Some Cheap Wired Headphones Are Actually Using Bluetooth (wired.com) 31
An anonymous reader shares a report: Buy a pair of wired headphones, and you'd be forgiven for thinking they're just plug and play. Stick them into your phone, and out goes the audio up copper cables into your earholes. Simple as that. Trouble is, that straightforward mechanism has gotten more complicated, and in recent years there has been an influx of budget wired earbuds that, counterintuitively, depend on Bluetooth to function, despite having those copper cables. The problem is largely present in earbuds designed for iPhones. In 2016, Apple removed universal 3.5-mm headphone jacks in its iPhones, which means there are nearly eight years worth of iPhones out in the world -- from the iPhone 7 to the iPhone 14 -- that can connect to headphones only via Bluetooth or Apple's proprietary Lightning ports. (Apple switched to USB-C ports in its iPhones last year after legislation from the European Union put pressure on device companies to standardize connection ports.)
Apple used this move to push its wireless AirPods, and it also sells its own wired headphones that connect to its Lightning ports for $19. You can also get an official $9 dongle that adapts the Lightning port to a 3.5-mm output. These work as intended, connecting with the Lightning port to playback audio. But Apple also has strict certification processes called MFi that require any accessories for Apple products to meet certain requirements in order to work with the Lightning port as intended. That means companies have to pay for the privilege of being a genuine Apple accessory. (If you have an unlicensed accessory, you'll probably see an alert pop up every time you plug it in saying, "Accessory may not be supported.") This has led to a steady trickle of knockoff earbuds that have chosen to use roundabout ways of connecting to Apple's proprietary port. Namely, by requiring a Bluetooth connection -- even for wired buds.
Apple used this move to push its wireless AirPods, and it also sells its own wired headphones that connect to its Lightning ports for $19. You can also get an official $9 dongle that adapts the Lightning port to a 3.5-mm output. These work as intended, connecting with the Lightning port to playback audio. But Apple also has strict certification processes called MFi that require any accessories for Apple products to meet certain requirements in order to work with the Lightning port as intended. That means companies have to pay for the privilege of being a genuine Apple accessory. (If you have an unlicensed accessory, you'll probably see an alert pop up every time you plug it in saying, "Accessory may not be supported.") This has led to a steady trickle of knockoff earbuds that have chosen to use roundabout ways of connecting to Apple's proprietary port. Namely, by requiring a Bluetooth connection -- even for wired buds.
Powered By the Phone (Score:2)
I guess that makes a certain amount of sense that you'd never need to charge them and could still comply with Apple's walled garden. That's one of the annoying things about wireless earbuds.
Surprising that small bluetooth circuits have become so cheap they can compete with just wires
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Do you really think Chinese companies care about the certification cost? It's just cheaper to glue in some wires even if they are completely non-functional than redesign for the few people that still want wired. A few years ago it was cheaper to buy wired because the tech for BT was not there yet. They also have to pay the license fees for BlueTooth which I'm sure they don't. These days, it's a few cents to produce a BT circuit if you don't pay any license fees.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
The issue they are avoiding is that Apple charges ridiculous fees to certify stuff, and actively works to brick anything that isn't certified. Even if they hack around it, the next iOS update might break their stuff. So they don't even try, they just use Bluetooth.
The headphones have functional wires, they power the headphones. Bluetooth doesn't have licence fees, but if you want to use their logo on your device you have to be a member of their club. I think it's about $2500/year, similar to USB. There is n
Re: Powered By the Phone (Score:1)
Bluetooth website says otherwise and the fees are a lot higher. Your company should become a member of the Bluetooth SIG and complete the Qualification Program if it builds, brands, or otherwise represents Bluetooth enabled products as your own. You should also get a UUID and complete testing of any BT product you buy.
Apple doesnâ(TM)t block things that arenâ(TM)t certified, they just donâ(TM)t support them, but you can build your own circuits, plug them in and stuff will work. You can even p
Re: (Score:2)
The issue they are avoiding is that Apple charges ridiculous fees to certify stuff, and actively works to brick anything that isn't certified. Even if they hack around it, the next iOS update might break their stuff. So they don't even try, they just use Bluetooth.
Ironically, I tried to switch to an iPhone a couple years back and I returned it partially because it only worked with one of my three pairs of Bluetooth headphones I owned already. An old lightweight BT 3.0 headphone worked, but both my higher-end BT 4.1+ sets would not play. You'd get a quick blip of audio and then nothing. They all worked with no issue with my Android phones, PC Bluetooth adapters, and other devices, like Bluetooth on smart TVs.
I'd already paid an extra $100 up front for a storage upgrad
Re: (Score:2)
The issue they are avoiding is that Apple charges ridiculous fees to certify stuff, and actively works to brick anything that isn't certified. Even if they hack around it, the next iOS update might break their stuff. So they don't even try, they just use Bluetooth.
And that is nonsense. If you buy Apple's lightning-to-audio adapter, or nowadays Apple's or someone elses USB-C to audio adapter, the phone outputs audio, the headphones accept audio, and there is no certification and no bricking. If anything is certified it is the adapter that you buy from Apple.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
These cheap companies don't care about certifications and the like, whether there are certified or not, they'll paste a label on it regardless and push it on the market, whether it is CE, FCC or Apple's logo.
The thing is that everyone wants wireless earbuds so there has been the demand for small bluetooth headsets, the actual production cost is really low, especially if you don't pay the fees for the patents and licenses. The people that want wires are really in the minority, it's a lot easier to placate th
USB-C? (Score:2)
The article is a bit old since the iPhone has gone USB-C and while there are still a few things using Lightning, none of them are host devices.
And so far, the Iphone 15 doesn't require anything special for USB-C headphones to work. At least, using ones that act like USB audio devices.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
The article is a bit old since the iPhone has gone USB-C and while there are still a few things using Lightning, none of them are host devices.
Your right, all these hundreds of millions if iPhones out there suddenly lost their lightning connector and it got magically replaced with USB-C. (Do I need to add \s for sarcasm?)
Apple problem. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
I wonder how much e-waste those unnecessary Bluetooth chips made. More or less than the 3.5mm dongles and forced upgrades?
Maybe Apple should have "Thought Different" instead of jamming more plastic shit up all our asses. Consuming less - Now that's "brave".
Re: (Score:2)
I spent all my money on an iPhone so now I have to use cheap Chinese headphones!
j/k I buy $200 used androids and still spend $18 on u8i chipset Chinese headphones.
Do you have to pair them? (Score:2)
I couldn't tell from the summary or the linked article. Do you have to pair them, or do they negotiate that through the wired plug? I can't imagine getting a wired device and then realizing I have to pair it.
Re: Do you have to pair them? (Score:2)
Which is it? 'phones or 'buds (Score:2)
Headline says Cheap Wired Headphones , TFS says budget wired earbuds
iPhone? (Score:2)
I understand that different people have different wants -- but I fear one day the things I want in a phone will be eclipsed by the bad
article summary (Score:2)
Stop buying shitty smartphones. (Score:2)
If you have an unlicensed accessory, you'll probably see an alert pop up every time you plug it in saying, "Accessory may not be supported."
I use them for a reason, it's called "courage". Right, Tim?
Idiotocracy (Score:2)
There's a scene where they are testing people, like putting square pegs in a round hole kind of gag. In that scene they wear headphones with a little antenna on them, but the headphones are shackled to a table. Defeating the purpose of being wireless.
not my cheap headphones (Score:2)
At the very least (Score:2)
At the very least, wired headphones are tethered (and they're big), so they won't constantly get lost. That's a huge positive.
congratulations on paying more (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Headphones used to cost $20 ... now it is wireless ~$200, mouse $15 now $150.
I never paid less than 100 pound for headphones. Except my wireless ones are 40 pound. And even the wireless Apple Magic Mouse (which is the best mouse you can buy for any money, _and_ made by Apple which doesn't make it cheaper) is half of what you quote.
Re: (Score:2)
Do I get this right (Score:2)
As far as the adapter is concerned, my "good" headphones have a 6.5mm connector and a 3.5mm to 6.5mm adapter because most amplifiers nowadays don't have a 6.5mm connector. And with the lightning-to-audio adapter, any old audio headphones work just fine. What would require testing is headphones with a lightning cable and I have never, ever seen any of those.
Re: (Score:2)
I mean, I get why the Apple wanted to get rid of the port. You