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You have to add $75 a year to the operating cost of these phones, for AirPods, which appear to have a design life of about 18 months, max. I am very frustrated

You have to add $75 a year to the operating cost of these phones, for AirPods, which appear to have a design life of about 18 months, max. I am very frustrated as the SE is really getting to end of life. I have bought 3 of them in the past month from various eBay sellers with good feedback. One fake, one had a badly degraded battery, and the other went into a reset loop after a couple weeks. There's not much out there. Apple's privacy is second to none, usability is very good (though if they introduce one more type of swiping I'm going to go mad. What's next, Force Swiping?), but the hardware is getting extremely inconvenient. Even my buddy who has large hands complains that the phone is too big and heavy.

ocdtrekkie 7y ago
Can't you use... any other Bluetooth headphones with it? I feel like saying you have to use AirPods is a bit disingenuous.
- dangus 7y ago
  Yes. You can use $20 Amazon bluetooth headphones. And you can use a $9 adapter that fits in any wallet or purse easily: https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMX62AM/A/lightning-to-35-mm-headphone-jack-adapter https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMX62AM/A/lightning-to-35... And they come with free lightning headphones in the box.
  - Frondo 7y ago
    When I got an iPhone 8, it came with that adapter in the box. I do keep a spare we had lying around in my cross-body bag too, for times like using someone's aux cord in a car. Yes, it's another thing you can lose, but in practice I don't think it's really a problem -- certainly not the issue that would decide a phone for me, since rarely are all other specs equal.
- rcruzeiro 7y ago
  Or the headphone adaptor, or the lightning earpods that are included with most iPhones nowadays.
dougmwne 7y ago
There are many bluetooth headphone choices, plus an adapter for plugging in headphones. I'm just as sour about the death of the headphone jack, but I think it's hyperbole to say that $75/yr for airpods is required.
developerdylan 7y ago
What? They come with a pair of wired headphones. Why do you need Airpods?
radicaldreamer 7y ago
There’s a $9 lightning to headphone adaptor and a lightning headset are included in the box.
- whywhywhywhy 7y ago
  No there isn't, they stopped shipping those with them a while back.
  - radicaldreamer 7y ago
    I didn't say it was shipped in the box, it's available on the store: https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMX62AM/A/lightning-to-35-mm-headphone-jack-adapter https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMX62AM/A/lightning-to-35...
kayoone 7y ago
Some bluetooth headphones have outstanding battery life. Beats Solo 3 for example. Personally I have no reason to go back to wired headphones, just switching them between devices with a click of a button is so convenient.

ocdtrekkie 7y ago

Can't you use... any other Bluetooth headphones with it? I feel like saying you have to use AirPods is a bit disingenuous.

dangus 7y ago
Yes. You can use $20 Amazon bluetooth headphones. And you can use a $9 adapter that fits in any wallet or purse easily: https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMX62AM/A/lightning-to-35-mm-headphone-jack-adapter https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMX62AM/A/lightning-to-35... And they come with free lightning headphones in the box.
- Frondo 7y ago
  When I got an iPhone 8, it came with that adapter in the box. I do keep a spare we had lying around in my cross-body bag too, for times like using someone's aux cord in a car. Yes, it's another thing you can lose, but in practice I don't think it's really a problem -- certainly not the issue that would decide a phone for me, since rarely are all other specs equal.
rcruzeiro 7y ago
Or the headphone adaptor, or the lightning earpods that are included with most iPhones nowadays.

dougmwne 7y ago

There are many bluetooth headphone choices, plus an adapter for plugging in headphones. I'm just as sour about the death of the headphone jack, but I think it's hyperbole to say that $75/yr for airpods is required.

developerdylan 7y ago

What? They come with a pair of wired headphones. Why do you need Airpods?

radicaldreamer 7y ago

There’s a $9 lightning to headphone adaptor and a lightning headset are included in the box.

whywhywhywhy 7y ago
No there isn't, they stopped shipping those with them a while back.
- radicaldreamer 7y ago
  I didn't say it was shipped in the box, it's available on the store: https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMX62AM/A/lightning-to-35-mm-headphone-jack-adapter https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMX62AM/A/lightning-to-35...

kayoone 7y ago

Some bluetooth headphones have outstanding battery life. Beats Solo 3 for example. Personally I have no reason to go back to wired headphones, just switching them between devices with a click of a button is so convenient.