iPad There's no reason to buy an iPad anymore

[usagora]

What good reason is there to remove a headphone jack on a device that isn't even water resistant? There is no good reason whatsoever, unless you wanted to sell more Airpods. Don't you think it's highly likely someone who buys an iPad would also buy Airpods? Airpods are very popular and for a good reason, they work reasonably well and aren't that expensive either (except for the Max but then even these are very decent if you ignore the price tag). Please look around you and tell me how many people use their iPhones with a lightning to headphone jack adapter - zero, that's how many. Nobody does that. People will avoid these for the iPad just like they do on the iPhone - especially when they can get a cheap pair of Airpods 2 for under 100 bucks.

Again, there is no reason to remove headphone jacks. It's not more sustainable, it's not better for the environment. It just makes people buy bluetooth headphones they'll eventually throw out when the battery is flat.

Again, this argument makes zero sense. How can you not get this? Of course it's highly likely that someone who buys an iPad would also buy AirPods, BUT NOT BECAUSE OF A LACK OF A DEDICATE HEADPHONE JACK. Sorry to "yell" but I'm getting tired of repeating myself an apparently it's not sinking in for some of you. I'd say the majority of consumers prefer a wireless audio solution and were already buying AirPods anyway even when there was a headphone jack.

So just pretend for a moment that you're someone who REALLY wants to keep using wired headphones with your new iPad. So you're seriously telling me rather than simply buying a cheap (~$12) pair of USB-C headphones or buying a $9 adapter that you simply keep attached to your headphones, you'd just totally give up on the idea and spend over $100 on AirPods (you're not getting even the older 2nd gen AirPods for under $100 from Apple, that's for sure. You'd be buying used, so that wouldn't benefit Apple anyway). I don't think so.

I guarantee you this is not the reason Apple removed the headphone jack. It would simply make no sense.

 

[ericwn]

Get rid off the "walled garden" locked down OS bs and I'll consider buying an iPad again. In other words, make it a Mac.

I *loath* iOS / iPad OS.

Do you often find yourself commenting on forums for products you absolutely loath?

 

[Abazigal]

What good reason is there to remove a headphone jack on a device that isn't even water resistant? There is no good reason whatsoever, unless you wanted to sell more Airpods. Don't you think it's highly likely someone who buys an iPad would also buy Airpods? Airpods are very popular and for a good reason, they work reasonably well and aren't that expensive either (except for the Max but then even these are very decent if you ignore the price tag). Please look around you and tell me how many people use their iPhones with a lightning to headphone jack adapter - zero, that's how many. Nobody does that. People will avoid these for the iPad just like they do on the iPhone - especially when they can get a cheap pair of Airpods 2 for under 100 bucks.

Again, there is no reason to remove headphone jacks. It's not more sustainable, it's not better for the environment. It just makes people buy bluetooth headphones they'll eventually throw out when the battery is flat.

My guess is to enable the thinner bezels you see on the 10th gen iPad compared to the previous version.

That it may help sell a few more AirPods is a nice secondary benefit, but probably not the primary driving factor. Though it may be nice if Apple does bundle free AirPods with the 10th gen iPad during the back to school promo next year as well.

I agree that there may be some inconvenience because iPads do get used as presentation devices and not all schools are on HDMI yet (for the longest time, I tried to find a usb-c adaptor with both a VGA and audio jack, but the ones I did find on amazon didn't work reliably).

 

[darngooddesign]

Get rid off the "walled garden" locked down OS bs and I'll consider buying an iPad again. In other words, make it a Mac.

I *loath* iOS / iPad OS.

Know what's great at being a Mac?

 

[Macalway]

deleted

 

[Digitalguy]

You're a teacher at a studio and they don't have any storage areas for teachers for even small things? That's a bit odd. But then just keep it in your car 🤷🏼‍♂️ And we're not talking about "everywhere" but maybe just a few places where you always use them (e.g. home / car). It's really no big deal and hardly inconvenient . . . doesn't even quality as a first world problem in my mind.

Again, I sincerely doubt the lack of a headphone jack hasn't sold a single pair of AirPods unless the person wanted to spend the money anyway (or maybe they're stupid and decided to throw away money instead of buying a $9 adapter or a $12 pair of USB headphones . . . who knows).

Your arguments have not convinced me in the slightest, just like you are convinced that you are right and the removal of headphone jack and airpods have nothing to do with each other.
Let's agree to disagree on this. I don't think it's worth discussing it further and it's not the subject of the thread...

 

[usagora]

Your arguments have not convinced me in the slightest, just like you are convinced that you are right and the removal of headphone jack and airpods have nothing to do with each other.

Unreal! Simple logic proves they're not (unless you assume the people at Apple are stupid), as I've clearly explained. If Apple wanted to force AirPods on people, then they sure as heck wouldn't make an adapter for wired headphones, and they'd find a way by software to prevent the use of any other headphones other than AirPods. The fact that you can't see this (or refuse to admit it) just shows how deeply you want to be negative about Apple. I have no problem with people being negative about Apple, but it needs to be based on something rational.

 

[okkibs]

just pretend for a moment that you're someone who REALLY wants to keep using wired headphones with your new iPad.

Unfortunately for your argument I am that someone, yet I precisely bought Airpods 2 (which are readily available from retailers, I found them for slightly under 100 bucks including tax) instead of buying an adapter (for my phone). I wouldn't consider an adapter for the iPad as I found the iPad to be crucially flawed in two ways for use with wired headphones: On my expensive in-ear headphones the minimum volume the iPadOS can do is so loud I can't put them in. It will work for older recordings that aren't recorded with the audio nearly clipping already, but any modern music would blow out my eardrums. You will find a bunch of reports for exactly this issue across all iPad models: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253211446

The other issue is it can't drive my big over-the-ear headphones either.

Sure the iPad works fine with any of my regular cheap headphones that I have lying around, but I don't "REALLY want to keep using" those since they aren't that great to begin with and the Airpods actually sound better. I really hate bluetooth headphones and especially the Shure I had before the Airpods (they were ready for the trash after just a year), but what I hate more is an iPad that causes permanent hearing loss at the minimum volume.

People who really care about the quality of their headphones and want to use wired ones often won't be using them with an iPad to begin with. There are a bunch of good quality wired ones out there that don't have any issues with the iPad, but there's a 50:50 chance which ones you got. And if they aren't that good of a quality to begin with, then you don't "REALLY want to keep using" them anyways since it doesn't matter.

I guarantee you this is not the reason Apple removed the headphone jack. It would simply make no sense.

Please enlighten us! What is the actual reason?

My guess is to enable the thinner bezels you see on the 10th gen iPad compared to the previous version.

They can figure out the internals for a headphone jack that doesn't take up massive space - Sony was able to do it for the 2022 Xperia 1 flagship device with similar bezels near the headphone jack, and it's IP65 and IP68 certified as well. So if Sony can do it on the even more limited space of a smartphone, I am convinced the design didn't force Apple to remove it.

 

[Digitalguy]

Please enlighten us! What is the actual reason?

Courage....

 

[usagora]

Unfortunately for your argument I am that someone, yet I precisely bought Airpods 2 (which are readily available from retailers, I found them for slightly under 100 bucks including tax) instead of buying an adapter (for my phone). I wouldn't consider an adapter for the iPad as I found the iPad to be crucially flawed in two ways for use with wired headphones: On my expensive in-ear headphones the minimum volume the iPadOS can do is so loud I can't put them in. It will work for older recordings that aren't recorded with the audio nearly clipping already, but any modern music would blow out my eardrums. You will find a bunch of reports for exactly this issue across all iPad models: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253211446

So my argument remains untouched, because you just admitted that your purchase of the AirPods had nothing to do with lack of an audio jack, but had to do with the iPad itself.

Please enlighten us! What is the actual reason?

I'm not on Apple's design/development team, so I can't speak for them and what their reasoning is. But I guarantee the reason was NOT to sell AirPods as you and others keep insisting. That's blatantly obvious if you simply think it through logically for 10 seconds.

 

[subjonas]

It doesn’t really matter what Apple does, how convoluted and confused their product lineups get or how egregious their gouging gets..

There will always be people defending them and/or “explaining their reasoning”

It’s amazing

It’s pretty rare in life that there is ever only one fully right side to any issue/debate. Maybe never is there absolutely no valid point made by a side.
But personally I find online debates between strangers pretty futile, and not because doing so usually causes people to just dig their heels in, but because we have such limited knowledge of the full picture. When we observe from a distance, as we all do here since we don’t work at Apple, there’s always a lot more going on that we don’t see. We just see the tip of the iceberg. So making strong conclusions about Apple’s decisions and then debating with others about them to me seems irrational. Conjectures are fun to make, sure, but they can’t be taken as absolute truth.

 

[Ludatyk]

I'm not on Apple's design/development team, so I can't speak for them and what their reasoning is. But I guarantee the reason was NOT to sell AirPods as you and others keep insisting. That's blatantly obvious if you simply think it through logically for 10 seconds.

Tbf, I don’t think Apple removing the headphone jack was the sole reason to sell AirPods… but to disregard that reason all together seems a bit of a fallacy.

Its quite obvious to come to that conclusion… “hey, guys we are removing the headphone jack”.. “but guys we have some AirPods that we are now releasing.”

 

[Annv]

I'm not on Apple's design/development team, so I can't speak for them and what their reasoning is. But I guarantee the reason was NOT to sell AirPods as you and others keep insisting. That's blatantly obvious if you simply think it through logically for 10 seconds.

So, you say you're not on the Apple design team and you don't know their reasoning, but you're still sure they didn't mean to sell AirPods by removing the headphone jack?

 

[imnotthewalrus]

I have There's no reason to buy an iPad anymore​

Fixed it for you.

 

[usagora]

So, you say you're not on the Apple design team and you don't know their reasoning, but you're still sure they didn't mean to sell AirPods by removing the headphone jack?

Yes, because I'm operating on the safe assumption that there's a logical reason for their design choice, and "to sell AirPods" is clearly not a logical one, as I've explained clearly over and over again. It's a non-starter.

 

[usagora]

Its quite obvious to come to that conclusion… “hey, guys we are removing the headphone jack”.. “but guys we have some AirPods that we are now releasing.”

No it's not, because AirPods are by no means the only solution, nor are they anywhere near the cheapest solution. Who on earth is going to spend well over $100 on AirPods when they can simply buy a $9 adapter for their wired phones or buy a USB-C pair for just over $10 unless they were already planning on buying AirPods anyway?

 

[Ludatyk]

No it's not, because AirPods are by no means the only solution, nor are they anywhere near the cheapest solution. Who on earth is going to spend well over $100 on AirPods when they can simply buy a $9 adapter for their wired phones or buy a USB-C pair for just over $10 unless they were already planning on buying AirPods anyway?

I think you are missing the point. You are thinking in terms of absolutes… when the point we are making is removing the headphone jack provides customers an option to go with AirPods over any other solution.

Yes, it’s not the cheapest solution. And you are correct, someone can simply buy a $9 adapter or some USB-C headphones. But when buying AirPods you are getting a better experience over the alternatives and because of that is why majority feel that’s the cause of the headphone jack removal.

 

[Annv]

Yes, because I'm operating on the safe assumption that there's a logical reason for their design choice, and "to sell AirPods" is clearly not a logical one, as I've explained clearly over and over again. It's a non-starter.

If there's a logical reason other than to sell AirPods then someone using logic should be able to deduct it.

 

[CharlesShaw]

And if one needs to keep the iPad charged while using wired headphones, I imagine that adapters like these will become more popular with teachers and parents who don't want to purchase wireless headphones for kids.

 

[Rafterman]

Again, this argument makes zero sense. How can you not get this? Of course it's highly likely that someone who buys an iPad would also buy AirPods, BUT NOT BECAUSE OF A LACK OF A DEDICATE HEADPHONE JACK. Sorry to "yell" but I'm getting tired of repeating myself an apparently it's not sinking in for some of you. I'd say the majority of consumers prefer a wireless audio solution and were already buying AirPods anyway even when there was a headphone jack.

So just pretend for a moment that you're someone who REALLY wants to keep using wired headphones with your new iPad. So you're seriously telling me rather than simply buying a cheap (~$12) pair of USB-C headphones or buying a $9 adapter that you simply keep attached to your headphones, you'd just totally give up on the idea and spend over $100 on AirPods (you're not getting even the older 2nd gen AirPods for under $100 from Apple, that's for sure. You'd be buying used, so that wouldn't benefit Apple anyway). I don't think so.

I guarantee you this is not the reason Apple removed the headphone jack. It would simply make no sense.

Yeah, I'm gettting kinda tired of the whining about headphone ports being removed on devices. Hey, also people complained at one time about floppy drives being removed from computers too.

 

[Zest28]

Yeah, I'm gettting kinda tired of the whining about headphone ports being removed on devices. Hey, also people complained at one time about floppy drives being removed from computers too.

What kind of comparison is that? Wireless headphones sounds bad and will continue to do so.

Apple also thinks wired headphones are good because they have redesigned their headphone output on all Mac’s (even the M2 MBA), so that it can drive high-quality headphones now without an external DAC + amplifier.

What Apple did with the iPhone and iPad is that Apple probably sees it as “mobile“ devices that you use outside and not for critical listening or audio work. Which is what the use case of wireless headphones are. But in no way shape or form are wired headphones “floppy disks”.

 

[sparksd]

What kind of comparison is that? Wireless headphones sounds bad and will continue to do so.

That's an individual opinion and I wouldn't agree with that.

 

[Zest28]

That's an individual opinion and I wouldn't agree with that.

My cheapest planar headphone already destroys all wireless headphones without a single problem. And the funny thing is, this planar headphone isn’t even that good in comparison to my other wired headphones.

And it’s not an opinion really. With wireless headphones, they have to cram all the electronics, DAC and amplifier in a very tinny little space and it cannot be high-quality because else it would kill the battery. With wired headphones, you don’t have such limitations.

 

[sparksd]

My cheapest planar headphone already destroys all wireless headphones without a single problem. And the funny thing is, this planar headphone isn’t even that good in comparison to my other wired headphones.

Save your breath. It's a matter of personal preference and experience and nothing you'd say would change my opinion (and yes, I have da several sets of quality headphones and wireless headphones and earbuds over the decades).

 

[Zest28]

Save your breath. It's a matter of personal preference and experience and nothing you'd say would change my opinion (and yes, I have da several sets of quality headphones and wireless headphones and earbuds over the decades).

It’s not personal preference, it is fact. What type of DAC + amplifier can you possibly put in a wireless headphone and achieve long battery life from a small battery while at the same time powering electronics to handle ANC?

It’s physics.