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[-Pyromaniac-]

LOL at everyone who keeps talking about thinness. You're being shortsighted. Wireless is better than wired. Apple is removing the port to move the world to wireless, not to shave thickness.

this is exactly right

We won't be able to make this jump successfully without a company as big as apple making the first move. It'll take a bit for other OEMs to follow suit but they will, and now accessory makers will be forced to create good wireless products if they want to capture that market ASAP, and it will be a big one because iphone 7 will sell like hotcakes.

Also the macbook is a good example. People are lucky it has even one port that it needed for charging because if apple could have gotten rid of it they would have. That laptop shows what they think is the future of laptops and they haven't been wrong yet.

 

[i3allistic]

This gonna backfire

 

[KalBalboa]

They could still do this without removing the port guys.

.

 

[Oppo]

Otherwise, I'm with others in that thank god we're finally killing off the 3.5mm jack. But if you're going to kill off an old standard, you have to offer a new standard as a replacement. People are assuming that will be Bluetooth or proprietary Lightning, and that it will still be Bluetooth or proprietary Lightning two years from now.

somebody please explain the sentiment to me... I'm truly mystified.

have these people been sitting around just glaring at the headphone jack, saying "someday...." Like, truly, I am surprised at this reaction. Is it just because it is familiar? Thank god it's going? what is this? how has it been holding you back? I'm not even trying to argue at this point, I just want to understand how you get there, from here.

 

[Lothars]

Also the macbook is a good example. People are lucky it has even one port that it needed for charging because if apple could have gotten rid of it they would have. That laptop shows what they think is the future of laptops and they haven't been wrong yet.

Which is false, they have been wrong multiple times with big things. This is just the latest like the macbook is completely offbase with one port.

You are wrong and this is a huge mistake by apple. I really don't see how anyone with common sense can defend this.

 

[CharmingCharlie]

Why do people keep quoting that cons list for wireless like it is the definitive pros and cons. It isn't :-

Not exactly plug and play

Yep totally right it is not plug and play because there is no plug. It is however press button and play which is just as easy. Hell if my 75 year old mother can do it I am pretty sure most can learn how to use these apparently heavily complicated new fangled bluetooth devices.

Not universally accepted

Erm yes it is. As far as I am aware Blue tooth is a universal standard. You can use any blue tooth device with any other blue tooth device. Just like you can use a 3.5mm jack with any other device that has a 3.5mm connector

Legacy devices will need adaptors in the form of dongles, making them even less convenient and adding costs

OK you got me there but that is inevitable whether it happens now or later there is going to be a short period of time where you have to transition from your decades old technology to the newer tech.

Audio quality is compromised

Audio quality over bluetooth is just fine for the 99.9% of people that listen to music on their phone. If you are one of those that wants to hear the nuances of Miley Cyrus's voice on your phone at 8:20am in the morning whilst on the bus to work then I guess you are out of luck.

Smaller variety of accesories and at higher prices

There are more bluetooth accessories then there are wired at this point. Usually you will find bluetooth accessories come with extra features over their wired counterparts.

Just having a look on Amazon.co.uk and you can get a pair of blue tooth headphones for £4. The cheapest wired ones are about £2, both will be utterly shit.

No connector to power external speakers

Bluetooth speakers anyone ? I have a bluetooth speaker right next to my bed which is also a clock and a wireless charger (and here is the shocker this speaker doesn't need charging :-O ). When I go to bed at night I turn the light off start up my music automatically connect to the bluetooth speaker and plonk my phone on top of it and it starts wirelessly charging. Hell how about a bluetooth speaker you can have that floats in the bath whilst your phone is in your bedroom all safe and dry.

Require batteries, charging

So does your phone, perhaps you should switch back to a landline since charging some thing seems to be such a horrendous challenge. As I said I have a £20 pair of bluetooth ear bud headphones that gives me 6 - 8 hours of music from a 30 min charge.

Battery degradation ensures you'll have to buy new headphones over time

Wired headphones break you'll have to buy new headphones over time so stop buying headphones. I have some bluetooth headphones that are 2 - 3 years old and I have not noticed any measurable decrease in battery life. Obviously the cheaper the bluetooth headphones the shittier the battery just like the cheaper the wired headphones the shittier the cabling is.

No such thing such as "free wireless headphones" at trains, planes etc.

There is no such thing as "free wired headphones" at trains, planes etc either. Those shitty headphones you get for "free" were paid for by you as part of your ticket. They probably cost the airline 25p to buy and they added an extra £5 on your ticket to cover the cost of those "free" headphones.

So if they are not giving you "free" headphones perhaps you should ask for a discount on your ticket. At the very worst as wireless headphones become the norm it is entirely feasible that the airline/train company will offer you free shitty wireless headphones that are fully charged instead of offering you "free" shitty wired ones.

 

[RoninChaos]

http://www.macrumors.com/2016/01/05/iphone-7-no-headphone-jack-supply-chain/

Thank goodness. I'm glad Apple will kill the decades old, ancient tech of aux input. Good riddance. They'll drag the luddites kicking and screaming into the future, just like they have always done. Look at the past threads on GAF alone about optical drives and Flash. Hilarious.

I also hope someone comes up with a good Bluetooth because today's and tomorrow's Bluetooth is awful. Their motto should be, "Next year!"

Edit: People are confusing the lightning thing. Apple doesn't want you to use a proprietary hook up. They want you to use wireless. They're just giving you lightning as the connected option. Join us in the 21st century jfc

I kind of feel like you haven't thought this through.

 

[infiniteloop]

If the dual camera thing is true, i'll live without the headphone port:

http://9to5mac.com/2016/01/07/iphone-7-twin-camera-patent/

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

If the dual camera thing is true, i'll live without the headphone port:

http://9to5mac.com/2016/01/07/iphone-7-twin-camera-patent/

If they do it I expect it to be better than the other terrible attempts at doing this first.

 

[EthanC]

The Macbook isn't the iPhone. The Macbook is the OG Macbook Air. You know, the laptop everyone panned but is now the standard for laptops today.

Rightfully panned. And it was a failure. It wasn't until Apple listened and revised it that it became popular.

 

[Glorious Ownage]

Maybe this is finally the year apple introduces wireless charging so you can still listen to music and charge at the same time

 

[Funky Papa]

Yep totally right it is not plug and play because there is no plug. It is however press button and play which is just as easy. Hell if my 75 year old mother can do it I am pretty sure most can learn how to use these apparently heavily complicated new fangled bluetooth devices.

Absolutely not. Different devices, implementation and versions means a lot of issues depending on the vendor. Audio quality is inferior. Connections are dropped. Latency is an issue. Case in point, Bluetooth car sync remains inherently problematic to this day for many car makers. My parent's Ford is fucking awful at it.

Erm yes it is. As far as I am aware Blue tooth is a universal standard. You can use any blue tooth device with any other blue tooth device. Just like you can use a 3.5mm jack with any other device that has a 3.5mm connector

It's standard, but nowhere near as universal in the audio industry, which is the point. And again, pairing Bluetooth devices is ass depending on the vendor and the device. And I'm not talking about some random garbage bought at Aliexpress.

Audio quality over bluetooth is just fine for the 99.9% of people that listen to music on their phone. If you are one of those that wants to hear the nuances of Miley Cyrus's voice on your phone at 8:20am in the morning whilst on the bus to work then I guess you are out of luck.

I don't really know where did you pull that number (I'm sure it's somewhere dark hairy and moist... like an armpit), but the market for quality headphones (or just people who don't want to deal with the hassles of Bluetooth) is large enough to warrant a massive amount of corded devices and firms at all price ranges and qualities. This whole thing about 3.5 jacks being for silly audiophiles and luddites is nothing but some dismissive, navel gazing BS.

There are more bluetooth accessories then there are wired at this point. Usually you will find bluetooth accessories come with extra features over their wired counterparts.

This is so patently untrue I don't even know where to being with.

Just having a look on Amazon.co.uk and you can get a pair of blue tooth headphones for £4. The cheapest wired ones are about £2, both will be utterly shit.

Corded headphones at the same price range offer better quality due to their simplicity allowing for better audio components at the same budget. This is not up to debate. Your comparison turns into a false dilemma since shit is going to be shit no matter the technology. Once you stop scratching the absolute bottom of the barrel, differences become much more evident. A couple of €30 Soundmagic buds will outlast a €30 Bluetooth headset while utterly destroying them in audio quality. And that's hardly audiophile-grade stuff.

Bluetooth speakers anyone ? I have a bluetooth speaker right next to my bed which is also a clock and a wireless charger. When I go to bed at night I turn the light off start up my music automatically connect to the bluetooth speaker and plonk my phone on top of it and it starts wirelessly charging. Hell how about a bluetooth speaker you can have that floats in the bath whilst your phone is in your bedroom all safe and dry.

We all know about Bluetooth speakers. I'm talking about a category of cheaper, simplier devices. Many (if not most) Bluetooth speakers come with aux ports because it makes much easier to connect random devices without navigating menus nor dealing with random drops and failures to pair.

So does your phone, perhaps you should switch back to a landline since charging some thing seems to be such a horrendous challenge. As I said I have a £20 pair of bluetooth ear bud headphones that gives me 6 - 8 hours of music from a 30 min charge.

It is not a challenge, but it can be greatly inconvenient. I grab my headphones when I get out. Waiting for 30 minutes for a full charge is not an option for a lot of people who just need to grab their shit at any given time without worrying about having all their devices charged.

Wired headphones break you'll have to buy new headphones over time so stop buying headphones. I have some bluetooth headphones that are 2 - 3 years old and I have not noticed any measurable decrease in battery life. Obviously the cheaper the bluetooth headphones the shittier the battery just like the cheaper the wired headphones the shittier the cabling is.

Wear and tear is not problematic as long as you are not buying crap. Let's not pretend otherwise. And battery life becomes problematic all the sudden, specially when using smaller devices. It may be good now, but only until it turns to shit all the sudden. The fact that smaller batteries such as the ones used by less well known manufacturers tend to be dodgy doesn't help.

Again, a couple of €30 Soundmagic buds will outlast a €30 Bluetooth headset while utterly destroying them in audio quality..

There is no such thing as "free wired headphones" at trains, planes etc either. Those shitty headphones you get for "free" were paid for by you as part of your ticket. They probably cost the airline 25p to buy and they added an extra £5 on your ticket to cover the cost of those "free" headphones.

So if they are not giving you "free" headphones perhaps you should ask for a discount on your ticket. At the very worst as wireless headphones become the norm it is entirely feasible that the airline/train company will offer you free shitty wireless headphones that are fully charged instead of offering you "free" shitty wired ones.

You can get "free wired headphones" at plenty of places, including free museum tours. But I'd rather not get into a game of semantics. My point is clear enough, just like it's clear enough why you don't get Bluetooth headphones at trains and planes (hint: they are more expensive).

But at the end of the day, all this bickering lacks any substance since having a 3.5mm conector doesn't prevent you from using wireless headphones if you prefer them. More to the point, while we can debate for ages about the potential cons of having wireless headphones, the negative aspects of having a 3.5mm minijack are short, tiny and ultimately negligibe.

Bluetooth headphones are old as dirt. If they are not as widely spread is because they are not as convenient for many people. Removing them for the sake of a 0.1mm thickness reduction or forcing a wireless future would be anti-consumer, not the contrary. Apple (or any other manufacturer) would have to provide a superior alternative or some feature that clearly outweights the convenience of the 3.5mm connector if it wants to remove them.

I feel like this conversation could be a bit different if the alternative were moving towards USB-C so we could accelerate the move towards a truly universal cable for everything, but I'd be shocked if Apple went that way.

 

[demon]

this is exactly right

We won't be able to make this jump successfully without a company as big as apple making the first move. It'll take a bit for other OEMs to follow suit but they will, and now accessory makers will be forced to create good wireless products if they want to capture that market ASAP, and it will be a big one because iphone 7 will sell like hotcakes.

Also the macbook is a good example. People are lucky it has even one port that it needed for charging because if apple could have gotten rid of it they would have. That laptop shows what they think is the future of laptops and they haven't been wrong yet.

LOL

Lucky to have a laptop with one port. I've got a Macbook Pro with five wires coming out of it- power, HDMI, audio to my speakers, USB, and ethernet because wifi sucks in my building no matter what I do. A lot of other advancements have to happen before we can move to totally wireless computing.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

somebody please explain the sentiment to me... I'm truly mystified.

Shilling. Honestly I feel like people all of a sudden "hate" the headphone jack because of this rumor. There aren't really any legit reasons to...

Waterproofing? Other manufacturers have figured out how to waterproof their phones even though Apple somehow hasn't.

Thickness? I refuse to take anyone seriously who thinks current phones are too thick.

A longer lasting battery? The jack wasn't the issue here. Battery twxh has stagnated and the continual puah for phones to be needlessly thinner isn't helping.

It's trivial in size and trivial in cost

 

[Steve Youngblood]

LOL at everyone who keeps talking about thinness. You're being shortsighted. Wireless is better than wired. Apple is removing the port to move the world to wireless, not to shave thickness.

I'm going to note in advance that I am not an audiophile. But if I was -- and I want to stress that this is an honest question as I'm not a tech buff in this sector -- can a good pair of Bluetooth headphones beat out a good pair of wired 3.5mm headphones in pure sound quality?

 

[Rand0m TAG]

what i they also remove the pc connection port and charging port?

make it wireless charging through solar, wireless charging pad,...
then make everything cloud!!!

no more ports anywhere. useless pieces of shits just makes my phone thicker.

then start remove other excess like the screen. if you want a screen, need to buy an accessory.

 

[EthanC]

I'm going to note in advance that I am not an audiophile. But if I was -- and I want to stress that this is an honest question as I'm not a tech buff in this sector -- can a good pair of Bluetooth headphones beat out a good pair of wired 3.5mm headphones in pure sound quality?

My Crossfade Wireless headphones sound just as great wireless as they do wired. They're expensive though (299). The nice thing about them is that once you plug a wire into them, it cuts off all the bluetooth and essentially becomes an improved version of the M-100.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

I'm going to note in advance that I am not an audiophile. But if I was -- and I want to stress that this is an honest question as I'm not a tech buff in this sector -- can a good pair of Bluetooth headphones beat out a good pair of wired 3.5mm headphones in pure sound quality?

Now? Nope. Eventually? For sure. With that said there are great wireless headphones I'm sure but better than the best wired ones? Doubt it. But That's what technological progression is and wireless being the future isn't even an opinion anymore, it's a fact.

The hope is that this will spur wireless headphone technology. Of course manufacturers are still going to take the easy way out and do lightning headphones instead of wireless but people will have to start trying harder.

 

[Funky Papa]

The hope is that this will spur wireless technology.

Fine.

So do it when there's a credible alternative on the horizon. Because God knows we could do with a good alternative to Bluetooth.

I'd love to read the responses in this thread if the OP were "Supply chain rumors reaffirm iPhone 7 will not have Bluetooth radio".

 

[demon]

Fine.

So do it when there's a credible alternative on the horizon. Because God knows we could do with a good alternative to Bluetooth.

I'd love to read the responses in this thread if the OP were "Supply chain rumors reaffirm iPhone 7 will not have Bluetooth radio".

"Apple's just taking a bold stance against Bluetooth like they did with Flash."

 

[Steve Youngblood]

Now? Nope. Eventually? For sure. With that said there are great wireless headphones I'm sure but better than the best wired ones? Doubt it. But That's what technological progression is and wireless being the future isn't even an opinion anymore, it's a fact.

The hope is that this will spur wireless headphone technology. Of course manufacturers are still going to take the easy way out and do lightning headphones instead of wireless but people will have to start trying harder.

I'm not going to pretend to be Nostradamus and assert that I know how the market will react to this. But I sort of feel like if this is the aim, perhaps transitioning to wireless might be the better move? And by that I just mean that Bluetooth headphones aren't new. If this was such an important move, I kind of feel like the better thing to do might be to ease people into it with a year or two of keeping the 3.5mm jack, but shipping new phones with wireless headphones to try to establish that as the new standard. And once you get data that people love the default wireless speakers, then you assert that there's no longer any mass market need for the legacy wired support.

But that's just me.

 

[Funky Papa]

I'm not going to pretend to be Nostradamus and assert that I know how the market will react to this. But I sort of feel like if this is the aim, perhaps transitioning to wireless might be the better move? And by that I just mean that Bluetooth headphones aren't new. If this was such an important move, I kind of feel like the better thing to do might be to ease people into it with a year or two of keeping the 3.5mm jack, but shipping new phones with wireless headphones to try to establish that as the new standard. And once you get data that people love the default wireless speakers, then you assert that there's no longer any mass market need for the legacy wired support.

But that's just me.

Ayup.

Apple would be a fool if they dropped it altogether. Transitioning through a couple of generations would be a more viable, less alienating strategy.

 

[Cromat]

But at the end of the day, all this bickering lacks any substance since having a 3.5mm conector doesn't prevent you from using wireless headphones if you prefer them. More to the point, while we can debate for ages about the potential cons of having wireless headphones, the negative aspects of having a 3.5mm minijack are short, tiny and ultimately negligibe.

Not to detract from the rest of the points you made about battery life and so forth, but this argument could be made about literally any legacy technology.

Having stables to keep your horses in doesn't prevent you from parking your car there too if you prefer them. I'm being extreme but at the end of the day I do think that this seemingly innocent attitude of "let everyone choose!" often results in obsolete technologies outstaying their welcome. At some point you need to draw a line in the sand and say: no more.

Wired audio equipment has clear disadvantages: it takes up precious space in mobile devices, it tends to break easily (and in my experience, more expensive headsets are not immune from this) and it can be a hassle in certain cases (with wireless audio, you could have many people watching a TV show on a tablet together without needing an adapter). It is abundantly clear that wireless will not become the default option, even though it is better (or at least has the potential to be better), just because of consumer inertia and the fear of pissing off legacy customers. Apple is right to use their disproportionate market power to transition audio equipment into the 21st century. It's creative destruction, no more and no less.

 

[HiiiLife]

So I guess I better change from the 6+ to the 6S+ if this is true.

 

[Funky Papa]

Not to detract from the rest of the points you made about battery life and so forth, but this argument could be made about literally any legacy technology.

Having stables to keep your horses in doesn't prevent you from parking your car there too if you prefer them. I'm being extreme but at the end of the day I do think that this seemingly innocent attitude of "let everyone choose!" often results in obsolete technologies outstaying their welcome. At some point you need to draw a line in the sand and say: no more.

Wired audio equipment has clear disadvantages: it takes up precious space in mobile devices, it tends to break easily (and in my experience, more expensive headsets are not immune from this) and it can be a hassle in certain cases (with wireless audio, you could have many people watching a TV show on a tablet together without needing an adapter). It is abundantly clear that wireless will not become the default option, even though it is better (or at least has the potential to be better), just because of consumer inertia and the fear of pissing off legacy customers. Apple is right to use their disproportionate market power to transition audio equipment into the 21st century. It's creative destruction, no more and no less.

3.5 mm connectors take very little space, are hugely convenient and are considerably more robust than, let's say, Lightning ones (junk headphones will be junk, but that kind also be said about BT ones). Their positives greatly outweight their negatives, but also the significant limitations that come with current wireless technology. Honesltly, the only thing that really pisses me off about corded headphones is that I'm a clutz and get them stuck on the closest door handle from time to time. Which admitely sucks.

We aren't talking about keeping PCMCIA cards alive.

As explained, I'm not opposed to wireless. I firmly believe that wireless is the future, just like I happen to believe that the technology is not ready for it. Not yet.

 

[Hoo-doo]

Not to detract from the rest of the points you made about battery life and so forth, but this argument could be made about literally any legacy technology.

Having stables to keep your horses in doesn't prevent you from parking your car there too if you prefer them. I'm being extreme but at the end of the day I do think that this seemingly innocent attitude of "let everyone choose!" often results in obsolete technologies outstaying their welcome. At some point you need to draw a line in the sand and say: no more.

Wired audio equipment has clear disadvantages: it takes up precious space in mobile devices, it tends to break easily (and in my experience, more expensive headsets are not immune from this) and it can be a hassle in certain cases (with wireless audio, you could have many people watching a TV show on a tablet together without needing an adapter). It is abundantly clear that wireless will not become the default option, even though it is better (or at least has the potential to be better), just because of consumer inertia and the fear of pissing off legacy customers. Apple is right to use their disproportionate market power to transition audio equipment into the 21st century. It's creative destruction, no more and no less.

I'm curious, as I don't have too much knowledge about BT power usage.
But what's going to provide more of an impact to battery life, having a tiny sliver of extra space to put in battery, or having Bluetooth streaming out music to my headphones for hours every day?

Because I have the impression that Bluetooth, however improved since the old days, still is somewhat of a unnecessary battery drain. I never, ever switch it on because of that reason.

 

[Cromat]

3.5 mm connectors take very little space, are hugely convenient and are considerably more robust than, let's say, Lightning ones (junk headphones will be junk, but that kind also be said about BT ones). Their positives greatly outweight their negatives, but also the significant limitations that come with current wireless technology.

We aren't talking about keeping PCMCIA cards alive.

As explained, I'm not opposed to wireless. I firmly believe that wireless is the future, just like I happen to believe that the technology is not ready for it. Not yet.

Maybe it will start getting ready once a uniquely important hardware device has wireless as its only option. Keeping the 3.5mm jack is prolonging the status quo, when we could and should be doing better by now. No doubt the iPhone 7 will be worse off at release for not having a headphone jack, but in the long-run it's better to move on as early as possible, unless you want to spend your vacation on Mars untangling headphone cords.

Regarding the comparative advantages/disadvantages of wireless: I agree with you about the battery issue. The cords are shit though, they always break because that's what happens to a cord if you tug on it several times every day (no pun intended).

edit:

I'm curious, as I don't have too much knowledge about BT power usage.
But what's going to provide more of an impact to battery life, having a tiny sliver of extra space to put in battery, or having Bluetooth streaming out music to my headphones for hours every day?

Because I have the impression that Bluetooth, however improved since the old days, still is somewhat of a unnecessary battery drain. I never, ever switch it on because of that reason.

I think you're probably right about the battery issue, but at the same time I do think that the extra space is actually meaningful in terms of cramming more circuitry into the device. I also do not doubt that wireless headphones would see rapid improvement if they stop being a niche product.

 

[jts]

One thing we’ve seen over the years is the shoehorning of additional contacts in the 3,5mm jack for mic, controls and whatnot, with different companies following different standards, compatibility issues, etc.

Mess.

Switching to digital (wired and wireless) can do wonders for added functionality instead of the current struggle scenario.

Ideally Apple updates Lightning to enable analog audio though.



Also, Apple is a major bluetooth backer and has a number of technologies relying on it.

 

[blame space]

it's like the smallest port ever

 

[demon]

it's like the smallest port ever

blame space when you're right you're right.

 

[blame space]

if anything I think we should replace other ports with the aux port.

what if every cord was an aux cord.

 

[Any Questions]

It's less about the size and more about selling beats wireless buds and cans.

You sell a lot more if the 3.5 is removed.

Money is made and funk the consumers

 

[Funky Papa]

Maybe it will start getting ready once a uniquely important hardware device has wireless as its only option.

The way the industry works, that would mean years (probably a decade) until a suitable, universal replacement is found. And that's if there are no competing technologies fucking things up for all of us. That leaves a huge period of time with less convenient products and lots of open questions.

I mean, the first Bluetooth phone came in 2000 and the tech is still ass. One could argue that modern technology could evolve more quickly, but look at the wireless charging scene and what it took to get all the ducks in a row.

Also, we should keep in mind that it makes no sense to develop a new wireless standard just for audio; whatever replaces Bluetooth will have do away with it altogether. Try getting the entire industry behind that shit. Bluetooth will be killed and the world will be a better place for it, but it's going to be a bitch.

 

[jts]

It's less about the size and more about selling beats wireless buds and cans.

You sell a lot more if the 3.5 is removed.

Money is made and funk the consumers

do u realise most beats have a wire

 

[icespide]

Apple doesn't give a shit about selling beats headphones guys

 

[jts]

The way the industry works, that would mean years (probably a decade) until a suitable, universal replacement is found. And that's if there are no competing technologies fucking things up for all of us. That leaves a huge period of time with less convenient products and lots of open questions.

I mean, the first Bluetooth phone came in 2000 and the tech is still ass. One could argue that modern technology could evolve more quickly, but look at the wireless charging scene.

Also, we should keep in mind that it makes no sense to develop a new wireless standard just for audio; whatever replaces Bluetooth will have do away with it altogether. Try getting the entire industry behind that shit. Bluetooth will be killed and the world will be a better place for it, but it's going to be a bitch.

I have no idea where this notion comes from but it’s completely out of place, unless you’re stuck in bluetooth 1.1 hell or something.

Bluetooth is amazing and only getting better. Couldn’t do without bluetooth in the car. Streaming music and making phone calls for almost a decade. Couldn’t do without my UE Boom bluetooth speaker. Couldn’t do without my scale or fitness band syncing to my phone over bluetooth low-energy. Couldn’t do without my computer telling my phone instantly which app it is using (and vice-versa) so I can pick up where I left off when I switch devices. Without my DualShock 4 controlling my Playstation. Etc etc etc (ad eternum).

It has never been this big and it will keep growing.

 

[Opus Angelorum]

I have no idea where this notion comes from but it’s completely out of place, unless you’re stuck in bluetooth 1.1 hell or something.

Bluetooth is amazing and only getting better. Couldn’t do without bluetooth in the car. Streaming music and making phone calls for almost a decade. Couldn’t do without my UE Boom bluetooth speaker. Couldn’t do without my scale or fitness band syncing to my phone over bluetooth low-energy. Couldn’t do without my computer telling my phone instantly which app it is using (and vice-versa) so I can pick up where I left off when I switch devices. Without my DualShock 4 controlling my Playstation. Etc etc etc (ad eternum).

It has never been this big and it will keep growing.

You ever watched a video while listening to the audio via Bluetooth? It's shit.

 

[Durden77]

The OP reads so much like worship ceremony that I still want to believe that it's sarcasm even though I know it's not.

Anyway I love my aux cables. Glad I don't give a shit about Apple.

 

[jts]

You ever watched a video while listening to the audio via Bluetooth? It's shit.

I have tried. Sure, it has latency compared to straight line-out which brings sync issues with video.

Because the software is not compensating for that latency, as it should. Yes it is an issue, but I’ll not dismiss everything else bluetooth does well because of that. It is the software that needs fixing imo.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

So does your phone, perhaps you should switch back to a landline since charging some thing seems to be such a horrendous challenge. As I said I have a £20 pair of bluetooth ear bud headphones that gives me 6 - 8 hours of music from a 30 min charge.

And so the difference is revealed between two posters. You're spending £20 for your headphones and expecting (and getting) a bare minimum experience. Headphones are throw-away investments in your world, akin to rechargable batteries. Just toss them out when they're worn out. Whether you've realized it or not, there is a world of headphone audio beyond £20 buds. One where £2,000 headphones exist and where £200 are quite common. A world where headphones are not purchased to be thrown away in 6 months time, but where people hope to keep them for decades and will fix them when needed rather than buy new ones because they love them.

It's like understanding the difference between the £60 wingtip shoes and the £600 wingtips. The later are expected to be kept for life and re-soled, not thrown in the garbage after a year like the former because they are just that well made and comfortable, the leather just that damn good. Indeed, the existence of an audience for the former does not invalidate the audience of the later.

Pretend you're spending £300 on your headphones and let us know how cavalier you feel about buying cans that require a charge when before this change you could expect to keep them for life without any issue at all. What happens if the company goes out of business? What happens if their non-standard battery can't be simply replaced because nobody makes one? Those are some gross backward steps.

It should also be noted that the benefits of this change are very limited. There is little increased functionality gained and a significantly increased cost to the technology. I'm trying to even imagine the kind of battery array a pair of high-quality planar headphones would require, how long a charge would last and how the presence of a sizable battery needed for high-powered headphones would alter their sound signatures. So we're now asking headphone manufacturers to build cans around high-cap batteries and bluetooth...technologies which continue to grow and change (read: limited lifespans)...and we're doing this...why again?

This isn't a move to make the audio sound better than ever before (yet). And quite frankly, my iphone is thin enough. Further, you can already use your bluetooth headphones with iPhones, so you're not gaining anything here that you didn't already have access to. It has never been and will never be an either/or proposition on that front.

That said, another dongle -- while inconvenient -- addresses the problem anyway. There is no scenario now or in the foreseeable future where the iPhone doesn't have a port to connect things to. That may mean a need for a bunch of dongles to connect different things to, but it's still a port. Hopefully the dongle won't have a negative impact on sound.

 

[Hari Seldon]

Bluetooth is fucking terrible. My phone can talk to my car but not my wife's car. So I use an Aux cord that works 100% of the time. According to apple i should buy a new car.

 

[icespide]

Bluetooth is fucking terrible. My phone can talk to my car but not my wife's car. So I use an Aux cord that works 100% of the time. According to apple i should buy a new car.

Apple told you to buy a new car?

 

[oti]

Seeing people being OK with Apple forcing them to buy new stuff for basic functionality (like an adapter) or even happy about "Apple pushing the envelope and forcing everyone into THE FUTURE!" just makes me realize how far away I'm from them Apple world nowadays. It's just not worth it for me personally anymore.

 

[demon]

Apple told you to buy a new car?

People like to connect their phone to their car stereo; many people don't have bluetooth in their car. What does Apple expect those people to do?

 

[Engell]

Bluetooth is fucking terrible. My phone can talk to my car but not my wife's car. So I use an Aux cord that works 100% of the time. According to apple i should buy a new car.

Apple is "maybe" making a car, its possible that you will need this accessory.

 

[icespide]

People like to connect their phone to their car stereo; many people don't have bluetooth in their car. What does Apple expect those people to do?

use an adapter

 

[demon]

use an adapter

I like to charge my phone when it's in the car, especially when I'm using GPS. What then?

 

[toohectic]

People like to connect their phone to their car stereo; many people don't have bluetooth in their car. What does Apple expect those people to do?

One solution would be to get a Bluetooth to Aux adapter.

 

[inner-G]

Welp,

I guess I can always switch to Android and use my iPad in my car for stuff I own on iTunes. (I have AUX input only) Plus I like to charge the phone all the time when using it as GPS. When driving on the highway, I have the charger and headphone cables running.


This is like if the new MacBooks only had lightning connectors and took out the USB ports altogether.

 

[icespide]

I like to charge my phone when it's in the car, especially when I'm using GPS. What then?

you're presuming there won't be a solution for charging while listening which we have no idea. until then hold onto your pitchforks