With the debut of three new iPhone models on Sep. 12, people are wondering whether they have a headphone jack, or if an adapter dongle comes with the new iPhone XS. It is unsurprising that the new models this year do not have a headphone jack. Since Apple announced its Airpods, it started to remove its 3.5mm headphone port, and instead, began including a lightning dongle in the box.
Users Need to Spend Another $9 on a Lightning Dongle
To help consumers smoothly transition to this new change, Apple provided a free lightning dongle in the box since the iPhone 7 in 2016. And it was still the case in iPhone 8/+ and iPhone X.
However, that will be different in this year. Apple has decided to totally remove the headphone jack in the new models, and no dongle will be shipped along with the new iPhones. Instead, the lightning dongle will be sold separately for $9. The new iPhone is, as usual, a high-ticket item with iPhone XR starting $749, iPhone XS at $999 and iPhone XS Max at $1099. So if you want to stick to traditional wired headphones, you have to spend another $9 to make that happen.
Of course, for those who would like to embrace wireless headphones, Apple will be happy to sell you their $159 Airpods. And it is reported that the second generation will come soon. What can we expect from it? Here we've collected the most popular rumors on pricing and new features.
What Will Apple’s Next Generation of Airpods Look Like?
Airpods were launched along with iPhone 7 in 2016. People expected that Apple would upgrade them together with its new iPhones and unveil the new model at its big event this year. However, nothing about Airpods was mentioned at the Apple event. Analysts predict that Apple won’t have Airpods 2 ready until 2019. And since Apple is used to releasing its new devices in the spring, it is very likely that the Airpods will come out in March of next year.
Apple boasted Airpods 1 as powerful wireless earbuds with excellent sound quality, great auto pause/play function, impressive call quality and accurate Siri controls. The first generation seems good enough, so what new features will Apple bring to amaze us in the next generation?
There are many speculations towards those new features, and the most talked about are as follows:
Wireless Charging
It has been leaked in 9to5 Mac that the upcoming AirPower will work with the newly designed AirPods case. Images of the wireless charging case spotted in iOS 12 beta 5.5 shows no difference from its older version.
Noise Cancellation
Noise cancellation is one of the key factors that ensure good sound quality. And it is reported that this will be achieved through the physical design of the Airpods 2.
Water Resistance
It is unsurprising that Apple might try to add water resistance to its Airpods. Earbuds are always exposed to the elements, including possible contact with water. However, even if the next AirPods claim to be waterproof, this would probably only apply to rainy weather, not scuba diving.
Biometric Sensor
According to Bloomberg, the AirPods 2 may come with a biometric sensor that can monitor heart rate, similar to Apple Watch.
A New Way to Activate Siri
It is said that the new AirPods will allow for voice activation, just like you activate Siri in your iPhone and iPad. This hands-free function will make it more convenient to use Siri on the go.
How Much Will AirPods 2 Cost?
The current generation AirPods currently cost $159. And following the Apple convention, AirPods 2 will most likely follow suit.
