Mikey Campbell
Adding fuel to claims that Apple intends to do away with the stalwart 3.5mm headphone jack in the next iPhone, a report on Thursday says the company is making progress on a pair of wireless earbuds built around a custom low-power Bluetooth chip.
Citing a source familiar with Apple's project, Forbes reports the unnamed product — although AirPods would be a catchy moniker — has been in development for a "few years" and might finally see launch in September. That month, of course, is when Apple is widely expected to announce its next-generation iPhone, which rumor has it will not include a 3.5mm headphone jack.
A great number of third-party manufacturers, and Apple's own Beats brand, market wireless earbuds, but none have been able to solve the biggest problem for any portable device: battery life. Today's report claims Apple's earbuds will do just that using technology from Passif Semiconductor, a specialist in power efficient chipsets the tech giant acquired in 2013.
That Apple is developing a set of Bluetooth-capable headphones is unsurprising, as the company likely has a multitude of side projects in its quest for the next big thing — many of which will never see the light of day. However, the fact that in-house technology is being used to power the supposed device makes today's rumor a bit more believable.
Apple normally sources complex components from supplier chipmakers like Qualcomm. In other cases, when no ideal solution is available in the open market, Apple does turn to its own engineers to create bespoke components. Designing, fabricating, testing and producing computer chips is cost-intensive, but the strategy guarantees a high-quality part that suits Apple's exact needs. The A-series chips that power all iOS devices are a good example of this philosophy.
As for wireless earbuds, Apple is no stranger to the product class. From the failed iPhone Bluetooth Headset to current Beats models, Apple has a long history with cramming advanced wireless technology into exceedingly small designs. The company also owns a number of patents relating to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi earbuds, though it has yet to bring the technology to market.
Apple is widely expected to announce a pair of new iPhone handsets at a special event this fall, with rumors pegging a debut in the first week of September. Unlike past iPhone product cycles, this year Apple is thought to carry over the design language introduced in 2014 with iPhone 6. Some expect at least one major change, however, in the deletion of iPhone's 3.5mm headphone jack, which would require Lightning EarPods, a Lightning-to-audio adaptor or an all-wireless audio solution.
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36 Comments
I've got a set of really nice bluetooth Sony headphones. I ultimately decided to get them when I realized Apple wasn't coming out with anything bluetooth in that field for a while. (And Beats is not something I want to pay for given the fact that it's not obviously any better than the competition despite the higher price.) But if Apple can get long lasting wireless ear buds out, I'll certainly buy a pair.
This is no surprise, Even if they don't remove the 3.5 mm port, there will likely be an Bluetooth ear pods design. Apple has been pushing toward a Bluetooth switch into headphones at some point. That is not surprising with now every apple device supporting Bluetooth.
This would be HUGE and reason enough to upgrade.
3 things bother me most about removing the jack:
1. Bluetooth headphones are crap compared to studio headphones.
2. Lightning jacks are not much better than 3.5mm aesthetically(long explanation)
3. Battery life
Current Bluetooth tech isn't even worth sacrificing battery for. I do get the feeling Apple will sell awesome 3.5mm to lightning dongles though. If Apple/Beats can nail audio then all would be GREAT!!
If these rumors are true I wouldn't be as mad as I was a few months ago.
Sick and tired of wired EarPods and wired earbuds in general. The tangling and bad fitment are annoying enough.
Then there's the pain of having your sealed in-ear buds being ripped out when the wire catches on something.
Good riddance to wired earbuds.
On the other hand, I've had a pair of the low-end Jaybird BT earbuds for 2+ years, and they're only barely OK.
Not much bass, even with a tight seal. Cheaply built. The right bud rattles ever since I dropped them once.
(No rattle during playback, just when handling them, which degrades the ownership experience.)
And I inevitably lose one of the silicone ear-tips. I haven't used the Jaybirds since I lost an ear-tip - about 6 months.
If the rumors of Apple-branded BT earbuds are true, I'll consider them vs. the all-new Jaybird high-end model
and maybe also the Beats BT earbuds. The latter two being $200. Ouch. Other brands are probably just as pricey.
So have they solved the latency issue with BT headphones and watching video. Audio and video is never in sync.