Nick Siano is a junior telecommunications and journalism major and writes "Nick and Tired" for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper. Write to Nick at ncsiano@bsu.edu.
Apple removed the traditional headphone jack from the iPhone 7, citing one word for their action: “Courage.”
Truly a brave move on Apple’s part. It does take courage to flip the bird to your source of revenue.
Gone are the days of the iPhone being one of the most streamlined smartphones on the market.
Now, with only the Lightning port to connect new headphones to, users are forced to attach an adapter in order to use their handy-dandy, trustworthy 3.5 mm jack headphones.
Planning on charging your phone and listening to music at the same time? Get ready to buy a dongle that splits the Lightning port, so you can charge your phone and have a spare port open for the aforementioned adapter so you can use your headphones.
Congratulations. Your iPhone now looks like a hodgepodge of wires and splitters not unlike those used to connect a modern computer to a boxed television. Nothing says “simple, streamlined product” quite like needing to attach your previously universal headphones into an adapter that is plugged into a dongle that is plugged into your phone.
“Courage” is looking at your past of simplifying personal computers, smartphones and laptops and trying to rebrand yourself as a company known for mildly inconveniencing your customers.
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But it took the most courage for Apple to show off their new headphones, the AirPods, which wirelessly connect via Bluetooth to the phone.
Bluetooth headphones are nothing new. Completely wireless Bluetooth headphones aren’t even brand new. But the idea that they will provide a better sound quality than a wired connection is very new.
And very wrong.
Bluetooth, way back in the days of cell phone holsters and earpieces, was not designed to transmit high-quality digital audio. If you force high-bitrate audio on any Bluetooth, they choke and sometimes even lose their connection.
Granted, Bluetooth has had an increase in quality, but it won’t deliver the same, non-degraded sound as a wired connection will.
The AirPods will be sold for $159.00.
The only “courage” here is the buyer’s courage to justify buying them.
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