One can't help but wonder why nobody wanted and nobody built lightning head phones up until now. And now all of a sudden so many people started telling us how great this new development is even though none of them bought lightning head phones yet (I wonder what is hold8ng them back)
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Apple Supplier Cirrus Logic Releases Kit for Creating Lightning-Based Headphones Ahead of iPhone 7
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Really? It's such a mystery? With cheap decent quality 3.5mm headphone technology everywhere, that nobody would seek out a hard to find, and incredibly expense alternative?
Perhaps you can point me to a website that sells a large assortment of inexpensive and reasonably priced Lightning headphones by major, respected headphone manufacturers?
Why does it scare you? What could possibly be so bad with an ancient technology being replaced by a new one? I do realize lot of people have bought expensive headphones and other stuff that connect by 3.5mm jack but that's a risk you take on this modern age when technology changes rapidly. I personally am glad there is a company like Apple who have the balls to do these kind of changes that others wouldn't dare (well, apart from some other companies who try to beat Apple being first on something, based purely on rumors)
Perhaps you can explain why nobody cared to produce inexpensive lightning head phones in a first place. Usually it happens when nobody wants the product.
Great! If there are more people like you I might be able to get an iPhone on day one.
Fine. I listen to audio through lightning 8 hours a week. Been doing it for years, the only time I use the jack is to check if it works when the phone is new. I've helped subsidize this, to me utterly useless. jack for years. People complaining about apple finally abandoning it feels like payback to me.
OK, I'm just exaggerating for dramatic effect (as if there is not enough drama already).
Here's my theory why Apple wants to do this this year (if indeed they do); Next year the (10th anniversary!) iPhone will have edge to edge screen, the jack orifice will not fit under the screen, so the jack needs to go.
But, there will need to be lots of lightning headphones by then. How will this come about? Lightning headphones are possible today, and just a handful exist. Headphone makers don't want to make lightning headphones now. And why should they? Everything has the jack hole. Lightning headphones ( or USB-C with lightning adapter or v.v. ) will not start existing until they must.
I remember when USB keyboards, mice, printers, disks, etc. did not exist. USB had been out for years but nobody was interested in making those things until the iMac ditched the legacy ports.
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Easy to explain. They ere not produced because the jack still always works, easy cheap and risk free for a manufacturer. Same reason as why nobody made USB devices until Apple got rid of the legacy ports in the iMac..
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Not to mention...when Apple made the decision to drop the CD drive, that trend sort of contained itself to the computer world, because that is where the bulk of those drives still existed. A lot of music people (older ones, myself included) will still buy audio CDs. Point being...if Apple dumps the 3.5mm jack, they by no stretch of the imagination will be a catalyst for it's removal across multiple industries. 3.5mm, and even 1/4" jacks, have been standards in the audio world for a very long time. If they couldn't get CD drives completely out of service across multiple industries (not saying that was their goal, just looking at the aftermath), they certainly won't get it done with a technology that is still currently the standard in multiple types of devices. This especially won't catch on outside of the Apple world because the incoming / replacing tech would be proprietary with god knows what type of licensing expense. Try convincing Onkyo, Yamaha, or Denon, or any other number of Audio equipment manufacturers that this will be the new standard. They'll laugh you out of the office. Guitar manufacturers, guitar pedals, audio recording gear, etc, all would have the same reaction. If they switch to anything it will be USB.
For a company that wants sell their phones in emerging markets, this will not help them.
I own a pair of bluetooth Sennheiser momentum 2.0s and I'm really happy with them. But I still like having the option to use my 3.5mm headphones when the battery dies or when I don't feel like using them.
If they are going to remove this, they are taking the power of choice from their users. This would be the most anti consumer thing they have ever done. Not everyone wants to use bluetooth headphones or be forced to use headphones they can ONLY use on an iPhone 7/7Plus or Pro.
Really disappointing if they do this.
I own a pair of bluetooth Sennheiser momentum 2.0s and I'm really happy with them. But I still like having the option to use my 3.5mm headphones when the battery dies or when I don't feel like using them.
If they are going to remove this, they are taking the power of choice from their users. This would be the most anti consumer thing they have ever done. Not everyone wants to use bluetooth headphones or be forced to use headphones they can ONLY use on an iPhone 7/7Plus or Pro.
Really disappointing if they do this.
If lightning headphones are better than 3.5mm ones in any way, then simply come out with the headphones and let people love them so much that they stop using the old jack.
Unless, of course, this is just a way for Apple to use its proprietary technology to wrong a couple of bucks out of every earbud sale.
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Says you. Getting rid of the optical drive was fine for laptops that need to be thin and light, but it (along with lack of support for Blu Ray) is still an issue for plenty of users. My daughters -- you know, the target market for streaming media -- refused an "upgrade" for their 13" macbook pros because of the lack of an optical drive on the 12" MacBook or on the Air. Yes, people still watch movies from DVDs. Yes, people still buy CDs because they want to OWN their music and have it in a form that is re-rippable as much as they want. Yes, people still want to be able to burn home movies and send to family without putting them on some server or in the cloud. And yes, they want to do all of that without an external drive.
So, removing the optical drive was fine for a certain purpose -- making laptops smaller and lighter. But extending that purpose to the entire line was a mistake and continues to be so. Creating a Macbook with a single USB-C port was a mistake for the same reasons, and sales seem to have suffered (not that Apple releases sales figures for that model...which is telling). Removing the 3.5mm jack, assuming it happens, is also a mistake. Driving technology forward can be done without doing anti-consumer things like removing the most widely used port in all of computing.
Unless, of course, this is just a way for Apple to use its proprietary technology to wrong a couple of bucks out of every earbud sale.
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Says you. Getting rid of the optical drive was fine for laptops that need to be thin and light, but it (along with lack of support for Blu Ray) is still an issue for plenty of users. My daughters -- you know, the target market for streaming media -- refused an "upgrade" for their 13" macbook pros because of the lack of an optical drive on the 12" MacBook or on the Air. Yes, people still watch movies from DVDs. Yes, people still buy CDs because they want to OWN their music and have it in a form that is re-rippable as much as they want. Yes, people still want to be able to burn home movies and send to family without putting them on some server or in the cloud. And yes, they want to do all of that without an external drive.
So, removing the optical drive was fine for a certain purpose -- making laptops smaller and lighter. But extending that purpose to the entire line was a mistake and continues to be so. Creating a Macbook with a single USB-C port was a mistake for the same reasons, and sales seem to have suffered (not that Apple releases sales figures for that model...which is telling). Removing the 3.5mm jack, assuming it happens, is also a mistake. Driving technology forward can be done without doing anti-consumer things like removing the most widely used port in all of computing.
People just don't like change I guess. It's the way of the world
I'm sure when the 7 is out many will change their view
The fact that apple is moving forward with Lightening now that USB-C is out is infuriating to me. Lightening had to exist as USB-C didnt, but to move headphones to a proprietary connector NOW, once a universal standard is out? Infuriating.
Because you own so many USB-C products and devices? The number of major products on the market that have USBc ports could probably be counted on my toes. By the time USBc is widespread enough to make an impact, the average consumer standard is likely going to be wireless for audio. Until that time, and even a good deal after, every customer will have to use adapters. So what difference does it make?
Frankly, I would rather not have to replace all of my Lightning cables and accessories, just 4 years after I replaced all of my 30-pin connectors. Especially since I don't own any USBc cables or devices. Give me at least 4 more years with my Lightning investment, and then maybe I'll switch, assuming USBc becomes so widespread I need to.
The other option is to get a Seperate DAC/amp that plugs into the iPhone , and all existing headphones into it, like the chord mojo (much cheaper alternatives available). Individual cables with dacs made for individual headphones will be expansive .
agreed
I have like 6 lightening cables and to me them becoming useless is a big bigger issue than replacing the headphone jack where i can use my wireless headphones and earbuds which apple will provide anyway. high chance they give us an adapter as well for our current headphones.
There is always cost versus convenience. And that expense will drop over time as demand increases. I can't see paying more than $20-30 for a Lightning cable in a couple of years, which compared to a $300-800 pair of headphones is nothing.
Personally, I'd rather have it built into my cable since I rarely plug into anything beyond my iPhone, and it will be much more streamlined and elegant. If I did attach to multiple devices regularly, I think I'd still want a cable with multiple connectors built-in. Of course in that event, a simple adapter might be cheaper, and just as convenient, and more versitle, without being much more inconvenient to keep track of as it would live on the end of my cable. But I would still expect to pay $20-30 for a good one.
For the majority a cable solution is by far the most convenient. This does mean Apple also gets a cut from the headphone manafacturers
I think they already know the only way for Lightning headphones to take over from 3.5mm ones on the iPhone is to take away the choice.
Same arguement can be made for the MacBook with one USB-c
The 3.5mm jack is not going anywhere . This change will be an inconvinience for Apple users, and result in the same headphone costing more with the lighting cable option. Apple profits all round, and this is what it's all about. While the profit is in the connector , the headphone sounds the same. Unless you want to start spending ££ on cables with built in dacs to change the sound signature . Either way Apple is getting £££.
please move iPhone to USB-C first, then do USB-C headphones if you must move away from 3.5mm jacks.
nope, not buying it. I will not buy a phone with no headphone jack. Period.
I've got literally dozens of other things that I use my 1/8" plug headphones on.
Cameras, filed recorders I could literally go on for pages.
The 1/8th inch jack is not a thing that causes a problem, or is even expensive to include.
It's just John Ive and his stupid quest to make everything as thin as possible. And remove all function from devices that interferes with a bland visual presentation. Ive, go back to your Braun collection. All of those devices had enough buttons and knobs and jacks. Not too little.
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This is not a cell phone only standard. It is a consumer electronics standard.
I've got literally dozens of other things that I use my 1/8" plug headphones on.
Cameras, filed recorders I could literally go on for pages.
The 1/8th inch jack is not a thing that causes a problem, or is even expensive to include.
It's just John Ive and his stupid quest to make everything as thin as possible. And remove all function from devices that interferes with a bland visual presentation. Ive, go back to your Braun collection. All of those devices had enough buttons and knobs and jacks. Not too little.
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if Apple had started with a proprietary headphone jack when the rest of the world was using what to connect headphones before Apple came into the cellphone game? Bare wires? If the 1/8th inch jack did not previously exist, there would have been something else. The 1/8th inch jack predates cell phones you know. It was on portable CD players, cassette walkmans, some old synthesizers and many other consumer and prosumer devices.
This is not a cell phone only standard. It is a consumer electronics standard.
Yeah take this Tim!!
3,5 jack is old, didn't use since few years now with BT, AirPlay. On my Mac I use Steelseries Siberia with USB. Digital has too many advantages imho.
Will not happen. And the reason is profit via https://developer.apple.com/programs/mfi/
As other handsets will move to usb-c,
last thing Apple wants is pesky android accessories working on iPhones cause the connectors are the same.
This whole exercise is to make more money by MFI. Goodbye old nasty 3.5mmm non profitable jacks....hello profitable lighting cabled heaphones . User looses out, no reason the 3.5mm cannot co-exist with the lighting jack...
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Umm at some point your it needs to get converted to analogue. All headsets are analogue at the ears.
Actually USB headsets tend to be worse sound quality, as the built in DAC for the 3.5 mm is far superior .
What advantages do you think a digital USB heaphone has?
So true.and I'd also like to say that I and my pet halibut LOVE your username.
I think many here do not understand that even after the transition , headphones are still analogue, and a conversion need to be made. Calling the 3.5mm ancient tech that needs to be replaced is missing the point of how headphones actually work. You are just moving the placement of the conversion....
I'm still not seeing a convincing argument for the tangible benefits of ditching the 3.5mm audio port.
Other comparisons don't seem to resonate with me. For example, Ditching the Optical drive in machines had tangible benefits in decreased size/weight, more space for storage, increased battery space & life, airflow design enhancements, and removing the drive also meant removing one of the moving parts that needed the most repair/replacing (that most people I know, just attached an external drive instead of replacing anyways)
and there was already well established (and arguably better) alternatives with thumb drives, AirDisk, NAS,external drives that were faster and more capable than what apple was including in their internal drives etc..
Also Apple still offered Optical drive equipped machines for some transition time.
With ditching the 3.5mm port what is tangibly gained? increased hours of battery life? (certainly not with Bluetooth, or lightning headphones that are terminating so you can't charge and listen at the same time)
What is actually held back by keeping the port? (there are already phones thinner, and with water resistance that still have the port, so it's not those)
Decreased costs for customers? (Not in terms of headphones or adapters that have to include extra circuitry, certifications, etc. and the costs will certainly be passed to customers)
It's just that so far we haven't seen any tangible indication of what would actually be gained by ditching the port, and what is actually held back by keeping it. For consumers or technology (since we can already buy lightning headphones, or Bluetooth headphones if we want, the port certainly isn't holding those back.)
Something isn't bad tech just because it is "old", I still use a keyboard and mouse every day both are technologies going back many decades, I still use wheels every day, zippers, Velcro, etc... my point is simply that "old" isn't a reason unto it self to be replaced. (though I will gladly replace my wheels with hover plating when we have it available
)
Someone please help me understand, I genuinely want to know, I'm not trying to be hostile but I just don't get it. for as fervently as some people seem to want it gone, there must be tangible benefits for getting rid of the port and real disadvantages by keeping it right?
Other comparisons don't seem to resonate with me. For example, Ditching the Optical drive in machines had tangible benefits in decreased size/weight, more space for storage, increased battery space & life, airflow design enhancements, and removing the drive also meant removing one of the moving parts that needed the most repair/replacing (that most people I know, just attached an external drive instead of replacing anyways)
and there was already well established (and arguably better) alternatives with thumb drives, AirDisk, NAS,external drives that were faster and more capable than what apple was including in their internal drives etc..
Also Apple still offered Optical drive equipped machines for some transition time.
With ditching the 3.5mm port what is tangibly gained? increased hours of battery life? (certainly not with Bluetooth, or lightning headphones that are terminating so you can't charge and listen at the same time)
What is actually held back by keeping the port? (there are already phones thinner, and with water resistance that still have the port, so it's not those)
Decreased costs for customers? (Not in terms of headphones or adapters that have to include extra circuitry, certifications, etc. and the costs will certainly be passed to customers)
It's just that so far we haven't seen any tangible indication of what would actually be gained by ditching the port, and what is actually held back by keeping it. For consumers or technology (since we can already buy lightning headphones, or Bluetooth headphones if we want, the port certainly isn't holding those back.)
Something isn't bad tech just because it is "old", I still use a keyboard and mouse every day both are technologies going back many decades, I still use wheels every day, zippers, Velcro, etc... my point is simply that "old" isn't a reason unto it self to be replaced. (though I will gladly replace my wheels with hover plating when we have it available
) Someone please help me understand, I genuinely want to know, I'm not trying to be hostile but I just don't get it. for as fervently as some people seem to want it gone, there must be tangible benefits for getting rid of the port and real disadvantages by keeping it right?
It's allows for a dac to be placed in the cable. DACs have their own sound signature. Right now you are limited to the dac installed in the iPhone.
For your average user though, there is not tangible benefit, they will pay more for lighting cabled headphones, as the manafactures have to pay MfI licence costs.
Short answer, apple makes more money this way.
Right now you can use the iPhone to play music via the Lightning port, and the USB camera cable to an external DAC , the removal of try jack is only being done so you have no option......end of the day your headphones are analogue anyway