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Impacts of removing the headphone jack [MERGED]
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Well, I don't have any Lightning cables, but I have plenty of other Apple cables, and I've never had a single problem with them. In contrast, I have *plenty* of jack connectors which have come apart. To each his own I guess.
This is
So I have taken to using wireless earbuds for music listening while working, and I can step away from my desk without having to grab my phone, I can move without catching a cord on something. I look forward to that type of freedom advancing with improved sound quality, smart features like auto on off, noise cancelling, better mic, longer battery, etc.
I don't like ear bud cords, I don't like u tangling them, I don't like wrapping them. I don't like carrying them. wearing them. If I'm at the gym and I put my phone on a treadmill, I don't like that I can't step off the treadmill for a glass of water without carrying my phone with me.... It's just so strange to me that so many people want to keep this tethered state... That they think it is more convenient than being untethered... Scratching my head.
i work in a hot desk environment, not cubicle city.. Any call I take I have to step into a "phone booth" office, basically like a one person office.... I work across time zones with peers so I am always calling, screen sharing or video chatting peers in Europe... My computer has a wireless jabra headset for Lync/Skype, but some calls are teleconference... Those I take on earbuds... But, the big annoyance for me, that I guess nobody else has is that wired earbuds are an unimproved convention for decades.... Holding a wireless phone, but having it wired to my ears is something that should be fixed. It is broken.
So I have taken to using wireless earbuds for music listening while working, and I can step away from my desk without having to grab my phone, I can move without catching a cord on something. I look forward to that type of freedom advancing with improved sound quality, smart features like auto on off, noise cancelling, better mic, longer battery, etc.
I don't like ear bud cords, I don't like u tangling them, I don't like wrapping them. I don't like carrying them. wearing them. If I'm at the gym and I put my phone on a treadmill, I don't like that I can't step off the treadmill for a glass of water without carrying my phone with me.... It's just so strange to me that so many people want to keep this tethered state... That they think it is more convenient than being untethered... Scratching my head.
The people complaining the most are those who want to charge their phones and listen to music at the same time.
Its the same kind of flack Apple got for removing the floppy drive, then the disc drive, then pushing towards wireless. Anger at first, then people realized those formats were on the way out anyway.
My gaming PC doesn't even have a disc drive at all. The only time I would have used it is to install Windows and even that comes on USB sticks now.
The audio port I can understand though why people are upset. Mostly about the listening and charging at the same time. But they include the adapter in the box, which they could have decided not to. Ive been wanting to move away from the old wired earpods anyway. The wires frequently get annoying and the buds always feel like they are about to pop out of my ears. So this is a good excuse to get some nice on or over ear Bluetooth headphones.
My gaming PC doesn't even have a disc drive at all. The only time I would have used it is to install Windows and even that comes on USB sticks now.
The audio port I can understand though why people are upset. Mostly about the listening and charging at the same time. But they include the adapter in the box, which they could have decided not to. Ive been wanting to move away from the old wired earpods anyway. The wires frequently get annoying and the buds always feel like they are about to pop out of my ears. So this is a good excuse to get some nice on or over ear Bluetooth headphones.
I was definitely in the angry camp at first but lately I have switched. Why? Because, in my nearly 2 years of owning my iPhone 6, there have only been a small handful of times that I needed to charge and listen to music at the same time.
Apple gives us an adapter with every iPhone 7 so it's not like all of our headphones are suddenly useless. Is it a little annoying that we will have to use an adapter, yes but I'm certain we will all get used to it very quickly.
Have courage hahaha
Apple gives us an adapter with every iPhone 7 so it's not like all of our headphones are suddenly useless. Is it a little annoying that we will have to use an adapter, yes but I'm certain we will all get used to it very quickly.
Have courage hahaha
It's not the same as the floppy drive, but that's a different argument and has nothing to do with the impact of this change.
Yes Apple gave us a $9 adapter in the box. All things considered, I think that was a mistake. $9 is not going to make anybody more upset than they already are.
It's the $40 adapter Apple took the effort to work with Belkin to ensure was made available from day one, because they knew there was a need for it -- not quite enough to put into the same box with the iPhone, but need enough. And it's a problem they themselves created because they did not put a wireless headset in the box -- they put a wired one with no solution to replace the functionality the headphone jack offered out of the box.
It's the fact that there's no way to share audio over headphones with a friend from either the Lightning port or Bluetooth.
It's the fact that the Lightning headphones included in the box are incompatible with everything but recent iOS devices -- including the current MacBook, and there are no adapters for them. So customers either have to use two sets of earbuds -- one for each device -- or use their old earbuds with the 3.5mm adapter for maximum convenience -- which defeats every single advantage Apple presented at the keynote for removing the headphone jack.
So far, I'm not even sure Apple will be able to adequately address a couple of these problems within the first year of headphone jack removal, even if someone were willing to share out $40 per adapter to fix them.
And that's the problem.
What about keeping the dongle connected to the headphones at work? Not a great "solution" either but at least then you wouldn't have to remember to grab the dongle every time.
The only thing Apple wants to adequately address is to keep us coming back for more to boost profits whether it be accessories or newer technologies, wireless charging will be the next hook in our mouths.
Maybe one good thing out of this is the iPhone 6 resale values will remain strong thanks to the hard core wired users.
Maybe one good thing out of this is the iPhone 6 resale values will remain strong thanks to the hard core wired users.
There really is no problem. They give you an adapter and lightning ear pods in the box. If you want another adapter, $9 bucks. You probably spend that on a Starbucks coffee or triple that for some vape juice. Move on. That jack everyone is whining about takes up valuable realestate inside mobile devices. I am all for removing it. Below will show you how much space it takes up..
This is what they ca now do with it gone..
This is what they ca now do with it gone..
This thread is discussing the impacts of removing the headphone jack. Thank you for your opinion, but it's irrelevant.
I'm all for the headphone jack being removed as well, but Apple has botched this all important moment by removing essential functionality and failing to replace it with the alternatives to the jack they removed. Moreover, they've significantly increased the cost of the phone, and inconvenience, for customers who need to reclaim some of the functionality Apple has managed to accommodate through dongles.
woe is me.
Are you reading what you post? Apple removed headphone jack. Apple provides lightning to 3.5 adapter. What's the problem? Cost of the phone is the same. What functionality was lost? Did you watch the same keynote as I did???
For starters:
Tell me how you're going to watch a movie, play a game, or listen to music, with someone on an iPhone and share the audio with your new Lightning EarPods or Bluetooth AirPods.
Tell me how you are going to use your brand new Lightning EarPods on your brand new Retina MacBook.
Tell me how you are going to charge your iPhone while you watch a movie, etc. on a plane, without spending $40 more than you will have to if you bought an iPhone 6s instead.
While you're at it, tell me how you will charge your AirPod case and your iPhone on a long trip at the same time.
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The loss of the audio jack will necessitate changes for some people. It might not matter for many, but it exists nonetheless.
I'll leave it up to you to figure out if it makes a difference or not.
I liked having it there and lament its going away. Nuff said.
I'll leave it up to you to figure out if it makes a difference or not.
I liked having it there and lament its going away. Nuff said.
Tell me how you will watch a movie with shared audio while doing FaceTime and posting to instagram on a long trip in an airplane at the same time.
Tell me how you will charge your phone when a USB port is not available.
Apple has crippled the mobile phone!
Tell me how you will charge your phone when a USB port is not available.
Apple has crippled the mobile phone!
Just different work environments then. My computer is my tether. When I bought my current set of headphones I chose wired over Bluetooth because I didn't gain any freedom with Bluetooth and I didn't want to have to charge them everyday.
I've got Bluetooth headphones for the gym. They're great for that. I just don't think they're he universal solution.
That said, I'll probably eventually cave and get some for work too after I get sick of switching between charging and listening.
Nice dodge. Good thing you are the only person that matters.
Oh but I would like you to provide the source to your claim that only ".5% of the population" ever share an audio source together. But of course you can't, it was hyperbole wasn't it? Never mind that you're eliminating a solution that is less acceptable than what's currently available.
You understand the issues here very clearly, but you are being intellectually dishonest with your answers. Definitely not worth my time.
I didn't mention Pebble or Sony. Sony did it a long time before rumors kicked up, and the same goes for Pebble. Of course smart watches existed before they did it as well - I never said rumors created an industry - that is utter crap.
On the other hand, Samsung released quite a while after rumors were established, just a year before the announcement.
In terms of the headphone jack, the Moto Z was announced a few months ago, with the first stages beginning at the latest in late 2015/early 2016.
Before the rumors began, no phone manufacturer had or had even seriously considered removing the headphone jack. Now of course I don't know for certain that it wasn't considered but since they aren't in a race to create a 0.2mm slab of glass and know it is a standard to have on all phones, I doubt that idea was given a lot of thought.
Again, I never said they didn't have roadmaps and plans, but you seem to think that it takes longer than it does to create a phone for major corporations, which I would see as insulting an industry.
The decision to remove a port can be finalised in the internal and external design within a month, maybe sooner with a large company like Lenovo especially if it's something rumored on other phones and they have have a reason to do it.
If you are telling me that if there were no rumors of Apple removing the headphone jack, companies would have released phones without headphone jacks this year then don't bother arguing with me and continue with that belief.
I use Bluetooth headphones almost exclusive at work, home, traveling and gym. Charging them is not an issue for me, as I would much rather charge them than deal with cables -- wrapping, untangling, cable management, plugging and unplugging, etc. Assuming sound quality is sufficient, I'd chose that option every time.
There are a few occasions where wired connections can be more convenient. I made sure my BT headphones have a detachable cable so that I can plug them in when the battery runs out and I can't recharge them. Lag is still an issue occasionally, so when it's critical or badly off, then plugging in is just easier. And sound quality can be misleading, again for critical listening. So it's case specific. Also, the ability to use other BT equipment, and pairing -- in many cases, just plugging in a cable is far easier (Lightning or otherwise).
Generally speaking I think the lack of wire management freedom of movement makes them a much better experience for me.
I'm actually very interested in Apple's AirPods, even though I don't think they're very flattering looking, but if the audio qualities there, the battery solution is pretty compelling -- 15 min charge for 3 more hours; I mean that's pretty reasonable, who can't take a 15 minute break every 3 hours? The issues that remain to be seen are how well they address video lag, but this new W1 chip probably does an excellent job with that. The one issue they haven't addressed is sharing audio connections over BT. And as I mentioned above, pairing is going to be great on Apple products, it's still going to be an issue with anything else. But I suspect as usual Apple has shown the way with this W1 chip, and all BT devices will go down this path quickly.
You still don't bring any concrete proof to the table. Just more assumptions and assertions. Yes, companies like to compete based on rumors of what other companies are doing, but they aren't going to make something if it isn't technologically feasible. If Samsung hadn't already been planning on a smart watch I doubt they would've released one when they did. Of course they probably sped up production to beat Apple to the punch, but they certainly weren't first to market.
Seriously? You're going to keep on the headphone jack rumor? How about one of the first Android phones: T-Mobile G1, made by HTC, released in 2008, did not have a headphone jack. They expected you to use a USB adapter. Technically they never removed it as it was a first design for that phone, but it was a smartphone and didn't have a 3.5mm port. Saying that Apple "decided" to do it first, and others followed suit based on the rumors is foolish.
I do understand that designs can change last minute, but manufacturers do have plans for features and general design well in advance. Heck, why wouldn't Samsung, with the S6, just have added a last minute microSD slot on their phone when rumors about it disappearing were upsetting people? They put it back in for the S7 though. Just because a company can doesn't mean they will.
Even if somebody didn't have Bluetooth headphones or Bluetooth audio in your car, Bluetooth to 3.5mm adapters exist.
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Yes I'm not saying that they had never considered smartwatches, and suddenly rumors of Apple doing it made them make one. They would have had designs and models before Apple Watch rumors began.
I don't see any concrete proof on your end either. When the rumors began cropping up, I'm sure Apple hadn't decided on removing it but were considering it. They likely leaked the information themselves.
My attitude towards this is not that Apple does everything first and the others copy - that's not true and I don't have a biased to Apple when it comes to smartphones or smartwatches. But I do believe that the removal of the headphone jack in the Moto Z, and other lesser known phones was due to Apple rumors, enabled by USB C.
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