iPhone 7 Review Diary
Day 1: Dongle audio quality
I’m walking along the local bike track right now typing this out on the new iPhone 7. Not the Plus.
Since my MacBook doesn’t have a Lightning port I’m trying to train myself to use old EarPods with the 3.5mm adapter. It’s been a rough few hours. I’ve already forgotten the adapter once in my way out the door.
This is the kind of shit you have to think about with the iPhone 7. It’s no longer a case of packing headphones, but rather a process of picking which pair, which adapter, and eventually with AirPods shipping late October, which pair has the most juice.
On this walk in particular though the situation has become even stranger. I wear daggy shorts while running, but today I’m just walking. Because of that my phone is just sitting in my shallow pockets, the little dongle hanging out, wagging up and down with each step.
Here’s the problem. The adapter is shaking a bit and now every few steps I hear a little clip in the headphones. A tick. With multiple layers to the audio (buds, cable, dongle, Lightning port) I have no idea what this could be, so now I’m just forced to hold the phone.
If Apple wants to sell AirPods, the iPhone 7 experience should do it. Earlier today I compared the thing to a mid-cycle game console. The home button, headphone-free combo makes it feel like a cheaper iPhone, just like how the new PS4 slim looks like a cheaper PS4. Late October couldn’t come soon enough.