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Buzzfeed: Inside iPhone 7: Why Apple Killed The Headphone Jack
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Pops Maellard
Member
edit: double
Pops Maellard
Member
I'm not surprised at the blowback, but I'm legitimately shocked that people are so overwhelmingly angry about this. What exactly did you lose? If you had an iPhone 7 right now, how exactly would your life change? Apple gave you a dongle to use your old headphones. They gave you new earbuds that work without the dongle, if you'd rather not fuss with it (although I'm not super clear on what makes it an inconvenience unless you want to charge your phone, which is a fraction of the time you spend with your phone). What's different here? What about this action makes you think it was done purely for profit? The future of smartphones does not have a place for the 3.5mm jack.
I didn't say that bluetooth was the replacement. Audio equipment with a lightning connection is until wireless technology advances to a point that makes reasonably priced yet arguably "good" wireless headphones more readily available. Until then, if you want higher end audio quality you can just use the adapter or buy headphones/earbuds with a lightning connection.
I'm struggling to understand how this is different from when they removed the CD drive from Macs (and justifed it by saying you can use iTunes instead to get movies, and use a separate disk drive accessory for "old folks"). Now nobody cares, and I bet things will look the same in a few years.
*hugs iPod Classic*
You're never taking this away from me, Apple.
You're never taking this away from me, Apple.
That's literally the reason why I will never switch to a Mac. Plenty of people care, but it's never going to change because Apple will always think their decisions are the best and won't own up to an obvious poor design decision.
Apart from, you know, the option to use every set of headphones and earphones on the planet without having to use an adapter. And being able to charge your phone at the same time.
The adaptor is useless for three reasons -
1) It's easily lost and extra complexity to carry around everywhere.
2) Apple made it, so it will fall to pieces after 12 months like all Apple cabling.
3) it's design is considerably less compact than most competent headphone adaptors which will make it hard to carry inside a pocket.
And when you take that out of the equation Apple just replaced an open standard with a design where you have to pay them money. The Lightning port contains DRM and requires anyone making hardware for it to pay a significant licensing fee, pushing up costs. It also allows a Apple to disallow third party innovation at any time (and Apple have a track record of this with Lightning... the first few years of Lightning compatibility requirements said that you were not allowed to build a dock that would work when the phone was in a case built to Apple's own case reference design. Companies who wanted to make docks that worked had their designs rejected).
The proprietary audio codec means you'll have to do the same to make wireless headphones, or suffer shit sound quality.
It's a lose/lose for customers. Literally the only benefit is in licensing costs for Apple.
If Apple open sourced and had no authentication mechanism for high quality wireless audio, or scrapped Lightning and more to USB-C, their claims that this wasn't about profit would be slightly more plausible. But they didn't. And they won't.
Audioboxer
Member
Well we don't live in a world where we have to choose iPhone.
Hence if you enjoy your headphone port without daft workarounds, you may well feel this particular iPhone model should flop. Ultimately I guess what does it matter, as if Apple make this the default for all Apple users (going forward) it's only Apple users that suffer. Quite a lot of those Apple users are the ones parading around courage and getting quite angry. Will they crack though? Probably. Most people who try to boycott an ecosystem they are entrenched in break and succumb to buying.
Apple ain't making this mainstream for Android, no matter how much some of you like to think everything Apple does everyone else has to do. That Moto Z model will tank so hard it will somehow end up in negative sales. Motorola having to give it away for free or something. Especially considering they released another Moto Z model with a headphone jack. lolMoto.
Frustrated_me
Member
Does this mean Square will eventually have to pay to use Apple ports instead of the usual jack? Or any other payment system that used the jack in order to accept credit cards?
As a user of the jack and of charging at the same time, I don't mind it gone. There are several workarounds that f iq ere to get an iPhone 7 I would use to alleviate my issues.
But there is something that does concern me - lightning headphones aren't a good idea. The jack is round and this it swivels. This helps to release tension on the stress point of any headphones that can and do flex a lot during use (which is why people complain a bout the actual charging cable for iPhones, but I reckon people shouldn't be waggling their devices so much during charging).
The lightning cable does not swivel. Lightning headphones will break more easily than standard jack cables. I lowly won't use lightning headphones but resort to the adaptor (better to wear out a $9 adaptor than my $100+ headphones - in fact I wouldn't mind using a short 3.5 mm extension cable to prolong the life of my headphones), or just go wireless.
But there is something that does concern me - lightning headphones aren't a good idea. The jack is round and this it swivels. This helps to release tension on the stress point of any headphones that can and do flex a lot during use (which is why people complain a bout the actual charging cable for iPhones, but I reckon people shouldn't be waggling their devices so much during charging).
The lightning cable does not swivel. Lightning headphones will break more easily than standard jack cables. I lowly won't use lightning headphones but resort to the adaptor (better to wear out a $9 adaptor than my $100+ headphones - in fact I wouldn't mind using a short 3.5 mm extension cable to prolong the life of my headphones), or just go wireless.
Michael F. Assbender
Banned
Probably already posted, but 9to5Mac put up an article with a video where Steve Jobs directly addresses Apple removing tech in favor of other tech:
So basically, if you don't like it, don't buy it. They're gonna do what they think is best, and you're free to agree or disagree.
But I'm sure he's rolling in his gravy.
Steve Jobs said:
So basically, if you don't like it, don't buy it. They're gonna do what they think is best, and you're free to agree or disagree.
But I'm sure he's rolling in his gravy.
Not enough courage, it seems.
This.
Michael F. Assbender
Banned
I know this joke is endlessly hilarious, but I don't see how what Apple said is false. They had to have known that people were going to shit bricks over this choice but they went ahead anyway because they felt it was best from a design standpoint. That takes some balls when you're a publicly traded company selling products that rely on keeping customers happy.
But let's ignore that. Courageous...ha!
excelsiorlef
Member
They have no competition. By that I mean you can't get the iPhone ecosystem and mantain it without eventually going to the 7 or 8 or 9... whatever. They have nothing to lose. They can within reason virtually do whatever the fuck they want and still win. Doesnt make it innovative though, doesnt make it courageous and it doesnt make it a good thing
Audioboxer
Member
This!
Michael F. Assbender
Banned
They literally have everything to lose. Nobody is forced to buy any of their products, and judging by the uproar, they've lost a decent number of customers over this decision. If they piss enough people off, it could cost them massively.
As for innovation, that comes more from what's taking the place of that jack inside the phone. We don't 100% know what it is yet or what they have planned, so it's far too early to declare that it's "not innovative."
I tend to believe the people who actually build the thing when they say they needed the room for other things. Not because I believe everything a company tells me, but because I'm not the one building the damn thing. No amount of stamping my feet and shouting until I piss my pants is going to give me foresight and knowledge into Apple's plans for that space, so I'll wait and see.
And in the meantime, if I dislike what they're doing, I'll go elsewhere. I've done it in gaming with Nintendo, Microsoft, and am damn close with Sony. I've done it with phones with Samsung and Google. And if I feel the need, I'll drop Apple too. No company gains customers by keeping them unhappy. To pretend people are just "locked" into an ecosystem is just silly when so many other options exist for phones and for the transfer of content from one ecosystem to another.
Fortunately, this headphone jack removal has zero effect on me. And that makes it a good thing.
Mengy
wishes it were bannable to say mean things about Marvel
People lost their headphone jack. Its pretty clear what they lost. If the phone had two USB ports then they could charge while listening just like with every other phone, but it doesnt. Thankfully the iphone 6 is still a thing that exists, along with every other phone manufactured today, so people have plenty of choices if the iphone 7 does not have a feature that is very important to them.
It will be interesting to see how sales of the iphone 7 progress like this.
Michael F. Assbender
Banned
I'm just curious how many people actually charge their phones while listening to music so often that this becomes some damnable offense, how many are just pissed about losing something they're just comfortable with even though they're given a dongle and replacement earphones, and how many people are just concern trolling to stoke the fires of discontent.
Was it really a design choice or perhaps because they could get a lot of profit by licencing the lightning connector and pushing their expensive Bluetooth headphones. If it's done because of the latter it would feel hard to call it courageous, because that usually implies noble intentions.
Slurpy2k20
Member
Absolutely. Everyone here is mocking the "courage" thing, but it's absolutely what it was. It would have been infinitely safer, easier, and lazier to keep the jack. But Apple has never been about these things, and I'll start being disappointed when they're led by people with the same backwards mentality as this thread, who need to be dragged kicking and screaming into the future, and make decisions by asking "but what will people think?!" and "people want options!".
This took guts to do, because even thought it was the right choice for the future, the short-term whining and outrage is inevitable. But Apple will survive, the iPhone 7 will sell every fucking unit they can produce, because that's how good the product, ecosystem, and customer service is. This would probably have sunk any other tech company and smartphone, because the phones are all interchangeable. Apple can take these leaps because the iPhone is unique and the overall package towers so far above anything else out there.
Mengy
wishes it were bannable to say mean things about Marvel
Well lets be honest, the dongle is not an ideal solution, as a micro USB port is hardly anywhere near as sturdy as a headphone jack. People who listen to their iphones while running or biking will most likely experience problems down the road using the dongle. Plus it is a small piece of hardware that is easily lost. Its just not anywhere near as convenient nor efficient a solution as the industry standard of simply having a headphone jack.
I feel it will affect sales, but probably not hugely as the Apple culture will buy the newest thing immediately irregardless of features the majority of the time. I feel like Apple is banking on that with this change, and they are probably right. Im betting a lot of the posters right here who are complaining will be buying iphone 7 on day one too. Myself, I like Samsung phones, I just feel they are a better value for the money and Apple is overpriced, but thats my opinion.
Oh dang, I forgot about this...dang
Might have to get some contactless Bluetooth card readers now lol
It was obviously it was going to be mocked but yeah, it takes huge balls for a company this size to make this change with their flagship product.
For better or worse it did take a lot of courage to do this.
They are building in Apple plugs directly into the Iphone Plus, saving you money!
Thanks apple!
PandaShake
Member
I expect most people who work in an office environment. My 6 has deteriorated where I have to charge to continue listening throughout the day.
Glass Shark
Banned
Doesn't really bother me much. I switched to Bluetooth headphones years ago and I'm really happy with them. The adapter will be enough for the few times that isn't an option.
Courage implies a noble intent. This is more like risky greed.
Lotta people are invested in the app ecosystem and used to using iOS.
privitsan02
Member
I don't get it, doesn't bluetooth drain your battery faster and you have to charge those headphones? With the exception of the cable, where are the benefits of using bluetooth headphones? Nowadays we can get cables don't that tangle up like a mess or get in the way all the time. It's not like they were on their way out, it's a standard. Why would you be opposed to change?
Also what's the point of getting a headphone jackless phone only to buy a cumbersome add-on that will get in the way?
Best wishes.
Also what's the point of getting a headphone jackless phone only to buy a cumbersome add-on that will get in the way?
Best wishes.
There isn't a benefit. The 3.5 mm jack is ubiquitous, standard, and it just works. To say otherwise is pure fanboyism.
TheCochese
Banned
Perhaps a reminder to not be invested in one particular ecosystem.
Being flexible is always the best tact.
I think everybody using headphone being wireless is a pretty good intention.
RowdyReverb
Member
If anyone else is upset because they use the AUX jack in their car with their phone, may I suggest a Bluetooth adapter?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009NLTW60/?tag=neogaf0e-20
I bought this one a year ago and I've been very happy with it. Even gives me the option to talk on the phone hands free
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009NLTW60/?tag=neogaf0e-20
I bought this one a year ago and I've been very happy with it. Even gives me the option to talk on the phone hands free
What if I don't want to use wireless headphones? How does forcing me to do so benefit me?
Open standards imply good intentions.
New phone is still using Lightning instead of USB-C and their new wireless headphones are using a new protocol, right? Or is that just Bluetooth?
Doesn't bode well for good intentions.
Slurpy2k20
Member
- Steve Jobs, 2010.
https://youtu.be/65_PmYipnpk?t=2m54s
COURAGE.
Yeah, Steve Jobs must be rolling in his grave indeed. Not because of the removal of the jack (as some of you claim), but because of the same shitty responses that this is getting in 2016, that removal of flash got. You'd think humanity would become wiser, but nope. This thread could have been pulled from 5 years ago when the iPad didn't include Flash support. Some things never change.
well...obviously? i don't need a quote from a dead, tumor-ridden piece of shit to know that apple is going to cut whatever corners it can to get some extra change in its pocket
RowdyReverb
Member
Why don't you want to use wireless headphones? It's actually pretty liberating to be able to leave your phone plugged into the wall while you walk about the house
Then you can buy a phone with headphone jack. Devices don't have to support everything and there's a time when companies have to decide to ditch stuff.
Or use the included adapter or included lightning phones.
I think their wireless stuff uses bluetooth for sound but their own stuff for the pairing process. At least that's what I read here, no idea. Still, the phones are compatible with existing wireless products.
This Apple/Jobs worship is so fucking weird
Sure can. I can also criticize Apple for removing a feature.
it is genuinely like a fucking cult
old manatee
Banned
Suikoguy
I whinny my fervor lowly, for his length is not as great as those of the Hylian war stallions
A thought I just had:
I'm assuming that the lightning port will not provide an analog signal, so that dongle is going be the DAC?
What kinda quality will it provide?
Edit: A friend says it still has the DAC built-in? So what space are they actually saving?
I'm assuming that the lightning port will not provide an analog signal, so that dongle is going be the DAC?
What kinda quality will it provide?
Edit: A friend says it still has the DAC built-in? So what space are they actually saving?
Al-ibn Kermit
Junior Member
I don't really care about losing a seperate audio jack but effectively, they're not eliminating a port rather than adding a new proprietary one. Even macbook pros don't have lightning ports for crying out loud. There's a lot of reasons to prefer a wired connection so you don't have to deal with battery charging but now your mobile music player has to use a different set of headphones than your laptop and absolutely no one with any sense would buy next years macbook (if it has lightning) just to have all their accessories compatible. It's a huge inconvenience that makes no sense for the consumer who doesn't want bluetooth headphones.
Obviously Android is always going to be in the USB spectrum which works with all your other non-Apple electronics so it's not as big of a deal when they drop the aux jack. I mean the lightning port wasn't even a universal Apple standard so wtf gains are there?
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