With its resources from the 2014 acquisition of headphone maker Beats Electronics, Apple is prototyping a completely new set of Bluetooth earphones with the potential of launching the accessory alongside the iPhone 7 this fall. The new earphones are said to be completely wireless, which is to say that they do not even have a cable connecting the left and right ear pieces. Sources say that the headphones are similar in concept to the Motorola Hint headset (pictured above) and Bragi’s new Dash headphones that were shown at CES this week.
It’s expected that the in-development accessory will include a noise-cancelling microphone system, enabling phone calls and communication with Siri even without Apple’s prior in-line microphone and remote. In order to fit inside of the user’s ear, Apple will likely develop different sized ear sleeves for the hardware, similar to the approach used by Motorola and Bragi. Bragi’s headphones include a built-in button to answer calls, so Apple’s could have a control for managing calls and activating Siri.
Apple has registered the “AirPods” trademark which may be what these are called.
The headphones are planned to be a premium alternative to a new version of the EarPods, and are highly likely to be sold separately from the iPhone 7; a comparable model from Bragi will retail for $300. As has been previously rumored, sources confirm that the iPhone 7 will not include a standard headphone jack and will instead require headphones to connect via the Lightning connector or wirelessly over Bluetooth. The ability for headphones to connect over Lightning has been included in iOS since 2014, and new EarPods will support this.
The latest version of the new wireless Apple/Beats headphones in development do not include any ports for charging, in contrast to the mini-USB port on the current wireless Beats. Instead, the new headphones are likely to come with a carrying case that doubles as a rechargeable battery to juice up the headphones when they are not in use. Apple first tested the battery case waters last month with an iPhone 6 battery case. While Apple hopes to launch the new earphones this fall, the hardware is still in development and could be delayed by battery life concerns. As the design requires twin wireless chips and separate batteries, sub-4-hour battery life without use of the case would be expected.
The iPhone 7 is likely to debut this fall, but sources say that Apple has not yet finalized the design of the handset. Case makers tell us that Apple is currently testing three different designs for the iPhone 7, including a completely new, thinner look as well as a backup design that looks substantially like the iPhone 6s. Since 2014, the Apple-owned Beats division has released Apple Music as well as minor updates to existing headphone lines, so this new wireless pair will mark the first major hardware launch of the merged companies.
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Didn’t Apple register the term AirPods a couple of months ago?
Anyone need further proof that the headphone jack is going out starting w/ iPhone 7?
Victor Muthoka (@Vic_Speak)
“Anyone need further proof that the headphone jack is going out starting w/ iPhone 7?”
I want further proof. Without the drizzling of these leaks, Apple cannot get us ready and excited about the changes. Remember the lines on the back of the iPhone 6. When they were first leaked, everyone shouted NOOOO! However, by the time the actual phone came out we all (most of us) accepted them as part of the overall design. So this is the Apple process. Have innovative ideas and slowly leak them so the public is ready and excited about them when the device is finally released. Think of it as a long drawn out publicity/sales campaign. And moving away from the headphone jack is going to need all of the next 6 months for most of us to finally accept.
Yes, I have an iPhone 6 and I have accepted the existence of the camera bump and the antenna lines. Even though I love my iPhone 6, I still hate those aspects. After 15 months of use.
not making me accept that as I’m currently using audiophile headphones via 3.5mm jack and won’t throw them away just because of a phone made by some thin-obsessed company.
At jmiko2015
If you an audiophile your not going to be getting the best from the iPhones DAC and amp. Most audiophiles use seperate headphone amps with their expensive headphones. You’ll get better quality audio through lightning and an audiophile quality DAC. Various companies are working on such a product that will work with standard headphones. Don’t throw your audiophile headphones away, you may well get more out of them with the upcoming iPhone!
Watch for the $79 Bluetooth to 3.5mm analog converter from Apple or Belkin.
I’ve personally no problem with Apple dropping the headphone port, as long as they include a lightning connected set of EarPods. Every other music accessory is Bluetooth connected for me. I think that’s the way most things will go, it’s always good to leave old technology behind. Also, I’m sure a lightning to 3.5mm adapter will be available for anybody in immediate need of a headphone jack.
Connected is always better than wireless for folks who care about music. Always.
You know who “cares” about music? The millions of teenagers that buy/stream the majority of music in this country. Do you know how they listen? Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube, etc. All highly compressed formats.
So the real question is does Apple care if you care about music?
And a digital connection plus higher quality DAC and amp is better than an analogue connection from a mediocre DAC and amp.
Yeah, but an audiofile will most likely get better sound quality out of the Lightning connector. Being realistic, they won’t be listening though an iPhone if they’re looking for the best sound anyway, and will most likely have a dedicated/more expensive setup.
I switch between wired and wireless headphones/earphones all the time and I couldn’t find a difference other than the odd stuttering with Bluetooth.
I feel safe in saying that a true audiophile isn’t using their phone as their primary listening device. They would know and understand that a phone isn’t going to give you(the audiophile) the best, most true sound you’re looking for.
Would love if Apple bundles these with iPhone 7 👍🏾
Unfortunately they will be just too expensive for them to do that. There will be EarPods with a lightning cord instead of 3.5mm and I’m guessing they will tout better sound quality and noise cancellation tech with these new EarPods, and the AirPods will be unveiled and be available for purchase alongside the iPhone 7, but probably be at least $99-$199 and have the new noise cancellation tech and the battery case, and either have smart connectors on them for charging, or have inductive charging, but either way they should have magnets which can attract them to their charging base in the battery case and to each other when not in use. Also, the battery case should be able to be quick charged by the iPhone by plugging it into the lightning port, so that you can charge the AirPods when away from a power source.
A proximity to iPhone in the find my iPhone app would be useful for finding them if lost. You should get a notification if you are about to leave their range and the iPhone should remember the last location when they lose connection to the iPhone.
I don’t think anyone is better than Mark at these Apple leaks.
I definitely want a pair of wireless earbuds and will definitely purchase a pair this year but I don’t like that apple is removing the headphone jack just to make the phone thinner. We need bigger batteries, not thinner phones. If my 6S Plus was any thinner I don’t think it would as comfortable to hold.
Just to make the phone thinner? Really? You think that’s the reason?
Also this new approach takes the load of audio amplification off the iPhones battery and puts it on an accessory.
Your headphones could even charge your phone as you listen through lightning!
I don’t care so much about how it feels to hold, I care more about how it feels in my pocket, that’s where it is most of the time. Sometimes I go case-less for a little while just because the thinner phone feels better in my pocket.
The Bragis look impressively designed and engineered. LOTS of forethought in the product. I’ve never found an unattached in-ear piece I’d trust while running or kayaking or exercising, for example. I like the LG Tone wireless set: the “necklace” is reasonably designed, and they hold a longer charge. I often find I need to pop one earpiece out to talk to someone (say, I’m listening to get audio while watching a game at a sports bar) and I can just leave the Tone earpiece dangling until I reinsert it, with no risk of losing it. That said, the Bragis even have a clever pass-through for hearing ambient sounds when desired.
As a user I find this really intriguing. As a shareholder I’m a little afraid.
Donate us an iPhone
How the hell are they going to do this without severely limiting the battery life?
The idea is that it will have more than enough power for one listening session. Then when you put them back in their case the case charges them for the next session. This will keep them light. If you are going to carry something in your ear, you want it to be light.
I would think the quick-charge tech we’ve seen in the Pencil and the mouse would be handy for something like wireless buds.
I’m seriously considering not updating to iPhone 7 if they pull this B.S. of no headphone jack. Sorry, the phone DOES NOT need to be THAT thin.
It’s not about being THIN. Jesus Christ people think everything they do is just to make the device thinner. Too bad they know absolutely nothing about the engineering in the iPhone. The internal design, the fact that removing the headphone jack could increase battery capacity.
I’m no engineer, but can see it having something to do with rumored water proofing. It is one less hole.
Then dont. I dont think Apple will be struggling if you choose to stick with your iPhone 6.
I get the feeling that one of the reasons Apple wants to phase them out is the ability to clean those jacks out. I went to the Genius Bar to get my iPhone 6+ ports cleaned out and they would clean the lightning port, but didn’t want much to do with the headphone jack. I think it’s too sensitive of an area to clean out and not really something they can viably innovate into something better given how entrenched that technology is.
Everybody is talking about no need for the 3,5 mm headphone connector. I never use it for listening to music but to connect other devices like: external microphone (iRig) or device for measuring radioactivity. I don’t want to buy a more expensive ligthning version. And I don’t think an adapter will work.
I’m curious how Square and other portable credit card will respond when Apple ditches the phone port.
Simple. They will make a lightning version of their product.
They may just say the heck with it and say sorry not supported.
Make it bluetooth :D
i sit at my desk, my iPhone is in front of me, plugged into my iMac via USB Lightning ports. I’m listening to an audiobook, every now and then I make a phone call – yes, I have my headphones on and yes, they have a microphone in the cable.
Take out the 3.5mm port, now I can have my iPhone either on charge or on headphones. So, of course headphones win. By the time I go home, the battery is dead. Oops, we didn’t think that through. So now, we need a lightning hub. Or two lightning ports on the phone, so why not three, for something we haven’t thought of yet. Or a double adaptor by one of the accessory makes. Why not just stay where we are, it works just fine?
There will certainly be some solution for listening whilst charging. A new cable design or some kind of adaptor.
Oh look someone that is smart enough to know that Apple has intelligent people working there, that considered every possible consequence of removing the headphone jack.
It’s sad that instead of people thinking for a minute, they immediately go on a tirade about how god awful a decision this is.
So one would hope. Given the recent decisions that Apple made on the software side, audiobook playlists for example, I’m not so sure, though.
I agree, but the problem there is the adaptor. It would be an issue for me – its unnecessary. That said, once everyone becomes more comfortable with wireless as the new standard, this will be a non-issue as one could either charge the device wirelessly or use wireless headphones to complete these tasks. But I understand what chrrup is saying. Further, people who use their devices in older cars (sans bluetooth) or as GPS devices may like to charge the phone while also having an aux cable plugged in. This is an issue and not everyone is able to purchase a new car or bluetooth receivers solely for this purpose. It creates unnecessary steps for the consumer and any time adaptors are involved, its an extra cost and an extra item to carry around. It isn’t ideal.
That said, once it is wireless again this will be a non-issue. It may be good to wait and let the wireless market become the new standard first, for individuals who are faced with these small issues. I am excited for the new design, personally, as I want to see what materials Apple will use and if they will improve the display resolution in any way.
Wireless charging.
If Apple’s really taking the headphone port away, they most include the bluetooth headphones they make in the purchase of the iPhone, not separately. Would be very expensive otherwise. Or if they’re going to include a headphone that connects through the lightning port, they most include an adapter to charge the phone and listen to music at the same time…
And to add, for those who wish to plug their aux cable in the car and charge the phone while driving as well certainly an adaptor in the box would go a long way in satisfying majority of the consumers who this could bother initially. It will be interesting to see what Apple does. Adaptor included in the box would make sense but 1) this is apple we are talking about, they will sell it separately and 2) including an adaptor would go against the whole design philosophy behind getting rid of the 3.5mm port in the first place
No, the design choice to remove the headphone jack is for internal space, not a more sleek looking exterior, that’s just a benefit.
Typical Apple. Raise the barrier of entry to a common component without giving any benefits to its use. A wired connection is always better. Not including headphones in the sale makes for more profit margin for Apple.
I’ll pass.
Who says there isn’t going to be lightning earbuds included? Could happen, and I think apple knows they should.
I agree that would be cool, but I don’t think it’s feasible yet, mainly due to the fact that they will probably be expensive. My guess is like the article suggests, the iPhone 7 will include EarPods with a lightning cord instead of the 3.5mm headphone cord, and I’m guessing they will be an updated version of EarPods which have better sound quality and have noise cancellation tech. I believe the AirPods will be released alongside possibly, for $99-$199, and have the noise cancellation tech, among other improvements.
Hopefully the battery case can be quick charged by the iPhone, so you don’t need a power source to charge your AirPods, and I’m guessing the AirPods will be quick charged for at least 30min of listening before going down to normal charging speeds.
I know this is big news, but really all I want to know right now is when I can buy a Macbook Pro with USB-C and Thunderbolt 3.
As long as they bundle in an adapter for 3.5 mm headphones, I have no issues with removing the jack.
I find it odd these aren’t slated to coincide with the new apple watch considering the watch ushered in the no port era.
In my ideal world: Apple announces, Apple watch 2, new headphones, and a newly designed 4″ iPhone that’s a precursor to the iPhone 7 design.
I just don’t know why’d they’d bother updating the 4″ now just to catch it up to phones that will be replaced in 6 months. Ugh, These last couple years man. So tiring for me. I really need to stop caring about this stuff because the anticipation for something actually interesting with the iphones is killing me. I’ve disliked every iphone physically since the 4s.
Well, you’re probably not going to like the coming 6c (or whatever it’s called), or the 7 for that matter.
Beginning to see others in this totally wireless headphone space. A company called Kaona has been marketing on Facebook.
They’re wireless so when Mark drops his mixtape ur phone don’t catch on fire
I find it funny that the article is talking about Apple and in the picture she’s using an Android Smartphone
That’s because it’s a Motorola ad for similar wireless earbuds as stated in the article…
“Sources say that the headphones are similar in concept to the Motorola Hint headset (pictured above) and Bragi’s new Dash headphones that were shown at CES this week.”
If apple will include lightning EarPods with iPhones, I wonder how thick and how durable the cable will be. Will it be thick like the current lightning cables, or thin like the current earbuds
It can’t be thick I don’t think. Firstly, it would look weird and it would be heavier and more bothersome if it were thicker. Secondly, it’s not transferring much power at all, or data, so I think it will be thinner.
I think bundling wireless EarPods with the iPhone is a mistake and would be a inconvenience, and easily can imagine a scenario where I would be left with one without the other. It would be just another thing you have to charge, as at the moment I just plug in my earphones and they ‘just work’. And then the question is would I bother with them, and carry them around with me if I constantly have to charge them all the time
Lightning connected earphones I could understand as one could charge the other.
And how much thinner practically does the iPhone need to go before the the laws of geometry apply and the thing snaps. I think the best iPhone Apple made was the 5s as its obvious what the buttons do and it’s good to look at with no antenna lines
Except it had antenna lines?
I’m glad I’m buying an iPhone 6S soon. Stuff that.
If they remove the jack, they might make an option to channel sound out of the lightning port, to your headset.
I recon the ‘AirPods’ will be an extra which you can purchase when buying the new iPhone 7, just like the Apple Dock when the iPhone 6s was released
It would be nice if Apple gives the option when purchasing the iPhone 7, to include the AirPods instead of the EarPods with lightning for a reduced price on the AirPods since they aren’t giving you the EarPods. So for example instead of purchasing the AirPods separately for $199, you replace the EarPods in your purchase like you can select a trackpad instead of a mouse when purchasing a Mac, and the AirPods would be $179 instead or something like that. I highly doubt they will though, because it’s probably too much trouble for adding boxes that include AirPods instead of EarPods.
Don’t know wh’t happens but include the AirPods along with the iPhone and not a separate 500$ package
‘coz than, I would be really pissed (Apple: “AirPod is revolutionary but u’ve to buy it u’rself at $99999”)
Which would.. only be limited to iOS
There is also a petition to remove the jacks to show Apple to not listen to the petition to keep them.
Link: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/removetheheadphonejack
Let show Apple we DO want to move to the future.
‘m interested
how is bluetooth audio better than wired?
Progress
that didn’t answer my question: how is bluetooth audio better than wired?
Well, let Apple explain it to you with their extra homework
It isn’t there yet, but for the average consumer its good enough. High quality bluetooth headphones are very good and can give you better quality than most wired headsets, but they are also very expensive.
My concern is more the effect this would have on battery life, for both devices. This will not be a popular move with some people; with others it will be a very welcomed move. It will be an exciting year. I plan on keeping my 6s and wait out with how the market responds.
Apple ‘was’ a secretive company
Leaking parts was explainable but leaking ideas is questionable. Has anybody ever seen that Chinese guy
I liked when apple ditched DVD drives, I liked when Apple ditched HardDrives with MBA. But this is wrong…:
1. I’ll have to have an adapter to use my existing headphones. It’s idiotic. I already have to carry tons of adapters with my MacBook.
2. I’ll not be able to use the headphones with lightining port with my MacBook because there is no lighting port there…
So what Apple want me to have is 1 pair of headphones for travel (with lightining) and one pair of headphones for work (to connect to my MacBook). Yey:((
And there are many who would agree with you. The biggest problem with the 3.5mm jack vs other drives apple has got rid of, is the 3.5 jack is very cheap to put in, negligible with respect to weight, and significantly more ubiquitous in the market. That is not to say its not a good idea to push for wireless, because I think that is the future…its just Apple may be a few years too early here. If you need adaptors to make the device work at the level you are happy with, you’re probably upgrading earlier than you need to. And that is why I will be holding on to my 6s for now, because your 1) and 2) would apply to my daily use as well. And I am not going to spend more money just to have adaptors.
If the headphone jack goes, what are the chances that the home button cloud go as well? Of course no leaks about that.
Decent chance the home button goes, but it may stay around until the iPhone 8.
We’ll know soon enough (i.e. when more parts leak like the front glass).
I’m thinking they’ll integrate the Touch ID into the display and use the Taptic Engine to simulate a button press, similar to the MacBook Pro trackpads, and phase out that button so then there’d only be a power, two volume, and possibly removal of mute switch if Jony finds the need to make it thinner like the Air 2.
Yeah, I thought the coolest way to turn the screen on would actually be to be capable of pressing anywhere on the display when it is asleep and you’ll get Taptic feedback, the display turns on, and integrated Touch ID scans and you’re instantly in.
Alternatively, I think they should remove the physical home button and replace it with a much smaller round depression in the glass at the bottom bezel, and this could be in the space left after reducing the bezel to the very corners before they start to curve (where you couldn’t put the screen). There would be no cutout it would be seamless, and it would be directly above where the Taptic Engine rests inside the phone, and I think a significant enhancement of 3D Touch would be needed for this to work. Firstly, it would have to be 90% faster response time, and it would have to be capable of understanding presses in quick succession like you’d do to go to multitasking. Frankly, I don’t think they can do it currently, based on what I’ve seen from the Apple Watch and iPhone response time on the 3D Touch to Taptic feedback. It’s just slow.
This is unrelated but one thing I can say would be a really great use of 3D Touch that they haven’t done (they haven’t done basically anything with it, it’s actually sad), would be to play/pause a video by simply pressing anywhere on the screen when it is playing or paused. Instead of tapping on the screen, waiting for the menu to pop up, then finding and tapping the play/pause button, you’d simply press and instantly get the action you wanted. That’s honestly the best use case for 3D Touch that I can think of currently. I left apple’s engineering teams feedback to do that but I’m sure they won’t. If they hadn’t already thought of that I feel bad for them.
This will be a divisive move. Already people are more divided now than ever before about a new iPhone model, and it will be interesting to see the pros and cons of this move. I think it is a bold move. Myself, I am on both sides of the fence – I think its commendable to push for wireless, and only a move such as this will really move the wireless uptake by consumers forward….but on the flip side, right now I know for sure it will not work with my current set up, my car set up is such that I need the lightning port for charging and I have an aux cable for the audio. I have zero interest in obtaining a new adaptor and a new phone as I try to get rid of adapters and not keep them, so for me right now this is a nonstarter and I will happily hold on to my 6s. However, this is the present time – I am not against this decision because it may be something I will agree with in a few years. I am personally more interested in the design of the iPhone 7
Brago’s don’t just have a “button”, they have a touch surface for various gestures. And they look pretty sweet. Apple could just buy them up and they’d have a great set of AirPods, or whatever, ready to go.
Apple / Jonny Ive specifically won’t rest until they get a totally uninterrupted edge all the way around. The volume rocker will go, the silent switch will go, speaker grill, headphone socket and eventually the lightening port.
One day all of these design warts will have wireless, invisible or software solutions.
Removing 3.5 is just the next step in a journey to design perfection.
Everything can go besides the speaker holes, unless they want really poor sound from the speaker. Sound waves need to easily pass out the speaker, that’s just physics.
It’s absolutely physics as we understand it now. It’s highly likely that for a gazillion years we can only send sound through holes. I agree. But with the mind blowing stuff scientists can do really shouldn’t put a limit to the possibilities. What would Dean Kamen say?
Actually, the iPhone 4 didn’t had the volume button but introduced after the 4s model. And ab’t tge speaker grill, is that sarcasm?
Hoping they go with something other than the 6s-like design. I own the 6s and had the 6 before that. Part of the appeal of the non-s cycle upgrades is the thrill of a radically new design – something we’ve not seen before. Love the 6s, but a new design would be appreciated.
It won’t change much, it will either resemble the iPhone 5S square sides with chamfered edge or be the rounded sides like the 6S. One other possibility is square front and rounded back like the iPod Touch and iPads. Well that’s as far as physical geometry goes, but I’m guessing the bezel will be reduced and the antenna lines will be reduced or gone.
If they remove the side bezels this year then that means the sides will go back to square because you can’t go screen to edge with 2D glass obviously. They could likely remove the antenna lines if they are finally ready for liquid metal I believe, as I understand it is a radio transparent material.
Read ab’t OGS (One Glass Solution) displays.
Corning’s Concore Glass used in Yu – Yutophia through Sharp
JDI (Japan Display Inc) recent announcement in 2015 about starting production of OGS displays (or Pixel Eyes display Gen 2)
There’s QiKu – Q Terra with 1.4mm bezels, the world’s thinnest.
With the above mentioned tech, it’s very much possible to significantly reduce the iPhone’s side bezels to negligible lengths
‘coz JDI (Japan Display Inc) is none other than Apple’s traditional LCD supplier
It’s time that iPod-Nano be replaced by Apple’s ‘Airpods’
With 8GB memory capacity with ability to store 2000 songs
You guys have no idea what news you are reporting, right? Did the “editor (!)” know that the phone in the photo is an Android?
I think you’re being unnecessarily harsh. Doesn’t the article mention — and picture again, more closely — the already-announced earbuds pictured in the photo? They’re not supposed to be Apple products either. Reading the article I understood both photos were part of the initial non-Apple product announcement.
That’s because it’s a Motorola ad shown in the article. 9 to 5’s editor has no control over Motorola’s ad agency. You seem to have no idea what you’re reading. Reread the article and you’ll find this…
“Sources say that the headphones are similar in concept to the Motorola Hint headset (pictured above) and Bragi’s new Dash headphones that were shown at CES this week.”
Loosing one of the headphones in 3… 2… 1…
Will apple ever make magsafe charging wireless headphones? Pleeeeease? No need to worry about battery life or keeping them plugged in. Plug them in, charge them up for a bit while listening, disconnect them magnetically, continue listening. Mag-safe charging headphones theme, mag-safe-charging gear. You see the trend.