Topic: The iPhone

[Zlen]

Every company will do the same (some already have).

Every company in what market?
Smartphones? Or does this include laptops, desktop machines as well?
What's the point, really. Making nearly bendable phones slimmer?

I don't see the value of it to be honest.

[Zlen]

Do they cost the same amount as wireless headphones?

No.
Wireless headphones cost 160 USD, dongle probably 20-30 USD.

[TepidT2O]

Leave my dongle alone

Someone will bring out an adapted that you can charge with and listen with at the same time within weeks I reckon...

[S.Red please]

So will the wireless headphones come with the phone when you buy it?

[BazC]

My 5S is going strong all this time - it's amazing how long it's lasted really (I got annoyed with the lag of my S3 before throwing it across the room and deciding I was going to take the plunge to Apple). 2 and a half years, I could keep it as it's still fine, doesn't lag and tackles everything I throw at it, but I think I'll get this new iphone 7 as soon as it's out, just to freshen things up. I will miss the 5S - best phone I've ever had.

[Halewooder]

How do I listen to the phone and charge it at the same time if i'm listening to headphones with the adapter?

Does this release have wireless charging?  If so could that be an option?

[keano7]

My 5S is going strong all this time - it's amazing how long it's lasted really (I got annoyed with the lag of my S3 before throwing it across the room and deciding I was going to take the plunge to Apple). 2 and a half years, I could keep it as it's still fine, doesn't lag and tackles everything I throw at it, but I think I'll get this new iphone 7 as soon as it's out, just to freshen things up. I will miss the 5S - best phone I've ever had.

I'm in the same boat - contract is up in October but the 5S has been a smooth phone from day one. Perfect size really. The camera could be better but apart from that it's held its own.

[TepidT2O]

Does this release have wireless charging?  If so could that be an option?

I very much doubt it...

Apple have always been against it.

Rightly so imo

[CraigDS]

Not sure what to think about ditching the headphone jack, they're stubborn in all the worse ways - much like Sony with their big 'Fuck you' proprietary cards and formats. I'll probably never buy an iPhone and only ever use their computers, but if I was a user I'd be slightly pissed off with it. They keep solving problems that aren't there and neglecting actual ones, but hey, as long as it sells well and you can charge people for 50 dollar dongles - why the hell not.

There are big benefits to it, namely it will allow for thinner devices, allows for active noise cancelling, and frees up a lot of space for larger internals (battery) or smaller devices.

They are just the ones I know off the top of my head, there will definitely be others.

[CraigDS]

I expect we'll see wireless charging on the 8, as there is going to be a big update then apparently.

[TepidT2O]

I expect we'll see wireless charging on the 8, as there is going to be a big update then apparently.

I dint think we will.

There's no point to it.  It's easier to plug a lead in.

[CraigDS]

I dint think we will.

There's no point to it.  It's easier to plug a lead in.

You'll see wireless charging in cars which also connects it to CarPlay, and probably built into desks, connected to Apples HomeKit, etc.

Can definitely see them adopting it at some point.

[TepidT2O]

You'll see wireless charging in cars which also connects it to CarPlay, and probably built into desks, connected to Apples HomeKit, etc.

Can definitely see them adopting it at some point.

Never.

It's pointless.  Why have a splat of a wireless charger on your bedside table with your phone on it?

It's more "stuff".  That needs plugging in to, always the chance you knock the phone off etc too.

Easier and more elegant to plug it in.

If they'd wanted wireless charging it would have been on the 5

[TepidT2O]

Great article on the headphones here..

https://www.quora.com/What-are-Apple-AirPods-and-why-are-they-important/answer/Brian-Roemmele?ref=t_page

[John C]

My 5S is going strong all this time - it's amazing how long it's lasted really

Same, got mine the same time as you and I hated it. I still hate Apple but the 5s is really fine.

[CraigDS]

Never.

It's pointless.  Why have a splat of a wireless charger on your bedside table with your phone on it?

It's more "stuff".  That needs plugging in to, always the chance you knock the phone off etc too.

Easier and more elegant to plug it in.

If they'd wanted wireless charging it would have been on the 5

The technology will (and is doing) advance though and it'll charge anything within a set distance, rather than it having to be placed on it directly. So you'll be able to charge your iPhone, iPad, Watch, etc. all without wires, or at your desk at work, in your car as you drive, in your living room as you use the devices, on your bedside table - all without having to buy extra chargers or taking one/seven with you.

It'll definitely happen, Apple just won't jump on board until the tech offers something that makes it worth taking up space within the device.

[BazC]

Same, got mine the same time as you and I hated it. I still hate Apple but the 5s is really fine.

Ah really! It was a revelation for me, just the speed at which I could do multiple things - on a call, needed to quickly see a note or a text whilst on the call, and it was perfect. I was doing it yesterday whilst on a phone call and I needed to check something - and it was still slick, after all those updates and months of use. That was actually the thing that made me throw my Galaxy across the room, as it just wouldn't work without lags and freezes... or dropping the call! That was only a year old at the time as well.

I've fully bought into the iphone experience after 2 Android phones, and an initial reluctance to "go iphone". I can't see myself being tempted back to Android - I'd want to maybe try the latest Samsung phone as an alternative, but the shitty update cycles put me off.

[rich87]

Great article on the headphones here..

https://www.quora.com/What-are-Apple-AirPods-and-why-are-they-important/answer/Brian-Roemmele?ref=t_page

Ouch! How Much!

So wait - No headphone jack. And then after pay near on £1000 for a phone you have to pay £150 for headphones, because you now have no headphone jack. But that's okay because there wireless.

They don't work - I've used about 15 different sets of bluetooth headphones and every single pair has the same issues.

Great in certain situations - In your bedroom, out walking in the countryside. Start going round a city, cycling, gym etc and the connectivity starts getting affected.

Are we ready to adopt a phone without a headphone socket, I for one am not. And what if they pop out your ear, like they look like they would? Straight onto the road, if your cycling, or into a river or the sea over a bridge. So many situations where I just fail to see these being practical.

Also....

Apple unveiled its new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus today, featuring all-new cameras, dust- and water-resistance, and improved performance. As expected, the company also announced a new color option, the glossy 'Jet Black' version.

However, you might want to think twice before throwing down at least $649 for the Jet Black iPhone 7, or $769 for the iPhone 7 Plus.

As 9to5Mac spotted today, Apple's site signals a note of caution to those planning to buy the Jet Black models, buried in the small print of the iPhone 7 technical specs page:

The high-gloss finish of the jet black iPhone 7 is achieved through a precision nine-step anodization and polishing process. Its surface is equally as hard as other anodized Apple products; however, its high shine may show fine micro-abrasions with use. If you are concerned about this, we suggest you use one of the many cases available to protect your iPhone.

 

We brought out this super duper new colour, but er, cover it with a case because it scratches easily 

[CraigDS]

Ouch! How Much!

So wait - No headphone jack. And then after pay near on £1000 for a phone you have to pay £150 for headphones, because you now have no headphone jack. But that's okay because there wireless.

Er, they come with a set of headphone which connect to the Lightning port, as well as an adapter which allows your standard wired headphones to connect via the Lightning port.

No big deal really.

[Blinis]

Same, got mine the same time as you and I hated it. I still hate Apple but the 5s is really fine.

Same here. 5S goes with Nokia 3310 as best phones I ever had. Might be even better than the 3310, because I can't see why I should change: iPhone 6 and 7 won't bring anything revolutionary compared to the 5S, while color screens were revolutionary enough to dump my old 3310.

[sminp]

We brought out this super duper new colour, but er, cover it with a case because it scratches easily 

Do you not think that's just them covering their backs just in case? I guess time will tell but I've got the space black apple watch and twatted it on multiple door frames and there isn't a scratch on it. It's DLC coated so I was wondering if the phone had the same DLC coating.

They don't work - I've used about 15 different sets of bluetooth headphones and every single pair has the same issues.

What the fuck are you doing with them? I've never had a problem with bluetooth earphones regardless of setting and I'm usually listening in highly populated places like rush hour trains

[JimmyGrunt]

Had an iphone and pre-ordered for release day every since the first gen iphone. But now i'm actually considering fucking apple off and seeing what else is out there.

My 6 is fine, although the battery is abit fucked (doesnt hold its charge), i may get a new batt in it and keep it and wait for the 8 to come out.

Hmmm.....

[CraigDS]

That's my plan, well other than no battery issues on my 6.

Makes sense as this will be fine for another year and the 8 is meant to be a big big upgrade in both design and features.

[sminp]

That's my plan, well other than no battery issues on my 6.

Makes sense as this will be fine for another year and the 8 is meant to be a big big upgrade in both design and features.

This was my plan too, my 6 is still in perfect condition. I'm currently fighting the urge to fuck it off and upgrade because I'm a sucker for a nice new shiny bit of tech. It's the rumours about a big upgrade for iPhone 8 that are helping prevent me getting drawn in this time.

[CraigDS]

This was my plan too, my 6 is still in perfect condition. I'm currently fighting the urge to fuck it off and upgrade because I'm a sucker for a nice new shiny bit of tech. It's the rumours about a big upgrade for iPhone 8 that are helping prevent me getting drawn in this time.

Yeah I'm exactly the same!

Gonna get myself a Watch I think instead to tide me over until the phone upgrade next summer!

[sminp]

Yeah I'm exactly the same!

Gonna get myself a Watch I think instead to tide me over until the phone upgrade next summer!

I love my apple watch, wouldn't recommend it though unless you're going to make good use of the fitness side of things and think of everything else on it as a bonus. People talk about the accuracy of it in comparison to a Fitbit but it's not that far out and the GPS in the new one should help further. Unless you're extremely anal about accuracy of distance/calories then it's accurate enough in my opinion

[CraigDS]

Yeah held off until now because didn't think would make much use of it, but doing Tough Mudder in June and intending to be doing plenty of trail running training so could come in handy.

[Kashinoda]

There are big benefits to it, namely it will allow for thinner devices, allows for active noise cancelling, and frees up a lot of space for larger internals (battery) or smaller devices.

They are just the ones I know off the top of my head, there will definitely be others.

What are the big benefits again? Forcing users to go down a propriety route is never a benefit. They're nice enough to give everyone a 'free' adapter but that costs £10 to replace when you inevitably lose it, and completely stops you charging your phone at the same time.

All the while the iPhone 7 isn't any thinner or smaller then the iPhone 6. They've also said they needed to remove it to make it water proof, what? What are half the Android phones on the market doing then? 

Great quote this: "According to Apple's Phil Schiller, there's no ulterior motive behind the move away from the 3.5mm headphone jack. "We are removing the audio jack because we have developed a better way to deliver audio. It has nothing to do with content management or DRM -- that's pure, paranoid conspiracy theory,"

There's a better way to deliver audio, though it's never explained what it is

This isn't technology moving on, there's nothing to move on too. It's just a way for Apple to peddle more extra shit. Which is fine, they've always done this. But there's absolutely 0 benefits to it.

[sminp]

What are the big benefits again?

I've seen it mentioned that sound quality is better through the lightning port, no idea how true that is though. They're also able to use active noise cancellation as well.

They're only the 2nd company to remove the jack but others won't be far behind now, once apple drops something that usually signals the end for that component. I personally haven't used a headphone jack for 2 years, making better use of that space feels like progress to me.

[clinical]

Price hike of £60? Brexit?

[John C]

Same here. 5S goes with Nokia 3310 as best phones I ever had.

Since my 2 daughters have moved to the 6 I've inherited another 2 5s phones so I'll be using a 5s for the foreseeable future

[MichaelA]

I stepped out of Apple's orchard a few years ago, and use Sony phones and tablets. I've had a pair of Sony bluetooth headphones that also act as a mini handset. They connect easily and the sound quality is excellent. I think it's a natural evolution - in a wireless world cables are increasingly redundant.

[Cpt_Reina]

People are really annoyed about losing the 3.5m jack? I thought everyone had moved on to wireless headphones by now regardless.

Apple's own brand AirPods might be a bit steep but there are plenty of cheaper alternatives out there, personally I couldnt go back to the awkwardness of a cable now.

[CraigDS]

What are the big benefits again? Forcing users to go down a propriety route is never a benefit. They're nice enough to give everyone a 'free' adapter but that costs £10 to replace when you inevitably lose it, and completely stops you charging your phone at the same time.

Then don't lose it. Hardly their fault if you do to be honest. Plus for the vast majority they won't need the adapter as will use the lightning cable headphone which come with it.

The benefits are the lightning cable allows for digital audio where most of the work is done in the headphones themselves, rather than converted prior to the headphone jack - this means better quality sound. The lightning cable also allows for pass-through power, so things like active noise cancelling can be done. In fact, there is a shit tone of interactive features not possible via a headphone jack which now will be via wireless or lightning cable.

All the while the iPhone 7 isn't any thinner or smaller then the iPhone 6.

This device isn't smaller as they haven't changed the form factor - it will lead to smaller iterations in the future. It is lighter though.

However they've used the additional space for other things, such as a bigger battery.

Great quote this: "According to Apple's Phil Schiller, there's no ulterior motive behind the move away from the 3.5mm headphone jack. "We are removing the audio jack because we have developed a better way to deliver audio. It has nothing to do with content management or DRM -- that's pure, paranoid conspiracy theory,"

There's a better way to deliver audio, though it's never explained what it is

This isn't technology moving on, there's nothing to move on too. It's just a way for Apple to peddle more extra shit. Which is fine, they've always done this. But there's absolutely 0 benefits to it.

The better way is the lightning cable. Pretty sure you'll see most manufacturers moving away from using the headphone jack over the next 12-24 months.

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

I don't believe in wireless headphones providing a better sound.

When I go into recording studios, we use cabled headphones for monitoring. If the sound quality was genuinely better then surely the people who actually record the sound you're going to listen to on whatever headphones would use them too. Jacks, mini jacks, they're all over any music studio, don't see what is wrong with them in terms of transmitting sound, most cables in a recording studio will be these, most guitars, organs, synths etc. are connected using them.

Wasn't upgrading anyway so not arsed but it's just to sell headphones and yea save a bit of space inside.

Apple fucked me over at uni when they first removed floppy drives from PowerBooks or whatever, had to buy a fucking Zip drive as CD writers were in their infancy. Not forgotten this!

[red_lfc_costello]

Apple fucked me over at uni when they first removed floppy drives from PowerBooks or whatever, had to buy a fucking Zip drive as CD writers were in their infancy. Not forgotten this!

Sheldon?!

[CraigDS]

I don't believe in wireless headphones providing a better sound.

When I go into recording studios, we use cabled headphones for monitoring. If the sound quality was genuinely better then surely the people who actually record the sound you're going to listen to on whatever headphones would use them too. Jacks, mini jacks, they're all over any music studio, don't see what is wrong with them in terms of transmitting sound, most cables in a recording studio will be these, most guitars, organs, synths etc. are connected using them.

Size isn't an issue with most of those devices though, so can handle the conversion prior to the headphone jack.

Space is at an ever increasing premium in phones and other mobile devices though, so if they can move out the processing of the sound from the device to the headphones then you free up loads of space.

[Broad Spectrum]

I'm getting it as my I've got a 16gb iPhone 6 and I'm sick of having to delete to install! The updates they release sit there for weeks on end, and by the time I get round to deleting shite from my phone, another one gets released.

That's my plan, well other than no battery issues on my 6.

Makes sense as this will be fine for another year and the 8 is meant to be a big big upgrade in both design and features.

Is the 8 set for a 2017 release?

["21C or 70F?" SchizoidWeatherMan!]

That processor/SOC in the Iphone 7    It is the most powerful mobile processor out there by a long distance, not even close. The soc design has complexity (use of faster more cache and also L3 cache) beyond any other mobile processor and has cores that are almost as powerful as desktop i3/i5 cores, which is MASSIVE considering it has a 2-4 watt TDP.  Overkill for a simplistic OS like iOS but credit where credit is due. Apple makes the best. fastest and most modern SOCs in the industry. Too bad we wont be seeing this chipset running on Android.....

All that R&D expenditure is being used well looks like!

And those who are saying it is not a big update... It is a MASSIVE update internally, looks aside. The chipset is almost 40-50% faster as well as the GPU. There is OIS by default on all models as opposed to just the plus models. There is a soft haptic home button which is pressure sensitive. There is the removal of the 3.5 mm jack (more bad than good imo) which is supposed to up the audio quality as there is no analog conversion.  There is more RAM as well going by reports (Apple never explicitly mention the RAM size). And of course the Dual camera which will bring in abilities only seen on DSLRs and High end point and shoots. I am not even mentioning the battery improvements which are supposed to extend its longevity by 20%.

If you are using a 6 currently, it is absolutely a massive upgrade, at least where it matters.

[GBF]

from the Guardian:

"The beauty of the headphone cable is just like the beauty of a tampon string: it is there to help you keep track of a very important item, and help you fish it out of whatever nook and cranny it might have fallen into."