How headphones work on the iPhone 7, explained
But it's not as drastic as some people online are making it out to be. Apple included new headphones with the iPhone 7 as well as an adapter to use your old headphones.
Still, there's a lot of confusion about headphones and the iPhone 7 - here are the questions we've been getting a lot.
I've heard that Apple has "killed" the headphone jack. What gives?
That's true. There is no headphone jack on the iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, the new phones that Apple announced yesterday.
Here's a picture:
So will my old headphones work with the iPhone 7?
The good news is that Apple includes new headphones in the iPhone 7 box. It's included a pair of white earbuds, called EarPods, that plug into the iPhone 7 through the Lightning charging port.
But if you want to use your old headphones, Apple has also included an adapter along with the iPhone 7 that will allow your old headphones to plug into the iPhone 7's charging port. It looks like this:
You can also buy those dongles for $9 from Apple.
So all the headphone accessories I need are included with the iPhone 7.
Yes. You get an 3.5mm adapter and a pair of Lightning earbuds with the iPhone 7.
I use Bluetooth headphones. Will those work with the iPhone 7?
Yes. Bluetooth headphones will work the way they always have. But Apple wants you to buy a pair of AirPods headphones.
AirPods? What are those?
It's a new product from Apple that looks like those iconic white earbuds with the cords cut off.
They're wireless earbuds that pair with Apple products. They will go on sale in October for $159.
According to Apple, they come with a 5-hour battery life, but they charge through a case that provides 24 hours of battery. They're pretty nifty! Sensors detect when they are in your ears, to save battery life.
Here's what they look like in your ear:
Here's what the case looks like:
How do I plug the AirPods into my iPhone 7?
They're wireless - you don't need to plug them in. But they'll be easier to pair than most Bluetooth headphones. Simply flip open the cover. Here's what it looks like, courtesy Jan Dawson:
The reason the AirPods pair so easily is that Apple has a new chip in these earbuds called the W1. They still use standard Bluetooth, but the chip enables the AirPods to pair without digging through settings. The W1 chip is just there for easy pairing, and only Apple and Beats are using it for now.
Any other cool AirPod tricks?
Users can summon Siri, Apple's voice assistant, simply by double-tapping either AirPod. And when you're talking to Siri, the AirPods have active noise cancelling. And when you switch from your iPhone to your Mac, the sound switches instantly.
Will the AirPods work with my Windows PC or Android phone?
Yes, according to Recode, AirPods don't require an iPhone 7, and they will connect to non-Apple devices, but will require manual pairing. They're just standard Bluetooth, with a little bit of "secret sauce" for easy pairing with Apple devices.
Will the AirPods work with my Mac?
Yes, according to Apple. However, your Mac will need to be updated to the most recent version of MacOS to play sound. If your laptop can't be updated to MacOS Sierra, then it might not work with the AirPods, according to Apple's product page.
Will third-party headphones work with the iPhone 7?
Yes they will, either through the dongle, or several companies have already started to make headphones that plug in through Apple's Lightning port. Here's a pair on sale on at Amazon right now:
What about Beats?
Beats, the Apple-owned headphone company, released three new pairs of wireless headphones yesterday that are designed to work with the iPhone 7. They have the W1 chip too, so they'll pair seamlessly.
Will the AirPods fall out of my ears?
Maybe? Stay tuned for the Business Insider review in the next few weeks.
Will Lightning headphones work with older iPhones?
Yes, they will play music as long as your iPhone have a Lightning port.
Why ... why would Apple do this?