I often make jokes about the dystopian headphone-jackless future.
I long ago ceded faith that standard 3.5mm headphone ports will make a triumphant return to smartphones — especially after Android smartphones like the Pixel 2 ditched the port — opting to adapt to our current wireless future wholeheartedly with Apple’s AirPods, Google’s Pixel Buds and even a pair of Beats Solo3 headphones I continue to use at work.
That said, I know a number of people who still swear by wired headphones when it comes to their iPhone — and they all encounter one issue.
If you’re using Lightning headphones with an iPhone, but also want to still charge the device, you’re left with few options. Of course wireless charging is one route if you happen to own a MFI-certified wireless dock, as well as an iPhone X, iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus, but it’s not exactly convenient (or even possible) when on the go.
This is where Cheero’s Earphones with Charging Dock come into play. The octopus-like headphones, which are priced at 2,980 yen (about $29 USD/$34 CAD), are one of the few lighting charging dongle headphones I’ve encountered. The company behind the earbuds also claim that they’re MFI-approved, which is always a bonus if you’re concerned about battery health.
There are a number of Lightning splitter cables out there, but this is one of the first pairs of headphones with a built-in charging cable that I’ve come across.
Source: Engadget
