As mentioned earlier, the only new physical attribute of the iPhone 7 models is the missing headphone jock.
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But that strategy has some risks.
The alternative – plugging a headphone cord into the iPhone’s power port – has plenty of downside as well. “We’re excited to offer the Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar to our customers, extending our family of RockStar multi-port products and creating an easy way for people to charge and listen on the go”, Steve Malony, VP, GM Belkin said. And arch-rival Samsung (OTCMKTS:SSNLF) sells more mobile phones overall than Apple.
Apple Senior Vice-President Philip Schiller made it clear Wednesday that the company sees a future where its sleek gadgets are no longer encumbered by cords at all.
Its specs, while not equal to the iPhone 7’s, are all perfectly respectable: A decent camera, 32 GB of storage, a 5-inch HD display, a fine processor.
But real, Charlie Bananas option for iPhone users is to opt for a pair of wireless Bluetooth headphone buds dubbed AirPods.
The iPhone 7 Plus’ dual-camera features are welcome, but not exactly game-changing. We really just care that we can keep a sound that we’re proud of.
There’s no news about the cost of individual AirPods yet, however as a pair will cost £159 in the United Kingdom, including a charging case, a price of around £69 should be expected. More telling is the rate of growth between wired and wireless, with Bluetooth-enabled devices surging ahead.
If you’re not down to pay $159 for the wireless, Apple is including EarPods with a Lightning Connector and a Lightning to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter (which you can attach your existing iPhone EarPods too) in the iPhone 7 box. “I think Apple has a real victor here”. Social media sites have been having mixed reactions about iPhone 7’s wireless headphones.
So if you decide – for reasons of technical convenience, political principle, cultural exhaustion, or just personal curmudgeonliness – to ditch your iPhone, here are three alternatives. “It’s about getting consumers thinking more about that ecosystem of Apple products – and how they all play nicely together”.
Apple’s latest launch – of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 plus, plus the AirPod wireless headphones and an updated Apple Watch – still prompted plenty of kidney jokes.
As local brands becoming increasingly innovative, as well as affordable, are now posing a real threat for Apple’s market share in China. The new smartphones will be available at the company’s 2,000 retail locations in North and East regions across the country.
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Last year, Apple started offering installment-purchase plans for iPhones, with a twist.
