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Apple Said to Be Removing Headphone Jack From Upcoming 2018 iPad Pro Models
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It a person who prefers Bluetooth. I haven’t used the headphone jack on any of my devices since I bought my first stereo Bluetooth headphones beside the iPhone 3GS
I have owned wired headphones before. Just that I have moved on, as the convenience afforded by the Airpods more than makes up for every other drawback combined for me.
You couldn’t pay me enough to plug in a pair of wired headphones back into my iPad or iPhone.
You’re right. I don’t own any quality headphones (yet) but I do own wired headphones that I sometimes use on my iPhone with the dongle even though I have AirPods.
The reason isn’t audio quality but latency. AirPods and other bluetooth headphones are useless for low latency audio tasks like games, etc. Even Apple gives you a popup message recommending wired headphones in Garageband.
The reason I don’t want to see the audio jack on the new iPad is because I want people to move to a future standard. For the same reason, I also didn’t want apple to include USB-A on my MacBook and CD drives on desktop Macs.
Apple didn’t do what I wanted last year though, which is to start taking advantage of Bluetooth 5. With bluetooth 5 you have about 2 mbps bandwith which allows you to send lossless audio to good wireless headphones. That would solve the audio quality problem if you’re planning on buying new headphones.
Bluetooth 5 also allows for lower latency but we still don’t know how fast it’ll be. AirPods currently have ~250ms latency which is unusable for some apps like Garageband and fast paced games.
Therefore, I think that the wireless future that Apple envisions will only be complete if they solve these problems. For now, the dongle will be the safety bridge to allow you to use the old relible technology of wires.
I really wish Apple will release over ear headphones this year with bluetooth 5 high quality / lossless audio connection and low latency audio for real time tasks. That would prove that wireless can fully replace wires. Battery life is already there for both over ear and AirPods style headphones. Of course price is also an issue, but quality headphones already costs too much to affect the overall price if they become wireless and lower quality headphones like the AirPods seems to be priced well enough for some people.
TL;DR: I think current wireless headphones still can’t completely replace wired headphones but newer Bluetooth 5 headphones can change that. Apple should remove the audio jack from all their devices and relese quality wireless headphones to push people to move forward and adopt the wireless future.
Most people listen to compressed streamed music on their phones and don’t care about audio quality. Here in nyc I’m starting to see more people using Bluetooth then wired
It’s different stokes for different folks. I’m not an audiophile in any shape or form. The airpods do me just fine. But there are a myriad of reason why a headphone jack is better for some people.
This! the AirPods have made wired headphones too much of a hassle, i use my AirPods every day, connecting them to my iPhone, iPad and Mac is so easy then if i want to move around the house or when travelling i don't have to worry about pulling on a wire or having to carry the device around with me, the AirPods are easily one of Apple's best products (in my opinion)
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I have a pair of shure se 846, still prefer the AirPods.
There's no room in there for the electronics for the headph...
Oh. There is.
Oh. There is.
NO DEAL. Apple, I have too many devices that REQUIRE a headphone jack to work, and your laughable efforts at pretending there's a reason for ripping out a device literally the size of a pair of PEAS sitting side-by-side, so you can make it 50 angstroms thinner while really just trying to pump up sales of your stupid wireless headphones, and then lying to our faces calling the decision (right after acquiring a WIRELESS HEADPHONE COMPANY, NO LESS) "Courage" IS GOING TO CAUSE ME TO LEAVE APPLE WORLD. I really mean it. This is an absolute deal-breaker.
Apple's upcoming iPad Pro models will feature slightly smaller bodies, a relocated Smart Connector, and no headphone jack, according to information shared by Japanese site Mac Otakara.
Citing supply chain sources, Mac Otakara says the new 10.5-inch iPad Pro will measure in at 247.5mm tall, 178.7mm wide, and 6mm, compared to the current size of 250.6mm x 174.1mm x 6.1mm. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is said to measure 280mm tall, 215mm wide, and 6.4mm thick, compared to the current measurements of 305.7mm x 220.6mm x 6.9mm.
These dimensions line up with rumors suggesting Apple plans to introduce a full redesign with the 2018 iPad Pro models, slimming down the bezels much like it did with the iPhone X. Though smaller in size, the new iPads will feature larger displays thanks to the bezel reduction. The new iPad Pros are not expected to feature a Home button, and according to previous rumors, will include a TrueDepth camera system for Face ID.
Mac Otakara also suggests that the 2018 iPad Pro models will not feature a 3.5mm headphone jack, with Apple opting to eliminate it.
iPhones have not had a headphone jack since it was removed in the iPhone 7, and Apple has instead relied on Bluetooth devices like the AirPods along with Lightning-based headphones. Apple is not expected to ship the new iPad Pro models with a Lightning to 3.5mm adapter, which would be in line with analyst predictions suggesting that adapter will not come with the 2018 iPhones either.
In the iPhone lineup, the headphone jack was removed for improved water resistance and to make space for internal components like a bigger battery, the Taptic Engine, and the rear camera system. It is not clear if Apple is facing the same space constraints in the iPad Pro with the introduction of the TrueDepth camera system or if this is a move to align iPad and iPhone features.
A portion of Mac Otakara's report says that Apple will use a "diamond cut" for both the front and the back of the new iPad Pro models, which seems to mean that the tablets could have a design that's similar the iPhone SE with beveled edges.
The Smart Connector on the iPads has reportedly been relocated from the side to the bottom near the Lightning port, which may require a new vertically oriented Smart Keyboard. It's not clear how a vertical Smart Keyboard would work, as it would likely be unstable in that orientation, especially for the larger iPad Pro.
Apple is said to be making this change because Face ID will work only when the iPad Pro is in a vertical orientation, with Mac Otakara saying that it is "impossible to release the lock with the main unit turned sideways." Previous information from Mac Otakara suggested Apple was working on horizontal Face ID for the iPad Pro, and hints of such a feature were discovered in iOS 12.
In addition to these changes to the iPad Pro, Mac Otakara also shared a bit of information on the rumored 6.1-inch low-cost iPhone. Confirming previous rumors, the site says the device will use a "Full Active" LCD display sourced from Japan Display. Full Active panels allow Apple to slim down the bezels of the LCD iPhone, bringing it in line with the two OLED devices.
Possible front glass panels for the 2018 iPhones, with 6.1-inch model in middle
Mac Otakara's sources have also echoed previous reports pointing towards production difficulties for the 6.1-inch iPhone. When production on the phone started this month, Apple was reportedly seeing a 1 percent completion rate, suggesting a delayed November launch for the device.
Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty made a similar prediction earlier this week, suggesting issues with "LED backlight leakage" could lead to a one month delay in production. Huberty's information indicated the delay had originally been six weeks, so it's possible Mac Otakara is working with older data. Other sources, such as Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, are not expecting launch delays, so it's unclear what's going on with the 6.1-inch iPhone at this time.
Mac Otakara has a somewhat mixed track record when it comes to rumors, sometimes sharing information that's spot on and sometimes missing the mark. For that reason, though this information is quite specific, these new details should be viewed with some skepticism until confirmed by secondary sources.
Article Link: Apple Said to Be Removing Headphone Jack From Upcoming 2018 iPad Pro Models
I have two sets of wired speakers that work just fine, thank you very much, that I have NO intention of replacing with your stupid, overpriced wireless speaker. I have a whole collection of wired headphones, many made specifically to work with Apple devices, a half-dozen or so made BY APPLE, that I have no intention of replacing just so you can try to take even more money from me that I don't have and you don't need.
FORCING customers to buy all your various crap is NOT the "future". It's Apple losing a customer for life.
I have a bunch of Apple devices, and the reason I have them is their interoperability. But as they inevitably die, (since you design things now to work for only a couple years at most,) when the time comes to replace them, if when that day comes all you offer is defective-by-design CRAP that is missing a basic requirement like a headphone jack, I swear to GOD I will switch to a competitor, and you will NEVER EVER see another penny from me again, and I MEAN IT.
If you're really going to do this, if you're really going to rip headphone jacks out of other devices, we're done.
Your products aren't good enough, and aren't a good enough value, to warrant buying them when on top of all the other various things I have to put up with as a user of Apple products, you remove things that are REQUIRED. A headphone jack is REQUIRED. The volume buttons and home button are REQUIRED. A lightning jack (now that I have a dozen lightning cables floating around my home and car, which is super-handy because everything works with them, which was the POINT,) is REQUIRED.
I will NOT buy anything with USB-C. EVERYTHING I HAVE is USB-A, 1, 2 or 3.
I will NOT buy any principally or largely audio device that does NOT have, as a minimum, 1 1/8" stereo minijack. (And if it's MacOS-X or iOS, a sleeve/ring/ring/tip, 4-conductor version that works with all the Apple headphones and cables I've acquired.)
I will NOT buy another tablet that doesn't work with the ORIGINAL Apple iPencil, regardless of size.
I have a sneaking suspicion that Apple thinks it can do whatever it wants and keep raking in customer money, but I really mean it. If they don't sell an iPad that works with the Pencil and has a headphone jack, as I've just outlined, I will never buy one again. I will either just not have a tablet, or I will buy an AndroidOS based tablet, and frankly, I'm not sure why I haven't already. Would get a lot more bang for the buck, and wouldn't have to worry about the next generation having basic functionality ripped out of it.
I will not buy another phone that doesn't have a headphone jack, so when my current iPhone SE dies, if the SE or equivalent you offer at that point doesn't have a headphone jack, I will be going back to Android for my phone too. And since if EITHER of these things happen, I won't have nearly as much reason to need the Mac or iCloud, I will be replacing that as well, I will eBay all my remaining Apple stuff, and never even think of giving you another penny. KNOW THIS: If you didn't HAVE the iPhone SE, I would already have gone back to Android. And the only reason I bought an iPad Pro was because I had the Mac and it wasn't going anywhere because I had the iPhone SE. That little phone has made you a lot of money off me. And the reasons I bought it are one, the iPhone 5 was a great design, and the 6 and 6+ and 7 and 7+ and 8 and 8+ and 9 and 9+ are ALL TOO BIG to fit comfortably in my pocket, and I hate the stupid rounded, hard-to-grip-and-hold rounded sides you put on them. They're too wide and too tall and too thin. I hate them and I won't be buying one. EVER. So you do away with the SE, or remove the headphone jack... you lose a customer, forever and ever AMEN.
I kind of doubt I'm alone in this. I understand this is only a rumor at this point, but if it comes true, I'm gone. And once gone, after all the money I have squandered on stuff that "just works" that really, shockingly often failed to "just work," there will be no chance whatsoever of me ever coming back. Anyone asks me, "should I buy a PC or a Mac," or "which is better, the iPhone or the..." (anything else whatsoever, fill in the blank,) I will cheerfully tell them all about how Apple treats customers who have pumped thousands of dollars into their overpriced, under-spec'ed, over-hyped, under-performing, built-to-fail, impossible-to-repair, obsolescence-as-a-feature-based products.
Oh, and WRT that bit about how "Apple's Face ID only works in vertical orientation"... REALLY? ARE YOU KIDDING? Apple can't figure out how to rotate something in software? Christ what a joke. "Let's move things around internally so that our goofy new unlocking scheme that is never going to work, and people won't use and will be even easier to defeat and less reliable than a fingerprint sensor, can be accommodated!" Apple needs to fire their senior leadership. This has been stupid, idiotic decision after stupid idiotic decision, and I'm not sure I'm even going to wait until the next generation of Apple products to be released without the proper jacks and ports to switch. I may switch now, actually.
One last thing: before anyone else here says, "you can use a dongle" or "they make a plug that lets you plug your adapter in and get" x number "of USB ports..." NO. NO. NO! I should not have to have additional crap to carry around with me, or to have to buy, like USB-C adapters or ports, to do what I can already do with my existing collection of computers and tablet and phone. I should be able to listen to my phone with my headphones AND have it plugged in and charging or staying topped off simultaneously. Having to pick one of those and alternate one plugged in, then the other, is unacceptable.
Clearly you don't know much about him. Apple inherit these kind of strong/unpopular decision from him, like or dislike it's a company signature, see floppy or dvd rom (a laptop without dvd was not pro) see ultra slim design, small phone display, no phisical keyboard for ipad etcc.
Good, there’s no need for it. Wireless has been the norm for a while now. Besides charging, the last time I plugged anything into my phone (never in an iPad) was the iPhone 5. Time to move on everyone.
Edit: I don’t buy the second part though. Face ID will have to work in landscape.
Edit: I don’t buy the second part though. Face ID will have to work in landscape.
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Unless Apple packs so much advanced tech into every square in of this iPad that it needed to remove the 2.5 jack..... it doesn’t make sense.
There is more than enough space in the iPad.
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Ummm the article is about the iPad. Phones being much smaller I get bacause of the space constraints. But the iPad.....???
There is more than enough space in the iPad.
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Ummm the article is about the iPad. Phones being much smaller I get bacause of the space constraints. But the iPad.....???
I don’t use smart keyboards so thy can stick that thing anywhere they want.
Smart Cover and call it a day for me.
Smart Cover and call it a day for me.
I only use the headphone jack of my old iPad which drives the old (but high quality) HiFi system in the shed. I guess by the time I need a new iPad - a couple of years at least - my bluetooth DAC will be ready to be retired to the shed too.
It's disappointing, but removing the headphone jack from an iPad is less irritating than removing it from a phone.
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The large iPad Pro is the perfect size as it doubles up as a clipboard for A4 sheets of paper.
This is a laughably simplistic world view that indicates that you have no idea what you're talking about. Do you have any idea how complex these decisions are, and many variables and layers are actually involved in decisions like that? Your interpretation of the decision making process reminds me of the level a 5 year old would imagine the world to function at.
Also Steve Jobs made plenty of stupid decisions.
I am using a Smart Cover and if I am really in need for heavy typing I use a magic keyboard that beats every Smart Keyboard hands down. So that would not be that problem. The headphone jack can be replaced by an adapter. But a notch would bring me really in trouble because I use my 12.9 very often for remote access of windows systems. You always have scroll bars on the sides that are not usable anymore with a notch....
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Are you sure about that? We’re talking about the guy who removed floppy drive from the first iMac, CD drive from the first MacBook Air, all moves that created uproars in those days. Heck, Steve Jobs created the button-less iPod Shuffle 3rd gen.
Having said that, this rumor is hardly credible. I doubt it would happen.
The AirPods are really good, lots of people love them and they are really popular, also things move forward it's not like Apple haven't done this before with other connectors, 30 pin connector was removed for lightning, the floppy disk drive was removed (under Steve Jobs), then later on the DVD drive was also removed from the Mac, it's all heading towards a wireless future you may find it annoying but it's called progress.
Good luck moving to a competitor because most of them will be removing (some have even started) to remove the headphone jack from their phones. It's only a matter of time before the headphone jack becomes obsolete.
just my 2 pennies worth (or 2 cents if you're from the US)
He didn't remove anything from the first iMac - it was a new product line (at least, since the Mac Classic), aimed at an emerging market. It certainly wasn't a "pro" machine - more the iPad of its day. The pro models phased out the legacy connectors more slowly and, anyway, had extensive internal expansion so you could add (e.g.) SCSI cards and internal floppies if you needed them.
The "legacy" ports were proprietary ADB and Localtalk (the latter, by then, comprehensively obsoleted by affordable 10 base T ethernet), RS423 (technically a standard but different enough from RS232 to be quirky and, in practice, only used by Macs and BBC micros - which had a different connector anyhow) and SCSI (clunky, huge connectors, terminators, DIP switches for device IDs, forced you to buy server-grade hard drives even for personal desktop use). Floppies were already uselessly small (1.4MB when hard drives were already measured in GB) - if it could fit on a floppy it could go by email - and, for larger files, people were already using a hodge-podge of Zip drives, Syquest drives, magneto/opticals, 'super floppies' with no obvious clear winner.
Switching to USB suddenly meant that manufacturers could sell the same mice, keyboards, external drives, printers, scanners etc. to both Mac and PC users. It probably helped launch USB on PCs as well (in those days, you could tell a peripheral was USB because it was made out of translucent blue or while plastic...)
There was a very clear pattern under Jobs: "consumer" devices were sealed shut and dropped legacy ports like they were hot, but "pro" devices featured extensive external expansion and cases that hinged open at the flip of a catch. There's a lot of revisionist history going around that forgets the second part.
Also, when it came to judging when a "legacy" port is obsolete and users just need a nudge to drop it, Jobs notched up a pretty good track record of getting it right. Today, Apple seem to make those decisions in an echo chamber on the "some users say they never use it and the rest will suck it up rather than switch to Windows/Android" basis. They only have that luxury because Jobs "got it right" repeatedly in the past, when Apple were on a far weaker footing.
Anyway, even then, I don't think Apple are so monumentally stupid to go down the route this rumor suggests.
Industry is changing, technology is shifting, but this is the norm.
Your acting like it’s the first time; cassette, compact disc, mini disc, Betamax, vhs, laserdisc, dvd, physical media, 5.5/3.5.floppy drives, zip drives, walkmans, iPods, component cables, hdmi, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ag, crt monitors, plasma, usb, micro usb, mini usb,resistive touch screens,etc,etc,etc.
3.5mm jack are being phased out, android oems are following, notch included.
Can't say that I'm surprised, given the removal of them on the iPhone. What is surprising is that Apple has not had the courage to remove them from the Mac line. Of all of the talk about how antiquated and useless it is by Phill Schiller, they still have it on the Macs. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯