Impacts of removing the headphone jack [MERGED]

[cynics]

We'll see Apple utilizing their "sold separately" nature they are becoming known for.

I find it unlikely there will be an adapter in the box.

You can currently goto the Apple Store buy a new MacBook and iPhone for 2000+ dollars and not be able to plug them together without buying an adapter too.

AppleTV 4 requires you to supply your own USB power albeit that's not typically that difficult however to restore one via iTunes you'll need to buy a USB C cable.

And now the iPhone will require an adapter to use current headphones and other accessories.

Business as usual.

 

[2457248]

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?

so why did you judge and offend with:

Here's a revolutionary idea. Plan ahead.

W O W.

Oh....and look up.

and:

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.

we're in a tech forum, the biggest drama here is whether the next phone would get a redesign or drop the 3.5mm jack, we're not trying to feed the world.
still, i don't like your attitude towards people who think and act different from you, and stating over and over again how you use your gadget and how unaffected you will be by the decision of dropping the audio jack does not make you win any prize.

now please, i'm tired of this nonsense, i get out, geez. lol.

 

[deany]

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

yep, but its the charging while listening problem.

 

[Qbnkelt]

so why did you judge and offend with:

and:


we're in a tech forum, the biggest drama here is whether the next phone would get a redesign or drop the 3.5mm jack, we're not trying to feed the world.
still, i don't like your attitude towards people who think and act different from you, and stating over and over again how you use your gadget and how unaffected you will be by the decision of dropping the audio jack does not make you win any prize.

now please, i'm tired of this nonsense, i get out, geez. lol.

It was your choice all along to answer or not.

Newsflash....I don't care what people on the Internet think of me. I'll live if you don't like my attitude.

Look....it s a true thing....plan ahead. If I know I'll be on an eight hour flight I charge before I get in a plane and don't use the phone in flight but use my iPad. That way I don't have to choose one or the other. If I'm going to get in the Metro I charge in the office and play music through the charging dock.

Yup, this is a tech forum. And anyone involved in tech would need to understand that tech implies changes. If not, it's going to be a rude awakening.

As far as feeding the world....the angst spent over a headphone jack would be better served coming up with a solution for feeding the world.

And yeah I said look up because anyone charging three times a day, given the fact that one charge already gives me a full day, is spending his or her entire waking time with eyes on a screen. Bound to walk into a light pole.

 

[cynics]

And yeah I said look up because anyone charging three times a day, given the fact that one charge already gives me a full day, is spending his or her entire waking time with eyes on a screen. Bound to walk into a light pole.

That's pretty much me. I work from my iPhone 10-12 hours a day.

If my iPhone was just a toy I could easily see getting an entire day off one charge though.

6 hours of talk time via BT is the best I can get though, far short of my standard day.

 

[bufffilm]

You know I was thinking about that angle, but I mostly use BT headphones so for me, impact is negligible.

And I use the 3.5" jack so this may be of future concern.

As I said before, I believe the jack should stay.

 

[Radon87000]

Here's a revolutionary idea. Plan ahead.

W O W.

Oh....and look up.

Not an option.I take my iPhone off the charger at 7am and it's dead by 12.If I can't simultaneously charge and listen to music it's a deal breaker.I am NOT dumping my 300 bucks noise reduction headphones because of Apple's whims

 

[Qbnkelt]

That's pretty much me. I work from my iPhone 10-12 hours a day.

If my iPhone was just a toy I could easily see getting an entire day off one charge though.

6 hours of talk time via BT is the best I can get though, far short of my standard day.

You see this? See Good Technology at the bottom? That's my work phone. Hardly a toy. Lasts all day.

My personal phone does everything for me. Managing my personal tasks *and* play my music *and* play Pokeman Go. Lasts all day.

 

[Qbnkelt]

Not an option.I take my iPhone off the charger at 7am and it's dead by 12.If I can't simultaneously charge and listen to music it's a deal breaker.I am NOT dumping my 300 bucks noise reduction headphones because of Apple's whims

Oh yes I remember your particular use case. There are no public outlets in the whole of Manhattan that you can hook up to and you have 20 hour days every day.

 

[I7guy]

And I use the 3.5" jack so this may be of future concern.

As I said before, I believe the jack should stay.

It's out of our hands. It will be a bit strange not having the jack that has been a fixture for so many years.

 

[theluggage]

Here's a revolutionary idea. Plan ahead.

Here's another revolutionary idea: if you're going to charge premium prices for products based on a reputation for world-beating design make it user-friendly and flexible so users don't HAVE to plan ahead. Good design doesn't turn around and bite you if you take one step off the path of righteousness, it doesn't turn into a brick if something unexpected happens.

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

No, we listen to music etc. to take our minds off the major dramas in our lives. If we're fortunate enough to be able to pay money to indulge in an unnecessary luxury item we expect it to be luxurious and indulgent - not to add another 6 chores to our daily TO-DO list.

 

[Appleaker]

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.

View attachment 642374

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/

That image is fake, If they were to ship lightning EarPods it would look like this (have volume controls and mic):
https://s32.postimg.org/i24jz8gj9/IMG_1164.jpg

You're right, I was leaving out that group, I am part of that group. But if/when the EarPods break I get 3rd party ones due to the cost of EarPods, and athere are people do the same and people who buy EarPods again. I originally didn't consider that group because I assume a lot use the 3.5mm for other devices or their next pair of headphones or speaker docks, etc, therefore I assumed they would want it to stay. I was also going off the rumor that Apple will include the standard EarPods with an adapter but that could turn out to be false, we'll have to wait and see.

 

[Qbnkelt]

Here's another revolutionary idea: if you're going to charge premium prices for products based on a reputation for world-beating design make it user-friendly and flexible so users don't HAVE to plan ahead. Good design doesn't turn around and bite you if you take one step off the path of righteousness, it doesn't turn into a brick if something unexpected happens.



No, we listen to music etc. to take our minds off the major dramas in our lives. If we're fortunate enough to be able to pay money to indulge in an unnecessary luxury item we expect it to be luxurious and indulgent - not to add another 6 chores to our daily TO-DO list.

NEWSFLASH: planning ahead is a proactive thing to do in everything. I gas up my car in long trips and don't blame Honda if I ran out of gas because I left the house on fumes. I keep cash in a compartment in my wallet because the 1994 Northridge quake taught me that in an emergency I might not have the availability of ATMs. I buy extra dog food and extra non perishable foods and it served me well when I was stuck in the house last winter with 36 inches of snow on the ground. Similarly, I leave the house on a full charge every morning and I still plug in on my ride into work and use docking stations at work and home.

I adult well. While listening to music. And watching The Walking Dead. And taking pictures. And taking videos. And I still use the Apple ear buds so no "luxuries" were bought. And if I'd considered an ear bud a luxury then I'd have to have a serious talk with myself (because I'm good at adulting) to determine if I could actually afford that so called luxury. If a phone peripheral is a luxury to me, I'd have to seriously reconsider my spending habits.

Oh....plugging in isn't a chore....it's a reality of life in 2016.

 

[C DM]

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.

Pretty straightforward and easy to use one headphone while driving, as many have been doing it for years. Sure, not something for everyone for one reason or another, but it's still just as valid of a usecase as many others.

 

[Radon87000]

I really hope this Removal of the jack results in a slap in the face to Apple from consumers just like how Samsung's sales were destroyed when they removed the SD slot

 

[Qbnkelt]

Pretty straightforward and easy to use one headphone while driving, as many have been doing it for years. Sure, not something for everyone for one reason or another, but it's still just as valid of a usecase as many others.

I wouldn't try it. The less cables around me while I drive the better I feel. I routinely plug the phone in and put it in the cup holder, well out of the way. Between kids and dogs riding in the car, I've got enough to deal with than to have dangling cables obstructing full movement.

 

[I7guy]

I really hope this Removal of the jack results in a slap in the face to Apple from consumers just like how Samsung's sales were destroyed when they removed the SD slot

Probably not going to happen as this will just be the beginning for all phone manufacturers. (Maybe not *all*, but I think for at least the flagships)

 

[I7guy]

I wouldn't try it. The less cables around me while I drive the better I feel. I routinely plug the phone in and put it in the cup holder, well out of the way. Between kids and dogs riding in the car, I've got enough to deal with than to have dangling cables obstructing full movement.

I see people doing this all of the time and it it gives me the shudders. Absolutely agree on the dangling cables and all of the that. I have a very good handfree and I even stopped using that, unless in the direst of circumstances. It's been proven time and time again, phone conversations take away from driving attention. Not going to stop people, but hoping at least for some common sense.

 

[lchlch]

That image is fake, If they were to ship lightning EarPods it would look like this (have volume controls and mic):
https://s32.postimg.org/i24jz8gj9/IMG_1164.jpg

You're right, I was leaving out that group, I am part of that group. But if/when the EarPods break I get 3rd party ones due to the cost of EarPods, and athere are people do the same and people who buy EarPods again. I originally didn't consider that group because I assume a lot use the 3.5mm for other devices or their next pair of headphones or speaker docks, etc, therefore I assumed they would want it to stay. I was also going off the rumor that Apple will include the standard EarPods with an adapter but that could turn out to be false, we'll have to wait and see.

There will be inexpensive 3rd party lighting headphone. Yes, I'm looking at you monoprice.

 

[Appleaker]

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.
[doublepost=1469790312][/doublepost]
The IPhone 6 can handle 50 hours of audio playback so I don't see an issue. Is the screen on constantly?

I have addressed why that could still be a problem with those who use the headphones in the box (myself included) in my previous post. It makes sense for them to have a second speaker but given that they would be replacing a headphone jack with the second single largest component in the phone, I think its possible it might not happen.
Have you seen the competition? A bigger battery which is still smaller then everyone else's and no headphone jack is not going to attract Android users to switch. If your talking about current iPhone users, then a lot of people who are currently wishing to upgrade will probably upgrade to this years model regardless of the headphone jack.

 

[mmomega]

Impact for me will be at a zero.
I'll fall into some kind of category.

I transistioned myself away from using the headphone jack a little over a year and a half ago. 2 Christmas's ago I received a pair or bluetooth headphones as well as a pretty good pair of wired headphones.
The wired ones have been used 6 times total, I can recall exactly when.
The wireless one's are my go-to headphones. I now have two sets, one smaller for running pair and a slightly larger more comfortable set.

The only times I wear headphones are for running outside, on a plane traveling which we do several times/year and occasionally at night in bed after my wife goes to bed so I don't disturb her.

Out of those times the only time I use headphone with an iphone is outside running. The other time are on a laptop.

 

[Appleaker]

There will be inexpensive 3rd party lighting headphone. Yes, I'm looking at you monoprice.

There already are cheap 3rd party ones that are in the stages of entering production however for some of them the MFI certification bumps up the price from $5 to over $30, and that's not including other factors. But I don't know what your definition of inexpensive is so that might be ok for you.

 

[lchlch]

There already are cheap 3rd party ones that are in the stages of entering production however for some of them the MFI certification bumps up the price from $5 to over $30, and that's not including other factors. But I don't know what your definition of inexpensive is so that might be ok for you.

I'm pretty sure the $25 difference is not the cost of the mfi certification. Most of it should be pure profit for the manufacturer.

I'm not sure what's the current for mfi certification but it's rumored to be around 1.5% to 8% of the retail price.
[source: http://iphone.appleinsider.com/articles/14/02/07/apple-lowers-mfi-lightening-licensing-fees-paving-way-for-more-affordable-ios-accessories- ]

My definition of affordable would be somewhere along the $10-$20 range.
[doublepost=1469803434][/doublepost]

I have addressed why that could still be a problem with those who use the headphones in the box (myself included) in my previous post. It makes sense for them to have a second speaker but given that they would be replacing a headphone jack with the second single largest component in the phone, I think its possible it might not happen.
Have you seen the competition? A bigger battery which is still smaller then everyone else's and no headphone jack is not going to attract Android users to switch. If your talking about current iPhone users, then a lot of people who are currently wishing to upgrade will probably upgrade to this years model regardless of the headphone jack.

That's why I said its "possible". At the end of the day though, if it's not a 2nd speaker than it will be something else, I'm hoping that is something that will excite me as a consumer.

The battery will indeed still be smaller than a lot of the competition. But we should also keep in mind that IPhones are more efficient compared to the competition.

[edited: removed typo]

 

[Newtons Apple]

yep, but its the charging while listening problem.

Not a problem for most as they charge their phone while they sleep.

 

[Appleaker]

I'm pretty sure the $25 difference is not the cost of the mfi certification. Most of it should be pure profit for the manufacturer.

I'm not sure what's the current for mfi certification but it's rumored to be around 1.5% to 8% of the retail price.
[source: http://iphone.appleinsider.com/articles/14/02/07/apple-lowers-mfi-lightening-licensing-fees-paving-way-for-more-affordable-ios-accessories- ]

My definition of affordable would be somewhere along the $10-$20 range.
[doublepost=1469803434][/doublepost]
That's why I said its "possible". At the end of the day though, if it's not a 2nd speaker than it will be something else, I'm hoping that is something that will excite me as a consumer.

The battery will indeed still be smaller than a lot of the competition. But we should also keep in mind that IPhones are more efficient compared to the competition.

[edited: removed typo]

No manufacturers work with very low margins. When the have MFI certification, there are other things that are impacted such as QC and shipping costs. i also assume part of that large difference may be because they are currently not in mass production, due to a lack of demand so it could reduce significantly in the future.

Yes iPhones are more efficient but the battery life will still be behind a lot of android flagships. This will deter Android users from switching if anything, but like I said we'll wait for the official numbers since there hasn't really been an iPhone in a similar situation so we simply don't know what to expect.
[doublepost=1469807699][/doublepost]Apple want people to switch to wireless, therefore charging and listening won't be a problem very often. Charging and connecting to your car is certainly not s problem as you can get Bluetooth adapters for that. If you want to stick with wired (lightning) then adapters will be available allowing you to listen and charge.
[doublepost=1469808071][/doublepost]

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

Bluetooth EarPods won't be included due to price however it would make a lot of sense if they implement lightning charging as it would be the cleanest solution and most convenient.