With less than a week to go for the September 7 launch of the iPhone 7 and its larger sibling the iPhone 7 Plus, curiosity and expectation among iPhone lovers are at a fever pitch.
A recently leaked user manual from an iPhone 7 Plus package shows that the new iPhones will not have the 3.5mm headphones jack. But don’t worry, Apple is providing everything you need to overcome that disappointing challenge. With the iPhone 7 Plus (and we’re assuming with the iPhone 7 as well) you’ll get Lightning EarPods. Ever since Apple started shipping out the iPod first generation in 2001, they’ve been shipping EarPods, so this isn’t a surprising bit of news. The new EarPods will be of the same design except for the connector.
But don’t trade in your old headphones just yet. Also included in the pack is the lightning adaptor that I’ve been talking about, which has a lightning connector at one end and a female 3.5mm port at the other where you can plug in your old headphones. That’s a nice little perk because Apple typically charges extra for chargers and connectors.
It’s clear that Apple has cleverly included the lightning adapter to avoid ticking off those who enjoy the music experience, but we’re still not sure about audio quality. Earlier this week Apple Co-Founder Steve “Woz” Wozniak said that he was skeptical about the sound quality of the current bluetooth technology, but Apple is also pushing its bluetooth AirPods (sold separately) along with the iPhone 7 launch.
Don’t forget that Apple also owns the Beats by Dr. Dre brand, but that operates as a separate entity. However, now that you’ll be getting a free lightning adaptor, go ahead and splurge on a new pair of headphones from Beats – but not just yet. Check and see if you’re happy with the lightning EarPods before spending more money.
By the way, are you on the Apple Upgrade Program? If you’re on the fence about the iPhone 7 and would rather wait for the iPhone 8 coming out next year, I’ll show you how you can have the best of both worlds.
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