Accessories

iPhone 7 might ship with Lightning EarPods and 3.5mm headphone jack adapter

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 31, 2016

An image of another claimed spec sheet has surfaced on the Chinese microblogging site Weibo, indicating that the iPhone 7 could come with both a Lightning edition of Apple's wired EarPods and a Lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter in the box. As a result, the iPhone 7 should provide its owners with an appropriate solution for connecting their existing wired headphones to the handset right out of the box, without requiring them to purchase a standalone adapter.

Grovemade’s walnut iPhone dock is built to last and looks stunning

Anthony Bouchard ∙ August 18, 2016

Docks are a great way to store your iPhone on your nightstand overnight or on your office desk while you work on your computer. There are a lot of options to choose from out there with varying degrees of quality, and Grovemade makes a product that you won’t be disappointed in.

In this review, we’ll show you the Grovemade walnut dock for the iPhone 6 Plus/6s Plus, a premium metal and hard wood dock that pays careful attention to detail and looks great anywhere you put it.

Another hands-on video shows genuine-looking, working Lightning EarPods in action

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 14, 2017

Apple's official Lightning-based EarPods (that could be marketed under the 'AirPods' moniker, according to a trademark filing) were already filmed on video and depicted on leaked photos. Today, UK-based mobile accessory firm MobileFun posted a hands-on video of its own of what appears to be a wired, Lightning-based edition of the EarPods.

Apple, as you know, is widely expected to ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack from its next iPhone in favor of Bluetooth wireless headsets and Lightning-based wired ones, the latter potentially providing lossless digital sound.

Fully assembled Lightning-based EarPods shown on leaked images

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 13, 2016

Last month, a batch of photographs out of China claiming to depict a Lightning-based version of Apple’s standard EarPods headphones left us scratching our head due to the product's sketchy appearance. But now, French blog NowhereElse.fr points us to another set of leaked images, originally posted on the Chinese social network Weibo, that ostensibly show off a fully assembled EarPods headphones with a Lightning connector.

UPDATE: confirmed as fake.

Apple supplier Cirrus Logic releases MFi Lightning headphone development kit

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 29, 2016

Apple supplier Cirrus Logic, which provides audio chips for iPhones, iPads and iPod touches, today released a software development kit for third-party vendors who wish to build Lightning-based headphones under the 'Made for iOS' (MFi) program.

iOS already supports headphones based on the proprietary Lightning connector, some of which are sold by Apple itself. As you know, the next iPhone is widely expected to drop the standard 3.5mm jack in favor of Bluetooth and Lightning headphones.

Photographs of claimed Lightning-based EarPods leak on the web

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 29, 2016

A sketchy photograph just surfaced on the Chinese microblogging service Weibo, appearing to show off a Lightning-based version of Apple's standard EarPods headphones. As you know, Apple is widely expected to ditch the 3.5mm analog audio jack on the next iPhone in favor of wireless headphones via Bluetooth and all-digital wired headphones based on Apple's proprietary Lightning connector.

First Lightning-to-headphone adapter surfaces, offering a sign of things to come

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 9, 2016

Apple is widely believe to remove the more than century-old 3.5mm analog audio jack from the iPhone 7 in favor of Lightning-enabled headphones and wireless Bluetooth headsets. Chinese vendor Tama Electric is advertising at Computex 2016 in Taipei the first Lightning-to-headphone that would let folks connect their existing analog headphones based on the 3.5mm audio jack to the iPhone 7.

The listing was first discovered by the oft-reliable Japanese blog Mac Otakara.

How to use your iPhone as a mouse or trackpad

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated July 3, 2018

Your iOS devices have some of the best touch screens out there. As a matter of fact your iPhone screen makes for a great mouse, or trackpad.

The idea of using iOS devices as a trackpad for your computer isn't new, but Mobile Mouse Remote is a great app that provides this kind of functionality with ease of use in mind. It even packs some useful bonus features.

If you're interested in this kind of functionality for your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, then this is something you're going to want to check out.

Pod Pro review: the portable Apple Watch & iPhone battery dock

Anthony Bouchard ∙ April 18, 2016

Those who need a portable battery pack for the Apple Watch that aren't so keen on just plugging the USB end into the receiver of a battery pack and letting the magnetic end dangle around everywhere are going to be hard-pressed to find a good portable battery pack made specifically for the Apple Watch's proprietary charging platform.

Fortunately, Nomad has the Pod Pro, which can be had on Amazon for $85, and is a great solution for on-the-go Apple Watch charging, and even includes a built-in Lightning cable for charging your device, whether it's an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. We'll show you what the Pod Pro is all about in this review.

Spotting the signs of a fake Apple Lightning cable

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated June 26, 2018

Whenever you buy a new iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, it'll come with a Lightning to USB cable that you will use to charge and sync your device. On the other hand, you have to be careful when you buy these cables separately, especially online, because you could end up with a counterfeit cable.

A counterfeit is a cable that tries to look just like Apple's OEM Lightning to USB cable, even though it isn't. Using these cables could have an adverse effect on your device, so we'll show you how to spot the differences between a counterfeit and genuine Lightning to USB cable in this piece.

thingCHARGER adds a Lightning dock and two USB ports to your wall outlet

Andrew O'Hara ∙ March 8, 2016

Charging your devices is something just about everyone has to deal with. We all have phones, cameras, tablets, and more that all seem to constantly need to be replenished. When it comes to chargers, there always seems to be an endless array of options, that all seem to be variations on similar designs. thingCHARGER, is a new product that builds a multi-device charging dock right into your outlet.

LMcable: a 2-in-1 Lightning and Micro USB connector

Anthony Bouchard ∙ March 1, 2016

Lovers of technology who own both iOS and Android devices are forced to use two different cables for charging their batteries – a Lightning cable and a Micro-USB cable.

The discrepancy in charging cable type can be a pain for people who don't want to carry around more than one cable with them, and that's why a new Kickstarter campaign for a product called LMcable is trying to make its way onto the market to make charging easier for everyone.