seafox, you need some sleep. When you get some rest take a gander at your post and use the edit button as necessary. Good night

In terms of the Lightning vs 3.5mm conversation, whilst I don't think Apple have necessarily made the wrong decision I think that maybe they have screwed up the roll out, and their secrecy hurts them. If as they announced the iPhone 7 they had said "and by the way, the next round of Macs will all include a Lightning port so you can use your expensive new headphone across all your devices" then it might have made people more comfortable.

It's strange that they didn't update the Lightning dock to include a second Lightning port to enable charging and listening!

Actually going back to my point above, if you think these solutions are a mess, what is the solution for an adapter that allows you to use headphones with a lightning connector with a 'legacy' device that doesn't have Lightning? Some kind analogue to digital converter that also has a power supply built in?

Slightly off topic, but what strikes me most about this thread is the number of people making comments to the effect of "surely everyone has a car with a USB port or bluetooth". No they don't. In fact I bet the vast majority of iPhone owners don't have cars with either of those options. Our main car is a 6 year old Subaru and it has neither. I'm hoping to get at least another 6 years out of the car! There was a similar attitude in the comments about the wireless backup camera license plate frame thing a few weeks ago. "Surely anyone who can afford a $500 accessory already has a car with a backup camera!" or conversely "if you don't have a car with a backup camera then you probably can't afford this product!". Given the average new car payment in the US now is in excess of $400/month, the folks who drive 5+ year old cars that are paid off probably are the ones most likely to have $500 to spend on a one-time accessory...

90% of all cars sold today have BT.

 

[DDriver]

You do realize that it's 2016 now, right? Why not just complain because Apple doesn't give you a free adapter to work on 8-track?

Also, sorry, but if you don't have a car newer than one from 2007, then perhaps spending $650+ on a brand new iPhone 7 shouldn't be your priority right now.

Rocking 2011 Mini Cooper S. Owners of BWM/Minis need to use clunky OEM Y-cable (30-pin and 3.5) that connects your ipod/iphone to a car. Looks like this https://www.amazon.com/Goliton®-Connect-ADAPTER-61120440796-61120440812/dp/B003P6DGMK

So with iphone 7 I'll need to connect Belkin adapter to the phone, then lightning-3.5mm and lightning-30pin plug into it, then attach that BMW/Mini Y-cable, and then finally plug it into the car. Thanks German Engineering and California elegancy

 

[username:]

Different use cases for different people. I frequently charge and listen while walking, using an external battery in a small runner's pouch on my belt (not much of a hassle at all - I solved that problem early on). I often take long walks at night, after a day of using my phone (thus, frequently starting out with the battery quite low), listening to audiobooks or podcasts, or music, and sometimes playing Ingress (Pokémon Go's predecessor), which eats battery. So, always listening, and frequently charging, and yes, this adapter wouldn't be the end of the world, but it'd be a hassle - currently, I have two light, well-connected, wires hanging from my phone, to charge and listen; with this adapter, I'd have a fiddly bit dangling in between (and putting somewhat more physical strain on the Lightning connection). When I eventually upgrade to an iPhone 7 or 8, I'll probably end up switching to wireless headphones, giving up my Etymotics earphones with custom-molded earpieces (not quite audiophile class, but quite good). Don't assume your use case is everyone else's, or even the most prevalent.

I can tell you you're definitely is not the most prevalent
[doublepost=1473398994][/doublepost]

I will assume the joke was lost on you. Just to listen to your phone you will need about 50 feet of dongles.

And how does that negatively effect your ability to lie in bed listening to music

 

[deany]

No it is not. I was given some very high-end wireless headphones. They currently live in a drawer somewhere unused because I have to charge them. My Shure wired headphones go everywhere with me, and I have a pair of wired headphones permanently attached to my Mac desktop. Sorry but I don't want another thing to charge up, and a lot of people feel the same way. the future is not wireless! And as for adaptors... bend over and I'll show you where it goes!

I still feel the future is wireless everything - but not for me I'll always have a pair of Koss PortaPros nearby ad infinitum

 

[offshoreyachty]

Hopefully ones with a headphone jack coming soon.

A little 'slice', that plugs snugly into the phone, lightning on one side, lightning on the bottom and 3.5 on the other side. That way it can still sit in a dock (although I have never owned such a device)

 

[lazyrighteye]

I don't like Bluetooth for phone calls.
With BT, everyone in my vehicle, and people outside of my car, can hear my conversation. I cannot understand the conversation as well over BT when compared to the earbuds, not to mention the annoying echo. When I am going topless, there is too much noise for Bluetooth.

Wait - you drive around topless?

 

[FoxMcCloud]

Meh. My car stereo is Bluetooth as are my headphones. So removal of headphone jack will mean jack to me.

 

[SeaFox]

Wait - you drive around topless?

With all the honking and shouting from other motorists, I can see why vertical smile can't hear the person they are talking to on bluetooth speakerphone.

 

[Sakurambo-kun]

This phone doesn't require any dongles either. (Except for charging, just like your current phone.) Your headphones don't have to even be connected to the phone.

The dongle problem is only a problem when you try to use antiquated tech with the new iPhone.

Antiquated tech? You mean the gold standard in audio, as used by virtually every pair of headphones on the planet? A universal, open, free standard that works on pretty much every device which outputs audio (except the iPhone now), and one with uncompressed, unrivalled audio quality. Do you really think it's a good idea to take already compressed MP3 audio and compress it again to broadcast it to bluetooth headphones? That will do wonders for audio fidelity. Some of us still think quality matters.

Apple's reckless and pig headed move will condemn countless millions of pairs of headphones to an early grave in landfills around the world. It's stupid to a degree never before seen in tech, and environmentally imbecilic. After Apple finish trumpeting how their products are free from various chemicals I hope they then show how many pairs of headphones have now gone to waste because of them.

This will go down as one of, if not Apple's biggest mistake. It will make antennagate look utterly trivial.
[doublepost=1473405761][/doublepost]

Meh. My car stereo is Bluetooth as are my headphones. So removal of headphone jack will mean jack to me.

Well good for you.

The vast majority of people are not in your situation though.

 

[shaunp]

No, the whining few would have railed that Apple had horribly disrupted their lives by making them buy new cases and despite what Apple said, it was all just a plot by Apple to sell people new cases. BTW, the Lightning equipped headphones will work just fine with your iPad and soon the new MacBooks and iMacs

Dude, it's not whining, it's a valid point - apple have ****ed this up.

 

[bayxsonic]

People need to calm down about the audio jack removal. I mean, who is really crazy... the one who removed an ancient connector from their modern pocket computer, or the one who bought analog headphones for $350 now screaming and shoking... jeez.

You been told this already, but I want to reiterate.

Drink less appleaid and go read how speakers work. Your ear is not digital, so something somewhere is still converting digital to analog. Apple just decided to move that converter to the headphones.

 

[recoil80]

Hopefully ones with a headphone jack coming soon.

This.
Why would I buy such a thing to use an adapter plugged into another adapter?

 

[Shirasaki]

21 pages of posts. Well, I already know how fierce the discussion would be as I am the one who will be affected by this change.

Again, wireless is NOT the future. And wife will never go away, as either could not replace the other.

I would welcome a much smaller dongle if I really need one. This one is not what I want.

Oh, if someone can receive digital signal using their own body then please enlighten all of us as we are not capable to do so yet.

 

[CFreymarc]

Yes, I do. I do not see the appeal of push button start. There are many problems with it.

You don't get it

 

[Shirasaki]

Didn't you listen to Phil, that is 100 year old technology.

Age of technology does not warrant its obsolescence. And nothing is wrong with this headphone jack.

 

[Mildredop]

[doublepost=1473416476][/doublepost]

Super convenient!

/s

Great, buy an adapter so we can use an adapter with the adapter (3.5mm to lighting for us with "regular" headphones)

Good, now I can jump rope down the street.

Oh great!

A bulky adapter for something that was not needed for the past iPhones.

What innovations can Apple think of next?

The Apple EcoSystem -- Land of 1000 adapters.

Answer: Don't buy an iPhone.

 

[Juicy Box]

Wait - you drive around topless?

If the weather is right.

 

[Shirasaki]

And if you're using an external battery then this won't make much difference as you already have a hassle as to where to put the battery while you're walking.

Carry a small bag with me and problem solved. Plus I can put phone inside when not needed right now.
I do this occasionally.

Apple can't stay consistent within their own ecosystem, what a joke.

Perhaps a sign of fierce clash on executive team? Design clash, market decision clash, even company value clash.

 

[doelcm82]

Apple's reckless and pig headed move will condemn countless millions of pairs of headphones to an early grave in landfills around the world. It's stupid to a degree never before seen in tech, and environmentally imbecilic. After Apple finish trumpeting how their products are free from various chemicals I hope they then show how many pairs of headphones have now gone to waste because of them.

This will go down as one of, if not Apple's biggest mistake. It will make antennagate look utterly trivial.

By this logic we should continue to burn coal and other fossil fuels, because adopting cleaner solutions will cause the equipment that burns the dirty fuel will go to waste.

If Apple lacked the courage to move toward wireless solutions, all those millions of wired headsets would wear out in a few years and then get replaced by other wired headsets, which would get replaced by more wired headsets when those wear out. Long-term, keeping the 3.5 mm headphone jack just encourages you to keep contributing to environmental waste for the rest of your life. By courageously thinking of the long term, rather than the short-sighted approach, Apple is helping usher in a more responsible tomorrow.

 

[Shirasaki]

You are. But if you insist on continuing to use wires, this is what you get.

Well, the congestion you can see in wire will occur as soon as you have just so many devices using wireless. The only difference, is such congestion is invisible.
[doublepost=1473420876][/doublepost]

Hahaha, what a monster design fail... Couldn't they simply have stacked two lightning plugs on top of each other, and made this thing so much smaller?

This product is there although I forget the name, and possibly it is patented.

Long-term, keeping the 3.5 mm headphone jack just encourages you to keep contributing to environmental waste for the rest of your life.

Oh, then those batteries embedded inside wireless headphones are not the source of landfill and electronic waste? And who knows when those small batteries will explode and hurt your ears harshly.
What Apple does is encouraging More landfill and waste, not the opposite.

 

[I7guy]

Antiquated tech? You mean the gold standard in audio, as used by virtually every pair of headphones on the planet? A universal, open, free standard that works on pretty much every device which outputs audio (except the iPhone now), and one with uncompressed, unrivalled audio quality. Do you really think it's a good idea to take already compressed MP3 audio and compress it again to broadcast it to bluetooth headphones? That will do wonders for audio fidelity. Some of us still think quality matters.

Apple's reckless and pig headed move will condemn countless millions of pairs of headphones to an early grave in landfills around the world. It's stupid to a degree never before seen in tech, and environmentally imbecilic. After Apple finish trumpeting how their products are free from various chemicals I hope they then show how many pairs of headphones have now gone to waste because of them.

This will go down as one of, if not Apple's biggest mistake. It will make antennagate look utterly trivial.
[doublepost=1473405761][/doublepost]
Well good for you.

The vast majority of people are not in your situation though.

Use the adapter. Solved it for you.
[doublepost=1473421330][/doublepost]

Well, the congestion you can see in wire will occur as soon as you have just so many devices using wireless. The only difference, is such congestion is invisible.
[doublepost=1473420876][/doublepost]
This product is there although I forget the name, and possibly it is patented.

Oh, then those batteries embedded inside wireless headphones are not the source of landfill and electronic waste? And who knows when those small batteries will explode and hurt your ears harshly.
What Apple does is encouraging More landfill and waste, not the opposite.

What about batteries in electric cars?

 

[DevNull0]

[doublepost=1473416476][/doublepost]
Answer: Don't buy an iPhone.

I didn't ask a question. But thanks for trying.