If it's a wireless future why are there wired headphones in the box?

[fischersd]

They had to include the wired - as others have stated - people simply don't adapt well to change (just take a look at all of the whining over the loss of the 3.5mm jack). Also, can you imagine the angry mob that would form by tacking on $160 to the price of the phones to include the air pods?!

I think the timing is exceptionally poor. BT5 to be ratified over the next 6-8 months. They should have waited and had the air pods released in time for the iPhone 8. But, then, they've also been cagey about exactly what spec they support...maybe they'll surprise the hell out of all of us and they're already based on a BT5 draft...and firmware updatable to support the ratified spec. Sorry...silly me...I was thinking what I'd do.

 

[Branskins]

Because it's a future we aren't quite at yet?

 

[Ngamtns706]

Courage, people would get mad..whatever it's mostly about the bottom line. Idk why fast charging/wireless charging isn't on it. There are phones out there with it that cost a third of the price, and I guess I could have ordered those if it was that big of a deal.

 

[I7guy]

They had to include the wired - as others have stated - people simply don't adapt well to change (just take a look at all of the whining over the loss of the 3.5mm jack). Also, can you imagine the angry mob that would form by tacking on $160 to the price of the phones to include the air pods?!

I think the timing is exceptionally poor. BT5 to be ratified over the next 6-8 months. They should have waited and had the air pods released in time for the iPhone 8. But, then, they've also been cagey about exactly what spec they support...maybe they'll surprise the hell out of all of us and they're already based on a BT5 draft...and firmware updatable to support the ratified spec. Sorry...silly me...I was thinking what I'd do.

It will be another 6 months after the ratification before bt5 equipment hits the shelves. Progress can't wait.

 

[Canadia69]

And why did they have to make the connector so big (long)? This looks like it could break easily...

None the less I always loved my earpods. Feel great and comfortable in my ears...can't wait for the airpods

At the event I thought that they would maybe come with the 7...but they don't

 

[TucsonBroker]

Personally, the removal of the headphone jack will have no effect. I have bluetooth headphones and bluetooth in the car. I like the freedom of not having wires when I workout. Just leave the phone in my gym bag. I can see why they included the adapter. Lots of people don't want to have to go buy new gear, especially people who have high end audio headsets or don't have BT in their cars. So for those people, they can still be backward compatible, but now they can plan their migration instead of having it forced upon them. Birthdays or Christmas or lost or broken headphones they might choose to have BT when it's right for them.

When Apple removed DVD drives from their laptops I was also questioning it, but today I don't look back. Time and technology progresses and eventually even the late adopters do too.

 

[Romf]

You know what is the most ridiculous part of that keynote?
They show the 10 "new things" about iphone7.
One of them is "wireless" because they remove the jack port and will sell airpods.
Wow so how is that an NEW thing on iphone 7, "wireless"? Removing a port and selling BT headphones doesn't make it anymore wireless - I can do exactly the same with my 6S+ (use BT headphones).
So sorry, but out of 10 new things, "wireless" is definitely not one

 

[Canadia69]

You know what is the most ridiculous part of that keynote?
They show the 10 "new things" about iphone7.
One of them is "wireless" because they remove the jack port and will sell airpods.
Wow so how is that an NEW thing on iphone 7, "wireless"? Removing a port and selling BT headphones doesn't make it anymore wireless - I can do exactly the same with my 6S+ (use BT headphones).
So sorry, but out of 10 new things, "wireless" is definitely not one

Lol true

 

[fischersd]

It will be another 6 months after the ratification before bt5 equipment hits the shelves. Progress can't wait.

It really shouldn't take 6 months. Guaranteed Apple and other OEM's are on the review panel. They'll have access to the draft spec to start some R&D work early. If it's ratified by the end of the year, you could see devices by the spring (well, from some companies...true...Apple may be six months).

 

[pr0230]

Because people would complain even more if headphones weren't included, and it's not cost effective to include wireless headphones.

Your first point is SPOT ON... Put 3 people in a room and you will get hundreds of complaints... But the cost effective I differ with... First they DID put cheap WIRED head phones in with a cheap dongle that NO one really wants... Change that to a Blu tooth head set and they would be consistent... As for COST... I saw a nice pair of headphones on Amazon for 30 bucks... So let's say Apple charged 50 bucks more for each phone, it's a WIN WIN... And no one at Apple was smart enough to drive or think of this... POOR showing on apples part...

They should have dropped the head set and the dongle....

 

[Mac 128]

You know what is the most ridiculous part of that keynote?
They show the 10 "new things" about iphone7.
One of them is "wireless" because they remove the jack port and will sell airpods.
Wow so how is that an NEW thing on iphone 7, "wireless"? Removing a port and selling BT headphones doesn't make it anymore wireless - I can do exactly the same with my 6S+ (use BT headphones).
So sorry, but out of 10 new things, "wireless" is definitely not one

Your first point is SPOT ON... Put 3 people in a room and you will get hundreds of complaints... But the cost effective I differ with... First they DID put cheap WIRED head phones in with a cheap dongle that NO one really wants... Change that to a Blu tooth head set and they would be consistent... As for COST... I saw a nice pair of headphones on Amazon for 30 bucks... So let's say Apple charged 50 bucks more for each phone, it's a WIN WIN... And no one at Apple was smart enough to drive or think of this... POOR showing on apples part...

They should have dropped the head set and the dongle....

They should have put something like this in the box with the old 3.5mm EarPods. If they were going to include an "adapter" then a BT adapter with a W1 chip in it, allows everyone to go wireless from day one, as well as use their headphones with their Macs, and on airplanes.

 

[Taco1933]

Your first point is SPOT ON... Put 3 people in a room and you will get hundreds of complaints... But the cost effective I differ with... First they DID put cheap WIRED head phones in with a cheap dongle that NO one really wants... Change that to a Blu tooth head set and they would be consistent... As for COST... I saw a nice pair of headphones on Amazon for 30 bucks... So let's say Apple charged 50 bucks more for each phone, it's a WIN WIN... And no one at Apple was smart enough to drive or think of this... POOR showing on apples part...

They should have dropped the head set and the dongle....

Maybe the original plan was to include BT headphones. Then after they put in all the features they wanted, they had the $160 airpods. I know apple isn't going to half ass something like that, but it's too bad they couldn't find a way to make those included. I'd like to have them as a backup (kinda like how I use the current Apple ear buds), but I'm not paying $160 for sound quality that's likely worse than other $50 Bluetooth sets. The wired headphones they did include certainly seem like a backup plan.

 

[rui no onna]

Again with this nonsense.

The installment plan is not "essentially the same". In my case it's 2x more expensive. While some may gleefully enjoy a no-money-down $33 a month installment payment in the end they are paying full retail for the phone and in many cases are getting fewer GB of data on their plans. The carrier subsidies have gone away, the hardware is at full retail price, service has stayed flat or has increased in price. It's more expensive.

BJ

Hmm, case to case basis I guess.

On the old minutes based plan, our monthly for family plan with 4 smartphone lines was $240. Same cost with the old Mobile Share 10GB. Total cost for 2-year contract is $6,960 ($5,760 service + $1,200 for 4 iPhone 32GB).

On the circa 2014 Mobile Share plans, it's $160 monthly for service (10GB but I got into the double data promo so getting 20GB) and I pay full price for the device. Total cost for 2-years is $6,840 ($3,840 + $3,000 for 4 iPhone 128GB). Total cost is nearly the same over 2 years if I get 4 equivalent iPhones. However, with the new plans, I'm not forced to pay $225 subsidy per line per year if I decide not to upgrade and keep phones for more than 2 years or heck, if I want to just get a $200 Moto G instead of a $650+ iPhone.

 

[I7guy]

It really shouldn't take 6 months. Guaranteed Apple and other OEM's are on the review panel. They'll have access to the draft spec to start some R&D work early. If it's ratified by the end of the year, you could see devices by the spring (well, from some companies...true...Apple may be six months).

True, but apple won't have a bazzilion firmware updates either.

 

[lordofthereef]

Hmm, case to case basis I guess.

On the old minutes based plan, our monthly for family plan with 4 smartphone lines was $240. Same cost with the old Mobile Share 10GB. Total cost for 2-year contract is $6,960 ($5,760 service + $1,200 for 4 iPhone 32GB).

On the circa 2014 Mobile Share plans, it's $160 monthly for service (10GB but I got into the double data promo so getting 20GB) and I pay full price for the device. Total cost for 2-years is $6,840 ($3,840 + $3,000 for 4 iPhone 128GB). Total cost is nearly the same over 2 years if I get 4 equivalent iPhones. However, with the new plans, I'm not forced to pay $225 subsidy per line per year if I decide not to upgrade and keep phones for more than 2 years or heck, if I want to just get a $200 Moto G instead of a $650+ iPhone.

It is absolutely a case by case. Verizon and TMO are giving you a free iPhone 7 (realistically $650 credit towards a new iphone model) for trading in a 6. At best, you are going to get what, $200 for your iPhone 6? So we have now translated this scenario into what a subsidy looked like years ago.

I just hate when folks insist that since their specific scenario is terrible, it's all bad for everyone. I am paying less for four iphones and more data across the four lines today than I was paying five years ago for three lines.

 

[Nozuka]

the Apple W1 chip must be extremely power efficient.. the running time of the beats headphones has increased alot!

solo 2 wireless: 12h
solo 3 wireless: 40h

powerbeats 2 wireless: 6h
powerbeats 3 wireless: 12h

 

[MathersMahmood]

The answer is people would go crazy and moan

 

[Mac 128]

True, but apple won't have a bazzilion firmware updates either.

Apples on the BT SIG board, they helped design BT 5. So yes they had the draft specs before it was even announced. That's likely where the W1 came from ...

 

[pixel_junkie]

It's courage because Samsung and the others didn't have the stones to just delete the mini jack and promote wireless by making something that's been around for 30 years less convenient. Samsung and the others wait for Apple to make these plays, and when they are then proven visionary, they follow along in a me too fashion....

When/if Samsung ever does that, they'll most likely include wireless headphones.

What Apple did (and it pains me to see how blind most people are and can't see the real reason for this move) is give you a phone ready for wireless but ask you to shell out an extra $140 to complete the package.

New tech equals new revenue source for Apple and that's all there is to it.
[doublepost=1473615628][/doublepost]

Courage wasn't the #1 reason. It was the word he used to sum it up into one word. And it's more in reference of having the courage to be bold enough to remove the jack in the first place.

They include the wired headphone in the box because not everyone uses or wants to use wireless just yet, and they are the freebie give away headphones. No company would include $150 headphones for free in the box. That's just silly to expect that.

Read this article as it explains in pretty good detail right from some head hardware people at Apple why the jack was removed. https://www.buzzfeed.com/johnpaczko...headphone-jack?utm_term=.kcXVAwVg2#.bt63793XD

Sorry, this makes zero sense. The pretext is that they removed it to free up valuable real estate for better processors and improve battery life. But what really happened? They put a giant (relatively) haptic feedback motor to accomodate a solid state button. All smoke and mirrors...

If you were running a company, what would be the number one force behind every decision? Same as every other company under the sun - REVENUE!

The keynote announcement wasn't about being brave and making a bold move. It was about announcing another revenue maker for them. Today its $150 for it. Tomorrow it'll be an entire line of premium wireless ear buds and accessories for them.