Fully Functional iPhone 7 Lightning EarPods Shown Off in New Video

[Costino1]

I think the majority of people who buy this phone won't even know it doesn't include a jack until they unbox it and think 'what the hell are these new earbuds with the lightning cable?'

Those folks will be the truly disappointed ones

 

[sidewinder3000]

Ok fine. We'll see how well people take this pill then.

Why wait? I can tell you now how they will take it. 40% will embrace it and love it. 40% will barely notice and won't care. 10% will grumble for a while and then move and on forget about it. The last 10%... well, whiners gonna whine.

 

[kentsydney]

These lightning connectors break so easily, this has undoubtedly got to be one of the worst ideas that Apple has ever came up with. Unless they are going to start making the connection board that have the foil traces out of kevlar or something that is a lot harder to break. The lightning connectors have never been very resilient. Where do their engineers get their degrees?

Yes I agree - with the Lightning connector you usually have to plug it in upside down then turn it again to get it to charge and then they just stop connecting all together- I have so many non functioning and expensive lightning sub cables... it's such a flaky connection and it's amazing how there aren't more complaints- so with the extra loading of a headphone ( and if I get 6 months out of any earbud type earphones I'm doing well) connection issues could be a real issue . I'll stick with my 6 plus as long as I can before I get the 7- won't go android though as that's far worse from what I can see. I can deal with this and we haven't seen the real thing yet. Could be wireless charging wireless headphones. I still have faith in apple

 

[sidewinder3000]

Yes Indeed.

Apple continues to obsess on making products as cheaply as possible, avoiding R&D costs, and recycling old or similar designs. This ensures bragging rights about how much profit the company makes. Apple Devotees love to brag about Apple's profits just as though it was their own. An interesting phenomenon unique to those emotionally attached to the Cupertino Co.

As opposed to the yearly updates and massive innovation engineered into the ear buds that Samsung bundles with their phones? Didn't think so.

 

[maxsix]

As opposed to the yearly updates and massive innovation engineered into the ear buds that Samsung bundles with their phones? Didn't think so.

My post doesn’t mention Samsung, simply sharing observations about Apple's practices.

The Apple Devotees choice to avoid the topic and bash Samsung reveals the deep emotional need they have to protect the brand they worship. Very revealing.

 

[Karma*Police]

This is different, it's not removal as such , but changing the way you connect the same accessory.

A better example is Apple moving to mini display port, and that was not a good experience , no monitors supported it, connections amongst Apple devices were a mess and took many years to be useful . Introducing a proprietary connector to achieve the same result is not the same as what happened with floppy or optical , only way it would be the same if floppy and optical remained but the connection method changed

I see where you're coming from, but I think there's an even better analogy.

There are already multiple headphone jack standards and of course wireless. One such standard is the 1/4" such as the plug on my AKGs. It comes standard with a 3.5 adapter. Many high end headphones come this way and I have never heard a single complaint.

If Apple includes standard EarPods with a 3.5 to lightning adapter, I would submit you you that the situation would be exactly the same.

 

[Blaze4G]

Your phone has one in it. The Sansa Clip has one in it and that device is TINY. You would also be hard pressed to find better audio quality than you'll get from that little DAC in the that little player.

Whether from your phone's 3.5mm jack or from a DAC in a lightning adapter, the signal will be about the same. The 3.5mm output might technically be a little noisier on a scope but I doubt you would be able to hear an audible difference between that and the output from a quality DAC attached to the lightning port.

I think you quoted the wrong person.

 

[sidewinder3000]

Let the man dream!

Although personally, I think a highly tepid response with confused looks would do considerably more damage. Better yet, bring out the Apple Music chick from WWDC 2016.

I still feel sorry for that poor woman. She did the best anyone could have hoped, given the material, anyway.

Why do we want there to be damage? I'm looking forward to what possibilities eliminating this port opens up. And I'm confused by the disproportionate level of hostility that's meeting this change.

 

[I7guy]

My post doesn’t mention Samsung, simply sharing observations about Apple's practices.

The Apple Devotees choice to avoid the topic and bash Samsung reveals the deep emotional need they have to protect the brand they worship. Very revealing.

Nothing like a little generalization to support your point...eh?

 

[sidewinder3000]

Even though you have nice stuff, I am not sure you get a good idea about what great sound actually is. BT sound is not it.

That's old school thinking. Most people, listening to streaming music, will be fine with the sound of BT headphones and delighted by the convenience. Plus, how could you possibly know what Starker knows or doesn't know about audio quality? That's hearsay, and I won't allow it.

 

[Karma*Police]

Unless that adapter also has a charge port, it's an issue.

For some, yes, but realistically, how many users need to regularly use both ports simultaneously?

The vast majority will encounter that need infrequently and when they do, they'll be merely inconvenienced.

Keep in mind, however, that Apple will use that space for something, so there should be benefits... We just don't know what yet. But imagine if Apple is able to offer an extra hour of battery life and louder speakers... those everyday benefits would outweigh the occasional minor inconvenience.

Of course, if Apple offers wireless charging, this will be a moot point.

 

[sidewinder3000]

This is different, it's not removal as such , but changing the way you connect the same accessory.

A better example is Apple moving to mini display port, and that was not a good experience , no monitors supported it, connections amongst Apple devices were a mess and took many years to be useful . Introducing a proprietary connector to achieve the same result is not the same as what happened with floppy or optical , only way it would be the same if floppy and optical remained but the connection method changed

Sorry, but you're missing the point. The display port is way less appropriate of an apology than the DVD or floppy drive, etc. Display port wasn't a massively used standard used by hundreds of millions of people. lightning and Bluetooth are. Plus, removing the drive didn't mean removing data from your device, it just meant a different means (wi-fi) of getting it on and off. Just like removing the headphone jack doesn't mean removing music from your device, just using a different means (Bluetooth) of getting it on and off. The Lightning jack is not intended to be the primary i/o for audio in the near future.
[doublepost=1470456453][/doublepost]

I think the majority of people who buy this phone won't even know it doesn't include a jack until they unbox it and think 'what the hell are these new earbuds with the lightning cable?'

Those folks will be the truly disappointed ones

I'm guessing most of them will go "huh, that's weird" and then plug them in and barely think about it.

 

[MH01]

Sorry, but you're missing the point. The display port is way less appropriate of an apology than the DVD or floppy drive, etc. Display port wasn't a massively used standard used by hundreds of millions of people. lightning and Bluetooth are. Plus, removing the drive didn't mean removing data from your device, it just meant a different means (wi-fi) of getting it on and off. Just like removing the headphone jack doesn't mean removing music from your device, just using a different means (Bluetooth) of getting it on and off. The Lightning jack is not intended to be the primary i/o for audio in the near future.
[doublepost=1470456453][/doublepost]
I'm guessing most of them will go "huh, that's weird" and then plug them in and barely think about it.

I think it's very common for people to connect laptops to monitors , you don't ?
[doublepost=1470456706][/doublepost]

I see where you're coming from, but I think there's an even better analogy.

There are already multiple headphone jack standards and of course wireless. One such standard is the 1/4" such as the plug on my AKGs. It comes standard with a 3.5 adapter. Many high end headphones come this way and I have never heard a single complaint.

If Apple includes standard EarPods with a 3.5 to lightning adapter, I would submit you you that the situation would be exactly the same.

That they do, though many of the 1/4" headphones cannot be driven by an iPhone , the amp is not powerful enough. AKGs are not difficult to drive thankfully

 

[sidewinder3000]

My post doesn’t mention Samsung, simply sharing observations about Apple's practices.

The Apple Devotees choice to avoid the topic and bash Samsung reveals the deep emotional need they have to protect the brand they worship. Very revealing.

ENH! Sorry. That's a cute put down, but a) it's a broad stereotype that's not an accurate description of Apple users, and b) it doesn't apply here. I don't care that your post doesn't mention Samsung. That's your hotbutton, not mine. I brought them up as evidence that no other major smartphone player bundles "awesome" ear phones with their phone, in order to invalidate your feeble assertion that Apple's basic bundled headphones are an indication of some imagined lack of innovation, or corporate cynicism.
[doublepost=1470458652][/doublepost]

I think it's very common for people to connect laptops to monitors , you don't ?

[doublepost=1470458906][/doublepost]

I think it's very common for people to connect laptops to monitors , you don't ?
[doublepost=1470456706][/doublepost]

Sure. Mine is connected to a Thunderbolt Display via display port for editing. And when I used to have a Cinema Display, I used an adapter to connect it with my display port-only Mac. Not sure of your point.

I'm just saying that making a parallel between the clunky unveiling of display port and the current elimination of the 3.5mm jack and switch to BT and Lightning audio is a non starter. Not only are Bluetooth headphones widely available, unlike display port monitors back then, but there will also be a cheap ($19 I'm guessing) adapter available from the get go that will allow any existing wired headphones to work with the Lightning port. And Lightning is also a hugely popular connector used by hundreds of millions, and scores of licensed MFI manufacturers will have dozens of Lightning headphones available to buy in short order. So it's really nothing like that rather fumbly introduction of the display port, with its dearth of options, lo those many years ago.[/QUOTE]

 

[brucku]

Cringe at this guy gushing on them. Zero benefits of a lightening connector matter when talking about the removal of a port. The iPhone 6S has the same damn lightening port - and the same headphones have all the same advantages when you use it. Apple removing the port is the topic - not how cool a lightening port is.

Also - No other differences? Really - how about the significant move of the control piece to pre-split of the wires? And why does holding the up volume button skip tracks? This is done by double clicking the middle button which he clearly was not doing.

 

[Dekema2]

I am not a frequent MR poster anymore. But I must comment on this article...Under no uncertain terms will I continue to buy Apple products if Apple removes the jack from the phone. It is a boneheaded idea that will shave off a critical sector of the user base, including a full Apple guy like myself.

 

[FactVsOpinion]

pretty sure you can have lossless audio from any headphone jack...

In the sense of being able to play digital audio that has not been compressed, yes.

But the video's narrator might be thinking that because it is a digital connection, the quality must be higher than an analog connection. This is also not necessarily true. The buds themselves are analog. So you're still hearing analog sound. The only difference is that now the digital to analog conversion happens in the plug rather than in the phone.
[doublepost=1470459818][/doublepost]

I am not a frequent MR poster anymore. But I must comment on this article...Under no uncertain terms will I continue to buy Apple products if Apple removes the jack from the phone. It is a boneheaded idea that will shave off a critical sector of the user base, including a full Apple guy like myself.

I don't think you are right.

 

[MH01]

ENH! Sorry. That's a cute put down, but a) it's a broad stereotype that's not an accurate description of Apple users, and b) it doesn't apply here. I don't care that your post doesn't mention Samsung. That's your hotbutton, not mine. I brought them up as evidence that no other major smartphone player bundles "awesome" ear phones with their phone, in order to invalidate your feeble assertion that Apple's basic bundled headphones are an indication of some imagined lack of innovation, or corporate cynicism.
[doublepost=1470458652][/doublepost]
[doublepost=1470458906][/doublepost]

Sure. Mine is connected to a Thunderbolt Display via display port for editing. And when I used to have a Cinema Display, I used an adapter to connect it with my display port-only Mac. Not sure of your point.

I'm just saying that making a parallel between the clunky unveiling of display port and the current elimination of the 3.5mm jack and switch to BT and Lightning audio is a non starter. Not only are Bluetooth headphones widely available, unlike display port monitors back then, but there will also be a cheap ($19 I'm guessing) adapter available from the get go that will allow any existing wired headphones to work with the Lightning port. And Lightning is also a hugely popular connector used by hundreds of millions, and scores of licensed MFI manufacturers will have dozens of Lightning headphones available to buy in short order. So it's really nothing like that rather fumbly introduction of the display port, with its dearth of options, lo those many years ago.

[/QUOTE]

I did not take time to make the point. Apple introduced the mini display port in their cinema displays , and it would not connect to any other Apple product for a long time bar a few laptops.

The problem is that proprietary connectors suck, and even worse, these lighting heaphones will not plug into other Apple devices.

We are just being milked for adapters....and each of these adapters is part of the MFI program which means Apple making more money.

I for one am not happy for this inconvinience so I can buy an adapters so Tim makes more moment.

I hated Sony for pulling this BS and Apple is going down the same path, so to summarise ,
I've been there with Sony, and not happy Apple is following .

Anyway, enjoy not 3.5mm if it works for you. I'm done with adapters.

 

[400]

how about a splitter?

That seems messy for something that has always been simple in design I think, as someone else said, more likely be Bluetooth.

Or the ear phone socket is kept and it has all been a self inflicted wind up.

 

[beanbaguk]

So, is it even possible to charge while listening to music or watching video?

Unless they offer wireless charging (more accessories required at more cost to us, the consumer), then no.

Biggest dumb-arse decision Apple has made in a long time....

 

[KJL3000]

I can't wait to see them bend or brake ...

 

[Nuvi]

There's so much misinformation in this statement it's mind blowing.

Oh please do entertain me and point out the misinformation. You obviously have no idea how BT works.

 

[KJL3000]

"You get lossless digital sound" says the guy in the video. That's as stupid as this connector looks. It's analogue like it was before, but with an extra DAC in that therefore GIANT connector... will this nonsense myth ever die?

 

[verpeiler]

I just realised I won't be able to connect my guitar to my iPhone anymore... sucks :-(

 

[KJL3000]

SE sales will be off the roof ...