Apple iPhone 7: Still A Wired Future Despite Wireless AirPods

Did you think it’s a wireless wonderland from here on out for your Apple iPhone 7? From where we’re standing, it’s still looking pretty wired — and here’s why.

With the competition’s Galaxy S7 and S7 Note released (albeit a bit exploding) it’s only high time for Apple to release the 7th installment to its iPhone franchise: the iPhone 7. It’s beautiful, it’s powerful, it’s new; but with every phone is a standout feature. For the Galaxy S7, it’s the breathtaking waterproof (or as Samsung calls it, extremely water-resistant) feature that lets you swim with your Galaxy S7 unit. The waterproof feature shook the competition, and the iPhone did not want to get left behind, of course. So, voila, they equipped the iPhone 7 with water resistance. But since water resistance is now a thing of the past, with Samsung on the top, the iPhone 7 had to think of another gimmick to bring back those Apple-turned-Samsung lovers. And instead of adding a new feature, they thought, “hey, why don’t we remove a feature instead?” Thus, the Apple AirPods.

The Apple AirPods are not one bit revolutionary, if you ask us. Removing the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 was a pretty bold move by Apple, but the concept is not the newest altogether. AirPods cost a jaw-dropping $159 and can only really work well with an Apple product (it connects to other brands via Bluetooth but does not perform to its fullest potential, i.e. smooth and seamless pairing, reports Business Insider). Wireless headphones have been around for years, with some models even cheaper and more brand-friendly than the AirPods.

Well the iPhone 7 knew what it wanted. It wants to force people to move into the future. But with so much talk about the future of wireless devices, the iPhone 7 did not come out with its rumored wireless charging feature. CNet, among other sources, published alleged reports about the iPhone 7 coming out with a wireless charging pod. And we couldn’t just dismiss this rumor since the other components of the report, such as the IP68 water-resistance rating and the lack of headphone jack, did come true. So what’s holding the iPhone 7 back from a truly wireless phone?

Wireless charging has already been developed, too, by other brands. Samsung released a wireless charging pad for the Galaxy Note5 and Galaxy S6, which is also compatible with other Qi-certified devices, Android Central notes. So why is the iPhone 7 holding back? Is it because they have yet to develop the technology, or are they running out of features to include in the 2017 iPhone?

Going back to the AirPods, Apple promises a 24-hour battery life with up to three hours of battery life with just 15 minutes of charging. But, of course, we are the destroyers of all things tech. If we know any better, promises of battery life only last for so long, with the battery deteriorating by the day. An interesting conversation between a concerned Apple user and Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller, surfaced at Mac Rumors regarding this issue.

Apple’s Phil Schiller responded to my query regarding listening to music while charging on iPhone7/Plus pic.twitter.com/4LUmdCDHBL

— Zaheen Hafzer M M (@zaheenhafzer) September 8, 2016

Twitter user Zaheen Hafzer M M threw this question:

Lot of iPhone users listen to media files while iPhone is connected to power. For iPhone 7 & 7 Plus users, this wouldn’t be possible. What is your thoughts on this?

Schiller responds:

Hi, Zaheen, I like to listen on my AirPods while my iPhone 7 Plus is charging because I am free to move around. However, if you would like to listed to wired headphones while charging on iPhone 7 it is possible to do that as well. The Apple Lightning Dock includes a headphone jack for using wired headphones or speakers while charging. I hope that helps.

So, apparently, if you wanted to listen to some media and both your AirPods and iPhone 7 are out of juice, you would need to purchase another beautiful Apple product, the Apple Lightning Dock, and go back to your wired headphones. Seems pretty wireless to us — not!

Is Apple really going for the future of wireless possibilities with the iPhone 7, or is this just another marketing tactic to get their phones moving?

[Featured image via Shutterstock]