"Tim Cook Defends Decision to Kill Headphone Jack"

[the8thark]

It's a logical step.

You can come up with rationalizations to keep old technology around pretty much forever. But at some point, you've got to move on. And I think Apple did the right thing with the iPhone phono jack.

The phono jack is (mostly) unidirectional. And it's analog. It adds weight, volume, and a potential ingress point for moisture into the phone.

Is it going go cause some degree of complication for people with a lot of investment in old-school technology? It'll cause some. I'll need the little adapter to use my noise-cancelling headphones. But I suspect that sooner or later I'll update the phones to ones with Bluetooth built-in.

A word about Bluetooth: I've been using it on-and-off for several years now. It's gotten better, but it's still not where it needs to be for high-fidelity music listening. It's laggy. Pairing is a nuisance. And there's another battery life to keep track of. The Apple air Bids supposedly solve some of these issues, but still....

Embrace Change.

As long as Apple create a 3.5mm to USB/thunderbolt connector for the Mac when the Mac loses the headphone port, I'll be happy.

 

[Hanson Eigilson]

- It's analog only.

that's apple's implementation of it, not an inherent limitation of the connector

- The connector is prone to electrical interference.

no

- It wasn't designed with waterproofing in mind.

apple has used waterproof 3,5 mm connectors before

- It doesn't disconnect easily when tugged. At first this may seem like an advantage, but consider that the last thing you probably want is your entire phone to get yanked out of your pocket and onto the ground.

to some degree you are right, however if you tug on the lightning connector you will have the same result 9 times out of 10

- As modern components go, its relatively "clunky". Especially given the fact that it has to be somewhat isolated from other components to avoid the interference issue. Yes not everyone is interested in having the slimmest possible phone, but as far as Apple and other Smartphone makers are concerned, that's a prime selling point.

they put in the taptic button instead of the mechanical one and it added more space than the 3,5 connector took up, for marginal or nonexistant benefits.

 

[I7guy]

Just LOL, huh? Okay. You realize that Bluetooth uses a microwave frequency? CNN noted it here. If you want to fill your brain with microwaves...be my guess. When you end up with brain cancer we can all LOL about it. I'm sure you will still find it funny.

I never said anything about using professional headphones with an iPhone. I was saying that if the professional standard is currently analog, there is a question about it being obsolete and good enough quality.

Also you totally missed my point about all the adapters sitting in landfills.

LOL, just lol.

I don't think you read the article correctly. Bluetooth uses the same frequency (2.4) as wifi, wireless phones etc. This is not ionizing radiation although some microwave ovens use the same frequencies I wouldn't stick my head into an oven, and I would rather use bluetooth than keeping the phone next to my face.

 

[Zirel]

Just LOL, huh? Okay. You realize that Bluetooth uses a microwave frequency? CNN noted it here. If you want to fill your brain with microwaves...be my guess. When you end up with brain cancer we can all LOL about it. I'm sure you will still find it funny.

BTW, that only applies when it's the iPhone.

This is BS! Like when the cigarette industry and the oil industry paid doctors to say that the cigs and lead were okay, but in reverse.

Less than 100mW at 2.4GHz can't do you anything.

Also, the headphones are the receiver, not the transmitter.

 

[Radon87000]

We all know it's a ploy for DRM.

 

[Zirel]

We all know it's a ploy for DRM.

Great ploy for DRM!

Because each iPhone 7 doesn't come with a 3.5mm adapter, and you don't get a completely unencrypted, analog signal on the other side or nothing...

These Nilay Patel level arguments...

 

[Tech198]

What is the major compelling reason to get rid of the functional 3.5mm port? Because it's old? That's not a good enough reason if the proposed alternatives don't offer any substantial new features that aren't possible with the 3.5mm plug. There needs to be a major reason for it, not just silly marketing reasons.

There IS a good reason for it, so Apple could put in the haptic feedback for the Home button in iPhone 7/7 Plus..

Apple likes to favor the new stuff and ditch the older stuff. Weather users like it or not.... To overcome that they bring out adapters.. in the hope u will say "will, this isn't so bad, but i do have an otherwise dongle"