One of the biggest drawbacks of removing the 3.5mm headphone jack is that now you won't be able to listen to music with the Lightning EarPods and charge your iPhone at the same time. Either one or the other, but not both. But luckily, manufacturers had already started to think about it and are starting to offer some solutions.
Accessories firm Belkin has been one of the first to do so. It has introduced a simple hub-style adapter that It will allow us to listen to our favorite music using lightning headphones at the same time that our iPhone 7 is charging.
Listening and charging your iPhone 7 at the same time will be possible
Belkin today announced the Lightning Audio + Charge Rock Star for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. It is an accessory that will allow users of the new iPhone 7 charge your devices and listen to music at the same time.
According to Belkin, this new accessory was developed 'closely' with Apple, and in fact it closely resembles the accessories for iOS devices offered by the apple company itself.
How does it work
This adapter has a lightning connector on one end which connects to the iPhone for power transmission (up to 12W). At the other end are two Lightning ports. In one of them we can connect the new Lightning EarPods included in the iPhone 7, other headphones that work with this type of connector, and even any type of headset using the adapter included in the smartphone box. In the other, we can connect the Lightning charging cable so that the iPhone 7 charges at the same time we listen to music.
We are delighted to be able to offer the Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar to our customers, expanding our family of RockStar multi-port products and creating an easy way for people to charge and listen to music on the go.said Steve Malony, GM Belkin vice president.
Not the perfect solution
The new RockStar Lightning Audio + Charge adapter made by Belkin is obviously not the perfect solution. If we think about it more carefully, the solution could be useful if we are in a fixed place (lying in bed listening to music for example), however, if we are on the move, and even if we are at a table working, the mess is insured.
The idea is to be able to use the EarPods Lightning headphones of the new iPhone 7 while we charge our device. In this sense, it is very useful, but only to "get out of trouble." Using this adapter implies a cable, that of the headphones, which will reach our ears, and another cable, the charging cable, which will keep the iPhone 7 "tied" to the wall. As well pointed out from MacRumors, this can result in an incredible cable mess, not to mention the utmost care that we must take when moving.
And if we add to this the use of the lightning jack adapter included in the iPhone 7 box, the result can be even worse: two adapters and two cables being used simultaneously.
We insist that the idea is not bad, and without a doubt, it is a solution for those moments when you are listening to your music and you need to charge your iPhone. But Apple's idea of removing the headphone jack is not this. Despite the fact that the company itself offers a few Lightning EarPods and an adapter in the box.
The objective is to get rid of one more cable, to be able to listen to music with greater freedom, either by making use of the AirPods or other wireless headphones with bluetooth connectivity.
Price and Availability
Belking's lightning adapter supports 48 kHz output and 24-bit audio and is capable of working with a wide variety of cases. In addition, it is certified by Apple.
Belkin plans to start selling this adapter starting October 10. Its price will be $ 39,95 and will be available on the Belkin website, the Apple Store online and in Apple stores.