Apple released the iPhone 7 in 2016. If you decided to upgrade to the latest iPhone model nine years ago or anytime since, you’d find your new device was now water-resistant, packed a more powerful chip, and boasted a fancy new home button. What you wouldn’t find, however, was a 3.5 mm audio jack. The decision to remove the 3.5 mm outlet from the bottom of the iPhone and replace it with Apple’s Lightning connector nearly a decade ago has proved a source of frustration for many people. You were now forced to use the new-generation headphones or purchase wireless headphones to pair with your Apple device. Though I’ve since acclimated to a world primarily dominated by Bluetooth headphones, one situation still vexes me: flying.
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The Problem With Seatback Screens
As a United devotee, I’ve become accustomed to browsing an often impressive collection of films on the seatback screen after boarding a plane. I’ll swipe around, tap the tiny heart on the ones I want to watch to add them to my favorites, and then ponder my selections until I decide where to start.
Then, as you might have guessed from that whole preamble, a problem arises. My Bluetooth headphones — with their glorious noise cancellation and impressive audio — don’t have a cord to plug into the monitor.
Sure, I could ask for a pair of the disposable earbuds the flight attendants pass around, but even on max volume, those are no match for the roaring engines or a screaming baby. And while United and a handful of other airlines have introduced Bluetooth connectivity to select seatback screens in recent years, we still have a long way to go until the technology is available on every flight. So, what’s a frequent flyer to do?
A Novel Solution
Perhaps you’ve found yourself in a similar situation. Perhaps you, too, have lamented the demise of the iPhone audio jack that led to this modern inconvenience. Well, you’re in luck. I recently found a $30 solution to this issue, and I’m never traveling without it again.
The AirFly from Twelve South is a clever device that plugs into your seatback screen and lets you use your wireless headphones to listen to the on-demand entertainment on your flight. You simply attach the dongle to the screen’s 3.5 mm audio input and pair the AirFly to your Bluetooth headphones like you would any other Bluetooth accessory. Voilá — you now have the onboard entertainment’s audio piping into your wireless headphones. You can proceed to turn on noise cancellation to drown out the ambient noise. I’ve used the AirFly on a half-dozen flights and can attest that it works like a charm.
Other Benefits of the AirFly
The large volume buttons on the AirFly allow you to easily adjust the sound right from the device. This may seem inconsequential, but think back to the last time you hit a patch of turbulence while trying to change the volume and balance a cup of sloshing ginger ale.
Another situation that becomes easier to navigate is getting out of your seat to use the restroom. What was once a game of close-quarters gymnastics is a tad more manageable. You’re already dealing with a tray table, a seat belt, and an array of snacks and magazines, so not having to remove your headphones cuts down, at least a little, on the ordeal.
With 20 hours of battery life on a single charge, the AirFly can handle any flight, even if you’re flying nonstop from JFK to Singapore. You can even use it while it charges via the USB-C port to ensure you’re never without the ability to connect your wireless headphones to a non-Bluetooth device. (And when you’re not traveling, you can use the AirFly with gym equipment and portable gaming devices as well.)
My only gripe with the device, and it’s a minor one, is that I wish it had a battery level indicator of some sort. It’s impossible to tell how much juice the AirFly has left. It could die on you mid-movie, mid-flight, without so much as a warning. Still, this is the only qualm I have with the indispensable gadget. The AirFly has worked perfectly, resolving one of the last lingering issues in this wireless headphone world.
Buy the AirFly at Amazon for $29
(Price accurate at time of publish; subject to change.)
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