After the presentation, the 500 invited journalists crammed into a hands-on room, where we got to spend about an hour with the new phones. Here’s as thorough a review as I can write after only an hour fooling with the phone. (I’ll post a more in-depth critique once I’ve had some time living with the phone in environments that aren’t white cubical rooms teeming with Apple representatives.)
The headphone jack is gone
OK, let’s get this out of the way first: It’s true. Apple is the third major smartphone maker to eliminate the traditional 3.5-millimeter headphone jack from its phone.
Apple iPhone 7 headphone jack
The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus don’t have headphone jacks.
The primary reason is bulk. That 52-year-old technology takes up a huge amount of space inside the phone—space that could be better devoted to battery, camera, and other improved features. (You can read my more detailed analysis of this trend here.)
On the iPhone 7, you have three ways to listen to music:
Through earbuds that connect to the Lightning jack. In the box, you get new Apple earbuds that plug into the iPhone’s charging jack. And yes, that means you cannot charge your phone while listening to music (at least until someone comes out with a splitter.) And if you’re not a fan of the Apple earbuds, other companies make headphones and earbuds that plug into the Lightning jack, too.
Apple EarPod
Apple’s new EarPods with a Lighting connector.
Through an adapter that connects to the Lightning jack. In the iPhone box, you also get an adapter that accommodates any earbuds or headphones you like. (“How do I connect my earbuds to my car stereo or an in-flight entertainment system?” This is how. Just plug them in as always. Use the adapter to plug into your iPhone.) Additional adapters cost $9 each; Apple intends for you to leave them attached to your headphones.
Apple's headphone jack adapter
Apple’s Lighting to headphone jack is included with the iPhone 7.
Wirelessly. Many companies now offer Bluetooth wireless headphones and earbuds. And when Bluetooth 5.0 comes out later this year—with four times the range, twice the speed, and 8 times the data throughput, plus automatic pairing—stand back. Bluetooth audio will get a whole new, much better reputation.
AirPods
Apple joined the Bluetooth party today by unveiling its own very nice, very expensive Bluetooth earbuds, called AirPods ($160, coming late October).
Apple’s new wireless AirPods.
I tried these out for size today, too. They are, as you’d expect, far more elegant and slick than their rivals. For example, they come in a dental-floss box—I’m sorry, a white carrying case—that doubles as a recharging battery. 15 minutes in the case, and you’ve recharged the AirPods for another 3 hours of listening.
Apple’s AirPods charger.
(When fully charged, the AirPods play for 5 hours—that’s 10 hours if you listen to only one at a time—and the case holds enough juice for 24 hours of listening.)
When you take one AirPod out, to answer the flight attendant, for example, your music pauses automatically—and resumes when you put it back into your ear. Very slick. A magnetic click holds the AirPods securely in the case. Tap an AirPod twice to speak to Siri. When a call comes in, your music pauses automatically, and noise cancellation kicks in so your voice is clearer.
Oh—and they sound very good, at least in a crowded talky demo room.
Apple AirPods
The AirPods also also have microphones.
The AirPods are, like the earpods, really bulbous. They won’t stay in many people’s ears, especially if you’re hideously deformed like me (I’m missing the antitragus, the piece of cartilage that holds standard earbuds in place).
Fortunately, many other Bluetooth wireless earbuds are available, including two from Apple’s Beats line that have over-hear hooks and other systems that keep the earbuds on when you’re running, exercising, or standing upright.
By David Pogue.
Culled from Yahoo News.
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