Fully Functional iPhone 7 Lightning EarPods Shown Off in New Video

[usersince86]

"..turned up in our office.." ?

OK, I'm calling fake. As in, not an Apple product, but a 3rd party manufacturer has created these.

I'm keeping my money on wireless EarPods being in the box with the next iPhone.

But still won't have a 3.5mm output. And unless all other Apple products have a lightning port - which they don't - they won't work with their own products.

If it was USB-C, that would be acceptable... that's the way everything is going.

This is a dumb move, Apple.

 

[thisisnotmyname]

By the time battery tech has evolved to that point you will be dead.

Batteries are the weakest point of all portable devices and despite the endless reports about radical new technologies (I'm looking at you graphene) the consumer end has barely inched forward in a decade. The usual solution to battery capacity is just to make them larger.

So enjoy losing a port, you can enjoy having maybe 24 hour charge capacities in your hearing aids. Until then have fun sitting at the wall outlet.

Good thing I plan to live forever

 

[Apple_Robert]

My contract runs out at the end of the year on my iPhone 6. That gives me plenty of time to wait for the actual presentation of the new model releases, get some hands on time at the Apple Store with the new models, as well as read reviews and reports on possible software / hardware problems, before making an educated buying decision.

At this point in time, I think it would be premature (either way) to make any declarative statements on iPhone models that haven't been released.

 

[usersince86]

The same could be said for floppy disks.

Not the same thing.

 

[AeroUK]

Over the past few weeks, images have claimed to show Apple's upcoming Lightning-enabled EarPods, but most were found to be fake as the design language of the headphones largely deviated from Apple's usual aesthetic, especially in regards to not having a thin, rectangular Lightning plug. Today, MobileFun posted a video of a working pair of Lightning EarPods, and the overall look of the accessory appears more in line with Apple's design than any of the previous leaks.

As is expected, the headphone part of the new EarPods is structured the same as the EarPods currently being sold by Apple, with a clean, white design, right and left markers on each earpiece, and in-line volume and play/pause controls. Interestingly, the in-line controls are placed farther down on the EarPods, directly below the right/left split in the cable design. If real, this would mark a design change from the current generation, which places the volume rocker along the right cable, above the bifurcation in the cord.

The most notable part is, of course, the long-rumored addition of the Lightning plug onto the EarPods, adapted to take advantage of the removal of the 3.5 mm headphone jack from the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The plug on the Lightning-enabled EarPods appears slightly bigger than Apple's traditional Lightning adapters thanks to the inclusion of a digital-to-analog converter needed for music playback and not just straightforward charging.

In the video, the EarPods are proven to be completely functional through the playing of a few songs as well as using the in-line controls to play, pause, and skip some tracks. MobileFun concluded to its viewers, "as you can see, these are fully working, they aren't just a mock-up of what you might receive," believing that the working headphones will be what Apple sells alongside the new generation of iPhone in September.

Multiple solutions for the removal of the 3.5 mm headphone jack have sprouted up over the past few weeks, with one of the most prevailing alternatives centering around a Lightning to 3.5 mm dongle that the company could potentially bundle into the box of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus to cushion the transition for customers. More recently, it was reported that Apple could be working on completely wireless "AirPods" as an option for iPhone users, allowing simultaneous iPhone charging and headphone music playback, which is one of the most commonly occurring grievances surrounding the loss of the 3.5 mm headphone jack.

Previous Coverage: Lightning Headphones: Are They Better or Just an Inconvenience?

Article Link: Fully Functional iPhone 7 Lightning EarPods Shown Off in New Video

[doublepost=1470413139][/doublepost]He just posted an updated video showing the entire cable..

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

They look just like the same earpods that most people I know leave in the box because they are so darn uncomfortable. Too bad Apple can't figure out that earpods with removable rubbery/gel tips (in different sizes) are the way to go.

 

[pbasmadj]

I'm perfectly happy losing the old TRS port. I expect within a few years the other manufacturers will have followed suit. Eventually as battery and wireless technologies improve the whole concept of having to plug in a listening device is going to seem antiquated.

I disagree, I am not thrilled about it by any means. I truly do not want Bluetooth headphones. Not now, not ever. Electric guitars still use a full 1/4" audio jack, why don't they go wireless too? Because it's classic and great. Elephant in the room... You can't charge your phone and listen at the same time. Is that not a really big obvious problem to anyone? I use my phone that way ALL the time. You can't sync your phone via cable, while listening, the list goes on. It just is a huge step backward. I sort of hope Apple sees a hit in sales on this phone so they can come to reality that they aren't who they used to be and need to step it back up. I am seeing a far larger number of people mentioning they don't have any plan to upgrade, so that is promising. Also, wireless charging may become more of a thing yes, but what about sync? Wireless sync is TERRIBLE with the iPhone and I turned it off so long ago. I only sync via iTunes and cable. So I can't sync and listen at the same time without Bluetooth headphones that I don't want, that have a battery, and so on. It isn't innovation.

Apple is such a nightmare nowadays.

 

[Scooterman1]

Previous Coverage: Lightning Headphones: Are They Better or Just an Inconvenience?

Article Link: Fully Functional iPhone 7 Lightning EarPods Shown Off in New Video

Because the lightning connectors break so easily, this has to be one of the worst ideas Apple has ever came up with. If they were to change the non-conductive material that the foil traces were adhered to on the connector to something more durable that would be very hard to break, then this would be acceptable. Where do Apple engineers or their supervisors get their degree? Tim Cook should do better than this.

 

[McTaste]

Yes, you can. The most expensive audiophile headphones still have 3.5 mm jacks (or bigger), not to mention the MBP's jack has optical out. Who has lossless audio on an iPhone anyway? My lossless audio takes up over 300 GB of space. And what person who uses earbuds as their primary listening device cares about lossless audio?

I use ALAC on my phone. And I have some very nice earbuds that go along with it. Sure, real headphones with an amp are the way to go, but when I am traveling I prefer to have the best audio quality I can take with me. Sometimes that even includes carrying a portable amp/dac combo that has a lighting -> usb input.

You might be surprised how good the high end earbuds are. I certainly was!

 

[NIKKG]

I'm really considering the Note 7 now. This no headphone jack thing is really starting to turn me off with Apple.

 

[Kaibelf]

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

What about noise cancellation with earbuds? Would this design allow for decent NC by offsetting it to the phone and handling things over lightning?

 

[Dydegu]

So much hate and negativity. Good lord.

Nothing has even been released yet.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Can't wait to see how Apple pitches this at the Keynote.

 

[Scooterman1]

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?

 

[Hustler1337]

Anyone not notice how huge that connector is?

If this is the real deal, God knows how they managed to pull this mess out.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Fail. At least from my perspective as I run w/ my phone. That stiff collar that juts out is a non-starter if you are active. (And please don't reply telling me of the wonders of BT as-if everyone in the world didn't know they exist. They are not for me. I don't like the sound, I don't want to charge my earphones. Yuck, yuck, yuck.

 

[iamgalt]

I know this is just a rumored piece of hardware, but if I were designing these things, I would put the digital-to-analog converter with the volume buttons, so the connection at the phone doesn't stick out as much. It would reduce the chance of damaging the phone's lightning connection. Plus, I think it would be less noticeable if combined with the volume controls.

 

[Apple_Robert]

So much hate and negativity. Good lord.

Nothing has even been released yet.

Facts tend to get in the way of emotional ranting wth threads of this nature.

 

[The Game 161]

so

should the crowd boo when they announce no headphone jack? and be funny to see apple's reaction

 

[jasonklee]

I gladly turned my back on this greedy company after they eliminated the floppy drive on the iMac. And they absolutely lost me when they abandoned the opitical drive. Apple needs to understand how to make computers and gadgets that are useful to its users, but instead they give us locked-down bendable crap that is ugly and user hostile. They need to make computers that are fast and efficient so I can maximize my day.

If their motivation behind this latest stunt was to make more internal room in the next iPhone while making it thinner and to deliver a superior audio experience, then they really need to fire all of their product designers and start fresh. Preferably engineers who know what a real computer is and not some art school graduate who wants to "humanize" computers. No. That is not what we're asking for. We don't need stupid 3D Touch. We don't need stupid thinner and lighter phones. We don't need Lightning EarPods. What we need are things to stay the same, but better. What we need are heavier and thicker phones with enormous battery life, because I live on my phone for hours and hours at a time. What we need is a different Apple. An Apple that is more like Google.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

so

should the crowd boo when they announce no headphone jack? and be funny to see apple's reaction

Won't matter. Apple will pipe in applause like some NFL teams once did.

 

[WaxedJacket]

I was fine with apple doing away with old tech in the past but this is just silly. Reminds me of when Nintendo did the same thing on the SP

 

[citysnaps]

Now there will be a lack of consistency across the devices. iPhone 7 - Use Lightning Ear Pods or Bluetooth. iPad, iMac, MacBooks can use all but the lightning EarPods.

Yup. Just like there was when Apple incrementally abandoned ADB, SCSI, floppy disks, CDs, DVI, FireWire, Ethernet, etc.

Somehow Apple and their customers have managed to survive.

 

[Karma*Police]

Bad idea to remove the ubiquitous 3.5mm audio jack that works on laptops, desktops, automobiles, music players, mobile phones, even the in-seat audio connections on airlines.

Millions of people have spent good money on high quality headphones and earbuds that use the 3.5mm standard to be left out in the cold.

That's why I think it'll be smart of Apple to include an adapter. It would make the missing 3.5 jack a non-issue.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I gladly turned my back on this greedy company after they eliminated the floppy drive on the iMac. And they absolutely lost me when they abandoned the opitical drive. Apple needs to understand how to make computers and gadgets that are useful to its users, but instead they give us locked-down bendable crap that is ugly and user hostile. They need to make computers that are fast and efficient so I can maximize my day.

If their motivation behind this latest stunt was to make more internal room in the next iPhone while making it thinner and to deliver a superior audio experience, then they really need to fire all of their product designers and start fresh. Preferably engineers who know what a real computer is and not some art school graduate who wants to "humanize" computers. No. That is not what we asking for. We don't need stupid 3D Touch. We don't need stupid thinner and lighter phones. We don't need Lightning EarPods. What we need are things to stay the same, but better. What we need are heavier and thicker phones with enormous battery life, because I live on my phone for hours and hours at a time. What we need is a different Apple. An Apple that is more like Google.

You can't speak for "We", when you are only one speaking of what you want and expect.