Good. However:

- You have to recharge it

- If you forget them at home you can't get a replacement for cheap

- Setting up bluetooth is an extra hassle as opposed to just plugging the thing

- Bluetooth audio codecs do lossy real-time re-encoding of the audio, affecting the quality

> Bluetooth audio codecs do lossy real-time re-encoding of the audio

Lossless transcoding is possible too. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AptX#aptX_Lossless

iPhones and Macbooks support aptX now. Surely this isn't just a hardware change — once Apple discloses the details, it won't be at all surprising if aptX Lossless (at minimum) is required for MFi licensing going forward.

FWIW, the transcoding you mention isn't a requirement of Bluetooth audio. MP3 and AAC bitstreams could be delivered straight to headphones for decoding there. We don't yet know if that's something Apple is discussing with MFi program members.

Yes, there are better codecs than the defaults. Now go to the specifications page for a random popular bluetooth audio device, and see if they even list which codecs are supported. If by some astonishing miracle they do say so, then work out which codec they would use with a random popular mobile device. It is all theoretically possible, but in practise regular folk are going to have a hard time!

I looked up recommendations for Bluetooth devices at Wirecutter and then went to the relevant tech specs page:

Mentions "bluetooth" (sometimes a2dp) and no more:

* https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/speakers/wireless_speake...

* https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Mini-Bluetooth-Speaker-P...

* https://www.marshallheadphones.com/mh_us_en/acton-black

* http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/Digital+Media+Rec...

* http://www.kenwood.com/usa/car/excelon/kdc-x998/spec.html

* http://www.jabra.com/music/jabra-move-wireless

* http://www.jbl.com/over-ear-headphones/SYNCHROS+E40BT.html

* https://www.ultimateears.com/en-us/ueroll2

* http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/x300-wireless-speaker

* http://www.apple.com/iphone-6s/specs/ - the Nexus 6P page doesn't even mention bluetooth

Mentions codecs:

* http://rivaaudio.com/riva-turbo-x/#specs

* http://www.peachtreeaudio.com/deepblue2.html (Says "aptX bluetooth")

* http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/Wireless-Speakers/Wireless-Spe...

> Now go to the specifications page for a random popular bluetooth audio device, and see if they even list which codecs are supported.

That's an excellent point.

Sadly, I don't think the average consumer knows or cares about the badness that is lossy-to-lossy transcoding.

For those who do, aptX support is pretty easy to find in the sense that vendors tend to make "aptX" searchable in the name and/or description. (If you Google "amazon aptx headphones", you'll see what I mean.)

Finally, this is a great example of how Apple gets to "own" the mindshare for tech they don't invent. If Apple decides to hang their hat on the aptX brand for the iPhone 7 launch, that'll be how most people hear about it for the first time. Since aptX isn't their brand, it's more likely that Apple will simply tout "perfect wireless audio" and make sure customers know to look for "Made for iPhone" headphones.

there's not enough bandwidth. it's a marketing lie.

and usually introducing quite a bit of latency

Assuming you want to listen to music, latency really doesn't matter much.

I mean, nobody would ever want to use a phone to talk to someone, amirite?

I certainly wouldn't.

I have to recharge my phone too, if I forget my phone at home I can't get a replacement for cheap, and after the initial setup, Bluetooth is easier than plugging in headphones.

It's easier if you have one device. It's easier to avoid getting tangled up.

It's harder if you want to listen to something on your laptop for a minute instead or on the phone. It's also harder when the phone is in your <front/back/just the wrong> pocket and because it's just in the wrong orientation for the BT to work your audio cuts out.

Recharging the phone and the cost of the phone are the things that are not going to change, regardless of what happens with the headphones, so I'm not sure why you're bringing it up.

> Bluetooth is easier than plugging in headphones.

Until it isn't, like needing to re-pair the devices, keep them charged, switch between multiple devices, etc. It's a hassle that I don't want to have to think about. I've got bluetooth headphones, but I never use them because they're a pain in the butt (and don't work with everything I want to use headphones with, anyhow). I don't understand people that are for removing functionality from their devices.

Sure, but I never forgot my phone on a trip or going to work. My headphones, on the other hand...

For me it's actually the opposite. I have small high quality headphones that I can forget in a pocket. I always have them on me, and they work on all my devices: iphone, ipad, laptop, work desktop.

My iphone losing the audio jack would be a major inconvenience. I would have to carry multiple headphones, and also potentially bigger headphones since they will need to do more (blutooth, DAC, etc). Frankly, after having owned pretty much every iphone and ipod model since the begining, I will most likely be looking for an alternative.

Same here. I've never lost a phone (knock wood), but have lost any number of sets of earbuds (also charging cables, wall warts... basically anything that isn't permanently attached to the device gets lost).

Point me to a nice BT sweatproof headset that also has decent enough mic to use for Siri and conf calls.

I've been through 10 BT headsets and the Apple EarPods are still the best and most flexible all-rounder. It's the equivalent of the inexpensive DSLR walkaround lens to me.