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I have been pretty critical of the iPhone 7 and the lack of a headphone jack. I'm not disappointed with or even surprised by Apple encouraging the advancement of digital audio. My biggest concern is the loss of functionality, specifically the ability to charge an iPhone while listening to music with a wired connection. With the iPhone 7, that capability went away. I even wrote that Apple should have made a Lightning splitter cable to allow this.

If you haven't heard about Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 exploding, then take "note." Numerous incidents of Samsung's latest flagship smartphone exploding and causing damage to people, cars, and hotel rooms have been reported. Samsung has issued a recall and airlines have banned there use in flight until they're fixed. It is a big embarrassment to the number one Android handset maker, who admitted in a statement, "We have identified an issue with certain Note7  battery cells. Your safety is our highest priority. Since affected Note7 batteries can overheat and pose a safety risk, if you own a Galaxy Note 7, it is extremely important to stop using your device, power it down immediately and participate in the U.S. Note 7 Exchange Program."

Apple introduced AirPods, its wireless earbuds, to deal with the lack of a headphone jack on the new iPhone 7. But those earbuds come with their own problems. As separate left and right pieces, you could easily lose one (or both) and ruin your day. Many competing Bluetooth earbuds are sold in one piece with a strap connecting both sides. This helps keep them together, and if one falls out of your ear, it might not hit the floor because the other earbud is tethered to it.

In our previous poll it became clear to us that of those who are upgrading, most of you plan to get the iPhone 7 Plus. However, the vast majority of our voters said they weren't going to upgrade this cycle. Maybe that has something to do with the headphone jack, maybe not. But with all the uproar over Apple's "courageous" move, we wanted to get a feel for your opinion. Did Apple removing the headphone jack piss you off? Or is the headphone jack removal not a big deal to you cause wireless is your way. We want to know what you think. Vote in our poll: how do you feel about the removal of the headphone jack?

Clearly everything from my childhood is coming back. First Pokemon GO made its gigantic debut and has slashed every record for app downloads and app sales. CEO of Niantic Labs, the developers behind the app, announced that Pokemon GO will be coming to Apple Watch soon at Apple’s keynote event yesterday. But before that, a representative for Nintendo came out to talk about its new game: Super Mario Run. While I was obsessed with Pokemon GO in the beginning, the buzz wore off as my daily life became too busy to spend the amount of time my seven year old self wants to when catching them all. But I don’t have to go running around to play Super Mario Run. The question is will that be to Nintendo's advantage or was Pokemon GO such a hit due in part to the fact that you do physically have to move. Only time will tell; however, Super Mario Run certainly has that same nostalgic potential that could have generations of adults reliving simpler times.

Apple just had its big September event of the year. It debuted the Apple Watch Series 2 and the iPhone 7. No Macbook Pros yet again, and no new iPads as we expected. The new Apple Watch is waterproof (up to 50 meters!) and has built-in GPS. The iPhone 7 comes in a fancy Jet Black color with the best camera you’ll find on any smartphone. The iPhone 7’s FaceTime camera is now 7MP, up from 5MP, and is officially too high of a resolution for anyone to look good. Unfortunately, the epic dual lens camera can only be found on the iPhone 7 Plus. While Apple made some significant upgrades across the board, I can’t help but feel like this event wasn’t that big of a deal.

This was my fourth time covering an Apple event with the team. Last year Apple debuted the iPhone 6s alongside the iPad Pro (with its Apple Pencil) and a new Apple TV. Each item raised the bar for its product line, and my personal standard of what to expect from an Apple event was set.

Many people due for an upgrade were tentatively planning to wait until next year, when the iPhone is rumored to have a major 10-anniversary upgrade. But after today’s event, they may be inclined to spring now. The iPhone 7, while retaining the same 4.7- and 5.5-inch sizes, has many new and significant features that make it highly appealing: greatly improved cameras, much faster processor, more water and dust resistant, a brighter display with a wide color gamut, and more. Here are our favorites: