Egg Freckles

Last April I was worried the $10,000+ Apple Watch Edition would alienate Apple’s core customers. Separating technology enthusiasts and everyday people from a company that once prided itself upon making “the computer for the rest of us.”

I wasn’t alone.

Estimates “Apple Watch revenue will be dominated by the gold Edition units” were overly optimistic. Just 10 months after its release, Apple began removing mention of the Apple Watch Edition from its retail stores and website.

At a time when Apple has just launched its cheapest ever iPhone, and when Phil Schiller caused a few raised eyebrows over what some interpreted as an elitist remark, Apple seems to be aiming for a more egalitarian image where the Apple Watch is concerned.

Apple has quietly revamped the Apple Watch section of its website, rendering the Edition almost invisible unless you specifically go looking for it. In addition, we’re hearing reports that Apple’s most expensive Watch is also being removed from some retail store displays …

It doesn’t look like 18K gold has a bright future at Apple. That is why I was surprised to hear of a new Apple Watch Edition announced at Apple’s September 7th Special Event.

John Gruber tells us more:

Gold is out. Taking its place as the Series 2 Apple Watch Edition is a white ceramic model. In person it is gorgeous, and feels great. The price is a non-ludicrous $1249/1299 (38/42 mm). It seems pretty clear that everyone who looked at the original Edition prices ($10,000–20,000) and said “No one is going to buy those” was proven correct. This $1,000–1,500 range feels about right for the high-end Apple Watches.

Even though I was never an Apple Watch Edition customer, I am glad to hear gold is out and the price has returned to pre-ludicrous levels. As a flagship product, the new Apple Watch Edition in ceramic feels much more like an forward-facing Apple product than the anachronous 18K gold models that proceeded it. With four times the hardness of stainless steel and virtually scratch proof, ceramic is the kind of fashion statement I hope makes its way into future Apple products.

I also agree with John. The “Apple Watch Edition could just as well be called Apple Watch Jony Ive Edition.”

Ive is famously fascinated with using new materials. The original Edition lineup may well have existed not so much because Apple believed they would sell in significant numbers but because Jony Ive wanted to work with gold, and the watch is the only Apple device to date where gold made even a lick of sense. This white ceramic has Jony Ive written all over it.

If Apple Watch Edition gives us a glimpse into the future of Apple’s product and keeps Jony Ive happy that is alright by me.

I have been waiting all Summer for the introduction of the iPhone 7. Not because I plan on buying an iPhone 7, but because I wanted to hear Apple’s reason for removing the headphone jack from their flagship phone.

Here’s what Phil Schiller had to say about the subject during the September 7th Apple Special Event:

Now some people have asked why we would remove the analog headphone jack from the iPhone. […] The reason to move on — I’m going to give you three of them, but it really comes down to one word: courage. The courage to move on, do something new, that betters all of us. And our team has tremendous courage.

Many of the people I interact with on Twitter found Phil’s explanation of ‘courage’ to be a little obtuse and a tad bit arrogant. Heck even I used Phil’s explanation to poke fun at Apple’s expense. But if there is anything worth waiting for after an Apple event, besides the new products, it is John Gruber’s analysis of the show.

This time around John, with the help of 9To5Mac, reminds us of another time Apple used ‘courage’ to support their decision to leave something out.

We’re trying to make great products for people, and we have at least the courage of our convictions to say we don’t think this is part of what makes a great product, we’re going to leave it out. Some people are going to not like that, they’re going to call us names […] but we’re going to take the heat [and] instead focus our energy on these technologies which we think are in their ascendancy and we think are going to be the right technologies for customers.

I like John’s comparison of Apple removing Flash, better than I like John’s comparison of Apple removing the floppy drive. But in either case Apple was right “to push the industry toward something much better.” Especially if the next best thing is an open standard like HTML5 video instead of proprietary Flash; but even if the next best thing is a licensed technology like rewritable CDs instead of the outdated floppy.

What concerns me is the real incentive behind Apple’s new found courage. Is it about pushing the status quo to accept open standards like Bluetooth or selling proprietary technologies like Lightning headphones and the W1 wireless chip in Apple Airpods? You might say these things are only half measures until Bluetooth catches up. But I don’t see Apple licensing Lightning ports on other phones or W1 chips on other headphones anytime soon. In fact as Apple has grown larger, I would argue the incentive behind more of their courageous decisions is less about promoting open standards and more about securing technological lock-in.

Don’t believe me? Just look as far as FaceTime, Messages, and iCloud. Who wins, Apple or its customers, when the headphones customers buy and the social networks customers adopt only work on Apple devices?

Apple may “make decisions that they know will provoke outrage just because they think it’s the right thing to do.” And most companies will do anything to avoid controversy. But what company wouldn’t provoke a little outrage or controversy if they thought they could get away with it? Especially if getting away with it meant maintaining a status quo with them in control?

By removing the headphone jack Apple is not only showing us they have the courage to push the human race forward, but that they are brave enough to profit from the proprietary post headphone jack future they are asking the world to create.

I do not own a wireless keyboard. I do not own a wireless mouse. Because when it comes to wireless, wired is always faster, cheaper, and without batteries to charge or replace. But starting this Summer I began to get tired of running my earbuds up under my shirt to avoid tangles. I watched horrified as three pairs of Amazon premium earbuds get yanked out of my ears and smashed to the ground. So after two decades of earbud use, first on my MiniDisc, then iPod, then smartphone, it was time for a change.

I did a little research. Didn’t find anything I liked. And purchased a pair of Photive HF1 Bluetooth headphones on Amazon for $49.95. For podcasts, audiobooks, and light listening on the go they sound fine. Certainly not any worse than the Apple/Amazon earbuds I have become accustomed to. What I was worried about most is how they would feel on my ears, how they would look on my head, and how they would hold up to every day use.

Feel

Feel is important to me. I wear my headphones all day — every day. When they are not on my ears, they are wrapped around my neck. My wife thinks I am anti-social. I can’t hear her. The Photive HF1 headphones rest on your ears. They feel great even after hours of use. The protein leather is soft. The ear pads are nice and squishy. The headband never feels too tight. If I have a problem with the Photive HF1s, it is that they feel too loose. Walking along busy city streets is a big part of my every day commute. After two months with the Photive HF1s I am worried they are going to fall off. The problem is the headband. It is not rigid enough, and cannot be adjusted. The length of the headband can be adjusted, The angle of the speakers can be adjusted. But not how much the headband grips the side of my head. I have a medium sized head, and the headband is as short as I can make it. A relaxed fit might add to the comfort of the headphones, but I would never take them running. I need to be careful just walking around town.

Look

When selecting wireless headphones, I wanted something that looks light, and doesn’t draw attention. Basically the opposite of Beats. The Photive HF1s fit the bill. The thin arms connecting the headphones to the headband are my favorite design feature. The arms and the headphone backs are made of zinc alloy. The rest is protein leather. The only visible branding is under the headband. I got the black model, and wear them around my neck in the office. They are big enough for my coworkers to notice them, but small enough no one cares. When I wear them on my ears it doesn’t look like half my skull is encased in plastic. I am still approachable unlike the cyborgs you see with a blue light in one ear. Do the Photive HF1s have a flashing blue light? Sure, but it is small, and on the back. You can’t see it if you are facing me. I could cover it up with tape and use the headphones with audio cues alone. But I already forget the light is even there.

Use

The Photive HF1s are my first pair of Bluetooth headphones. When I bought them I was concerned about wireless reception and battery life. Both hold up great. I get about 12 hours of playback. As long as I charge them every other night, I don’t run out of juice. My iPhone tells me approximately how much charge is remaining, and the headphones beep when the batteries are about to run out. They charge using micro USB. Reception is dependent more upon your phone. When I leave my iPhone sitting on my desk I can walk 30 feet down the hall before before the sound cuts out. When I leave my Amazon Fire Phone in my left pants pocket the signal sometimes has a hard time reaching the headphones. The Photive HF1’s Bluetooth 4.1 receiver is on the right headphone. If you are using these headphones to listen to music in a small room you shouldn’t have a problem. Volume controls are on the right. There is a center button for pausing the music, or taking a phone call. All of the controls are easy to find by feel alone. Holding the center button down for a few seconds turns on the headphones. Holding it for a few seconds more puts them in pairing mode. When you hear a beep you know they are connected. I have never had a problem pairing the Photive HF1 headphones. There is a microphone on the headphones I never use. It is there to makes hands free calls or talk to Siri. There is also a line-in jack if your PC doesn’t have Bluetooth.

End

For $39.95 the Photive HF1 Bluetooth headphones are a good choice for first time Bluetooth buyers, or anyone looking to ditch their earbuds. They work with the iPhone 7 that doesn’t have a headphone jack, and devices that don’t have Bluetooth. Discrete enough for the office, versatile enough you can take them anywhere. They lie flat when folded and the 12 hour battery life is good enough for most long trips. Not meant for sports, be careful when you wear them in a crowd; they might fall off your head. But if I lost mine, I would still buy a second pair.

October Update

It appears my pair of Photive HF1s may have gotten loose over time because they were broken. I can now feel a break in the headband above the left headphone where the adjustment well ends. I believe this to be a weak spot in the design on both sides. Both headphones still produce sound, but I am doubtful they will remain on my head during normal use. I am disappointed the headband is not made out of a more resilient material, but Photive was quick to replace my headphones with a brand new pair. I continue to recommend the Photive HF1s Lightweight Wireless Headphones.