A year after iPhone 7 omitted headphone jack, do you care? (a friendly wager)

[tann]

Yeah it bothers me so I'm bouncing around the android space indefinitely. Probably will pick up a note 8 to push me through the next 2-3 years hopefully.

By then the jack will be completely dead even in Samsung devices (likely) and iOS 13/14 might have some more customisation.

 

[lordofthereef]

Voting for my wife since she has the 7. She lost her adapter and now only get to use her EarPods when she needs them. Doesn’t want to buy dedicated nor another adapter for her limited use.

FWIW I think dumping it was an unnecessary move too. I know people justify it away. I just don’t think it was user friendly. Replace lightning with usb c and I’d call it a draw though haha

 

[firewire9000]

I'm glad that people like the AirPods, I really am, but surely people realize that removing the headphone jack was all part of a plan to sell you these expensive marvels.

Apple can talk about "courage" and innovation all they want, but it's pretty obvious that they wanted to raise demand for an upcoming product.

I don’t know the other people but I would buy anyway after trying them.

 

[Dented]

I don’t know the other people but I would buy anyway after trying them.

So why take away the jack this time around. If airpods are such a killer product, why not release them alongside an iPhone with both jack and Bluetooth and let the customer choose? Once they can genuinely stand up at a keynote and say "our customers all love airpods, less than 10% use their wired earbuds.." or similar, that's the time to release an iPhone without the jack and face nothing more than an understanding shrug.

To delete the jack from their new flagship phone before AirPods were even available on the market for anyone to try - that's cynical. So is charging what they charge for them as an extra. And even if there was a set in the box, STILL most people from time to time will face a legacy issue where they could really use being able to plug in a jack but can't, because their shiny new iPhone is deliberately less functional than the one it replaced.

 

[consumeritis]

The single solitary thing holding me back from buying one of the cool red iPhones is the lack of a headphone jack.

The A-series processors appear to be more powerful and the iPhone seems to have better thermal management than competing Android phones, and I really like the iPhone 7's current shape.

But I can't give up my simple, cheap, standard wired headphones. I have a pair I like that I want to be able to plug into my phone. The dongle adapter just seems like a total faff, and in my experience wireless headphones do not have sufficient battery life to last all day without at least one charging session.

If they bring the headphone jack back for the iPhone 8 I'll consider again. But I really want a red one ;-) And I'm not sure about the weird top cutout thing - the current iPhone looks thin, classy and modern, while the mockups I've seen of the 8 seem to be returning to an iPhone 5-esque shape.

 

[Apple fanboy]

The single solitary thing holding me back from buying one of the cool red iPhones is the lack of a headphone jack.

The A-series processors appear to be more powerful and the iPhone seems to have better thermal management than competing Android phones, and I really like the iPhone 7's current shape.

But I can't give up my simple, cheap, standard wired headphones. I have a pair I like that I want to be able to plug into my phone. The dongle adapter just seems like a total faff, and in my experience wireless headphones do not have sufficient battery life to last all day without at least one charging session.

If they bring the headphone jack back for the iPhone 8 I'll consider again. But I really want a red one ;-) And I'm not sure about the weird top cutout thing - the current iPhone looks thin, classy and modern, while the mockups I've seen of the 8 seem to be returning to an iPhone 5-esque shape.

The headphone jack is about as likely to return to the iPhone as the floppy disk to the Mac.
Just buy a pair of Bose QC35. Batteries last for days.

 

[Kyotoma]

I passed on the 7 because of the lack of a headphone jack. I use my headphones every day, and I don't own a car that has bluetooth, but has an auxiliary jack that I use every time I'm in the car.

For me, the choice was to go to Samsung. The S7 Edge has been a good phone over the past year, and if the new iPhone surprisingly has a headphone port, I would consider coming back to Apple for it. I don't plan on replacing my car or headphones any time soon, and I need to be able to both charge and listen to audio at the same time.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

The headphone jack is about as likely to return to the iPhone as the floppy disk to the Mac.
Just buy a pair of Bose QC35. Batteries last for days.

I would agree with not bringing a floppy disk back because it is redundant tech. Wired headphones are far from being redundant but that was never the reason they were not included in the design for the iPhone 7. Apple couldn't fit the port into the design and decided to push AirPods as an alternative. Conveniently they also cost £159. The result is we were given a phone slightly inferior to its predecessor.

 

[BeeGood]

I originally sent my launch-day iPhone 7 plus back, in part due to no headphone jack. I bought it again in November and purchased a $40 pair of Bluetooth earbuds off of Amazon.

Haven't looked back. Both phone and earbuds are doing great. I hated not having the jack at first but I got over it. Not being attached to my phone while listening to podcasts and music is wonderful.

 

[janeauburn]

Yes, I care. Dumb move then. Still dumb.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I would agree with not bringing a floppy disk back because it is redundant tech. Wired headphones are far from being redundant but that was never the reason they were not included in the design for the iPhone 7. Apple couldn't fit the port into the design and decided to push AirPods as an alternative. Conveniently they also cost £159. The result is we were given a phone slightly inferior to its predecessor.

I don't disagree, but it's not coming back now. And most likely Samsung etc will follow suit.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I don't disagree, but it's not coming back now. And most likely Samsung etc will follow suit.

There is a lot of articles surfacing at present trying to explain why the iPhone 7 sold so poorly compared to previous iterations. The main focus seems to be consumers reluctance to give up the jack. I wonder if we're entering an age where mobiles phones are used less and less for music? It could be a rebirth of MP3 players after all.

 

[consumeritis]

As far as the floppy drive comparison goes, I never had an iMac G3 either. But at least those machines had a CD-ROM drive, which had become standard for installing software a few years before.

Getting data off one of those 90s iMacs for backup must have been a different story. The floppy drive was awful, looking back, but in 1998 there weren't even USB keys, and I'm not sure how common CD burners were either. I suppose at least Zip drives existed, but I think the only real way to get data off one of those 90s iMacs was using the network.

As for the theory that the removal of the jack was designed to sell AirPods, here is an interesting article from way back when:

http://www.osnews.com/story/18/The_iMac_and_the_Floppy_Drive_A_Conspiracy_Theory

I guess time will tell if 3.5mm headphones will go the way of the floppy disk, but I don't see it myself. If Samsung follow Apple and remove the jack then I won't be buying a phone from them either - there are loads of other phones to choose from. My three-and-a-half year old phone still works fine - maybe I'll save my money and hold onto it for a few more years.

 

[tatsuki]

I listen to rain sounds when I go to sleep to drown out any annoying ambient noise (wife snoring) so would prefer a headphone jack so I can charge and listen without an adapter.

 

[Septembersrain]

I listen to rain sounds when I go to sleep to drown out any annoying ambient noise (wife snoring) so would prefer a headphone jack so I can charge and listen without an adapter.

I have sleep issues so I can relate to this small but useful ability to just be able to plug in headphones and keep the device charging.

There are ways to use an adapter but for me, they seem to end up easily lost. That's on me though.

 

[megannesama]

It's been about a year since the iPhone 7 was released without a headphone jack.

Some people, myself included, were disappointed at this development. Others saw it as progress and didn't mind the omission, or despite their disappointment, purchased an iPhone 7 regardless.

A year ago on this day a friend and I wagered a cold beer whether or not anyone would still care. I believed people would still be disappointed at the omission while he believed people would no longer care.

Please help us resolve our wager.

Do you care that the iPhone 7 came without a headphone jack?

I personally do not own a iphone 7. I actually opted to buy my first iphone as a 6s instead of a newer version. This is because 1. I am used to the earphones with wires 2. I hate dongles

Dongles are visually unappealing.
They are made to break and just an add-on to the phone which replaced the headphone jacks which were implemented into the phone. The phones arent even that much thinner, since people actually have to hold them anyways.
Then people will say, oh well you can just buy the airpods and all is good, no need for the dongle.
That is where you are wrong. First, it is another apple product further emphasizing that apple is trying to milk your money. Not everyone can afford that. Second, if the headphone jack was still there, there would be no need for AirPods in the first place. Create a problem, and give a solution.

Basically what im saying is that there wasn't a need for this to happen just yet. Without a ultimately superior alternative to the headphone jacks, which are the norms, the missing headphone jack has created a problem, and solved it in a more bulkier way of a dongle, or said hey, you dont want the bulkiness, you can pay us a extra 160 dollars for that thank you.

A solution or improvement was bound to happen, but apple has forced the change in order to earn money, instead of letting the consumers choose which product was best.
[doublepost=1543217343][/doublepost]

I have sleep issues so I can relate to this small but useful ability to just be able to plug in headphones and keep the device charging.

There are ways to use an adapter but for me, they seem to end up easily lost. That's on me though.

thats on you, but doesnt have to be on you. If apple never made dongles, you wouldnt be losing them.

There is a lot of articles surfacing at present trying to explain why the iPhone 7 sold so poorly compared to previous iterations. The main focus seems to be consumers reluctance to give up the jack. I wonder if we're entering an age where mobiles phones are used less and less for music? It could be a rebirth of MP3 players after all.

ur exactly right, they are forcing a change not meant to happen right now. No, we are not entering an age for less music on phones. Apple is forcing us to choose that option

 

[Apple fanboy]

I personally do not own a iphone 7. I actually opted to buy my first iphone as a 6s instead of a newer version. This is because 1. I am used to the earphones with wires 2. I hate dongles

Dongles are visually unappealing.
They are made to break and just an add-on to the phone which replaced the headphone jacks which were implemented into the phone. The phones arent even that much thinner, since people actually have to hold them anyways.
Then people will say, oh well you can just buy the airpods and all is good, no need for the dongle.
That is where you are wrong. First, it is another apple product further emphasizing that apple is trying to milk your money. Not everyone can afford that. Second, if the headphone jack was still there, there would be no need for AirPods in the first place. Create a problem, and give a solution.

Basically what im saying is that there wasn't a need for this to happen just yet. Without a ultimately superior alternative to the headphone jacks, which are the norms, the missing headphone jack has created a problem, and solved it in a more bulkier way of a dongle, or said hey, you dont want the bulkiness, you can pay us a extra 160 dollars for that thank you.

A solution or improvement was bound to happen, but apple has forced the change in order to earn money, instead of letting the consumers choose which product was best.
[doublepost=1543217343][/doublepost]
thats on you, but doesnt have to be on you. If apple never made dongles, you wouldnt be losing them.

ur exactly right, they are forcing a change not meant to happen right now. No, we are not entering an age for less music on phones. Apple is forcing us to choose that option

You can buy BT headphones for much less than the AirPods. Once you lose the wires, it is much more convenient. The headphone jack is history on the iPhone. Time to move on.

 

[akash.nu]

A solution or improvement was bound to happen, but apple has forced the change in order to earn money, instead of letting the consumers choose which product was best.

Just for the context, if industry leading companies let average joes decide how to design / develop their products, then the industry will never move forward. Consumers have no idea about the future of any industry for that matter. That’s a gamble these multi billion corporate companies have to play with every new product launch. And these decisions aren’t made as random as it may look to a consumer. They didn’t become a trillion dollar company by making wrong decisions.

 

[Otflyer]

It's been about a year since the iPhone 7 was released without a headphone jack.

Some people, myself included, were disappointed at this development. Others saw it as progress and didn't mind the omission, or despite their disappointment, purchased an iPhone 7 regardless.

A year ago on this day a friend and I wagered a cold beer whether or not anyone would still care. I believed people would still be disappointed at the omission while he believed people would no longer care.

Please help us resolve our wager.

Do you care that the iPhone 7 came without a headphone jack?

I didn’t care as I am an early adopter of Bluetooth headphones.

 

[aldo82]

I don’t mind moving away from the old fashioned jack but I do miss being able to use wired headphones and charge at the same time. I was travelling this weekend with my wife and as a nervous flyer she needs to listen to music to try and calm herself down. Unfortunately her iPhone was also low on battery but we couldn’t charge and listen to music at the same time. We solved it by me giving her my phone to listen to but had she been on her own she’d have struggled. I guess external battery packs that charge wirelessly are an option

 

[revmacian]

Dongles are visually unappealing.
They are made to break and just an add-on to the phone which replaced the headphone jacks which were implemented into the phone.

I believe this opinion is tainted by your dislike for dongles. I'd be willing to bet that you'd welcome a dongle if iPhones never had the headphone jack.

First, it is another apple product further emphasizing that apple is trying to milk your money.

Your dislike for dongles is now causing you to fabricate excuses which are creating unnecessary bias where your future electronics purchases are involved.

Second, if the headphone jack was still there, there would be no need for AirPods in the first place.

The headphone jack is gone. Why not accept it and learn to move on without allowing your resistance to change (the real root of the problem here) to create frustration that could spill over to other areas in life? Frustration with one item will often cause people to find reasons to be frustrated with other things.

Create a problem, and give a solution.

That is exactly what you've done. You've allowed your dislike for dongles to create a problem and your solution is to be frustrated with Apple on the basis of a perceived injury that Apple never really inflicted.

Basically what im saying is that there wasn't a need for this to happen just yet.

Yet? Would you ever have been happy with Apple removing the headphone jack so that you'd have to use BT headphones or a dongle?

Without a ultimately superior alternative to the headphone jacks, which are the norms..

Norms? Tell me, what was the "norms" before corded headphones came into existence.

A solution or improvement was bound to happen, but apple has forced the change in order to earn money, instead of letting the consumers choose which product was best.

Solutions are subjective. I don't use headphones anymore, or dongles, but I wouldn't dismiss a dongle if it allowed me to get the job done. And, getting the job done is the name of the game.

Resistance to change will cause people to fabricate excuses to resist change. We can circumvent this whole vicious cycle when we let go of the past and embrace the future.

 

[cornerexit]

1 year thread resurrection, not falling for it

 

[MistrSynistr]

No. Wires are ridiculous especially when you're using headphones at the gym to workout.

 

[EdT]

1 year thread resurrection, not falling for it

Yeah, since it’s been since the iPhone 7 that the phono jack was removed it has been a lot longer than 1 year. I doubt that many of the people who posted, and I’m assuming I am one, has changed their opinion since whenever this really was first posted.

 

[SquireSCA]

I don't know what that last post was on about, but I do miss the headphone jack.

Yes, I accept that it's gone from Apple for good, but I don't agree that it was "progress" or "for my benefit"...

Apple wanted to push dongle sales and expensive bluetooth earbuds that don't sound as good as a $25 set of wired ear buds. They didn't "remove the cord", they just moved it from the phone to the wall. Now you have two things to be a "wall hugger" about... charging your phone, and your ear buds, separately.

If the phone came with a dongle, that would be nice, as the included Apple lightning ear buds suck. So I went to Amazon and ordered a set. Got them, not realizing that they weren't the Apple brand dongles, and of course I plug it in and my XR tells me it is not an approved device and disables it, forcing me to go to Amazon again, and order up another set and making sure it was by Apple.

None of this is for my benefit as a consumer. This is about milking their customer base for every dollar possible. Apple doesn't care about any of us. They care about stock price. That's it. We are a means to an end and don't fool yourself into believing otherwise...

That's why they cling to Lightning with USB-C is much better and faster. They want to sell Lightning cables and collect royalties from other companies selling them. It's free money.

The headphone jack isn't outdated, it actually has more bandwidth and better sound quality than BT. It also allows you to connect your phone to more devices. A lot of cars just have an AUX line in, and not all home theater receivers have BT, etc... There are lots of uses for a headphone jack, even today.

I have a set of AKG ear buds that came with my Galaxy S9+ that sound better than any BT earphones I have tried. And they are cushioned and noise isolating, and I can pop them in and slide my motorcycle or dirt bike helmet on and they stay in place, in my ears, and sound great. Try that your your air buds and see how it works out...

Getting rid of the floppy drive analogy, is not the same. What came after the floppy was BETTER.

This, isn't. It's a step backwards in function and sound quality, plus it gives you another device to have to keep charging, etc...

Will complaining about it change anything? Of course not. But again this is probably less about changing anything and more of a refutation of the stance of "Apple said XYZ, so it must be good"...

In this case, we got rid of the universal DVD burner and were forced to go back to a ZIP drive...