The predictions on this one seem kinda blah...will there be any big surprises?

http://www.apple.com/apple-events/september-2016/

http://live.cnet.com/Event/Apple_iPhone_7_Event_Live_Blog

https://www.engadget.com/2016/08/31/what-to-expect-from-apples-see-you-iphone-event/

so far so good.

Proprietary headphone jack? Ick.

I kinda rock with it though.

If you must use headphones or an aux cord, then take the L and cop the adapter or keep your current phone. Otherwise, bluetooth.

Future generations though? Nope.

And the new Airpods? Sounds like they'll have proprietary "bluetooth-like" connectivity.

None of this is new for Apple though. Just another clever way to create entirely new product lines to nickel and dime their consumers.

And of course, it's eaten up and excused all day.

It's fine to love Apple. Just call a spade a spade.

If you're fanboy enough to buy those airpods, then you ain't gonna mind the proprietary connection.

Apple is once again way ahead of the curve when getting rid of current tech, but outside of audiophiles, bluetooth is the wave.

Apple's brand cachet means they have incredible leverage on people's purchasing decisions. Because of their walled garden, they can coerce sunk cost purchases on their "faithful" and convince them to drink the kool aid.

> Apple is once again way ahead of the curve when getting rid of current tech, but outside of audiophiles, bluetooth is the wave.

And this is what I'm talking about. What value added is the "Lightning" connector adding to the consumer experience (please nothing from a marketing slide though)? Or the new headphone adapter? Or the new "bluetooth-like" technology? Or their Pentalobe™ screws? Nothing. Just more ways to squeeze from their userbase.

Man people stay ANGRY at Apple.

I'm still a little mad they replaced ADB with USB - I need a dongle to run my Apple Extended II Keyboard!! (I got over the floppy removal within 18 months.)

I do think removing the headphone jack will be problematic - as will not having a way to change and use supplied wired headphone jacks.

But that adapter is fine - don't think of it as part of the phone - think or it as part of the cord on the headphone jack.

Let's hope extras are $9.99 from Apple and $3.99 from knockoff.

Thanks for proving my point. Your immediate sentiment is that I'm "mad" at Apple, but I have spent exactly zero dollars on Apple in the past five years.

My actual point is just how consumer unfriendly their practices are but because people have so much personal and financial investment in Apple already they have no choice but to accept it. And they know that their most fervent supporters will DEFEND those practices. Do you want to actually address that phenomenon or resort to ad hominem attacks again?

> But that adapter is fine - don't think of it as part of the phone - think or it as part of the cord on the headphone jack.

Case in point. So what happens if you want to charge your phone and use the headphone jack at the same time? Oh right, you have to pay $30 for an official Apple charge/3.5mm adapter or pay $25 for an officially licensed third party adapter. Be careful with knockoffs though, Apple has already bricked phones using unlicensed Lightning chargers.

And if you're an audiophile, heaven forbid using your high end headphones that you've been using on multiple devices throughout your home. You'll now also need officially licensed headphones using their proprietary BlueApple™ technology that is supposedly more battery efficient than ever. *rolls eyes*



Again, my point isn't to bash on Apple necessarily, it's to slam shitty asshole anticonsumer practices, regardless of the source. Since those shitty asshole anticonsumer practices happen to line up with a company you adore, you think it's me being irrationally "mad". It's not.

It's fine to love a product but criticize the company, they're not mutually exclusive.

I said from the rip that I don't agree with it. Ain't no added value to none of it. They have a hold in the market and they're exploiting it. Plain and simple.

Niggas got Sony out the paint when trying to push some of their proprietary products. With bluetooth everywhere and the hold Apple has on it's user base, I don't think losing a headphone jack is enough.

You understand business, cool. But then the first thing you say to me in post #4 is:

"more adapters. I kinda rock with it though. If you must use headphones or an aux cord, then take the L and cop the adapter or keep your current phone. Otherwise, bluetooth."

That's exactly what I'm describing. Consumers supporting anti-consumer practices because of sunk costs. It's like rednecks voting against their own economic self-interests because they want to Build the Wall.

> I said from the rip that I don't agree with it.

But.... you did "kinda" agree with it? That wasn't your sentiment to me initially.

> Niggas got Sony out the paint when trying to push some of their proprietary products.

Yup, I agree with that. But like spenzalii noted in post #17, Sony has never had the market (or mind-)share that Apple currently maintains. So consumers HAVE to accept it... and the worst thing is when consumers DEFEND it.

> With bluetooth everywhere and the hold Apple has on it's user base, I don't think losing a headphone jack is enough.

Exactly, thanks for proving my point.

It still hurts, but I just think it's not as painful because bluetooth is widely available as an alternative. I was being facetious when I said more adapters.


That's exactly what I'm describing. Consumers supporting
>anti-consumer practices because of sunk costs. It's like
>rednecks voting against their own economic self-interests
>because they want to Build the Wall.

I can't speak to the anti-consumer practices cause I don't know shit about it, but I don't think customers are voting against their self interests when buying Apple products. it's not like they gave you a 6s without an headphone jack and called it a 7. They removed it to make space for extra features and as a consumer, it's up to you whether or not the extra features are worth losing the headphone jack over. Some dudes are gonna fanboy but others (like me) don't think the trade off is worth it

If the market moves towards it then great, if it doesn't the iPhone 8 will put it back in.

But you gotta admit it didn't look like it from that first post.

To be clear though, I wasn't saying Apple consumers are voting against their self-interests by buying Apple products. I said this:

"Consumers supporting anti-consumer practices because of sunk costs."

It's the ardent Apple defenders that DEFEND the shitty anti-consumer practices that are "voting" against their self-interests.

> If the market moves towards it then great, if it doesn't the iPhone 8 will put it back in.

I'm highly skeptical. All the new "mandatory" peripherals are going to sell like gangbusters, pushing that bottom line. And by next year people are going to get more or less used to it.

I think you're underestimating the level of brand loyalty people have towards Apple.

Consumers are making a CHOICE to go with Apple.

It's not anti-conusmer - it's offering a choice. Apple is not new - and these are not new moves - consumers know that Apple does this. Making the choice to go with Apple is not all upside - but it's not liek its sneaky or done in a way to actively fuck people just for money.

And Apple could make a bad decision and have people leave en masse.

You think the choice is more limited and "bad" for the consumer - many consumers don't agree (looking at Apple's profits its the case - looking at market share Apple is not the dominant player in the space.) (This isn't a poor person voting Republican situation.)

I think removing the headphone jack will definitely have some people leave. I agree (and posted over in the GD discussion) that not having the ability to listen to music with headphones and charge the iPhone at the same time will be bad - especially for people who own cars without iPhone integration.

There's always the iPhone dock or one of those Belkin splitters (not yet released) or bluetooth receiver - but again I agree it's bad.

But I felt that removing the optical drive from laptops was a bad move - now I don't care at all (and I have a $60 bluray recorder when I need it.)

Pentalobe screws? Man, GOFOH. You could get the screwdrivers for $1.99 within two weeks of the switch.

As for audiophiles - they don't like the iPhone *now* - it won't make a difference. The last Apple product they loved was the 5th gen iPod.

What they do are buy headphone amps - or custom DACS with balanced headphone outputs.

LOL. Right. Take off the white-colored glasses. Everything I've stated is objective, and it's not like it's new analysis. It's all over.

>Consumers are making a CHOICE to go with Apple.

Sure, but that wasn't my point.

>It's not anti-conusmer - it's offering a choice. Apple is not
>new - and these are not new moves - consumers know that Apple
>does this.

Sure, because they've been INURED to it. If the first Apple iPhone had come out where you had to hold it in a certain way to not interfere with the antenna, a different connector from your ipod and no headphone jack, would people have been ok with this? No, because it's happening all at once. When you spread out these provisions over the span of a decade though? Sure, it's way more palatable.

It's not coincidental that they're introducing a proprietary wireless format alongside removing the headphone jack. Eliminating Bluetooth now would be unconscionable. But imagine that announcement in 3-5 years, once everyone already has their BlueApple© headphones and BlueApple© wireless speakers and BlueApple© connected home system. You know, in the name of "battery efficiency". This is right up Apple's alley, and I'm leaning towards it being a certainty versus random speculation.

>Making the choice to go with Apple is not all
>upside - but it's not liek its sneaky or done in a way to
>actively fuck people just for money.

Are you sure about that? Check out this link:

http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/8/12842378/phil-schiller-iphone-headphone-jack-drm-pure-conspiracy-theory

Everything in that checklist is calculated to nickel and dime not just the consumers but their affiliates.


>And Apple could make a bad decision and have people leave en
>masse.

The ONLYway this would happen is if their batteries started blowing up AND start slashing your tires.


>You think the choice is more limited and "bad" for the
>consumer - many consumers don't agree (looking at Apple's
>profits its the case - looking at market share Apple is not
>the dominant player in the space.) (This isn't a poor person
>voting Republican situation.)

You really don't understand my point, do you? I'm not questioning people's choices to purchase Apple products, I'm questioning those people that DEFEND Apple's anti-consumer practices *cough cough*.

In other words, if you had simply said "yeah, I love Apple products but the headphone jack thing is just another precedent set in their shitty practices" then I would have nodded and KIM. But that's not the case here, is it?


>I think removing the headphone jack will definitely have some
>people leave. I agree (and posted over in the GD discussion)
>that not having the ability to listen to music with headphones
>and charge the iPhone at the same time will be bad -
>especially for people who own cars without iPhone
>integration.

Great, we agree on something! But while some people will leave, many, many more will stay. That's the leverage Apple has over Apple consumers: they've already invested so much time and money into their products that they're willing to put up with these inconveniences because they don't have the energy to switch.

And Apple knows this fact very, very well.


>There's always the iPhone dock or one of those Belkin
>splitters (not yet released) or bluetooth receiver - but again
>I agree it's bad.

And this is how Apple gets you. "Well yeah it sucks, but at least I can get these Apple branded accessories to get around it! And I think I'll convince others to do the same to validate my own purchases!"


>But I felt that removing the optical drive from laptops was a
>bad move - now I don't care at all (and I have a $60 bluray
>recorder when I need it.)

Inurement. This is the RDF in effect. "Oh I see... I was just holding my phone wrong! Duh."

>Pentalobe screws? Man, GOFOH. You could get the screwdrivers
>for $1.99 within two weeks of the switch.

LOL. That's not the point. Remember that nickel-and-diming? People couldn't go to third-party repair shops, they had to go to the Apple Branded Genius Bar to get their phones fixed.

The difference with the screws is Apple can't write software to brick a third party screwdriver. But they CAN write software to brick unlicensed Lightning manufacturers. I find it EXTREMELY interesting you didn't address that example of mine in the other post.

>
>As for audiophiles - they don't like the iPhone *now* - it
>won't make a difference. The last Apple product they loved was
>the 5th gen iPod.

Who cares? Is every single audiophile in the world a non-Apple user? What kind of reasoning is that? If you want, ditch "audiophile" and replace with "person who likes nice headphones". Is that a big enough demographic for you?

So Apple has now provided reasoning for "persons who likes nice headphones" to start thinking about buying BlueApple© branded headphones for better "battery efficiency". They don't have any non-Apple products in the home anyway, so why not? And in 3-5 years, when Apple eliminates Bluetooth from their phones.... meh, I barely use it anyway.


>What they do are buy headphone amps - or custom DACS with
>balanced headphone outputs.

Right. Keep excusing Apple with that type of reasoning. You just continue to prove my point.

http://www.extremetech.com/computing/238878-apple-now-officially-dongle-company-happens-make-smartphones-computers

Holy shit. The dongle backlash has gotten so bad they're offering dongle discounts to try and appease the dongle dependents.

Between Donglegate and and the federal crime if you bring a Note 7 onto a plane, Google is dancing with their Pixel right now.

http://phandroid.com/2016/09/14/samsung-rumored-to-be-working-on-a-proprietary-headphone-jack/

There's no way Samsung does this without Google's blessing, because if they did it unilaterally everyone's just going to buy from another manufacturer.

I would be very disappointed if this were the case.

Apple is TRIPPING!

cost that much, especially when the PowerBeats are available for $120 and it's the same company...

I'll definitely get the 128.

Apple could have undercut the shit out of the competition

"you can get 64GB, while Samsung charges you..."

and that difference in storage will push people to upgrade to the higher tier.

I'm in that Apple program where you can get the new phone every year but I still need the headphone jack and I don't take very many photos with my phone.

It's just been, "eh, that's cool" for the past couple iPhones

I'm using almost all of the 64GB on my iPhone 6S+. I use bluetooth headphones so the minijack is a nonissue for me.

Actually since the 3G came out. I've skipped all of the "s" releases. The incremental yearly updates haven't been enough to have me upgrade, but after two years it's time to move.

Apple loves this proprietary stuff. Sony did it for years and got reamed for it. Apple will get away with it because it's an iPhone. Sad, really

>Apple loves this proprietary stuff. Sony did it for years and
>got reamed for it. Apple will get away with it because it's an
>iPhone. Sad, really

I think they might have overstepped with their 'courage'; headphones are a big big business and people have invested much cash in em...they are fashion accessories as much as they are utilitarian and I dont think people are going to take kindly to a 20 dollar (is it more?) adapter or headphones that cost 200 bucks to replace the ones they bought last year for 100.


Considering it requires a good amount of charging for use pure wireless headphones aren't exactly a perfect replacement...i wouldnt be surprised if the feature gets put back with the rumored Iphone 8 in 2017 (since next year is a full ten years of iphone apparently there is another major form factor planned)

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

At least not since, say, the OG Walkman. But Apple made the de facto mp3 player and became the de facto smartphone while Androis, Windows Mobile and WebOS were still getting their acts together. So, the masses accept whatever Apple feeds them, while Sony didn't have anything to make that same kind of mass market penetration

every other phone was still using proprietary chargers too.

if they had settled on microusb earlier....

that apple's never played nicely in the years since is....

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

And since the the iPod was stomping out all matter of mp3 players, that took. But at least they were using USB though (they couldn't make FireWire become a mass market thing). Once they went Lightning, it was like putting the tip in to see how far consumers would take it. So now this is happening

Didnt they say something to the effect of not wanting to make a genre game with a nintendo skin

of course, you're paying Note 7 money for that
but while you can just throw in a 200GB microSD to offset the storage space, that's still extra money.

also, good riddance to 16GB iPhones -- that's too much money for too little storage.

interesting that 128GB is the midgrade.

fuck a dongle, fuck $160 earbuds. don't care about that gimmick

give me a solid phone with a gang of storage and a good camera.

I'm Android 4 Life

but I've been anxious about a world where my phone will have to be "The One Device". and the car experience is much better with Apple products.

Well, except for the infotainment. Android Auto > CarPlay.

But if you're not using smartphone-launched infotainment, iPhone >>>>>>

carrier information?

My phone is a personal phone that I pay for myself, but the carrier service is through my job on a corporate account. (They give us phones too, but if you want the most up to date phones you gotta buy yourself.)

When I went to preorder it wanted to know what carrier I had, and then the zip code and last 4 of the social security number of the account holder which needed to be verified - to buy an unlocked, carrier free phone?

They will give sell you an unlocked phone at launch - but not SIM free.

Last year it took two weeks before they sold SIM free one: https://9to5mac.com/2015/10/08/sim-free-unlocked-iphone-6s/.

It took 4 months for the 6 https://www.engadget.com/2015/01/06/apple-sim-free-iphone6/.

It took 2 months for the 5s.

I'm sure it's due to some business BULLSHIT. I have called 1-800-MY-APPLE and complained the last 3 years.

Also, whats weird is that there are several different models of iPhones with different radio bands - it's not un-confusing: http://www.redmondpie.com/the-difference-between-unlocked-t-mobile-and-sim-free-iphone-6-6-plus-explained/

them and the carriers. So I gotta wait. I just wish I knew how long.

especially since we live in the age of "no subsidies"

and Apple basically doesn't do anything special for the carriers (software wise)...

I'm slowly figuring out ways to retire "carrier" phones and get the unlocked versions (now that those that work with #DogBark Wireless are becoming more common).

There's a "special" reservation page you can check in the morning (times vary) where you can reserve a phone for same bday pickup if they have stock. The page and checkout options will indicate it's for the iPhone Upgrade Plan - but you *can* flat out buy it cash once you get to the store.

The "special page" shows inventory right now - the "normal" one does not. They're giving people in the upgrade program a leg up (they sent an email with that link if you're in the program.) The "normal" page is for normal schlubs unless you got the link somehow.

The "special" page is: https://reserve.cdn-apple.com/US/en_US/reserve/iPhone/availability?channel=1&iPP=U

The "normal" page is: https://reserve.cdn-apple.com/US/en_US/reserve/iPhone/availability?channel=1

And the upgrade program might be a better deal (if you plan on buying Apple Care anyway) because it's a %0 interest loan that basically pays for half of the cost of the phone when upgrading. But you also have the option to just pay the phone off and then sell it on the secondary market if you think you can get more money that way.

1 thing is bad - there are no MiFi certified lightning extension cables to use for the headphones. So if you need an extension you have to buy something off eBay or Amazon 3rd party sellers.

You could always use the dongle and get an extension for a non-lighting headset - but this is still wack.

I definitely see where they were going, and bluetooth/wireless is obviously the future, but it was still too early. Maybe by the next release there will be enough of a choice in accessories - increased battery life in bt headphones, better ways to handle car integration if your car doesn't come standard with bluetooth audio, etc. But this was early.

>I definitely see where they were going, and
>bluetooth/wireless is obviously the future, but it was still
>too early. Maybe by the next release there will be enough of a
>choice in accessories - increased battery life in bt
>headphones, better ways to handle car integration if your car
>doesn't come standard with bluetooth audio, etc. But this was
>early.