The War on Wires

At the Apple Keynote event this week, there were an abundance of new products and features presented (the Apple Watch! Another camera! i0s 10! Pokemon! Mario?) which excited Apple and tech users alike. However, there was a teeny tiny detail that, don’t worry – you’ll probably never notice, was missing: a headphone jack. The absence of the phone jack led to the lack of another feature of headphone accessories: wires.

You know, wires. Those things connected to little buds that go into your ears that, after taken out of the original packaging, will mock your attempts at organization for the rest of your life. And frankly: good riddance to them. I haven’t successfully kept a pair of headphones tangle free since 2004.

Let’s take a moment to remember other significant battles won in the War against Wires:

Proof of my tangled headphones

1901 – wireless communication (aka the radio)

1910 – headphones invented

1964 – cordless drill invented

1973 – first ever wireless cell phone invented

1991 – cordless computer mouse released

1994 – home cordless phone released

1997 – wireless internet released

This hardly new obsession with wireless reached its apex with the the release of the Apple Earpods along with the new Beats by Dre BeatsX, Powerbeats3 Wireless and Solo3 Wireless headphones. Instead of connecting the way you might today, with Bluetooth, Apple uses iCloud to pair all of your NEW devices with your set of headphones seamlessly. If your devices aren’t i0s 10 compatible, then you will still have to use the Bluetooth features.

Here are the newest tangle-free headphones you can enjoy in the future based on your interests and price points:

Apple Airpods: ($159)

5 hour charge

24 hour listening time with charging case

Ability to use Siri

15 minutes of charging = 3 hours of playback

BeatsX: ($149)

8 hour charge

5 minutes of charging = 2 hours of playback

Magnetic earbuds

Powerbeats3 Wireless: ($199)

12 hour charge

4 eartip size options

Take calls with RemoteTalk

Solo3 Wireless: ($299)

40 hour charge

5 minute charge = 3 hours of playback