Too soon? Apple's new iPhone 7 ruffles feathers with Lightning audio, Home button changes

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  • Reply 61 of 125
    Question for any who have already received their iPhone 7:  With the new home button, does it require 2 presses to open the phone?
    I don't have new iPhone. I only have my 6s and even with this one year old phone it's just one touch at Home button. I lift my phone up, the screen lit. I gently rest my thumb on Touch ID (doesn't need even a press) and it unlocks.
    edited September 2016 ration al
  • Reply 62 of 125
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,842moderator
    Soli said:
    Soli said:
    normm said:
    Too soon?


    This is chart is either poorly made or is designed to trick the reader. It's market share by revenue, not units, that have exceeding 50%. Market share by unit sales, which is the important decider when it comes to the end user, is just over 15%.
    Not sure that's correct.  People vote with their wallets.  If Bluetooth is capturing half the amount of money spent on listening, and that amount is growing while the amount spent on wired is shrinking, what more evidence does one need?  Early adopters usually pay a premium, but they also very often indicate a trend that trickles down along with prices.  I was in Target earlier today, saw many wireless sets in the $59-99 range, whereas a year ago $99 was the more prevalent starting price.  Unit market share will soon enough follow revenue market share.
    No, I'm correct. The chart makes an ambiguous statement that refers to revenue.
    Okay, so we can agree the chart is ambiguous, but I didn't argue with that point.  I actually agreed with you on that score.  My argument was against your other point, where you suggested Unit share is the more important indicator.   It's not.
    edited September 2016 tmayibill
  • Reply 63 of 125
    It's clear that the iPhone 7/Plus is a transitional line, that will get the backlash of:

    - The lack of a standard headphone jack.
    - The annoyance of not being able to be charged while wired headphones are plugged in.
    - A new 'weird' non moving home button that vibrates instead of just clicking.
    Next year the absence of the 3.5 mm jack won't be important anymore. And, supposedly, a click-less home button won't even be there, replaced by taptic feedback and (maybe) a visual cue on screen for where to press to return to the home screen.
    Apple is simply laying the grond for their future technologies by slowly breaking up with the things that hold back those advances. And that will always raise some concerns, as we humans usually resist change, because we like the safety of what we know.
    3 to 5 years from now it will seem almost riddiculous to use wired headphones. Haptic feedback will be so usual that clicky buttons will seem almost unnecessary. Add in true wireless charging and the iPhone will be a sealed slab of whatever material Jony Ive dreams of, without the need of ports and moving parts and completely water proof.
    I think these next 3-5 years will be very interesting in that regard, because screen resolution, high speed processors and simple internal specs are not that important anymore: every high end phone is 'good enough'.
    It will be the user experience what will make future devices more or less appealing. And Apple has a huge advantage in that area.
    radarthekattmaywatto_cobrabrucemcration al
  • Reply 64 of 125
    Still no answer here, whether the Lightning adapter contains its own DAC or not. I have been searching the net extensively, and found no answer anywhere. That's absolutely weird.
  • Reply 65 of 125
    ... the company has a clear vision for the future and is marching toward it without much regard for the opinions of its detractors. ...

    "The best way to predict the future is to invent it."

    - Alan Kay

    Apple has been, is now, and will always be happy to let their competitors cling to trailing-edge technology.


    tmaywatto_cobraradarthekatration al
  • Reply 66 of 125

    ... why do so many *American* journalists hate Apple so much? ...
    One word: "payola."
    watto_cobraqwweraDan Andersenration al
  • Reply 67 of 125
    evilution said:
    mactodd said:
    You didn't mention charging while listening. That's the biggest drawback to using Lightning headphones. Or wireless ones which need to be charged. You give up the functionality of listening on long trips, in a car, plane, train, etc. That's a step back.  At least without third party dongles. Apple should have introduced wireless charging first, so you could listen while staying charged.
    How to fix a dilemma that no one really ever had but keep bringing it up to try and prove a point?

    Next year's Android Samsung phones probably won't have a headphone jack either but don't worry, you can lug around your charging mat.

    If you are one of the 30 people who have genuinely charged and listened to music at the same time, buy the dongle.
    Incredibly rare problem fixed. But of course, you don't want to use a dongle as then you can't moan.

    I use a QC25 (NOT a QC35, which is wireless) because it is wired, and it uses lovely AA batteries instead of stupid "can't take them out, have to stop listening to charge" batteries.
    I travel long distance (250km one way, 500km b/f) every day. I travel very long distance rather often. I'm not upgrading my iPhone for this reason alone. I sure hope this is NOT a dilemma no one else has, but I would conclude from the fact that I already exist that your point that no one has it is blatantly wrong.


    Note: I am aware that unless something really massive happens, I will eventually have to accept a (tolerable but frustrating) loss of my quality of life because of Apple's decision. I will, however, try to make that happen much later.

    Second note: Am I the only person in the world to notice that one of the side effects of having a *digital* output, compared to the *analogic* one previously offered, is that we _might_ get the same exasperating issue that we already get with screens, e.g. "digital rights management" which prevents you from using your paid movies on your old screens because they "do not support digital right management output"?

    I do realise there is ONE huge advantage to getting rid of the jack, which is the massive gain in space in the iPhone itself. I still consider the move a net loss to me.

    Fourth note: I don't get the controversy around the Home button. It feels very natural and logical to change it to the new system, with all its advantages. To me, it's a clear win...

    edited September 2016
  • Reply 68 of 125
    DED... words, words, words, ... trying to prove anything.

    Apple didn't go with the Lightning audio because Apple was afraid iPhone 5 and 5s might not catch?
    How strange is it after a paragraph under the heading "Innovation by fire".

    Does it mean Apple when inventing by destroying has "revert plans".
    Or that they don't trust their choices to fully go down the path?

    Maybe, just maybe it's DED drooling over his own clever words
    singularity
  • Reply 69 of 125
    Very nice essay, as usual!
    watto_cobraration al
  • Reply 70 of 125
    As someone who doesn't read or watch 'mainstream' news, my question is:  why do so many *American* journalists hate Apple so much? And they hate Apple so much that they would promote a Korean conglomerate (supposedly financially and politically sponsored by their country's government) that shamelessly copies Apple's products ?? I can understand American journalists picking sides with Google or Microsoft or non-Americans wanting us to all go to hell. But why do these presumably informed and educated Americans so publicly rail against an American company that doesn't mistreat its customers or steal from others, one that's almost like an angel among large corporations? Why??

    I can only assume that they are depending on their income to continue saying such crap. Most of the loudest freaks are 'affiliated' with MS or Alph, and there are a bunch of people really worried about how Apple is changing other markets, or will in the future. If I were SS, I would be shovelling heaps of cash into Patel's fat mouth! I mean, a lawyer isn't exactly there for scruples. Neither MS nor Alph are making an headway with their consumer base in terms of profitability - in fact, I bet they spend most days and nights trying to plan how to get back into Apple's good graces. I hope they both go out of business very soon.
    watto_cobraDan Andersenration al
  • Reply 71 of 125
    foggyhill said:
    mrr said:
    Apple Pencil on iPhone? Absolutely! You say it wouldn't work on a small screen? I used a pen for years on a Newton and Palm Pilot. Great for text input and bet the shit out of a finger for drawing. The technology has already been perfected for the iPad Pro and would be cheaper to implement for a smaller screen there are really no technical constraints for producing and marketing this now. Plus there's the added incentive that Apple gets to sell a $100 pencil add on. There is also no reason that a smaller thinner and could not be created if the current one is too big for your tastes. In any case, I'm going to buy the first one that comes out because it something I can use every single day. I would have jumped to Samsung just for this feature if I wasn't tied into the iOS universe. Please Apple, listen to me and not Appleinsider.
    It may occur, but the phone was packed solid this year (with the camera), so they certainly didn't have space for a digitizer.
    They would probably put it on the large phone (and true tone), next year.
    The iPh will never have the Pencil. The Mini will get Pencil next year. The products will continue to develop differentiating functions to keep them viable.
    ration al
  • Reply 72 of 125
    Thanks Dan - you made my day again. When are you releasing a paid-subscription app on the Store?
  • Reply 73 of 125
    dagaz said:
    My problem with Lightning headphones is that there is no way that Lightning ports are going to become as ubiquitous as the current 3.5mm jack. With my current headphones I can listen to them on every audio device I currently own, including my home stereo. With Lightning headphones I could listen to them on only 2 of my current devices (not even on my MacBook). I can understand Apple wanting to ditch an old standard for a new standard, but I do not see Lightning becoming a new standard outside of Apple's ecosystem.


    There is of course always the other option, the one people seem to be all too conveniently overlooking at the moment. 
    Buy the right headphones in the first place. There will be, just as there are now and have been for some time, headphones which not only offer Lightning but also the legacy 3.5mm connection. Some offer wireless to go along with it. 
    Imagine, one pair of headphones you can use on any device you own regardless of the format it chooses to support.

    Hardly going to solve the charging situation of course and I do realise that seems to be a real issue for some people. Not encountered it myself for a long time thankfully, I learned back in the days long before smartphones to keep topping my devices up at every opportunity, even if they didn't really need it. So I've not run out of juice for the best part of a couple of decades now. Even when travelling, those 10 or 20 minutes when you're not using your headphones, get the battery pack plugged in, you get a lot of audio use from even such a small top up. Still, that aside, I've very little doubt that solutions will become available before too long. Manufacturers aren't going to just bypass a golden egg situation to capitalise on the need for a compact cable allowing you to charge and listen. 

    Still, there's always going to be perceived issues that apparently can't be solved with some lateral thinking. Trouble is the change is happening now if we like it or not. We're going to have to learn to adapt, or be left behind eventually. 
    ration al
  • Reply 74 of 125
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,310member
    There's been a few astute writers and prognosticators on the internet that have noted that AirPods point to a specific roadmap of AR/VR based simply on the W1 and motion sensors that they incorporate.

    Thinking about this further, it would appear that Apple now has three mobile platforms that provide basic spatial data for the position of the human body related to the Earth; iPhones (and iPads), Apple Watch , and now AirPods, all interconnected by BT with each other, and wirelessly with the world. Considering each of these as six degree of freedom devices has absolute or implied position wrt gravity, and at least the iPhone for orientation to magnetic north, it isn't too big a suggestion that Apple could use this capability to determine the direction of an audio source, filtered and enhanced, mapped in the real or virtual world.

    Having this advanced aural capability is kind of a big deal. Imagine being able to pick out specific sounds, determine direction and origin, and map that to your Apple Watch or iPhone. I'd consider that a super power.
    watto_cobraradarthekatDanielEranai46ration al
  • Reply 75 of 125
    r00fus1 said:
    mactodd said:
    You didn't mention charging while listening. That's the biggest drawback to using Lightning headphones. Or wireless ones which need to be charged. You give up the functionality of listening on long trips, in a car, plane, train, etc. That's a step back.  At least without third party dongles. Apple should have introduced wireless charging first, so you could listen while staying charged.
    I agree. This is my only concern re: lightning headphones. I currently use my earpods and only my earpods on my iPhone6 (yes, I'm not an audiophile though I have sensitive enough hearing on a quiet night to hear tungsten step-down energy states on a cooling incandescent - actually I "see" it if I close my eyes). However, I also listen while driving using my headphones (I have a 12 year old car, and it won't die any time soon) - and I often have a low charge when I get in the car. I fear I'm going to start hating my drive if it forces me to choose between charging vs. listening. I tried BT headphones, they were really cool, but I kept getting neck aches and headaches, so I stopped. Apple, for gawdsakes, PLEASE fix this. The belkin "solution" is not at all elegant and it's frustrating I have to shell out another $40.
    But your car is 12 (TWELVE!) years old. How old is that in technology terms? That's when they released the iPod mini with it's 4GB HD. It's 3 years before the iPhone existed. Apple don't even support their OWN stuff that's that old. It can be reasonable to keep something (like a car you like or a table) that old, but to ask Apple to shackle themselves to it? Sorry, everyone's phone must be fatter or less waterproof or have less camera abilities because a few people want to connect to their car that was made when phones were phones and nothing more? I am sure whatever they add or subtract, whenever they do it, SOME people will be inconvenienced. That is unavoidable unless we all go about in horse drawn carriages and send letters to each other. The question is only ever the timing and HOW MANY people do you leave behind to carry the rest forward.
    radarthekatnolamacguyration al
  • Reply 76 of 125
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,310member
    brakken said:
    foggyhill said:
    mrr said:
    Apple Pencil on iPhone? Absolutely! You say it wouldn't work on a small screen? I used a pen for years on a Newton and Palm Pilot. Great for text input and bet the shit out of a finger for drawing. The technology has already been perfected for the iPad Pro and would be cheaper to implement for a smaller screen there are really no technical constraints for producing and marketing this now. Plus there's the added incentive that Apple gets to sell a $100 pencil add on. There is also no reason that a smaller thinner and could not be created if the current one is too big for your tastes. In any case, I'm going to buy the first one that comes out because it something I can use every single day. I would have jumped to Samsung just for this feature if I wasn't tied into the iOS universe. Please Apple, listen to me and not Appleinsider.
    It may occur, but the phone was packed solid this year (with the camera), so they certainly didn't have space for a digitizer.
    They would probably put it on the large phone (and true tone), next year.
    The iPh will never have the Pencil. The Mini will get Pencil next year. The products will continue to develop differentiating functions to keep them viable.
    I wouldn't say never, but if there is a Pencil for the iPhone, it will need to evolve to a shorter version for practical reasons.
  • Reply 77 of 125
    Soli said:
    Soli said:
    normm said:
    Too soon?


    This is chart is either poorly made or is designed to trick the reader. It's market share by revenue, not units, that have exceeding 50%. Market share by unit sales, which is the important decider when it comes to the end user, is just over 15%.
    Not sure that's correct.  People vote with their wallets.  If Bluetooth is capturing half the amount of money spent on listening, and that amount is growing while the amount spent on wired is shrinking, what more evidence does one need?  Early adopters usually pay a premium, but they also very often indicate a trend that trickles down along with prices.  I was in Target earlier today, saw many wireless sets in the $59-99 range, whereas a year ago $99 was the more prevalent starting price.  Unit market share will soon enough follow revenue market share.
    No, I'm correct. The chart makes an ambiguous statement that refers to revenue.
    Okay, so we can agree the chart is ambiguous, but I didn't argue with that point.  I actually agreed with you on that score.  My argument was against your other point, where you suggested Unit share is the more important indicator.   It's not.
    You're wrong. Your whole point, implied by the graph, was that BT headphones had surpassed wired ones and at 15% it's not the case at all. Apple provides connectivity for a minority of headphone users. I would argue that the graph might look different for iphone users though, maybe it's more than 15%, but the graph you posted is irrelevant, revenue is important for the manufacturers and retailers not the end user
  • Reply 78 of 125
    "Rather than quitting an app and then being asked about what documents you'd like to save, and waiting around as the app finished up various tasks it wanted to complete before giving you control over your own computer again, the original iPhone introduced a radical new user-first model featuring the equivalent of the similarly round "Go Home" control from the Gong Show."

    Am I missing something? Isn't this the same as hitting the windows key for the start menu or WIN+D for the desktop?

    "After nearly a decade of wild experimentation, Samsung's latest flagship has settled on a copy of what Apple introduced ten generations ago."

    And yet many other Android devices don't have a physical home button, which no doubt, is the way that Apple will eventually go.
  • Reply 79 of 125
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,310member
    Soli said:
    Soli said:
    normm said:
    Too soon?


    This is chart is either poorly made or is designed to trick the reader. It's market share by revenue, not units, that have exceeding 50%. Market share by unit sales, which is the important decider when it comes to the end user, is just over 15%.
    Not sure that's correct.  People vote with their wallets.  If Bluetooth is capturing half the amount of money spent on listening, and that amount is growing while the amount spent on wired is shrinking, what more evidence does one need?  Early adopters usually pay a premium, but they also very often indicate a trend that trickles down along with prices.  I was in Target earlier today, saw many wireless sets in the $59-99 range, whereas a year ago $99 was the more prevalent starting price.  Unit market share will soon enough follow revenue market share.
    No, I'm correct. The chart makes an ambiguous statement that refers to revenue.
    Okay, so we can agree the chart is ambiguous, but I didn't argue with that point.  I actually agreed with you on that score.  My argument was against your other point, where you suggested Unit share is the more important indicator.   It's not.
    You're wrong. Your whole point, implied by the graph, was that BT headphones had surpassed wired ones and at 15% it's not the case at all. Apple provides connectivity for a minority of headphone users. I would argue that the graph might look different for iphone users though, maybe it's more than 15%, but the graph you posted is irrelevant, revenue is important for the manufacturers and retailers not the end user
    Well, revenue will drive the innovation in wireless headphones like wildfire, consumers will convert, which I think is the point. Looking at existing 3.5 mm connected devices in the market or even existing sales, is a fool's game. Sure, there will still be some innovation of headphones that have a 3.5mm connector, but frankly, any company that isn't gearing up for Lightning, USB Type C, or BT wireless is going to be left behind.

    This is analogous to the short span in time where the aviation world, for the most part, transitioned from piston engine to turbine power, and never looked back.
    radarthekatration al
  • Reply 80 of 125
    "Rather than quitting an app and then being asked about what documents you'd like to save, and waiting around as the app finished up various tasks it wanted to complete before giving you control over your own computer again, the original iPhone introduced a radical new user-first model featuring the equivalent of the similarly round "Go Home" control from the Gong Show."

    Am I missing something? Isn't this the same as hitting the windows key for the start menu or WIN+D for the desktop?

    "After nearly a decade of wild experimentation, Samsung's latest flagship has settled on a copy of what Apple introduced ten generations ago."

    And yet many other Android devices don't have a physical home button, which no doubt, is the way that Apple will eventually go.
    I think you're missing that we're talking about a phone, not a computer that does full multi tasking and can have an arbitrary number of apps up and running at the same time. With the iPhone, Apple introduced the idea that when the user wants to initiate a new task, requiring the old task to be ended immediately, the task at hand must abort gracefully and immediately surrender the phone to the user without asking them to wait or interact with the old app.

    Android may already have no physical button, but is it absolutely effective 100% of the time or is it less reliable than the home button on the iPhone? For example, the home button, in conjunction with the sleep/wake button, is utterly reliable for rebooting the iPhone no matter how it's crashed. I suspect there are times when an Android user with no physical button must resort to removing the battery. Others often do things first, but as shown in the article Apple do them right, whether first or not. 
    radarthekatai46ration al
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