• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Buzzfeed: Inside iPhone 7: Why Apple Killed The Headphone Jack

Status
Not open for further replies.

AHA-Lambda

Member
No, Apple deserves my gratitude for this. Wireless audio is going to see a huge boom, and make everything better, including all the technologies involved.

the fact you feel gratitude towards a multinational electronics corporation is just sad
 

xsarien

daedsiluap
On the subject of products/devices that aren't headphones but use the 3.5mm jack, I'm sure Square sees this as a direct attack to push independent business owners to ApplePay vs. their little card swiping device.

The reader apparently works with the included 3.5mm adapter, but anyone who's just now signing up to be a Square merchant should really just be putting up the $50 and getting the EMV/NFC reader instead, which connects over BT.
 

Big_Al

Unconfirmed Member
Yeah....no thanks Apple. But then I'm not a fan of your products or your eco system, I'll stick with Android ta.
 

ReAxion

Member
The reader apparently works with the included 3.5mm adapter, but anyone who's just now signing up to be a Square merchant should really just be putting up the $50 and getting the EMV/NFC reader instead, which connects over BT.

The new reader also supports.... Apple Pay. 😱
 
So is there any idea if they will be keeping the headphone jack for their other products or are they removing it all together? It feels like it would be weird for them to say it is outdated and unnecessary, but still include it in the iPad's and Macbooks.
 

Audioboxer

Member
So is there any idea if they will be keeping the headphone jack for their other products or are they removing it all together? It feels like it would be weird for them to say it is outdated and unnecessary, but still include it in the iPad's and Macbooks.

"Convert" the iPhone users first, then roll out the change to the other devices next. Once you have the iPhone users on board you can do anything.

Apple holding out some caution for the 1% chance this phone deservedly bombs, but it won't.
 

necrosis

Member
The reader apparently works with the included 3.5mm adapter, but anyone who's just now signing up to be a Square merchant should really just be putting up the $50 and getting the EMV/NFC reader instead, which connects over BT.

alternatively they could just not purchase an iphone
 
Can't wait for all the stories about broken adapters, broken lighting ports, earpods that end up on the washing machine, people forgetting their adapter on a trip and having to buy a new one...

And they are not even included in the package!
 

AHA-Lambda

Member
"Convert" the iPhone users first, then roll out the change to the other devices next. Once you have the iPhone users on board you can do anything.

Apple holding out some caution for the 1% chance this phone deservedly bombs, but it won't.

holding out for the new nexus announcements now!
 

Audioboxer

Member
holding out for the new nexus announcements now!

Same, but I'm crossing my fingers Google stop obsessing over putting 24" monitors in your pocket and then also doing the slimy gotcha of "if you want the smaller handset we're going to gimp it and give you a shit CPU/worse screen quality".

That's one thing Sony does right in their "compact" phones. Same internals and same screen panel. Samsung too in that they've kept the mainline Galaxy range at 5.2". I laugh that around 5" is classed as compact these days.
 

emag

Member
I actually really liked the ergonomics of the original Moto X. The curved back and 4.2" screen size were perfect, IMO.

The original (2013) Moto X was the closest to ergonomic perfection I've experienced in a smartphone. Of note, it actually had a 4.7" display (just like the iPhone 6) but fit much more nicely in my hand.
 
I'd feel a lot better if they replaced it with a second lightning port. I don't mind buying new headphones (mine are falling apart), but not being able to listen to podcasts while charging is a deal breaker (I'm not getting that stupid hub). Also, it's crazy they still don't have wireless charging.
 

Jeffrey

Member
Same, but I'm crossing my fingers Google stop obsessing over putting 24" monitors in your pocket and then also doing the slimy gotcha of "if you want the smaller handset we're going to gimp it and give you a shit CPU/worse screen quality".

That's one thing Sony does right in their "compact" phones. Same internals and same screen panel. Samsung too in that they've kept the mainline Galaxy range at 5.2". I laugh that around 5" is classed as compact these days.

The smaller Google phone is expected to have the same internals as the big one.

Still 5" though.
 

Hatty

Member
USB-C is cool as hell and Apple should put in on their iOS devices instead of going deeper into the lighting hole
 

KingV

Member
The original (2013) Moto X was the closest to ergonomic perfection I've experienced in a smartphone. Of note, it actually had a 4.7" display (just like the iPhone 6) but fit much more nicely in my hand.

Huh, I guess the 6 design is just and ergonomic nightmare for me then. I figured the Moto X was smaller because it didn't give me hand cramps like my 6S does.
 

emag

Member
USB-C is cool as hell and Apple should put in on their iOS devices instead of going deeper into the lighting hole

USB-C's video-out/HDMI spec was just released this week and won't be available in actual devices for a while yet. And even then it has caveats that won't be ironed out for at least a year. Lightning has been fully supported on devices going back to 2012 (and was, in large part, the inspiration for USB-C).

Lightning has a lot better ecosystem than USB-C as well. It might make sense to switch over at some point, but not today.
 
Wait holy shit I was thinking they replaced the audio jack with a lightning connector - a 2nd one. But they just have one, so you can't listen while it's plugged in without an accessory?!?!

I listen to (and watch things on) my iPhone while it's charging on a daily basis. That's fucking crazy.
 

mrkgoo

Member
I'm not sure I totally buy the space argument, otherwise the plus would have a jack, no?

Regardless I get what they want. And it's likely a combination of things.

But anyone laughing at "courage" - they are actually right. It's a super-ballsy move considering the backlash it's already getting and even from the rumours beforehand. It's by no means a "safe" move. Courage is just the euphemism for it.
 

Koyuga

Member
I use headphones far too much in my daily use to justify throwing them out in the name or "progress". I'll keep my 6 plus, thank you. Including a dongle isn't an elegant or efficient substitute.
 

tuxfool

Banned
Lightning has a lot better ecosystem than USB-C as well. It might make sense to switch over at some point, but not today.

Apple is always courageously designing for the future. They absolutely should have USB-C. You know what else has a better ecosystem than Lightning?The 3.5mm jack.
 

Prototype

Member
The only thing that really bugs me is that I won't be able to charge and use the port at the same time.

I'm a very heavy phone user - photo editing, pixelmator, games, Instagram, FaceTime,, GPS, ect. I go through more than a full charge a day and am always looking for power. I frequently find myself charging while using headphones or an AUX cable. It's going to kind of suck not being able to multitask while in my truck and traveling.

: (

Edit: have a 6s+ now. Will likely wait for 7s to buy time for more accessories to hit the market in the intervening year.
 
Solid article.

It ends up being the price of engineering smaller devices with increasingly demanding battery requirements, connectivity and functionality.

I'll be getting the phone and I'll still lament the loss of the 3.5mm audio port.

This would be an easier pill to swallow if the lightning port was a usb c port. A lightning specific headset can't be used on anything right now. Not even my macbook pro.

this is where I am. I might buy some BT headphones for the gym, but when I really want to listen to music, say on a cross-country flight? The adapter will be close by. There is nothing they can do to get me to stop using my wired headphones.

Perhaps when BT headphones get to the point where high-end headphones ($400+) can be charged in 10 minutes from empty and last 2 weeks. Then maybe. But probably not because who wants to have to worry about being able to buy a replacement battery for a pair of $1,000 BT headphones a decade from now? What if nobody makes one because the brand was niche? What if a small high-end company like Audeze (https://www.audeze.com/) makes a fleet of sweet cans but went out of business? Sooner or later, that technology is going to require repairs or replacements, you know?

I can always buy a new audio cable for any of my existing headphones and keep on trucking. 50 years from now, I'm sure I'd be able to do the same. BT headphones? What happens if the BT chip fails? What happens if some other special circuitry or processors fail? What happens if the battery fails? All of this added complexity and loss of longevity for...what benefit? Outside of exercise and being out and about, nobody cares about there being a cord or not. This isn't like telephones or old corded cables for TV remotes that would just get tangled up and messy. This continues to feel like a solution looking for a problem.

Is this not making any sense? Am I really tired? I feel like I'm babbling; I just don't get it.
 

The Real Abed

Perma-Junior
On the subject of products/devices that aren't headphones but use the 3.5mm jack, I'm sure Square sees this as a direct attack to push independent business owners to ApplePay vs. their little card swiping device.
Is Square not able to make a version with Lightning or Bluetooth? Why does credit card data of all things need to be sent over a headphone audio port? That's how people loaded computer software in the 80s. Cassette tapes full of data. Same basic concept. But why? Wouldn't the Square reader work just as well in the Lightning port?

I'm sure Square has seen this coming for months and has been working on a new model.
 
Is Square not able to make a version with Lightning or Bluetooth? Why does credit card data of all things need to be sent over a headphone audio port? That's how people loaded computer software in the 80s. Cassette tapes full of data. Same basic concept. But why? Wouldn't the Square reader work just as well in the Lightning port?

You'd havev to apply to license the lightning tech. Which Apple could possibly reject on the grounds of not wanting Apple Pay competition
 

emag

Member
Is Square not able to make a version with Lightning or Bluetooth? Why does credit card data of all things need to be sent over a headphone audio port? That's how people loaded computer software in the 80s. Cassette tapes full of data. Same basic concept. But why? Wouldn't the Square reader work just as well in the Lightning port?

I'm sure Square has seen this coming for months and has been working on a new model.

Square moved to a Bluetooth-connected reader (for chip/contactless payments) over a year ago.
 

Audioboxer

Member
Whatever happened to that GAFer that really hated the headphone jack? Like sincere hate?

I know they caught a ban, and considering I don't think I've seen them lately it seems permanent :( Here is to you crazy ex-GAFer if you anon lurk, you seem to have won. Enjoy the lack of that demon port.
 

Acorn

Member
Whatever happened to that GAFer that really hated the headphone jack? Like sincere hate?

I know they caught a ban, and considering I don't think I've seen them lately it seems permanent :( Here is to you crazy ex-GAFer if you anon lurk, you seem to have won. Enjoy the lack of that demon port.
I hated that dude even more than he hated headphone ports. I sincerely hope he was a character and not a real person.
 

M3d10n

Member
Good thing that massive haptic boogaloo thing is patented, so non-Apple phones gain more than enough space for a headphone jack, SD cards and bigger batteries.
 
You ever had a free lunch for no reason at a restaurant?

No but earbuds used to come free inside the box of an iphone so....i was just hoping these new ones would.

If they don't, then I'm just going to have to muster up the #courage to skip out on the iphone 7 and possibly move onto an android phone.
 

riotous

Banned
No but earbuds used to come free inside the box of an iphone so....i was just hoping these new ones would.

If they don't, then I'm just going to have to muster up the #courage to skip out on the iphone 7 and possibly move onto an android phone.

The phone comes with earbuds; lightning ones.

Truly wireless ear bud headphones aren't cheap. There aren't even many on the market.
 
I think others have summed it up already: selling you a solution to a problem they created. There really is no upside since you can already do what they want you to do on the previous iPhone and other phones.
 
Apple holding out some caution for the 1% chance this phone deservedly bombs, but it won't.

lol

In 5 years when no mainstream smartphone has a dedicated headphone port, I hope people remember this "debacle" and feel dumb. It's antiquated unnecessary technology for the device it's being removed from, and the biggest criticism so far (that there's a myriad of obtuse ways to make 3.5mm devices work with the phone at the cost of access to charging and other lighting features) is merely a byproduct of people desperately trying to hold on to the past.

Where do they plug in? the charging port?

The lightning port has never been just for charging.
 

edornob

Junior Member
lol

In 5 years when no mainstream smartphone has a dedicated headphone port, I hope people remember this "debacle" and feel dumb. It's antiquated unnecessary technology for the device it's being removed from, and the biggest criticism so far (that there's a myriad of obtuse ways to make 3.5mm devices work with the phone at the cost of access to charging and other lighting features) is merely a byproduct of people desperately trying to hold on to the past.



The lightning port has never been just for charging.

Holding on to the past? When did bluetooth headphones' quality of sound ever reign supreme?

Yeah until that happens, the backlash will only get louder.
 

Slayer-33

Liverpool-2
It's absolute bullshit.

What horse shit, they just want more money, as usual. How the fuck can anyone justify removing the headphone jack?

It's mind boggling.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom