The iPhone 7 and Bluetooth Headphones

Forbes recently reported that the iPhone 7 would be the first to forgo the standard audio jack. While this is still just a rumor, it seems to be pretty well founded, as many other sources have reported the same story. There has been some talk about Apple creating an adaptor so that iPhone users can listen to their music with their old headphones through the Lightning port. This, of course, means that iPhone users will have to decide whether they want to charge their phone or listen to their music. This might not be a big deal for many users, but for those of us who charge our devices while listening with an aux cable, this is going to cause a problem.

Removing a central aspect of a device is something Apple is no stranger to. Back when the MacBook Air was introduced in 2008 the world still listened to music through CD’s and watched movies on DVD. Disc drives were a must, an imperative for a personal computing device. It was unthinkable for a hardware company to simply remove what was then an integral part of a computer. Of course, Netflix killed the DVD and music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music have changed how we listen to music. In fact the only reason I still buy CD’s is because my car only has a CD player. I don’t miss my optical drive at all.

This next iPhone is just like the MacBook Air from years ago. While some people really want and need that audio jack, the Bluetooth takeover is imminent. Bluetooth ear buds start around $20, or about the price of a set of wired headphones. Adaptors can be a hassle, and to be honest, I lose mine all the time. Bluetooth headphones are easier, cleaner, and are simply the future of mobile audio.

Bluetooth headphones aren’t for everyone — I love my big Audio Technica MX 50’s — but for every day use, Bluetooth will be king, and very soon you won’t miss that audio jack at all.