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Trends with Benefits: iPhone 7 ditches its headphone jack and the PS4 goes Pro

We recap and react to the big Apple iPhone 7 announcement, including the absence of an iPhone headphone jack and the revamped Apple Watch Series 2; PlayStation previews the PlayStation 4 Pro with some noted omissions; Caleb provides a recap of IFA; and a new Chinese theme park will include balloon rides to space.

Our latest weekly episode of Trends with Benefits features Caleb Denison, Ryan Waniata, Rick Stella, and Greg Nibler.

Our topics this week:

  • iPhone 7 headphone jack and the Apple Watch: After all that anticipation, Apple finally unveiled the new iPhone 7. The lack of a headphone jack was widely predicted, but there were still some surprising developments. We also go in depth with the new Apple Watch and whether it is now more appealing.
  • PlayStation Pro goes VR: PlayStation held its annual “Meeting,” finally revealing details about the newest version of their iconic console. One of the biggest additions will be virtual reality. Will it be good enough to convince gamers to make the switch to Sony?
  • The Best of IFA: Caleb gives us a recap of his week-long trip to Berlin for IFA. It seems like a lot of companies refrained from big announcements this year, but what does this say about CES in January?
  • China is building a balloon to ‘almost’ space: A new $1.5 billion theme park is being created by KuangChi Science and will include a unique “ride.” A special high-altitude balloon ride will take passengers 15 miles up into the air. Would you be willing to be a guinea pig?

Please subscribe and share Trends with Benefits, visit digitaltrends.com, and send in your questions to podcast@digitaltrends.com. We also broadcast the show live on YouTube every Thursday at 2:30 p.m. PT.

Please don’t forget to check out our other live-streamed shows, Between the Streams and Close to the Metal!

Greg Nibler
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Greg has worked as a Host, Producer, and Writer in radio and television since the early 2000s, working for such companies as…
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