Now that Apple has officially angered me ...

[Achtung!]

Galaxy Note 7. Remember the lithium battery defect affects 0.2% of those in the market.

If you're really worried, wait a few weeks until they fix the production issue.

 

[Kazukian]

Galaxy Note 7. Remember the lithium battery defect affects 0.2% of those in the market.

If you're really worried, wait a few weeks until they fix the production issue.

Achtung, I don't understand your math, how do you figure 0.2%?

http://www.fox13news.com/news/local-news/203295058-stor

http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/33034...e-7-possible-cause-of-horry-county-house-fire

http://www.faa.gov/news/updates/?newsId=86424

 

[WelshBloke]

As I mentioned in the Apple sub-forum thread, I'm expecting some case manufacturer to build a case with a built-in DAC that puts a 3.5mm jack on the bottom and still provides a lightning pass-through. It would probably slightly obfuscate a speaker, but cases already do this to a degree. The case could also "funnel" the sound through a smaller hole. (Not great, but better than blocking it.)

The difficulty of designing a case like this is... what concession do you make? 3.5mm jacks are fairly long (about 14mm looking at a pair of headphones that I have right here) and that would have to be added to a modestly sized phone (iPhone 7) and a large phone (iPhone 7+) in some dimension. It might be easier to add to the thickness of the phone since a case will have to take into account the camera bump as it is.

It would be amazing if Apple could somehow build the 3.5mm dongle into the iPhone. They could integrate the socket and DAC.

Obviously this would take a lot of R&D but if anyone could accomplish this it would have to be Apple.

 

[Roland00Address]

The difficulty of designing a case like this is... what concession do you make? 3.5mm jacks are fairly long (about 14mm looking at a pair of headphones that I have right here) and that would have to be added to a modestly sized phone (iPhone 7) and a large phone (iPhone 7+) in some dimension. It might be easier to add to the thickness of the phone since a case will have to take into account the camera bump as it is.

Who says the headphone jack can't be at a right angle of the traditional position. Aka add only about 5 mm on the height of the case? You do not need to put a headphone jack at the exact bottom pointing down.

 

[Eug]

This is ironic, considering all the comments about lost headphone jack dongles to convert the Lightning socket into a headphone jack.

I just lost my iPod shuffle's charger a few days ago. The ironic part is that the charger is a headphone plug to USB adapter, to convert that headphone jack into a charger and data transfer port. Yes, to sync my music data files to that iPod, it all goes through the headphone jack.

BTW, this is what the original Apple charging and data syncing dock looked like for the shuffle:

 

[master_shake_]

Won't you have to plug a dongle into that dongle?

yo dawg....

 

[Eug]

Won't you have to plug a dongle into that dongle?

That's why I posted the combo charging dock with headphone jack as well.

But also, the phone comes with Lightning earpods anyway, so that dongle would work with those and be able to charge the phone at the same time.

ie. There now exist two different dual-port options:

Apple charging/syncing dock: Has Lightning port for charging/syncing, and headphone jack for traditional headphones.
Belkin dual Lightning port: Has Lightning port for charging/syncing, and 2nd Lightning port for Lightning headphones.

BTW, I don't like the Lightning branding. It just sounds like something a cheap startup tech company would choose.

 

[Aikouka]

It would be amazing if Apple could somehow build the 3.5mm dongle into the iPhone. They could integrate the socket and DAC.

Obviously this would take a lot of R&D but if anyone could accomplish this it would have to be Apple.

Where's the courage in that!?

 

[lopri]

I think the bundling/selling of the dongle is just to appease those who may not want to transition instantly. But this article basically sums up why Apple did this. It's not a surprise, and frankly something we have already been discussing.


$$$$$$$

Ugh that is beyond belief..

 

[WelshBloke]

ie. There now exist two different dual-port options:

Apple charging/syncing dock: Has Lightning port for charging/syncing, and headphone jack for traditional headphones.
Belkin dual Lightning port: Has Lightning port for charging/syncing, and 2nd Lightning port for Lightning headphones.

Elegant! I can see that that's far better than just having a 3.5mm jack on the phone!

 

[Fingolfin269]

From USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2016/09/08/how-iphone-7-stacks-up-against-competition/90089834/

The iPhone 7 will ship with a new Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter for using existing analog headphones with the new port, and Apple will sell new $159 high-end wireless headphones called AirPods that are designed to connect easily with the new iPhone and run for about 5 hours per charge.

High end??? I know it's USA Today but come on man!

 

[Oyeve]

From USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2016/09/08/how-iphone-7-stacks-up-against-competition/90089834/

Sounds like a Bose commercial.


High end??? I know it's USA Today but come on man!

 

[dainthomas]

From USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2016/09/08/how-iphone-7-stacks-up-against-competition/90089834/



High end??? I know it's USA Today but come on man!

Exactly. Apple and high end are redundant.

 

[Bardock]

Or just got a decently made moderately priced android phone and charge and listen to music and be happy. Apple must really hate their users more than I do to take the headphone jack away. And I agree wireless headphones sound like garbage.

 

[Eug]

Or just got a decently made moderately priced android phone and charge and listen to music and be happy. Apple must really hate their users more than I do to take the headphone jack away. And I agree wireless headphones sound like garbage.

If you have listenened to wireless headphones that sound like garbage, then you have listened to garbage wireless headphones.

Not all wireless headphones and wireless data transfer protocols are the same.

 

[Oyeve]

If you have listenened to wireless headphones that sound like garbage, then you have listened to garbage wireless headphones.

Not all wireless headphones and wireless data transfer protocols are the same.

You can get the best of the best but in the end wireless compare to wired is garbage.

 

[Fingolfin269]

If you have listenened to wireless headphones that sound like garbage, then you have listened to garbage wireless headphones.

Not all wireless headphones and wireless data transfer protocols are the same.

Not sure if this is the thread I asked in but I know I asked in one of these.

If someone can show me bluetooth headsets that are $ for $ as good as their wired counterparts I will buy in.

For example, I own these:

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/i-love-these-headphonesthe-nad-viso-hp50#cwtyz16adgKoAVKU.97

What is the Bluetooth equivalent for $250-$299?

 

[Eug]

Wired headsets will usually be much cheaper than wireless of comparable sound quality. However, that doesn't mean wireless will sound bad. You need to spend more money to get good wireless headsets.

If you don't want to do that and just use a wired headset with a standard 3.5 mm stereo jack, then you just use the included free dongle.

BTW, for my Sennheiser HD598 headphones, the first thing I did was to swap out its uber long cable with a much shorter one I bought on eBay, that also had a built in volume control switch on it. This is possible since the cable for that Sennheiser is intentionally removable, and it doesn't affect the sound because Apple's headphone jack is actually not a standard headphone jack. Instead of the usual three bands of electrically conductive areas, it has four bands. There is no analogue attenuation of the sound within the cable like with some cheap headphones that have volume rockers, but there is direct active digital control of the volume in the iPhone/iPad.

I believe some Android devices also support this, but it's really hit and miss.

Now what would be nice is for Apple to create a headphone jack --> Lightning dongle with volume control buttons, for $29. However, I wonder if this is already supported in the dongle, if the cable already has the volume buttons built into it. It's nicer to have the volume buttons at chest level than at the phone. It's annoying to have to fiddle with the phone or take the phone out of your pocket just to adjust the volume. Yes, the phones have volume buttons too, but it's still annoying if it's in your pocket.

 

[Zaap]

As with other things, the best headphones for me... are the ones I actually own. They work with ALL of my devices, without dongles and needless $29 add-ons. I wouldn't buy headphones just to use with one device, or because one device forced me into a compromise.

I find this whole move of Apple's needless and silly, but I get they want to sell some headphones and a lot of people will buy into whatever they be slangin'.

I find it funny right now because I've heard this same song and dance before. Almost all of the iphone owners I know are pissed off no end about the iPhone 7. "No way!" Many have been holding onto some older relic iPhone for ages in that perpetual wait for "Apple's next thing...!"

Then the "next thing!" gets here and it's not what they were wanting, and so it's "No way I'm buying that! Screw Apple! I'm keeping my iThingy xx... (forever?)


Flash forward... let's give it 2 months:

"Hmm... Gina just got that sleek new iGizmo I swore I wasn't gonna go near... gee, this iThingy xx I swore I'd keep forever sure does look old....

*click* "Ordered the new iGizmo! yay!!"


Apple KNOWS you'll come around iPeeps, no matter what functions they take from you!


BTW: lest it come off like I'm goofing too much on the above situation, I'm kind of the same way with Samsung stuff. I swore I'd never go near their stuff once they went with crap like glass backs, and non-removable batteries. But even the threat of my N7 ***EXPLODING*** couldn't keep me away.

Not so sure I'd follow them down the 'look we removed the headphone jack too!' rabbit hole though.

 

[Eug]

As with other things, the best headphones for me... are the ones I actually own. They work with ALL of my devices, without dongles and needless $29 add-ons. I wouldn't buy headphones just to use with one device, or because one device forced me into a compromise.

I find this whole move of Apple's needless and silly, but I get they want to sell some headphones and a lot of people will buy into whatever they be slangin'.

Again, you can use your 3.5 mm wired headphones just fine with the iPhone 7, because they provide the dongle free in the box. Complaining about having to use a dongle is just complaining. You're free to complain, but it's like some people here are suggesting it's the end of the world.

I plan to use my Etymotics with their 3.5 mm plug with my iPhone 7 from time to time. These are ones I already own, and which I paid hundreds of dollars for. I don't see as being a significant issue. An annoyance at most, more than made up for by the most excellent camera.

As I've been saying all along, as long as they include both the dongle and a free set of Lightning earpods in the box, I'd be satisfied. And they've done that. And they've gone one step further by making the dongle (if you want extras) only $9. I was expecting it to be $29.

 

[Oyeve]

and a free set of Lightning earpods

haha, nothing is free.

 

[Zaap]

That's fine they included the dongle- but personally I hate dongles and adapters. The problem I have with them in in many situations in real world use, they just aren't around when you need them. It's like having a pair of headphones with a 1/4 jack and everything I use has 1/8. Sure, sure, just use an adapter. But I know I won't- It'll end up NEVER being around when I need it and just want to pop the headphones on for a quick listen. This has been my experience with such things. "Just leave it on the headphones!" Sure- sounds good- until you go and use the headphones with another device that doesn't require the adapter... let me just set this needless dongle down somewhere... oops... next I need it, where the F is it?

I wouldn't want an iPhone anyway, but certainly not minus the headphone jack. As I said, it's iPhone owners I see pissed off about it- and as I also predicted... They'll come around! I can't really fault them, as I said for my own reasons, I've had to give up things I wanted for the phones I prefer. To me, a non-removable battery is a compromise I've had to accept. (Thankfully, lack of SD storage wasn't.)

 

[Fingolfin269]

Has anyone actually seen test results of listening to audio through use of the dongle? Curious to see if there is a difference when comparing a 6s with direct 3.5mm connection vs 7 with dongle 3.5mm connection.

I've been looking for something but not sure any reviewers have had a chance to do that yet.

 

[WelshBloke]

Has anyone actually seen test results of listening to audio through use of the dongle? Curious to see if there is a difference when comparing a 6s with direct 3.5mm connection vs 7 with dongle 3.5mm connection.

I've been looking for something but not sure any reviewers have had a chance to do that yet.

I'd like to see a teardown of the dongle to see what's in it.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Back to the original premise of the thread...

I've narrowed my list down a bit (thought not as much as I'd like):

1) Keep current iPhone 6 and see what the future holds (iPhone 8, Pixel) -aka the "boring option"
2) iPhone 6s Plus (Swappa)
3) Galaxy 7 or 7 Edge (Swappa)
4) Non-Explosive Note (Once they're available)

This could be a good opportunity to get back in on Android for at least a little while. Maybe I'll like what I see on the Galaxy 7/7 Edge? The prices on Swappa are certainly nice. Or I could just go with the safe play since I know I prefer iOS.

On Swappa, I've never used the service. Do you guys who use it generally have good luck with it? Assuming it's the standard idea of try to focus on buying from reputable sellers and limit your search criteria to Mint/New (possibly Good).