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Apple announcements: iPhone 7, Mario game, new watch, no headphone jack

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It reads like something out of the Onion. Phone looks exactly the same, no headphone jack, $160 extra for airpods, catching Pokemon underwater with your waterproof applewatch. Steve jobs must be spinning in his grave.

2 ( +9 / -7 )

$160 for earphones that will be super easy to lose? Personally, I'd rather stick to cords.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Longer battery life, blisteringly fast, waterproof, brilliant camera!

Lovely!

3 ( +8 / -5 )

The AirPods are ... $160.

Wow. It's expensive to be a fan boy!

3 ( +9 / -6 )

Well, look at it from a positive side.

Normally if you lose your earbuds, you would lose both. In this case, the chance is much bigger you would only lose one. As such, one only has to pay $80 for a replacement, not $160. Very considerate from Apple.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I switched to wireless headphones a couple of years ago - it was an excellent decision. I hated the cord, especially when working out. For me the lack of a headphone jack is a non-issue.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

"New iPhone7 cures cancer"

Apple-hating tech nerds; "Apple sucks! It only cures colon cancer!"

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

The big news is that the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus now has full FeliCa functionality for higher-speed NFC mobile payment data transfer. This means the iPhone 7 models will now have iOS versions of the apps for JR East Mobile Suica and Rakuten Edy mobile payments--something that could be bad news for garakei phones since a big selling point for garakei phones was FeliCa compatible mobile payment support.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

I expect the sheeple will complain about the lack of a headphone jack (even though an adapter comes with it), but Apple has always innovated away from old technology (floppy drives, DVD drives, Flash). By moving to lightning, Apple are able to use the space better, make it more waterproof and provide more functional earphones.

The technology breakthrough with the AirBuds is moving away from Bluetooth which uses too much power. Pricey, but quite nice earphones. However, I would be too scared of losing them. I would rather have a wire between my wireless headphones otherwise it's too easy to lose.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

I expect the sheeple will complain about the lack of a headphone jack (even though an adapter comes with it)

Hmm yeah but what if you want to listen to music WHILE charging your phone?

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Looking so forward to the new Airpods! Apple has done it once again. I was a tad disappointed that Apple didn't come out with a brand new Apple Watch, instead they tweaked it bit, still nice, but I expected a bit more, but it's good that Apple is finally going wireless. I agree the $160,00 is a bit high, but considering it comes with its own charger and that you can use this to make calls is very nice feature to have.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

a new wireless technology called Felica

New try 2001 tech... my Sony laptop from 15 years ago had a Felica reader in it.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

something that could be bad news for garakei phones since a big selling point for garakei phones was FeliCa compatible mobile payment support.

All Android phones in Japan support the Felica system... Garakei phones have been dying out, but not because of this. And since the top Android phones can match or even better iPhone features/performance, it just comes down to a matter of preference.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I am so done with Apple. I am totally getting a Galaxy Note 7 or Galaxy S8. Wait. Softbank Does not offer EITHER of those. The only Samsung phone they have is S5. TWO year old model. They don't even have last years S7 model. Awesome stick with SoftAppleBank or switch carriers. (Yes I know the Note 7 blows up, but after the recall, if you order one now, it is a new "fixed" model).

Sorry. As an audio snob, no way I am listening to music over bluetooth.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Hmm yeah but what if you want to listen to music WHILE charging your phone?

That's why you need to buy the Airpods for only $160! You can use them while your lightning connector cable ($19) is charging your iPhone. See, Apple has thought about everything so you don't have to.

But if Apple is really serious about simplicity and eliminating cables, why do they refuse to incorporate wireless charging into the iPhone? My wife has wireless charging with her smartphone and it's very convenient. It seems like the only reason Apple is against wireless charging is that other companies have introduced it first and Apple doesn't want to be seen as the 'follower'. Imagine all the great features the iPhone could have if Apple would just swallow their pride and give customers what they want.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

"Sorry. As an audio snob, no way I am listening to music over bluetooth."

well its not like mp3 offered some hardcore fidelity quality either. its crap, in fact

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Yes! Finally the wireless earpods! Though there aren't any major feature introductions, those spec improvements are very impressive

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Hmm yeah but what if you want to listen to music WHILE charging your phone?

Bluetooth baby!

New try 2001 tech... my Sony laptop from 15 years ago had a Felica reader in it.

I know Felica is old, but not that old (at least in Japan). Felica in Japan didn't start until 2004...

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Never been a fan of Apples earphones, they just fall out of my ears, give me a good pair of Sennheisers any day. Not opposed to wireless though. That said... the only thing I'm really disappointed with about this event was the lack of any Macbook Pro info. Hopefully soon we hear something.

The rumour of the iPhone 7 Plus Pro version didn't happen though... I was surprised but not upset.

"Sorry. As an audio snob, no way I am listening to music over bluetooth."

well its not like mp3 offered some hardcore fidelity quality either. its crap, in fact

Yeah... anybody calling themselves an audio snob and whose main source of audio is digital music on their phone isn't really an audio snob.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Robert Dykes, Softbank has the Galaxy S6 edge. S7 Edge is only on Docomo/Au, but regardless, you are really wasting your money going with any of the big 3 for a phone these days. Even if you get the phone for 'free' after the 2 year contract, your total costs will be more than double than if you go for an MVNO and buy a phone outright. The difference is just far too big (2000yen for voice+data vs 9000yen on the big 3). Rakuten mobile even offers unlimited calls too now, so the typical "but my wife uses softbank too so i need to use it to call her for free" is no longer relevant

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The Airpods are a cool concept, but they look like the earphones that shipped with the iphone 5 and 6, which don't have a rubber seal inside the ear. I prefer the rubber insides, they block out more sound from the outside, and fit better/more comfortably in my ear.

I'm interested in checking out their Beats offerings. But last time I tried Beats Bluetooth, I wasn't that impressed. I use Audio Technica, and they were by far the best ones being offered in Yodobashi when I was there. I tried pretty much every set in the store, and the Audio Technica instantly stood out as being louder, with a higher quality sound. And I'm not the type of person to notice small differences - all the other ones sounded pretty similar to each other to me.

My Audio Technicas cost about the same as these Airpods, ¥16,000.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Not really a User of Apple products.

My Asus Nexus 7(2013) charges from a wireless Panasonic Tablet.

Got a set of earphones for it but mostly use my Buffalo Bluetooth headset, great as it only covers one ear and thus is legal in Japan even for Bicycle riding. And better sound quality that many higher priced products, as some friends discovered.

Lots of great Bluetooth products out there got a Bluetooth keyboard(full size) that I can connect to my PS3, Huawei Phone or my Nexus Tablet.

Granted I use my headphones(1000yen at 7-11) as a backup if my Bluetooth headset set runs out of juice which can happen on longer walks, while my headset recharges from its adapter/spare battery.

Just buy your accessories wisely and agree a headphone jack would be great as a backup as accessories don't have that long a battery life.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

you'll need those mini battery packs recharging in your shoes to keep all your gear electrified. Then you'll just be a human guinea pig in a flywheel while all your apps are in control, playing

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Those airpods look like they can be easily misplaced.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Problem will be can you swap them out and buy extra ones.

I know my headset is too small for removing the Battery, but it is charged via min-USB so it can share the charger/Battery with my Phone, and Nexus.

Would love a battery life of more than 2.5hrs for listening to continuous music from my Nexus music Library.

Looking forward to the performance specs on the Apple products, especially once WIFI, Location, Bluetooth, etc is all enabled.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Dan Lewis: "Wow. It's expensive to be a fan boy!"

Cheap garbage costs you more, in the end. Just look at all the Samsung recalls of its newest model it rushed out to try and compete with Apple. You watch any videos of them catching fire/exploding? And because the company is so cheap, now they have to recall and pay more than they would have if they took their time and made a quality product.

So, yes, you pay more, but the quality makes up for it, particularly the ease of working across devices. I still chuckle as I recall the Windows PC days when you had to take apart a tower, add the sound card yourself, and pray that the software would be compatible with the Toshiba-made, Windows running, various foreign peripheries computer. Then also pray to god Windows didn't force you to upgrade in a few months or else lose all the security plug ins they add daily to avoid their virus-prone software from being hacked all the time.

As to the phone. Not sure about the headphone jack thing. Increased memory seems gratuitous unless you've the computer capacity to match, or more. Love the new camera improvements. the Airbuds sound okay, but personally I don't like bluetooth earphones because they usually contain no remote for finer functions with music (the current buds have the remote close to the bud that goes into the right ear, and has at least 10 functions. How good will the mic be if you are talking with the earphones in?

sfk2: "you'll need those mini battery packs recharging in your shoes to keep all your gear electrified. Then you'll just be a human guinea pig in a flywheel while all your apps are in control, playing"

Yeah, it's becoming pretty funny. I was asking someone the other day how much sales must have gone up for external charges and batteries since Pokemon go, since now you see almost EVERYONE carrying an external charger along with the phone, or the cable for one poking out of a shoulder bag and sticking into the phones. They'll develop ways of increasing battery life, as they have here, and eventually incorporate things like solar powered charging, etc., but it'll be a while before you can depend on it. I was thinking that with Pokemon Go people walking so much (if they do) some kind of power generation -- like you joke about with the shoes -- might be beneficial at some point. Again, though, that would require more gear to generate and collect the power, though, so for now it's just news like extra battery life coming out that make the product better.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

I think I'M in love....iphone 7+...mmmmmmm....

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Cheap garbage costs you more, in the end. Just look at all the Samsung recalls of its newest model it rushed out to try and compete with Apple. You watch any videos of them catching fire/exploding? And because the company is so cheap, now they have to recall and pay more than they would have if they took their time and made a quality product.

Better than Apple where they are facing a class action suit against not recalling their i6 phones and the touch screen of death fiasco. Basically Apple rushed i7 because of it.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

To be honest the Airpods and wireless music are a huge red herring. In a few weeks you will see wired earphones that are made with the special apple connectors. The only difference will be that 3rd party manufacturers of peripherals won't be allowed to manufature these patented connectors without a licence from Apple. That was the whole point of the lightning connector. Apple might start demanding exclusivity from major audio companies in exchange for licences, and so on. This is all about money and control. It's an admission that the only way Apple is planning to succeed is not by competing in the open market, but by putting up barriers, reducing competition, and limiting consumer choice. Nobody should be surprised since this has been their business plan for over a decade.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

That was the whole point of the lightning connector.

Say what you want about the lightning connector, it's infinitely better than the old connector that was being used. It's bi-directional, faster-charging, and smaller. Even without this headphone jack issue, switching to the lighting connector was the right move by Apple.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Not so sure as it will eliminate competitors who might provide a better product.

Most companies in the past failed because of it. Let Apple compete with other companies using apple "technology".

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Strangerland

It's not about whether the lightning connector is better than the 30pin, it probably is. The point is just that Apple refuses to use anything which is industry standard because they want total control over not just their product, but every peripheral that might be used with their product. Imagine if Honda built a car that couldn't be refueled at a regular gas station because they used a proprietary fuel nozzle that couldn't be manufactured without a patent. You would have to go to a special Honda owned gas station and you had to pay using Honda's payment system. We shouldn't reward this type of rotten anti-competitive behaviour.

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that Beats headphones (owned by Apple) will be the first wired headphones available with the lightning connector built-in rather than having to make use of the special adapter.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

The point is just that Apple refuses to use anything which is industry standard because they want total control over not just their product, but every peripheral that might be used with their product.

Ok. And?

If people don't like that, they have a perfectly good alternative - Android.

Imagine if Honda built a car that couldn't be refueled at a regular gas station because they used a proprietary fuel nozzle that couldn't be manufactured without a patent. You would have to go to a special Honda owned gas station and you had to pay using Honda's payment system.

I imagine that the car wouldn't sell well, and Honda would lose a huge portion of its market value.

Apple runs the same risk, but seeing as it hasn't happened, it means that the people buying Apple products are happy/fine with it.

So while the comparison you are making is the same, the reality is that Apple is not doing anything its users/buyers have a big issue with. Or maybe they will - sales will show. But I'd go out on a limb and suggest that the headphone jack is not going to be the deciding factor for most buyers on whether or not they get an iphone vs some other phone.

We shouldn't reward this type of rotten anti-competitive behaviour.

It's self correcting. If it's something the consumer has a problem with, Apple will need to self-correct in order to maintain their standing and profit level.

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that Beats headphones (owned by Apple) will be the first wired headphones available with the lightning connector built-in rather than having to make use of the special adapter.

Probably. On this note I can agree - they should provide specs to competing manufacturers in advance. I got screwed when the iphone 5 came out because they weren't selling adapters from the old style to the lightning jack yet, so suddenly I couldn't use a lot of my peripherals.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@Strangerland

I agree that alternatives exist but part of what Apple is doing is imposing a cost which makes it expensive for people to make that switch. If I've invested in an expensive pair of lightning earsphones and hundreds of songs in my iTunes library, how likely is it that I will make that move to a non-Apple device even if other companies are offering a better product? This isn't how the free market is supposed to work, and it's why industrial standards are considered a good thing for the economy and consumers.

I think many people also don't realise the risks when they first step into Apple's 'walled garden'. I naively thought that all the songs I bought on iTunes could be transfered (legally) to an non-Apple mp3 player. This is why I fell out of love with Apple. (Yes, I used to be a fanboy back when the little white iPod Nano was the coolest thing you could own).

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I expect some 3rd party accessory provider will soon come along with a dual lightning connector or lightning with 3.5 mm stereo jack adaptor, to both charge and listen at the same time, but it's one more piece of stuff to fit in your pocket, and one more piece to lose.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I agree that alternatives exist but part of what Apple is doing is imposing a cost which makes it expensive for people to make that switch. If I've invested in an expensive pair of lightning earsphones and hundreds of songs in my iTunes library, how likely is it that I will make that move to a non-Apple device even if other companies are offering a better product?

It depends on how much the people want to switch. If Apple bothers them that much, yet they still continue to buy Apple products, that's their fault for throwing good money after bad.

it's why industrial standards are considered a good thing for the economy and consumers.

I fully agree with standards, but this is different, this is a company creating proprietary hardware. They still have to meet standards (as they should). They just are meeting them on their own terms, rather than being forced into conformity, which would come at a potential hit in quality.

I've lost customers in the past because they wanted me to provide a service that I wasn't offering. I've had some get angry at me, and say that other people have that service, and that if I want to keep them as a customer, I should a well. But the service they want does not fit in with my business plan. If I lost enough customers as a result of this, I'd change my business plan, or go under. But as we are still doing well with our current business plan, it means that our business plan works, even if we lose some customers.

That's how the free market works. Regulation should require that safety standards are met, and that claims a company makes are true. It shouldn't require companies to follow a business plan that does not fit in with their business.

I think many people also don't realise the risks when they first step into Apple's 'walled garden'. I naively thought that all the songs I bought on iTunes could be transfered (legally) to an non-Apple mp3 player. This is why I fell out of love with Apple.

I'm assuming you left Apple, and good for you - their business obviously isn't a match for your desires/requirements. In such a case you should vote with your a$$ (double meaning intended). But don't expect them to change their business model simply because it didn't work for you.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I have been using Apple products since I picked up my IIE from Apple's factory in Garden Grove, California, and got a personal thanks from Steve Jobs himself (he was that kind of guy). I am writing this post from one of the three Macs on my desk, I have an iPhone 6S plus in my pocket, and Apple Watch on my wrist, my daughter is watching Anpanman on my iPad Pro. It's a safe bet that I will pick up an iPhone 7 when they are released.

I am an Apple fan more because of Jobs than the products themselves. I like the way Apple does business, and to show my support, Apple is my default computer and gadget supplier.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

I like the way Apple does business

Like a cult for money with mass suicides, supporting Communist China rather than pay taxes that are due. Yeah that's quite the standard

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

@Strangerland

I agree with alot of what you said, but in classical economic theory the perfectly efficient free market only works if the cost of switching is zero and consumers are fully informed. Apple is clearly moving in the opposite direction. As someone who uses Apple, can I ask roughly how much you have invested in the Apple ecosystem? How much in apps, media, peripherals would you lose if you switched tomorrow and had to replace it all?

I suspect that if Samsung or Sony came out with the greatest phone ever made you would need much more convincing to buy it than someone who wasn't tied into Apple. If people aren't buying the best most innovative products, the economy suffers because innovation and creativity aren't being properly rewarded. I'd say half of Apple is about making cool products that people genuinely like, but the darker half of their business model is about profiting from the market inefficiencies which they create.

I think the government also has a role to play to ensure that companies don't hold consumers hostage. For example, you probably know that a few years ago the Japanese government demanded that the mobile service providers develop a system for telephone number portability. The hassle and cost of switching phone numbers was being exploited by the mobile companies to hold onto their customers when it was clearly in the customers' best interest to switch. This is similar to Apple's longterm business plan, in my opinion.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Those wireless Pods are gonna get lost soooo easily. I'm picturing users on their hands and knees searching the floor of Yamanote trains during rush hour. LOL.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

it would have been a better design to include small loops in the earphone buds, so thin wire/string could hold the pair together. Or onto some lanyard attachment so it doesn't fall off the neck. Apple can't patent the human body so if they think they're getting rid of some kind of wires or string, they're wrong

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Wow, I didn't realise it's such a chore to swap out things in an Mac. I guess you can't swap out a broken keyboard or similar with Mac Pros. At least the iphone wasn't too hard to swap out the LED screen or batteries. I just wish it was less time consuming.

Getting rid of the phone jack poses so many problems especially with those who use it for payment systems like square, sensors, shutter control, data coms, etc. People don't realise that the jack has one channel in, two channels out and provides a small amount of power to micro-processors in headphones and other accessories.

Most people will end up having to carry multiple adapters, 2 sets of earphones or another cable to keep charging their wireless earphones/headphones. Bluetooth will drain your battery even more. I wonder if they have fully tested what happens if a room or jam packed train carriages of say 1000 people use 2.4 Ghz Bluetooth, 2.4Ghz WiFi along with all those fitness wearables and iwatches at the same time?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Apple is going adapter crazy to monetize them rather than accepting standards. A friend got an Ipad Pro but it didn't have enough power in the "new" port to read an sdcard, so he needed not one but two more adapters to provide power to the next adapter to run an sdcard. It was so bad. Apple users are going to need stylish tote bags to hold all their adapters. And those tote bags are going to be so great I'm sure.

@cwhite

you can repair a keyboard on a MBR, but it's the first component so you have to essentially take the entire laptop apart including screen hinge! I was almost going to do it but then the keyboard got better after a few days of cleaning individual keys. Ifixit dot com has all the details for those with the tools to do it. Not easy or convenient just time consuming (100 screws? Anyway...lots. And you have to track which go where so you don't perforate the motherboard)

Convenience to the customer doesn't gel with Apple design

1 ( +1 / -0 )

wipeout: ""Taking apart a tower" to add a soundcard - or anything else - is no more complex than removing a sidepanel. I'd like to think it's not too daunting for people with a reasonably hands-on attitude: if for example you can change a lightbulb, swap the lens on an SLR, or pump up a bicycle tyre, you'll find that placing a soundcard into a slot inside the computer is not high on the list of difficult tasks."

I didn't say it was or that I found it difficult, I said it was funny to recall the days of doing so and then hoping everything was compatible, and it often is or was not, and this was in contrast to my point that Apple is streamlined with their products.

" It shows that the problem you described above is more with Apple than with Windows these days: replacing a part in a generic desktop PC is simple and fast, but in an iMac it is neither"

And as I will say again, I never said it was about simplicity -- I said it was about compatibility across the board and with peripheries.

Triring: "Better than Apple where they are facing a class action suit against not recalling their i6 phones and the touch screen of death fiasco. Basically Apple rushed i7 because of it."

People are now being told not to use Galaxy on airplanes because it poses a risk. Hahaha. They can always ask the Apple user beside them to tilt their phone a bit so they can see, too.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/faa-warns-airline-passengers-not-012544750.html

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Im waiting for my iphone5 to get broken. but still it works just fine like the from the day i first have it... so i cant upgrade now to iP7.......

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I'm with Smith. I used to be a dedicated Windows user, and I built a number of computers. I also wasted a bunch of money on components that didn't end up being compatible or whatnot. I couldn't understand why someone would pay more for Macs, particularly as I am a technical enough person that I can build my own computers. In my younger days, Windows probably appealed more to me, as I wanted to be able to customize my own things and do things my way.

But then I bought a Mac. And another. And now I have zero interest in Windows. I prefer a Mac where I buy it, and the hardware all works together, and works for a long time. My first Mac is still going 7 years after I bought it, after heavy heavy use, without ever needing to replace any component on it. Not even one. I used it for years, and now my staff does. It's been used pretty much five or more days a week for seven years. I never had a windows computer that lasted anything close to that level of usage.

Sure it cost me more. Maybe even more than a windows computer would, even after taking into consideration the cost replacement parts on an equivalent Windows computer compared to what I originally paid. But, the peace of mind in not having to deal with a computer that continually needs maintenance is worth that extra money to me.

I also used to re-install Windows every year or two, because it started to slow down. I've never re-installed OSX on any of my Macs. I've never seen that build up of lag on Macs the same as I used to see on Windows.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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