News
U.S. device maker unveils new wireless ‘AirPod’ earphones; updates smartwatch range.
Apple late on Wednesday confirmed what the rumour mill has been churning out for months: its new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus dispense with the 3.5 mm jack socket traditionally used for headphones.
Instead, the U.S. device maker has given prospective customers a choice of using either the headphones that connect via its proprietary Lightning connector, or buying its new AirPods – US$159 (€141) wireless earphones that connect using a proprietary technology similar to Bluetooth.
"AirPods are simple and magical to use, with no switches or buttons, automatically connecting to all your Apple devices simply and seamlessly, and letting you access [digital assistant] Siri with just a double tap," said Philip Schiller, SVP of worldwide marketing at Apple.
Traditional headphone holdouts should not panic though: Apple’s new iPhones come with a 3.5 mm adaptor should they want to defy the company and choose their own earphones.
"Removing the headphone jack will be a tough test of whether Apple’s brand is strong enough to wean consumers off a connector that they have loved for over 100 years," cautioned Radio Free Mobile founder Richard Windsor, in a research note on Thursday.
Removing the 3.5 mm jack "makes the device even more proprietary than it already was which is likely to anger some users," he added.
Indeed, when rumours began circulating that Apple planned to ditch the jack socket, a petition calling on the company not to go ahead with its plan garnered more than 300,000 signatures.
As for the two new iPhones themselves, Apple has ticked all the customary upgrade boxes.
The new cameras come with better sensors and now include image stabilisation. The iPhone 7 Plus comes with an extra telephoto camera capable of optical zoom. Thanks to a software upgrade later this year, iPhone 7 Plus owners will be able to enhance their pictures by using depth-of-field effects to blur the background but keep foreground subjects in focus.
The processor packs a bigger punch but is more power efficient, extending time between battery charges, and the phone is now water and dust resistant.
Meanwhile, Apple’s new iOS 10 software includes upgrades to messaging, Siri, and its 3D Touch interface technology. Apple has also made its Siri, Maps, phone and messaging APIs available to third-party app makers.
The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will be available for preorder from Friday and will hit the shelves in select markets on 16 September. Prices start at $649 for the 32 GB version. Apple’s new AirPods will go on sale in late October.
In addition to a new smartphone and fancy earphones, Apple also showed off an updated smartwatch: Watch Series 2.
Pitched firmly at the health and fitness market, the new device uses a more powerful processor and is waterproof to a depth of 50 metres. It also has a built-in GPS chip, so joggers can track their jog without taking their iPhone with them.
The entry-level Watch Series 2 comes with a stainless steel case; prices start at $369. The range-topping Apple Watch Edition has a white ceramic case and costs from $1,249. As with the iPhone 7, Apple will take preorders from Friday and will begin shipping on 16 September.
