Apple's solution for removing the headphone jack was to create the lightning headphones. Apple headphones now connect by way of a lightning port. Then to ease the transition they also include the jack adapter so that older headphones still work with new I devices. Ok. From this perspective where you only connect to devices with lightning ports, it works. But there's some real issues that pop up as a result that has really frustrated me on my first trip away from home with my new, headphone jack-less iPhone X.
My recharge box I use to recharge my phone on the go has been dying. It was not reasonable to go buy another before this trip. So to save battery on my phone, I loaded my tablet up with movies and games to play during travel. It wasn't until I was in the airport about to get on the plane that I realized my tablet does not have a lightning port and so I would have no way to listen privately. I quickly downloaded a couple movies onto my phone. Immediately I was upset that my entire plan to save battery was going down the drain because there is no way to connect my lightning headphones to my tablets Jack or it's micro USB port.
I get onto the plane and realize they offer free movies, TV and games on the back of every seat of the plane. This was great! ... Until I found out that there was no way for me to use my lightning headphones with the airplanes entertainment center.
First thought was "I should have brought my MacBook Pro"... But quickly remembered that my MacBook does not have a lightning port and so I still would have been stuck in the same situation.
So I gave up on everything and just watched the movies I had downloaded to my phone. Thankfully I still had about 20%+ battery at the end of my 7 hour flight. Sadly, this meant I had to get somewhere to charge before sight seeing or adventuring out and about.
I now have some 3.5mm headphones for the trip back, but it really stressed the mistake Apple has made with the creation of lightning headphones. They're nearly worthless to me. I have good Bluetooth headphones. They were just bulkier than what I wanted to carry on my trip, so I didn't take them. The lightning headphones prevented me from enjoying any entertainment that wasn't on my iPhone.
So why do Lightning headphones exist?
It's easy to just jump to the conclusion that it's all about making $$ and that theory is supported by several factors including the ownership of Beats and that they license lightning accessories and so money is made on any compatible device or adapter sold from Apple or 3rd parties.
How could Apple have done better and still got rid of the headphone jack on iPhones?
Maybe include regular, 3.5mm headphones and keep the adapter that's already in there. But then that would have caused people to be upset they had to have an adapter every time they want to listen.
Maybe include Bluetooth headphones instead of wired. But then the cost of the phone would have to increase to make up the difference and with the X already starting at $999, it would not be possible from Apple's perspective.
Personally, I would have rather been forced to use the adapter. This trip is the first time I opened the lightning headphones since getting my X on Nov 3. And they failed me in so many ways. Lightning headphones are a huge disappointment. It just highlights to me the downsides of removing the headphone jack and how even Apple wasn't prepared for the transition. They caused me a lot of frustration after I spent over $1200 on my new iPhone. And to top it off, my other $2000+ Apple device wouldn't have solved the problem.
I can live without the headphone jack, but Lightning headphones need to go away. They are a terrible idea and should never have been created.
My recharge box I use to recharge my phone on the go has been dying. It was not reasonable to go buy another before this trip. So to save battery on my phone, I loaded my tablet up with movies and games to play during travel. It wasn't until I was in the airport about to get on the plane that I realized my tablet does not have a lightning port and so I would have no way to listen privately. I quickly downloaded a couple movies onto my phone. Immediately I was upset that my entire plan to save battery was going down the drain because there is no way to connect my lightning headphones to my tablets Jack or it's micro USB port.
I get onto the plane and realize they offer free movies, TV and games on the back of every seat of the plane. This was great! ... Until I found out that there was no way for me to use my lightning headphones with the airplanes entertainment center.
First thought was "I should have brought my MacBook Pro"... But quickly remembered that my MacBook does not have a lightning port and so I still would have been stuck in the same situation.
So I gave up on everything and just watched the movies I had downloaded to my phone. Thankfully I still had about 20%+ battery at the end of my 7 hour flight. Sadly, this meant I had to get somewhere to charge before sight seeing or adventuring out and about.
I now have some 3.5mm headphones for the trip back, but it really stressed the mistake Apple has made with the creation of lightning headphones. They're nearly worthless to me. I have good Bluetooth headphones. They were just bulkier than what I wanted to carry on my trip, so I didn't take them. The lightning headphones prevented me from enjoying any entertainment that wasn't on my iPhone.
So why do Lightning headphones exist?
It's easy to just jump to the conclusion that it's all about making $$ and that theory is supported by several factors including the ownership of Beats and that they license lightning accessories and so money is made on any compatible device or adapter sold from Apple or 3rd parties.
How could Apple have done better and still got rid of the headphone jack on iPhones?
Maybe include regular, 3.5mm headphones and keep the adapter that's already in there. But then that would have caused people to be upset they had to have an adapter every time they want to listen.
Maybe include Bluetooth headphones instead of wired. But then the cost of the phone would have to increase to make up the difference and with the X already starting at $999, it would not be possible from Apple's perspective.
Personally, I would have rather been forced to use the adapter. This trip is the first time I opened the lightning headphones since getting my X on Nov 3. And they failed me in so many ways. Lightning headphones are a huge disappointment. It just highlights to me the downsides of removing the headphone jack and how even Apple wasn't prepared for the transition. They caused me a lot of frustration after I spent over $1200 on my new iPhone. And to top it off, my other $2000+ Apple device wouldn't have solved the problem.
I can live without the headphone jack, but Lightning headphones need to go away. They are a terrible idea and should never have been created.