AirPods: Apple’s vision for a wireless future

AirPods won’t come cheap, and we don’t yet know whether they’ll sound better than Apple’s existing headphones.

Apple AirPods, shown during the San Francisco launch. Pic: AFP

Apple wants you to give up on the headphone jack.

With the iPhone 7, Apple is shipping a new set of EarPod headphones that plugs into the device’s Lightning port — the same one used to for charging the phone — as well as an adaptor to connect existing headphones with the new handset.

Ditching the old 3.5 millimetre headphone jack is a bold move.

Apple said it is necessary to make the phone more water resistant and to beef up the speaker system — space on the hardware is at a premium.

But it also means you will be unable to use wired headphones while charging an iPhone 7, something you might want to do during, for example, a cross-country flight.

The more significant reason involves no connections or ports at all. The future of Apple’s headphones is decidedly wireless, Apple executive Phil Schiller said during the company’s presentation overnight (AEST).

Apple’s new wireless headphones are called AirPods. They include a chip, called W1, that handles playback between the iPhone and the headset, and infra-red sensors that detect when you are wearing them.

There are no physical buttons on the AirPods. Double-tapping the side of the AirPods triggers Siri, and a built-in mic lets you both talk to Siri or place a phone call.

Apple said the AirPods will offer five hours of continuous music playback on a single charge, and will be sold with a charging case that offers up to 24 hours of battery life.

Apple’s wireless AirPods.

The big claim is how effortlessly the headphones are supposed to pair with iPhones. Apple said they automatically connect in a one-tap set up by recognising when the charging case is nearby.

The introduction of AirPods marks the biggest change to Apple’s iconic white, plastic headphones since they debuted alongside the first iPod in 2001.

This wireless future won’t come cheap. AirPods will cost $US159 when they become available in late October.

AirPods, Apple’s first wireless headphones.

Apple’s Beats Electronics is coming out with its own line of headphones using the same W1 chip set. They are supposed to be just as easy to pair to the iPhone, and offer better battery life. Beats will sell three such headphones, ranging in price from $US150 to $US300.

What we don’t know, yet, is whether Apple’s new Lightning-cable EarPods or the wireless AirPods will sound any better than existing Apple headphones.

It might not matter to hard-core music fans anyway — audiophiles scoff at listening to music via Apple’s headphones. The only reason the older headphones are ubiquitous is because they’re found in the box of every iPhone and iPod sold going back 15 years.

Dow Jones