Apple Falls Short

Consumers debate the pros and cons of new iPhone features.

Courtesy of Creative Commons

Courtesy of Creative Commons

Apple announced the release of the iPhone 7, the new Bluetooth AirPods and waterproof additions to the Apple Watch on Sept. 7. For years people have been creating memes, gifs, vines etc. about the iPhone 7 and its new features. It’s finally here! The iPhone 7 is now available for purchase on the Apple website and in stores in a variety of colors including black, jet-black, rose-gold, silver and gold. But are people happy with the new product?

The most unpopular added feature to the iPhone 7 is the lack of a headphone jack. Apple created AirPods, the new wireless earbuds, as an alternative to cord-connected earbuds. Although the Apple AirPods look modern and innovative, the $159 earbuds have caused a lot of dialogue regarding Apple’s judgment. For a high schooler at Pali $159 is not a little expense. Sophomore  Frances Clinesmith said,“They’re giving us something we don’t want, why should we have to pay extra for that? It is much more convenient to have the earphone jack.”

Social media platforms predicted the elimination of the headphone jack, which has been a standard iPhone feature since the release of the first iPhone in 2007. On Sept. 7, television host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel said, “Only Apple would make a big announcement about taking a feature away.”

In spite of the often unpopular changes Apple makes annually to its products, users remain loyal. With the removal of the iPhone jack, Apple substituted a Bluetooth headset, the Airpods . Jimmy Kimmel also sarcastically said, “I have always wanted to pay $160 for something that will immediately get lost in my backpack.”

Students at Pali are equally worried about losing the new and expensive AirPods and also the implications of them to their daily routine. “I think they are a waste of money because you have to recharge them and they don’t look fashionable at all,” freshman Aaron Simon said.