Impacts of removing the headphone jack [MERGED]

[joeblow7777]

If Apple does indeed remove the headphone jack it would be for two reasons that consumers don't care about:

1. Reduce a means of entry of liquids into the phone thus reducing return rates at Apple stores.

2. Help Apple sell Beats headphones with a more convenient to use Lightning connector built-in.

Apple has always been fair to the consumer. They have always offered us more features for the same price and it's been an equitable relationship. This is clearly a money grab by Apple, doing things to make them more money at the consumers expense. It's no different then Facebook and Twitter shoving advertisements on our once clean newsfeeds. They are figuring out a way to additionally monetize the iPhone instead of actually making it a better product.

BJ

Before, weren't you saying that it would never happen because it made no business sense? I guess you see now how it can.

 

[Appleaker]

If Apple does indeed remove the headphone jack it would be for two reasons that consumers don't care about:

1. Reduce a means of entry of liquids into the phone thus reducing return rates at Apple stores.

2. Help Apple sell Beats headphones with a more convenient to use Lightning connector built-in.

Apple has always been fair to the consumer. They have always offered us more features for the same price and it's been an equitable relationship. This is clearly a money grab by Apple, doing things to make them more money at the consumers expense. It's no different then Facebook and Twitter shoving advertisements on our once clean newsfeeds. They are figuring out a way to additionally monetize the iPhone instead of actually making it a better product.

BJ

there are more valid reasons that they have for removing it, but either way I think there is no justification for doing it.

 

[Armen]

That's fair enough - a lot of the people that don't want it either don't use it or are Apple fanboys that agree with everything they do, saying that it is aging technology and we need to move on. Even though there are some that don't use it very often, there are a significant portion of their customers that do.

You are leaving out another significant group. The group that actually uses whatever headphones came with their device. Not everyone tosses their Apple earpods in favor of 3rd party headphones.

- They are included with the phone at no extra charge and are covered by AppleCare.
- They are comfortable to wear unless you have some freakish ear canals.
- They sound decent
- They have media controls and inline mic which are both convenient. I see people all the time having phone conversations with their Apple Earpods while they awkwardly hold the mic up to their mouth as opposed to a bluetooth headset.

Apple will most likely include lightning earpods with the iPhone 7 so this group will not be impacted as much.

Other folks like myself who were finally fed up with tangled cords have moved on to wireless headphones.

Wireless headphone sales exceeded those of wired headphones according to this article by 9to5Mac.

http://9to5mac.com/2016/07/28/npd-wireless-headphones-sales/

 

[Appleaker]

More Wear and Tear on the lightning port connection = more fatigue and failure of the connection

See this link to iFixit article - Ditching Headphone Jack Could Hurt iPhone Durability

Likely why they'll be pushing wireless as the alternative but it's still an issue since wired will still be common.
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Well, it appears what I brought up seems to have gotten the clarification which wasn't there before (even though it was an indirect one essentially, given that it was still being overlooked).

My original point was inferring that the people who want it gone, are the fanboys and people who have a valid reason (in the case of MacDawg it was that they never used it). People who don't use it fall into the category of having a valid reason for being indifferent/wanting it gone.

 

[Armen]

I think dropping the 3.5mm as long as there is a FREE lightning to 3.5mm adapter is an improvement.
OP does not mention the waterproof properties this will bring.
The phone will need to have wireless charging or quick charge wireless ear buds - like the adapter FREE - quick charge like the iPad Pro pen.
20 mins of charge = 2 hours use approx for new ear buds
I think its a step forward.

I'm pretty sure Apple will include lightning ear pods with the phone and charge $29 for a lightning port to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter.

 

[C DM]

Likely why they'll be pushing wireless as the alternative but it's still an issue since wired will still be common.
[doublepost=1469766940][/doublepost]
My original point was inferring that the people who want it gone, are the fanboys and people who have a valid reason (in the case of MacDawg it was that they never used it). People who don't use it fall into the category of having a valid reason for being indifferent/wanting it gone.

As I mentioned, that's not what the original point said (nor a few follow-ups) until things actually got clarified (or adjusted). In either case, that part of it seems to be settled.

 

[joeblow7777]

What about the impact of faster battery drain from using Bluetooth (and having to charge the headphones as well) or not being able to charge your phone and use headphones at the same time if using wired lightning earbuds. Either way means battery life problems for anyone who listens to a lot of music.

 

[2457248]

to be honest, i'm not mad about eventually having to use lightning earphones, they'll work just the same as before, the only minor discomfort is having to carry 2 pairs of earphones (one for the iphone, one for the macbook w/ 3,5mm jack).
what really concerns me is not being able to charge the phone and playing music (cabled) at the same time!

my typical scenario is a long car trip: i have a 10yrs old car, i don't have bluetooth or other fancy cable connection, just an aux input to feed music to the radio system.
with only one lightning port i wouldn't be able to charge battery and listen to music at the same time.
all this of course unless they come up with Y adapters, which will be ugly, but we know already how much apple gives a c..p about their adapters:

 

[theluggage]

Any possible impacts I haven't mentioned?

Regardless of the other pros and cons of dropping the jack, the biggest downside could be that the iPhone 7 hype is currently shaping up to be:

"Here is the new iPhone 7, Apple's flagship product for 2016/17 featuring 100% less headphone jack!!! ...and, well, some minor technical upgrades but nothing that's gonna push the headphone jack off the headlines."​

Samsung must be quaking in their boots.

If the iPhone 7 turns out to be bath/swimming pool-proof or features inductive charging then that would offset the loss of the jack. Currently, its sounding pretty dull. If the MacRumor roundups are to be believed, all the big changes are being saved for iPhone 8 - which would surely be a better time to drop the jack.

Oh - and PS: the floppy disc didn't disappear overnight with the iMac: it was phased out of Mac PowerBooks before the return of Jobs - in the G3s the floppy became an optional extra (with the advantage that you could use the slot for an extra battery, Zip drive etc.) before vanishing. By the time the iMac came along, the floppy was getting too small to be of much use - PCs clung to it because you needed a floppy to boot DOS. Of course, the iMac brought along a completely new form-factor, design language and USB+Firewire to distract from the lack of a flopppy.

First attempt to drop Firewire from the MacBook was a flop. FireWire, Ethernet, optical drive etc. were only 'properly' dropped when the rMBPs came out, also offering retina displays, SSDs as standard and a significant thickness/weight drop. Oh, and (a) the idea had been 'trialled' with the MacBook Air first and (b) Apple kept the 'classic' MacBook (with optical drive, Ethernet, Firewire) for ages afterwards.

So, yeah, the real problem with dropping the jack would be doing it overnight without simultaneously offering some compelling new features.

 

[Qbnkelt]

Negative impacts for Apple:

• A recent YouTube video showed how the lack of headphone jack could reduce music listening either due to having to use an adapter for certain situations or having to charge the headphones which discourages listening. That could decrease Apple Music usage.
• The existence of better alternatives with a headphone jack could encourage people to switch, decreasing sales of the iPhone 7. Although this could be counteracted by people opting for the SE/6S instead, no headphone jack and a similar design makes it likely to see a dip in sales compared to other iPhone releases.

Positive impacts for consumers:

• Better wireless and more lightning options will hit the market.
• The advantages that come with lightning headphones.

Other impacts:

• Phone manufactures will think it's acceptable, as they did with camera bumps, and may remove the headphone jack on their phones, as we can already see by phones like the Moto Z.
• More USB-C headphones will be available.

Any possible impacts I haven't mentioned?

I wouldn't switch platforms because of a missing phone jack. I'd simply oh....I don't know..... charge and listen at different times......

Wait that's already what I do. I don't want to be attached to a power source while listening to music!!!!

No impact.

 

[deany]

I wouldn't switch platforms because of a missing phone jack. I'd simply oh....I don't know..... charge and listen at different times......

Wait that's already what I do. I don't want to be attached to a power source while listening to music!!!!

No impact.

I think the included bluetooth earbuds will be "quick charge" like the pencil.

 

[Qbnkelt]

Alright please give me an example? The only other one I can think of is people who currently use it but want to switch to lightning for the advantages, but that kind of falls into the category of people who aren't/won't use it as they could have switched already and therefore aren't using it. There is no need to turn this into an argument.

How about people who don't like to be tied to a power source and be plugged in at te same time? I'm either listening in the car so the phone is plugged in and I'm listening to the car's BT or I'm home or the office and I'm listening through the docking station or I'm listening when I'm walking somewhere and then I'm not charging.

So it's not impact to me at all.

The only time it would be an issue it's when I'm on travel. But even then I've got my iPad so I can watch my movies on the plane while charging the phone on the plane outlet. So.....no impact.

Honestly.....what's the big deal??? Who routinely spends their time wired to the phone AND a power source?!?

 

[lchlch]

Negative impacts for Apple:

• A recent YouTube video showed how the lack of headphone jack could reduce music listening either due to having to use an adapter for certain situations or having to charge the headphones which discourages listening. That could decrease Apple Music usage.
• The existence of better alternatives with a headphone jack could encourage people to switch, decreasing sales of the iPhone 7. Although this could be counteracted by people opting for the SE/6S instead, no headphone jack and a similar design makes it likely to see a dip in sales compared to other iPhone releases.

Positive impacts for consumers:

• Better wireless and more lightning options will hit the market.
• The advantages that come with lightning headphones.

Other impacts:

• Phone manufactures will think it's acceptable, as they did with camera bumps, and may remove the headphone jack on their phones, as we can already see by phones like the Moto Z.
• More USB-C headphones will be available.

Any possible impacts I haven't mentioned?

90% of the people will just use the headphones in the box. So the impact will be minor.

People may switch to other alternatives if the iPhone does not have a headphone jack. But I'm betting that a lot of people will switch to the iPhone because Apple can fit a bigger battery, and possibly a second speaker because they removed the headphone jack.
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to be honest, i'm not mad about eventually having to use lightning earphones, they'll work just the same as before, the only minor discomfort is having to carry 2 pairs of earphones (one for the iphone, one for the macbook w/ 3,5mm jack).
what really concerns me is not being able to charge the phone and playing music (cabled) at the same time!

my typical scenario is a long car trip: i have a 10yrs old car, i don't have bluetooth or other fancy cable connection, just an aux input to feed music to the radio system.
with only one lightning port i wouldn't be able to charge battery and listen to music at the same time.
all this of course unless they come up with Y adapters, which will be ugly, but we know already how much apple gives a c..p about their adapters:
View attachment 642377 View attachment 642378

The IPhone 6 can handle 50 hours of audio playback so I don't see an issue. Is the screen on constantly?

 

[Qbnkelt]

to be honest, i'm not mad about eventually having to use lightning earphones, they'll work just the same as before, the only minor discomfort is having to carry 2 pairs of earphones (one for the iphone, one for the macbook w/ 3,5mm jack).
what really concerns me is not being able to charge the phone and playing music (cabled) at the same time!

my typical scenario is a long car trip: i have a 10yrs old car, i don't have bluetooth or other fancy cable connection, just an aux input to feed music to the radio system.
with only one lightning port i wouldn't be able to charge battery and listen to music at the same time.
all this of course unless they come up with Y adapters, which will be ugly, but we know already how much apple gives a c..p about their adapters:
View attachment 642377 View attachment 642378

Charge the phone before getting in the car. Listen to the radio in the car while the phone is charging.

 

[Qbnkelt]

Are people so completely unable to plan ahead or so tied to one way of doing things that a headphone jack causes this much drama?

Some people really live charmed lives if the major drama in their lives is a headphone jack.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I think the included bluetooth earbuds will be "quick charge" like the pencil.

I think you are getting ahead of the facts before we expect BT buds with our phone.

 

[Radon87000]

Honestly.....what's the big deal??? Who routinely spends their time wired to the phone AND a power source?!?

Me.I charge my iPhone 3 times a day with a portable charger and I frequently listen to music while plugged in

 

[Qbnkelt]

Me.I charge my iPhone 3 times a day with a portable charger and I frequently listen to music while plugged in

Here's a revolutionary idea. Plan ahead.

W O W.

Oh....and look up.

 

[Abazigal]

Personally, as with anything else that Apple does, I find that I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and stay open-minded about new features they introduce (or take away in this case).

I don't always benefit from everything Apple does, but I generally come out for the better. I never wished I could insert a CD into my MacBook Air, for one.

I do use the bundled EarPods a fair bit, but don't mind switching over to Bluetooth if it ever came to that. Knowing Apple, they will probably come up with their own pair of Bluetooth headphones and give it the "Apple Pencil treatment", letting it integrate with iOS in a manner that mitigates or even does away with many of the current pain points of managing Bluetooth devices.

 

[cynics]

Here's a revolutionary idea. Plan ahead.

W O W.

Oh....and look up.

Clearly that's not a solution for everyone. "Listen to the radio" i.e. Don't use your iPhone, is counter productive.

Those people will need some sort of adapter. Which should be an actual solution.

Using myself as an example. I'll listen to DI Radio and Pandora in my work vehicle which only has AUX in. And then use my phone when I get to my destination. iphone battery can't even get me too lunch time without charging.

I'm just confident there will be an adapter that addresses this.

 

[Newtons Apple]

 

[Qbnkelt]

Clearly that's not a solution for everyone. "Listen to the radio" i.e. Don't use your iPhone, is counter productive.

Those people will need some sort of adapter. Which should be an actual solution.

Using myself as an example. I'll listen to DI Radio and Pandora in my work vehicle which only has AUX in. And then use my phone when I get to my destination. iphone battery can't even get me too lunch time with charging.

I'm just confident there will be an adapter that addresses this.

I have a BT in the car and I routinely listen to the radio to know what's going on ahead. By doing so I avoid traffic jams in Northern Virginia and in the Beltway that could seriously impact my drive to work. During that time, the phone is charging.

 

[2457248]

How about people who don't like to be tied to a power source and be plugged in at te same time? I'm either listening in the car so the phone is plugged in and I'm listening to the car's BT or I'm home or the office and I'm listening through the docking station or I'm listening when I'm walking somewhere and then I'm not charging.

So it's not impact to me at all.

The only time it would be an issue it's when I'm on travel. But even then I've got my iPad so I can watch my movies on the plane while charging the phone on the plane outlet. So.....no impact.

Honestly.....what's the big deal??? Who routinely spends their time wired to the phone AND a power source?!?

Are people so completely unable to plan ahead or so tied to one way of doing things that a headphone jack causes this much drama?

Some people really live charmed lives if the major drama in their lives is a headphone jack.

Here's a revolutionary idea. Plan ahead.

W O W.

Oh....and look up.

I have a BT in the car and I routinely listen to the radio to know what's going on ahead. By doing so I avoid traffic jams in Northern Virginia and in the Beltway that could seriously impact my drive to work. During that time, the phone is charging.

thank you for your inspiring insight on how you use your phone. now, let me introduce you to the rest of the world: here people have different uses, needs, habits, and all of them are as legitimate as yours.

going from being able to do one thing (we're talking charging and listening to music through cable) to not being able, IS a step back for those who were used to it. there will be workarounds, like Y cables, but it is not as elegant and straightforward as it is with current phones.

maybe it wasn't clear before: i might use maps to get directions while driving, that eats up more battery than simply playing music.

 

[I7guy]

I wouldn't switch platforms because of a missing phone jack. I'd simply oh....I don't know..... charge and listen at different times......

Wait that's already what I do. I don't want to be attached to a power source while listening to music!!!!

No impact.

Once apple removes it, the other manufacturers will follow. It's a matter of time. As far as being impacted, I don't use the headphones all that much, but when I do, it's convenient. I'm keeping an open mind to see how this whole thing is going to work.
[doublepost=1469794155][/doublepost]

thank you for your inspiring insight on how you use your phone. now, let me introduce you to the rest of the world: here people have different uses, needs, habits, and all of them are as legitimate as yours.

going from being able to do one thing (we're talking charging and listening to music through cable) to not being able, IS a step back for those who were used to it. there will be workarounds, like Y cables, but it is not as elegant and straightforward as it is with current phones.

maybe it wasn't clear before: i might use maps to get directions while driving, that eats up more battery than simply playing music.

Your going to have to decide if this is right for you. As I just said, if this rumor is true, this is the tip of the iceberg as far as manufacturers removing the headphone jack. Eventually we will all adjust.

 

[Qbnkelt]

thank you for your inspiring insight on how you use your phone. now, let me introduce you to the rest of the world: here people have different uses, needs, habits, and all of them are as legitimate as yours.

going from being able to do one thing (we're talking charging and listening to music through cable) to not being able, IS a step back for those who were used to it. there will be workarounds, like Y cables, but it is not as elegant and straightforward as it is with current phones.

maybe it wasn't clear before: i might use maps to get directions while driving, that eats up more battery than simply playing music.

Well of course I speak of how I use my phone. Unlike all the people who like to speak for others I explain how I deal with things. Why would anyone think they speak for anyone else?

If the world had continued to do what the world was used to, we would be driving horse drawn carts and using rotary phones. The world changes. Keep up.

I use maps to get directions all the time. The phone is plugged in and charging.
On my trip to visit my family during Christmas I had to go to a new direction. I didn't want to pair to the rental car BT. So.....I had the phone plugged in to use the phone speaker which also charged the device.
And in some areas, being plugged in to headphones while driving can get you a ticket unless you're plugged in to only one ear which would get you totally tangled while driving. Not something I would want.