Crazy Thought , what if Apple kills the 3.5 mm headphone jack on all it's new hardware ?

[samiwas]

Its the Apple way.... ditch the port and customers will eventually be happy.

I'm not sure "happy" is the right word. More like "customers will eventually deal with it".

 

[C DM]

Ok so it looks like the iphone 7 won't have the 3.5 mm headphone jack, but lets take this further, what if Apple decides to remove it from all its future & upcoming hardware?

Lets just say in September Apple has a big conference and shows off the following hardware without the headphone jack.

• ipod touch
• ipad mini pro
• ipod nano
• ipod shuffle
• iMac
• Mac Book Pro
• Mac mini
• Mac Pro
• Thunderbolt display
• iphone 7SE
• iphone 7
• iphone 7+
• iphone 7 pro

Also any hardware with a head phone jack is discontinued and no longer made and any remaining stock will be sold but after March 2017 they will be removed from the store shelves, destroyed, and thrown into in a volcano to appease the gods (just kidding) . So the 3.5 MM headphone jack purge begins this fall and ends next spring. This explains why Apple hasn't shown new mac book pro's yet because they were busying taking out the headphone jack. How would that make you feel ?

https://www.macrumors.com/2016/09/14/apple-macbook-pro-survey/

 

[JackieInCo]

Honestly, it's been several years since I've used the headphone jack on my Mac. I used to use my MBP to watch all my TV show and movie purchases before I had an ATV and so I used to connect the audio to my stereo. I won't miss that jack if it's gone. I just don't want to lose the USB ports.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

It may happen later, but not likely sooner.

Key selling points for removing it from the iPhone were space and water resistance. Neither is a serious consideration for a Mac. What would Apple's explanation be for Mac? "We did it for the iPhone, so why not advance the revolution at a rapid rate?"

A couple/few years down the line, after there are far more wired headphones equipped for digital input and/or lower-priced, high quality Bluetooth headphones... Yeah, I can see them replacing the audio port with an extra digital connector (either USB-C or Lightning). Some of those who are currently using the SP/DIF optical audio would need a dongle, others might switch to USB for digital - depends on what gear they're using.

For now, though? I just don't think they have a good way to spin the move.

 

[the8thark]

As long as Apple create a 3.5mm to USB/thunderbolt connector for the Mac when the Mac loses the headphone port, I'll be happy.
I'll buy it a long with the external Apple superdrive for my next iMac.