News
Apple changes Bluetooth Headset, drops Dual Dock [updated]
By Jeremy Horwitz
Editor-in-Chief, iLounge
Published: Friday, July 11, 2008
News Category: iPhone Accessories
Without advance explanation, Apple has today changed the packaging and pack-ins for its iPhone Bluetooth Headset (iLounge rating: B). The company has dropped the previously included iPhone Dual Dock and changing its packaging to a plastic version reminiscent of the iPod shuffle’s, and smaller than the current iPod nano’s. From what we can gather, the Bluetooth Headset remains the same as the prior version, and continues to come with a Bluetooth Travel Cable. It is presently unknown whether the price of the revised version has dropped because of the missing part, or stayed the same; in Canada, where the previous version was never sold, the Apple Bluetooth Headset now sells for $129. If you were planning to buy one of Apple’s Bluetooth Headsets, you might want to hold off until the dust has cleared.
Update: The iPhone Bluetooth Headset (new packaging, minus the pack-ins) has appeared on Apple’s Online Store in the U.S. and is now priced at $99.
Share This Article & Win an iTunes Gift Card. Next: Problems plague official iPhone, iPod touch Software 2.0 release
Previous: Apple, AT&T computer failures halt, delay iPhone 3G sales [updated]
Comments
If you have a comment, news tip, advertising inquiry, or coverage request, a question about iPods or accessories, or if you sell or market iPod products or services, read iLounge's Comments + Questions policies before posting, and fully identify yourself if you do. We will delete comments containing advertising, astroturfing, trolling, personal attacks, offensive language, or other objectionable content, then ban and/or publicly identify violators.
Recent News
- iPodweek newsletter coming shortly
- Ngmoco releases Rolando 2: Quest for the Golden Orchid
- L.A.-based band uses iPhone to record new single
- iPhone patent filings: haptics, fingerprints, karaoke, packaging, more
- Apple, developers wrestling over App Store pornographic content policy
- AT&T memo touts record-breaking iPhone 3GS launch
- New iPhone 3GS ad highlights video features
- Winners of iPWR SuperPack Giveaway announced
- iLounge announces Tekkeon myPower Giveaway
- Nike+ site updated, adds some iPhone/iPod touch access
Recent Reviews
- Gameloft S.A. Castle of Magic
- Altec Lansing BackBeat 903 Wireless Stereo Headphones
- id Software Doom Resurrection
- Blackmagic Design Video Recorder with H.264 Encoding
- Ultimate Ears UE 4 Pro Custom Monitors
- Kensington Bluetooth Stereo Headphones with Microphone
- Avantalk Multimedia Wireless Speakerphone BTSP-200
- Apple iPhone 3GS (16GB/32GB)
- Apple iPhone OS 3.0
- Ozaki iCommand Controller for iPod shuffle 3G
Recent Articles
- Weird + Small Apps 19: A.D.D. Lite, Archon Classic, iYamato, Warpack Grunts + More
- Ask iLounge 6-26-09
- Instant Expert: Secrets & Features of Apple TV 2.4
- Weird + Small Apps: Blue Block, Guess!, Idiot Test, ThreadBound, Water Toy, myXident, StamPa + More
- Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Apple’s iPhone 3GS
- Editorial: Why No Lines at iPhone 3GS’s Launch is Good For Apple, and You
- The One-Page Guide to iPhone 3G, 3GS, and iPod touch Differences
- Editorial: Developers’ iPhone OS 3.0 Features Work, With Key Caveats
- Editorial: In-App Purchasing Shame - $1-per-Minute GPS is Here, is Psychic Friends Next?
- Instant Expert: Secrets & Features of iPhone OS 3.0
1
The reason Apple changed the Bluetooth Headset pack-ins is that the previously included dock would not work with the new shape of the iPhone 3G. They then used this opportunity to maximize their margins by getting rid of the dock as well as the power adapter without reducing the price.
I expect to see a backlash over this from consumers soon.
Posted by Karl-Franz Marquez on July 11, 2008 at 9:02 AM (PDT)
2
Is this firsthand knowledge or speculation on your part? It seems unlikely to me that Apple would think they could consume any resulting margin booty without expecting buyer blowback.
Posted by chashulme in Southern California on July 11, 2008 at 9:56 AM (PDT)
3
At least they appear to have dropped the price.
However, the dual dock was VERY cool. I purchased one and I did very much like the dual dock.
At about $130 though, I opted to return it, as I found the piece didn’t fit my ear properly. I’ve now gone with a MUCH cheaper bluetooth speaker box from Costco that works absolutely brilliantly, and requires nothing in my ear.
Iw as really confused as to why apple would drop the cool dual dock, but as pointed out, the new iphone won’t fit the dock so this does make sense.
Posted by Robert Kral on July 11, 2008 at 6:02 PM (PDT)
4
It is upsetting if they do not drop the price of this bluetooth, however, the dual dock that was previously included does not fit the newest 3G model and that could cause further confusion for first-time buyers of the iPhone. Personally, I don’t use the dock but it is a very nice accessory and it further supports my dissatisfaction over the years of owning different iPods and the relative decrease in value for money spent in comparison to previous models.
Posted by Dustin Tressler on July 11, 2008 at 8:27 PM (PDT)
5
They did drop the price by $30….
Posted by RCD on July 11, 2008 at 8:50 PM (PDT)
6
I am finding that reception using the Apple Bluetooth Headset ont he iPhone 3G is VASTLY improved over the original iPhone. With the original iPhone, I would hear static if the phone was more than 2-3 feet away from the headset, or ANY object, including my head, was in the way. This is no longer the case with the iPhone 3G—the audio sounds perfect, at many times the distance, with my head or other objects between the phone and the headset. I am very very glad, and will now actually be using the headset on a regular basis. Thank you, plastic case! Just another reason why the new phone is soooo much better than the original. Oh, and I am not hearing ANY more GSM interference in my car’s speakers when using the iPhone 3G, unlike the very regular interference I would hear in my car with the original iPhone. YES!!!!
Posted by Nicky G on July 12, 2008 at 9:04 PM (PDT)