However, Apple will be shipping lightning to 3.5 mm connector adapter bundled with every iPhone 7.
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Lightning ports will now be used for headphones.
As if we weren’t already confused enough by Apple’s decision, the company’s marketing chief, Phil Schiller, left us scratching our heads when he attempted to explain Apple’s rationale for moving away from the standard headphone jack.
Apple also introduced wireless “AirPods”, headphones that interact with the user’s iPhones, contain Siri and voice recognition and are capable of seamlessly jumping device to device (e.g. iPhone to Apple Watch).
Mike Binger, senior portfolio manager at Gradient Investments LLC in Minneapolis, said the disappearance of the headphone jack “will probably annoy a certain amount of people” but they would likely get over it.
A partnership with sports brand Nike has resulted in the Apple Watch Nike+, marketed as a simple alternative to more complex Global Positioning System run-tracking devices.
The “completely re-engineered” and swim-proof Series 2 line of the Apple Watch and the Apple Watch Nike Plus, meanwhile, will be priced starting at $369. Industry analysts say it’s because last fall’s iPhone 6S and 6S Plus didn’t contain many new features or improvements.
The new iPhones will debut September 16 in the U.S., China and more than two dozen other countries.
With all the new features in the iPhone 7, “All of that stuff is fighting for space, and it’s at a premium”, Schiller said. The iPhone 7 Plus meanwhile has a 5.5-inch display and dual 12MP rear cameras (one wide angle and one telephoto). “The courage to move on, do something new that betters all of us”. They’re powered by an Apple-designed processor and special software that Schiller said will let users easily sync the wireless buds to their iPhone, Apple Watch and other Apple devices.
The Apple Watch Series 2 is water resistant up to 50 meters deep.
Apple has been touting its camera’s power in ads all over the country, so expect to see more examples to look at when you’re driving down the highway in the future. The dongle is expected to be included with the purchase of the iPhone 7. The iPhone 7 will start from $649 in the US.
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Though they’ve been at the forefront of other technology changes, Apple is not the first to remove the headphone jack from mobile phones.
