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iPhone 7/Plus Can someone explain the earpods on 7?

H

heycal

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 25, 2013
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Hi folks - I've got an iphone 6. I'm thinking of getting a 7. I understand the phones now come standard with wireless earbuds instead of the wired ones I have now? Is this an improvement or a problem? I do like the idea of no tangled wires, but what else can I expect? Do these things work well for placing and making phone calls, podcasts, music, adjusting volume, etc? Do you operate all that by pressing buttons on the side of one of the pods? Is that as easy to do as with the wired ones?

Anything you can tell about this would be appreciated in terms an old guy can grasp. Google searches confused me with talk of new v. old 'earbuds', 'airpods', 'lightning ports' etc.

Thanks!
 
The 7 doesn't come with wireless earbuds

Every phone apple sells right now has a sales page with tech specs, click that, scroll down..

nLCxF7A.png
 
The EarPods in the box are the same as those that come with your 6S except the 3.5mm jack has been removed and replaced with lightning.

AirPods are the wireless headphones Apple released last December but as others have noted, they’re a separate purchase. They are brilliant though :)
 
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EarPods are the standard, wired ear buds that come with the phone.
AirPods are the bluetooth, wireless ear buds that you can buy separately.

AirPods are so much win.
 
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heycal said:
Hi folks - I've got an iphone 6. I'm thinking of getting a 7. I understand the phones now come standard with wireless earbuds instead of the wired ones I have now? Is this an improvement or a problem? I do like the idea of no tangled wires, but what else can I expect? Do these things work well for placing and making phone calls, podcasts, music, adjusting volume, etc? Do you operate all that by pressing buttons on the side of one of the pods? Is that as easy to do as with the wired ones?

Anything you can tell about this would be appreciated in terms an old guy can grasp. Google searches confused me with talk of new v. old 'earbuds', 'airpods', 'lightning ports' etc.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Um no. They don't come standard with wireless earbuds. They all come wired. It's just that starting from iPhone 7, the removed the headphone jack and the EarPods now have lightning cables. But they include the adaptor for lightning to 3.5 mm.
 
To sum up what others have said; no, the iPhone 7/7+, 8/8+ and X do NOT come with wireless earbuds. You can buy them separately. They come with wired earbuds that connect to the lightning (charging) port. They also come with an adapter/dongle that allows you to plug other standard headphones/earbuds into the lightning port.
 
I am still waiting for the airpods with the updated case, I think it's coming out in December. Getting airpods now while an update is just right around the corner seems wasteful.
 
So the iphone 7 does not come with earbuds? Just the usual wired earphones? But they are plugged into a different hole now? And perhaps some adaptor is required as well? For some reason I thought it came with wireless earphones.

So basically, the earphone situation with the 7 is perhaps worse than the 6?
 
heycal said:
So the iphone 7 does not come with earbuds? Just the usual wired earphones? But they are plugged into a different hole now? And perhaps some adaptor is required as well? For some reason I thought it came with wireless earphones.

So basically, the earphone situation with the 7 is perhaps worse than the 6?
Click to expand...
Seems like it all has been laid out quite well even multiple times across various replies in this thread. You get the usual wired headphones that now simply plug into the Lightning port. You also get an adapter than you can use with other headphones to make them compatible with being plugged into the Lightning port.
 
C DM said:
Seems like it all has been laid out quite well even multiple times across various replies in this thread. .
Click to expand...

So my follow up question about whether the iphone 7 earphone situation is any better or worse than the iphone 6 earphone situation makes no sense to you?
 
heycal said:
So my follow up question about whether the iphone 7 earphone situation is any better or worse than the iphone 6 earphone situation makes no sense to you?
Click to expand...
Depends on your use. If you want or need to plug in any regular headphones at any time without the need for an adapter, then that can be seen as worse. Of if you want to be able to have headphones plugged in and charge at the same time without the need of a dongle that would provide support for that.

If those things aren't of much consequence then it doesn't matter that much.

Then you also have to factor in iPhone 6 being an older and less powerful phone overall compared to the 7.
 
C DM said:
Depends on your use. If you want or need to plug in any regular headphones at any time without the need for an adapter, then that can be seen as worse. Of if you want to be able to have headphones plugged in and charge at the same time without the need of a dongle that would provide support for that.

If those things aren't of much consequence then it doesn't matter that much.

Then you also have to factor in iPhone 6 being an older and less powerful phone overall compared to the 7.
Click to expand...

So no real benefit or improvement in the earphone department for the iphone 7, huh? (Perhaps in other areas, but not this one.)
 
heycal said:
So no real benefit or improvement in the earphone department for the iphone 7, huh? (Perhaps in other areas, but not this one.)
Click to expand...
It's the same thing essentially, just with a different connector. The 7 does have the W1 chip, so there's improvement as far as using wireless headphones, in particular the AirPods.
 
C DM said:
It's the same thing essentially, just with a different connector. The 7 does have the W1 chip, so there's improvement as far as using wireless headphones, in particular the AirPods.
Click to expand...

The 7 doesn’t have the W1 chip, that’s something in the headphones themselves (AirPods or certain beats models)
 
I’d imagine that it will be an option on the AirPods purchase page whether you wish to buy them with or without wireless charging. However, I also think they will sell the case separately
 
saltd said:
The wireless AirPods are great, but will set you back $160. They are worth it.
Click to expand...
Though I would add the caveat - if you don’t like the size or shape of the typical Apple earbuds, the AirPods aren’t worth it.
 
macTW said:
Though I would add the caveat - if you don’t like the size or shape of the typical Apple earbuds, the AirPods aren’t worth it.
Click to expand...

I used to think this also, but now respectfully disagree. I dislike the standard earpods and thought I would not like airpods.

However when I tried the airpods, I was pleasantly surprised. They stay in my ears much better. In fact, they never fall out, including while exercising. They are the best.

I can only speculate the wires add just enough weight or resistance to make them fall out occasionally.

I recommend trying the airpods, even if earpods don't do it for you.
 
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