Apple Said to Be Removing Headphone Jack From Upcoming 2018 iPad Pro Models

[Dave245]

You’re not understanding that we aren’t given a choice to use it or not! Now tell me what exactly did we gain by removing the headphone jack?

We’re we given a choice with the removal of the floppy disk drive? What about when they removed the DVD drive also?

We gained more water resistance for a start. Like it or not it’s gone, but there is an alternative there called AirPods, also there are lightning headphones on the market if you don’t want or like AirPods.

It was inevitable that Apple would remove it from the iPad as well eventually (they haven’t done it yet tho this is all based on rumour)

 

[Neepman]

There are phones out there other than IPhone, you know?
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Please know you're wrong.



Each one had a worthy successor. Bluetooth SUCKS for headphones.

Bluetooth audio sounds bad. Period. And the latency is awful to watch a movie or any content that requires sync. Too long to not drive anyone to a fit of unspeakable rage after a few minutes. Or is this just on more thing we are supposed to accept like bad keyboards and paying 3 grand for a laptop that we need to carry around dongles in our dork bag like its 1997 all over again?

 

[Mac 128]

We’re we given a choice with the removal of the floppy disk drive? What about when they removed the DVD drive also?

We gained more water resistance for a start. Like it or not it’s gone, but there is an alternative there called AirPods, also there are lightning headphones on the market if you don’t want or like AirPods.

It was inevitable that Apple would remove it from the iPad as well eventually (they haven’t done it yet tho this is all based on rumour)

Except the iPad Pro in particular is used in audio/video environments with multi-track recording apps. Apple hasn’t solved the latency issue in BT, and therefore needs a wired connection for audio. While this may not affect you personally, it’s a big concern for Pro users, which is a target market for Apple. Now they could switch to a smart connector type dongle for headphones, or fix the Lightning port to provide charging and multiple audio connections, but there’s really no reason to. Hard to imagine something like a 12” iPad Pro can’t accomodate a headphone port, or that it even needs the same kind of water resistance the iPhone does to justify it.

I’m all for deleting the headphone jack where it makes sense ... it doesn’t really make sense here. I’d say this rumor is likely incorrect.

 

[iSayuSay]

No, the lightning connector. Don't be so presumptuous.

Funnily enough, this “proprietary” lightning connector is the most popular connector, for example on automobile. I find the USB port on most city cars to be compatible with lightning and recognize it as iPod control with which I can control my music.

In contrary when I use USB for android phones, which supposed to be open standard is for charging only. This has been true for “dumb” headunits. Of course most modern cars nowadays includes CarPlay and Auto.

 

[Sefstah]

But for the majority of people who don’t use it, it’s a pointless thing to have. Nothing would move forward if everything was left the same.

You’re not understanding that we aren’t given a choice to use it or not! Now tell me what exactly did we gain by removing the headphone jack?
Is that really your logic?
Just do serious work on a MacBook and less serious wo

We’re we given a choice with the removal of the floppy disk drive? What about when they removed the DVD drive also?

We gained more water resistance for a start. Like it or not it’s gone, but there is an alternative there called AirPods, also there are lightning headphones on the market if you don’t want or like AirPods.

It was inevitable that Apple would remove it from the iPad as well eventually (they haven’t done it yet tho this is all based on rumour)

When the floppy and cd drives were removed, there were faster and better options. You talked about moving forward, how? Bluetooth has been around for awhile now that’s nothing new. You really think the headphone jack needed to be removed to make the iphone waterproof? Thats insane! Other phones and my UE Boom Bluetooth speaker are water proof and still have the 3.5mm jack. So I guess the iPads will be waterproof now?! Headphones with a lightning jack are useless with my MacBook! Dongles, adapters and airpods that need to be charged is not the answer.

 

[H2SO4]

Funnily enough, this “proprietary” lightning connector is the most popular connector, for example on automobile. I find the USB port on most city cars to be compatible with lightning and recognize it as iPod control with which I can control my music.

In contrary when I use USB for android phones, which supposed to be open standard is for charging only. This has been true for “dumb” headunits. Of course most modern cars nowadays includes CarPlay and Auto.

I don't think it is at all. I reckon you'll find significantly more USB plugs/sockets in cars than you will lightning. What it works with once the software has had at it is another thing.

 

[Dave245]

You’re not understanding that we aren’t given a choice to use it or not! Now tell me what exactly did we gain by removing the headphone jack?
Is that really your logic?
Just do serious work on a MacBook and less serious wo

When the floppy and cd drives were removed, there were faster and better options. You talked about moving forward, how? Bluetooth has been around for awhile now that’s nothing new. You really think the headphone jack needed to be removed to make the iphone waterproof? Thats insane! Other phones and my UE Boom Bluetooth speaker are water proof and still have the 3.5mm jack. So I guess the iPads will be waterproof now?! Headphones with a lightning jack are useless with my MacBook! Dongles, adapters and airpods that need to be charged is not the answer.

I didn’t say new I said moving forward, the AirPods are Apple’s way of doing that they have a wireless vision that much is clear. It’s not like they removed it but added nothing else i.e the AirPods, they even include the lightning and free earphones in the box as well as the dongle.

The water resistance is an explanation, Apple wanted more room inside the iPhone also. The headphone jack wasn’t really needed with most people buying the AirPods anyway is probably another one that Apple thought about.
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Except the iPad Pro in particular is used in audio/video environments with multi-track recording apps. Apple hasn’t solved the latency issue in BT, and therefore needs a wired connection for audio. While this may not affect you personally, it’s a big concern for Pro users, which is a target market for Apple. Now they could switch to a smart connector type dongle for headphones, or fix the Lightning port to provide charging and multiple audio connections, but there’s really no reason to. Hard to imagine something like a 12” iPad Pro can’t accomodate a headphone port, or that it even needs the same kind of water resistance the iPhone does to justify it.

I’m all for deleting the headphone jack where it makes sense ... it doesn’t really make sense here. I’d say this rumor is likely incorrect.

What’s the percentage of people that use the iPad Pro for that tho? The majority don’t, Apple will probably go with the majority. No one knows for sure but I wouldn’t be surprised if they do remove it from the iPad Pro as well.

I’m not saying they need the room inside the iPad like the iPhone after all the iPad is much bigger and water resistance on an iPad probably isn’t as much of a concern as it is on the iPhone. I don’t know what Apple will say about it if indeed they do remove it this year. The keynote and announcement in September will be interesting that’s for sure.

 

[Perene]

After 36 pages we are still comparing headphones with floppy disks and DVDs?

No one cares about floppy disks when we have pendrives with a million times their capacity.

Removing DVD drives is not a loss, too, since we can easily transfer the data contained in those discs into another media.

It's like stop selling VCRs. I would only use a VCR today if the goal was to capture the contents from VHS tapes. And that's it, enough of all this junk.

Even with LPs it should be like that (sure, if possible to do this without any considerable loss, and there's a HUGE difference between moving the contents from a floppy disc to a pendrive and capturing video/audio from one media to another. In the latter scenario you may have issues with the final results).

The same can't be said about headphones, when we have two different beasts and removing the headphone jack doesn't force anyone to use bluetooth, considering we have plenty of reasons not to want this.

Why does everything need to be wireless these days?

This was only done to promote the sales of all Apple's expensive bluetooth headphones, there was no other reason, and for those saying that all other options (tablets, smartphones...) aren't good, I don't think Samsung and other companies are that behind with their products.

Everything Apple sells is overpriced (since day 1) and there are less people nowadays willing to pay so much to support all this BS they want to impose. I am certainly one of them, for God sakes I had two iPAD Pros 9.7 AT THE SAME TIME, the ATV 4 and the Airpods! Now I only have the IPP 10.5 and am only considering for my next tablet the upcoming Galaxy Tab S4. After this iOS 11 fiasco (battery issues) I even installed a tvOS profile to prevent updates.

All these pathetic stunts may work with fanboys that buy everything Apple tells them. Not with me.

 

[LordVic]

What’s the percentage of people that use the iPad Pro for that tho? The majority don’t, Apple will probably go with the majority. No one knows for sure but I wouldn’t be surprised if they do remove it from the iPad Pro as well.

No one has this metric because nobody controls the standard to analys it.

However, for thoe who say it's Obsolete" because the iPhone dropped it don't understand how ubiquitous the 3.5mm jack is. it's quite literally the most used analogue audio jack in the world because there's been nothing suitable to replace it.

I'm not discounting wireless for many uses, but wireless doesn't fit all use cases.

the 3.5mm jack on the other hand is the standard audio plug accross hundreds of different product categories and technologies and is a universal jack meant to bridge the audio gap between anything and everything that requires an analogue signal.

it's one thing to say "well, i'm just a consumer and I dont need it", but shows a significant lack of understanding of the actual purpose.

This further also doesn't take into account there was no technical reason for it. all the ones Apple claimed are easily debunked.

Also removing the headphone jack removes choice and forces to either use an adapter or wireless. Having the jack in the device provides choice to use either universally accepted wired analogue or wireless should they chose.

removing it from the iPad Pro, which they aim at creative professional, many of which could very well be in audio production, is assanine and further pushing towards revenue control versus actual user wishes.

all the reasons claimed by people, especially on the forum why removing the jack was necessary have been debunked. the 3.5mm can be waterproof and has been capable of it for many years before smart phones. The space that used it was not occupied by anything that had to be there (the pressure sensor itself that is claimed is not actually there, just a rubber gromit. one tht no other smartphone vendor seems to need for the same sensors. In fact, there was even some nutjob who managed to install a jack in there. it's not for thinness, because Apple themselves managed to fit a 3.5mm jack in an even thinner iPod Touch years before. So either Apple's engineers became suddenly so incompetent that they couldn't figure this out while everyone else did, or there's another overriding reason. And that's easy to spot. Profit. Apple cannot profit from the 3.5mm jack because there are thousands of options out there from the open standard. With Lightning as the only plug, they profit from the MFi program licensing, and they can direct their users to get AirPods or Beats at high markups for bluetooth compatibility (which there are far fewer devices compared to wired)

as mentione by the poster above, comparing the 3.5mm headphone jack to floppy, cd etc is also assanine as it ignores the fact that when Apple dropped those other products, there were existing, faster, better, larger products that directly replaced the functionality 100%. The same cannot be said for wireless headphones over wired. both have pros and cons and they're more companion products than replacement products.

 

[Dave245]

No one has this metric because nobody controls the standard to analys it.

However, for thoe who say it's Obsolete" because the iPhone dropped it don't understand how ubiquitous the 3.5mm jack is. it's quite literally the most used analogue audio jack in the world because there's been nothing suitable to replace it.

I'm not discounting wireless for many uses, but wireless doesn't fit all use cases.

the 3.5mm jack on the other hand is the standard audio plug accross hundreds of different product categories and technologies and is a universal jack meant to bridge the audio gap between anything and everything that requires an analogue signal.

it's one thing to say "well, i'm just a consumer and I dont need it", but shows a significant lack of understanding of the actual purpose.

This further also doesn't take into account there was no technical reason for it. all the ones Apple claimed are easily debunked.

Also removing the headphone jack removes choice and forces to either use an adapter or wireless. Having the jack in the device provides choice to use either universally accepted wired analogue or wireless should they chose.

removing it from the iPad Pro, which they aim at creative professional, many of which could very well be in audio production, is assanine and further pushing towards revenue control versus actual user wishes.

all the reasons claimed by people, especially on the forum why removing the jack was necessary have been debunked. the 3.5mm can be waterproof and has been capable of it for many years before smart phones. The space that used it was not occupied by anything that had to be there (the pressure sensor itself that is claimed is not actually there, just a rubber gromit. one tht no other smartphone vendor seems to need for the same sensors. In fact, there was even some nutjob who managed to install a jack in there. it's not for thinness, because Apple themselves managed to fit a 3.5mm jack in an even thinner iPod Touch years before. So either Apple's engineers became suddenly so incompetent that they couldn't figure this out while everyone else did, or there's another overriding reason. And that's easy to spot. Profit. Apple cannot profit from the 3.5mm jack because there are thousands of options out there from the open standard. With Lightning as the only plug, they profit from the MFi program licensing, and they can direct their users to get AirPods or Beats at high markups for bluetooth compatibility (which there are far fewer devices compared to wired)

as mentione by the poster above, comparing the 3.5mm headphone jack to floppy, cd etc is also assanine as it ignores the fact that when Apple dropped those other products, there were existing, faster, better, larger products that directly replaced the functionality 100%. The same cannot be said for wireless headphones over wired. both have pros and cons and they're more companion products than replacement products.

I used the headphone jack everyday while it was there, i didn't think for a second that they would remove it from the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, for the first couple of weeks i hated having to use the adapter for my headphones BUT then i ordered the AirPods (when they were available) and then i understood it (What i think Apple was getting at) the AirPods are wireless, they are great quality and the range on them is insane (i can go down stairs in my house while leaving my phone or iPad up stairs) and that's the point, the AirPods are a LOT more convenient for a lot of people:

being able to move cordlessly around the house or office is just brilliant, commuters around London love them, just walk around London and see how many people are using AirPods, on the underground hell even in places like Birmingham (here in the U.K) and it's all because they are cordless! i think most people underestimate wireless headphones.

I don't deny that there are some people who would much prefer to stick to the old ways with the headphone jack and wired headphones but they are in the minority and Apple knew that they wouldn't be able to please everyone. Judging by the popularity of the AirPods i would say that most people are happy. I think the next step is to remove the headphone jack from the iPad, Apple know exact figures on AirPods sales and maybe they think that the majority simply don't use the headphone jack on the iPad anymore? i don't know, i can't speak for Apple i can only say what i think in that regard.

BUT people should also bare in mind that this is just a rumour at the moment! until Apple stand up on stage in September we can only guess and give opinions and as unpopular as it may be my opinion is that Apple will remove it.

Also Apple are working on an updated version of the AirPods, MAYBE they will reduce latency which will help the minority that do use the iPad Pro for video editing and audio editing work. It's a possibility.

 

[Robnsn2015]

I miss Steve. He was smart enough to see that people did not like the idea of them removing the 3.5mm jack from the phones. Tim appears to have the attitude of, "Hey if everyone hated it then we should do that on our products as well" None of this would be going on if Steve was still running Apple.

There's no evidence that Steve Jobs would not have removed the headphone jack. After all, it was was Steve Jobs who originated the "courage" line regarding Apple removing ports. It was also under Steve Jobs that Apple removed optical drives, SCSI ports, Ethernet ports (from MacBook Air), etc.

 

[spinedoc77]

As I've noticed about a lot of these posts, it's the model, "I don't need the headphone jack, who cares if others do?" Interesting tangent for some of these models is this one: "I use my iPad in landscape mode most of the time, so this preference for portrait mode is a poor decision." So it's a great decision if you aren't inconvenienced, it's a poor decision if you are. It's all about what You need or don't need. What the wired folks are saying, in contrast, is "we need whatever port or jack that you don't need, but are fine that you don't; cool, keep the ports and keep bluetooth - we're all happy." The "this is the future" would hold water except this Isn't the future, it is the reality of now with a significant plurality of longtime Apple customers.

Sure, I don't disagree with you at all. Of course what matters is the market, will Apple lose customers to a significant enough degree to where it matters? My guess is no they won't, but that's just my own personal opinion. Although it does seem that Apple is going ahead full steam. I'm also not against a headphone jack at all, unless it adds functionality to not have one. In other words if it can be more waterproofed, or if they can fit something else useful in that slot, make the phone, thinner, or whatever then I'm more inclined to agree with getting rid of it, otherwise I really don't care either way.

 

[The Game 161]

There's no evidence that Steve Jobs would not have removed the headphone jack. After all, it was was Steve Jobs who originated the "courage" line regarding Apple removing ports. It was also under Steve Jobs that Apple removed optical drives, SCSI ports, Ethernet ports (from MacBook Air), etc.

Exactly

These kind of well steve jobs wouldn’t do this is complete BS

Of course he would. There’s very little he would do differently

 

[Xgm541]

I miss Steve. He was smart enough to see that people did not like the idea of them removing the 3.5mm jack from the phones. Tim appears to have the attitude of, "Hey if everyone hated it then we should do that on our products as well" None of this would be going on if Steve was still running Apple.

Really? I didn't know it was possible to predict posthumous executive decisions about Apple products.

Let's be honest, you don't know what Steve would have liked, or done, because he's dead. Let him rest in peace without bringing up his name every time apple does something you don't agree with.

 

[skellener]

Apple Said to Be Removing Headphone Jack From Upcoming 2018 iPad Pro Models

For no reason. You suck Apple!

 

[twistedpixel8]

Your looking at this wrong. Most people's hearing cannot distinguish between wired and wireless headphones so Apple sees wired as obsolete. Most Apple customers (at least the demographic they desire) only buy Apple products so they look good. It has nothing to do with technical quality which was, by and large, a Jobs era characteristic.

Apple today is cheapen it up, make it shinny, and make it thin, then reap the profits from advertising about Apple fashion.

I agree with you entirely about the current Apple era but I think the thing about this “indiscernible” quality difference for most people is that they don’t know any better.

Removing the headphone jack will infuriate people like me who have experienced the difference and would very much miss it. I guess there’s always the lightning adapter but they better keep including it for free.

Also what are Apple going to do with Beats? Make them wireless or lightning? It just feels like this is Cook trying to push a change too soon when people aren’t quite ready to move on. Like what they did with USBC. They should have added USBC but left an old school (hardly old school really) USB3 port to begin a transition. Look at Wi-Fi; we haven’t fully adopted it yet. We use it lots but many of us still use gigabit Ethernet or higher if we care about speed.

Maybe I’m just a grump, grasping for the stuff I know which seems to be disappearing. Much like the concept of privacy in 2018...

 

[TaviDuprix]

I miss Steve. He was smart enough to see that people did not like the idea of them removing the 3.5mm jack from the phones. Tim appears to have the attitude of, "Hey if everyone hated it then we should do that on our products as well" None of this would be going on if Steve was still running Apple.

So much belly-aching. There is no way Steve in 2018 would still be for the headphone jack. Things progress and therefore become outdated. There are about a hundred things that space could better be used for much less the need to push people to more digital audio outputs. People need something to complain about and I sincerely appreciate Apple gives you guys something that is pretty much nostalgic only.

 

[iSayuSay]

I don't think it is at all. I reckon you'll find significantly more USB plugs/sockets in cars than you will lightning. What it works with once the software has had at it is another thing.

Point is, I find lightning port to be supported more widely by third parties. In automobile industry like my first post, then home audio too. My old AV receiver (bought in 2012) also has this USB plug which recognizes my iPhone/iPad with lightning/30 pin as “iPod control”.

It's crazy when you think 85% world population use Android, and Apple proprietary tech still has the upper hand, widely available support and better features.

 

[bladerunner2000]

I used the headphone jack everyday while it was there, i didn't think for a second that they would remove it from the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, for the first couple of weeks i hated having to use the adapter for my headphones BUT then i ordered the AirPods (when they were available) and then i understood it (What i think Apple was getting at) the AirPods are wireless, they are great quality and the range on them is insane (i can go down stairs in my house while leaving my phone or iPad up stairs) and that's the point, the AirPods are a LOT more convenient for a lot of people:

being able to move cordlessly around the house or office is just brilliant, commuters around London love them, just walk around London and see how many people are using AirPods, on the underground hell even in places like Birmingham (here in the U.K) and it's all because they are cordless! i think most people underestimate wireless headphones.

So what? You think if the 3.5mm jack was in the iphone it'd somehow take away your ability to use bluetooth?

 

[macduke]

Headphone jack, eh I don't care I've been using BT for ages.

But a portrait smart connector? SCREW THAT! Is this really because they can't do a landscape Face ID? I use my iPad in landscape far more than any other orientation. Like the article says, I can't imagine how unstable and awkward that would be. And so much for multitasking in portrait mode, lol. This would be a really easy way to screw up the iPad Pro. The only thing that could make this worse is a notch.

 

[Dave245]

So what? You think if the 3.5mm jack was in the iphone it'd somehow take away your ability to use bluetooth?

No, I’m just saying I get why they removed it. Why keep it when you can use the AirPods which work brilliantly.

 

[theluggage]

What about when they removed the DVD drive also?

Now, although by 2012, all laptops had enough storage to image a stack of CDs/DVDs that would have weighed more than the optical drive itself, or could use flash sticks that were faster, higher capacity and more resilient than DVDs and personally by then the optical drive in my MBP had been replaced by a second HD and was sitting in a drawer - I'm actually going to allow the possibility that maybe, just maybe, people actually had a good reason for wanting one.

Which may be why Apple, when they released the Retina MBP in 2012, also went out of their way to not only retain, but update the "classic" MBPs with the latest processors and USB 3 ports, offering a reasonably up-to-date option for those customers who actually needed an optical drive.

Plus the rMBPs were substantially thinner for losing the bulky, heavy optical drive, and had extra thunderbolt and HDMI ports, which helped if you needed to plug in external optical drives.

BUT then i ordered the AirPods (when they were available) and then i understood it

I guarantee that everybody complaining here about the (rumoured, but sadly plausible) loss of the jack understands that, when you're listening to recorded music or video, its great not to have a wire between your head and the device.

Perhaps you could try and understand what people have posted about how lag affects musical/audio apps and games (you don't see it on prerecorded video because the players delay the picture to keep it in sync with the audio), or understand people who want to hook the iDevice up to their expensive HiFi systems and high-end analogue headphones while also charging it or connecting other devices to the single Lightning port.

At least try to understand that your precious Airpods will still be able to give you epiphanies on devices with a headphone jack, whereas the jack's removal will be a major inconvenience for many other people who may do things with their iDevice that you don't.

 

[Dave245]

I guarantee that everybody complaining here about the (rumoured, but sadly plausible) loss of the jack understands that, when you're listening to recorded music or video, its great not to have a wire between your head and the device.

Perhaps you could try and understand what people have posted about how lag affects musical/audio apps and games (you don't see it on prerecorded video because the players delay the picture to keep it in sync with the audio), or understand people who want to hook the iDevice up to their expensive HiFi systems and high-end analogue headphones while also charging it or connecting other devices to the single Lightning port.

At least try to understand that your precious Airpods will still be able to give you epiphanies on devices with a headphone jack, whereas the jack's removal will be a major inconvenience for many other people who may do things with their iDevice that you don't.

I understand but as I’ve said previously they are in the minority and Apple I’m sure knows that (they are not stupid) but majority rules, and my point is that the majority of people have moved on either to AirPods or some other wireless earphones on the iPhone and so Apple may remove the headphone jack from the iPad Pro.

 

[SSDGUY]

I wonder what the time record is for being corrected for one's loathing the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack on iOS devices. I'm seeing the need for a support group. I miss the days when providing users with options was considered innovative.

 

[LordVic]

No, I’m just saying I get why they removed it. Why keep it when you can use the AirPods which work brilliantly.

it's clear by this comment alone that you didn't bother to actually read anyones responses to you or in this thread.

we've all layed out numerous reasons why keep it. and your only response is "BECAUSE I LIKE WIRELESS"

AND yet we have to repeat over and over and over and over again:

WITH THE HEADPHONE JACK, YOU CAN STILL USE WIRELESS BLUETOOTH. you get to have your cake and so do we.

without the headphone Jack.. only YOU get to eat cake, because options and functionality got removed.
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I understand but as I’ve said previously they are in the minority and Apple I’m sure knows that

nobody can claim this, or the opposite.

Simple fact: Nobody knows. because there's no accurate sampling or data. the adoption of wireless has too many factors. With so many variables claiming this is jumping to conclusions without evidence.

The problem why this isn't known is because there's no comparable. if you want a modern iPhone with a headphone jack, there is none. you have no choices (in iOS land). you could probably say that the majority of Apple users don't know or care or its not as big a priority to them as some other part of the device. But to say they prefer it? we don't know.

if Apple released an iPhone 8 with the jack and an iPhone 8 without the jack, so we can actually compare user choice and the jackless device sold more. than you would have a reasonably more correct conclusion. But they didn't. you either get a modern iPhone without a jack, or you go android.