Corey McConnaughy | Contributing Writer
It’s the night of September 7. I’ve been up later than I should have been, watching YouTube videos and checking social media. And then it hits me: Apple’s keynote happened earlier that day. Out of curiosity and excitement, I watched it the whole way through. I must admit, it was a pretty good event. I really enjoyed witnessing the tech giant’s unveilings, from real-time collaboration in iWork and Super Mario Run to the announcements of the new line of Apple Watches and new versions of iPhone 7. I was especially enthralled by the iPhone 7, which Tim Cook says is not only the most advanced smartphone, but also “the best iPhone we have ever created.” I’m really looking forward to seeing how lucky #7 will play out with all of its new and remarkable features.
Months before the keynote, a little rumor shot through the tech world about the 7’s headphone jack. In traditional fashion, Apple fans were bummed and probably thinking along the lines of, “First, they changed my MacBook charger, and now this?!” It seemed like good timing when Apple introduced their EarPods’ wireless Bluetooth successor, AirPods. Apple also explained why they did those two things, saying that they have “the courage to move on, do something new that betters all of us.” But that’s not all, as recent news suggests. Device repair site iFixit is taking all of Apple’s new devices apart to learn the new internal layouts. While tearing down the 7 Plus, they discovered that the Taptic Engine accounts for most of the the space where the jack would be, as well as the microphone and a barometric vent.
So it looks like the headphone jack mystery is solved, but it’s still too much for Apple fans to chew, specifically those who don’t know about that second reason regarding courage. Whether or not they will at least try the new AirPods, minor changes almost always seem to be the end of the world. Despite that, I’m sure they’ll eventually get used to it like they usually do with whatever life throws at them, and AirPods are a bold addition to the Apple line. Such skeptics can relax since they can still use EarPods with a Lightning cable or their own headphones with a Lightning adapter, both of which come with the phone. In short, iPhone 7 may be the next best thing, the cat’s pajamas, on fire (but not on the Samsung Galaxy Note7’s level), or any other positive idiom. The day it comes out will be a monumental one for sure.
The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are priced at $649 and $769, or $32.41 and $37.41 per month with the iPhone Upgrade Program, respectively. When purchased, both phones will also come with a Lightning to USB cable and a 5-watt USB power adapter. As for AirPods, they will be available later next month for $159.
