Apple Will Still Include a Lightning to Headphone Jack Adapter With This Year's iPhones, Says Barclays

[Fiachers]

VGA, eSATA, Firewire, Parallel, ADB, RS232...

Totally stupid post.

 

[2010mini]

In my own experience traveling for work, it's almost just the opposite. In fact, in my own experience traveling, I keep encountering options where good old 3.5mm would "just work" while Bluetooth or Lightning will not (1 major example: in flight video/audio systems, none yet offering a Bluetooth or Lightning connection). Perhaps you are just sensitive to only noticing support for your own (or Apple's) view of the world and/or I'm sensitive to only noticing support for my own view? What I find though is that since I'm not solely locked into only an Apple product world, this "for the best" argument just breaks down.

Perhaps next time you travel, try counting how many wired headsets you see vs. wireless to test your own perception. I suspect your "rarely" tag will change if you actually do some counting. I certainly can concede seeing some people with wireless buds/headset, but then notice them having to use something else when they need to make a connection(s) and Bluetooth is not available. For example, as good as Bluetooth may seem to some of us, what if you want to watch (and listen) to the inflight movie or TV show? Does your airline have an easy way to make them work? Does your airline have ANY way to make them work? Is carrying along 2 basically same-use items (2 kinds of headphones) great for us consumers? How about having to carry along multiple adapters to try to make 1 choice work well with just about anything we encounter?

Until this decision was somewhat forced upon us, the ability to put on a movie and share the audio with anyone else was just a matter of a 3.5mm splitter. Now it's Lightning to 3.5mm adapter AND a splitter. Is anyone able to share a Bluetooth only audio stream with someone else? Meet the person on the plane and jacking them in to watch a video or listen to some tunes together used to be so easy, and their headphones (even if Windows/Android) could easily jack right in. Now, one of you better have an adapter or two, or if either of you are dependent on Bluetooth, there's probably no audio sharing. That was a nice experience mostly lost now unless one of you happens to be carrying the right combination of adapters.

Furthermore, when traveling for work, I will inevitably find myself needing to connect to something NOT made by Apple. For example, a client might have some device with a 3.5mm jack readily available (because it is far more ubiquitous than Bluetooth or Lightning) but not be as set up for a Bluetooth-only connection... and certainly not Lightning.

Or just working between an iPhone and a Mac requires the adapter unless one tries to make Bluetooth their answer... which then locks them out of all kinds of other audio streams where Bluetooth is not available.

So again, I can appreciate the "Apple is always right"-type rationale except not all of us believes that. This decision is a hassle for me in some way at least once a week but often every day when traveling for work. All the "Apple is right" counterpoint doesn't change that fact for me. Perhaps I am an extreme exception, or just one willing to write down the reality of the impact.

Worse, I don't expect this to fully resolve (on par with 3.5mm ubiquity) for many, many years. The rest of the tech world will go USB3C for a hard-wired connection and only some audio stuff embraces Bluetooth. I wonder if the non-Intel-driven Audio component world will ever embrace USB3C or Lightning over just continuing to include 3.5mm because it's a cheaper & far more ubiquitous component. So we consumers get to enjoy carrying 1+ adapters for years and years to approximate a ubiquty benefit that used to be built inside iPhone (and that had no adverse effect on those happy with or coveting either Lightning or Bluetooth options when it was there).

My travel mostly is done by ground transport. And yes, I do notice more wireless than wired. I am not preferring the iPhone over other devices. iPhone is one product they removed the 3.5mm jack. They didn't do it across the board. Apple still the supports 3.5mm.

As for travel by planes.... maybe it's just me. But I actually have more than one type of headphones. Over the ears wired ( I'm a musician) for the studio. Around the neck wireless and over the shoulder wireless. These serve different purposes. And I suspect they are more people like me who have more than one type of headsets.

Now IF I travelled by plane, I would either buy one from the airline or bring a set with me. And that's ONLY if I wanted to use their entertainment offering (I have tonnes of stuff to keep me entertained on a flight)

 

[doelcm82]

I see nothing wrong with Apple execs making decisions keeping in mind what one of its founders, Steve, would approve. He may not have been a nice guy but he usually knew how things should be designed and work. Maybe this hypothetical question doesn't fit every thread but I think it's relevant enough enough for this one. Dongles aren't fun.

Jobs presided over a few dongles in his life, too.

I imagine that WWSJD is something they do keep in mind, but they use their personal memories of working with him to come up with an answer. Even then, it's not always the deciding factor.

 

[profets]

Sigh. Can we stop with this nonsense please. Every one of the ports on your list were replaced by an obviously superior one. Analog -> digital, specialised -> multi-purpose.

Our replacement for the headphone jack? Lossy Bluetooth and another device that needs to be charged with all the joys of dealing with Bluetooth syncing unless you want to use AirPods with their mediocre audio quality.

Great.

Sigh. Can we stop with this nonsense please? We have physical and wireless options to use instead of the 3.5mm headphone port: lightning and bluetooth.

 

[bunnicula]

I would get the AirPods if my ears weren't so weird. Apple's headphones have never stayed in my ears.

I am fine with the AirPods, but never have liked the EarPods. You should give them a try.
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No wireless charging then....

Yeah. I was rooting for that.

Or the jump to USB-C.

 

[ActionableMango]

Many people here are missing the larger picture

Many are thinking about the past, the current day, and maybe a couple of years into future. Apple is planning much, much further than that. They have at least the next couple years worth of iPhones in some type of prototype form. They are throwing around designs for iPhones 3 or 4 years out, and they certainly have ideas and dreams for iPhone models beyond that.

Somewhere in that future there is an iPhone that is just a perfectly smooth iconic slab with a screen on front and a logo on back. No ports, no home button, no switches, no holes. The home button will be under the screen. Charging will be wireless and will work without sitting on a mat. Headphones are going wireless now. Syncing has already been wireless for some time.

They simply cannot do all that at once--look at the uproar over the headphone jack. There would be similar uproar over the ringer switch, volume buttons, etc., especially the Lightning port--people will absolutely rail against removing that. But make those changes over time? We will adapt and adjust. Another reason Apple can't do all this at once is simply that the technology isn't there yet.

So to get to that iconic vision without cataclysmic disruption to the users, Apple will remove one thing at a time, slowly over the years. Last year was the headphone jack. This year or next will be the home button. Some time after that, the other switches and buttons. Then the Lightning port. And eventually, if they can figure it out, the mic and speaker holes too.

Removing the headphone jack is part of that vision. People who claim the move is so Apple can make money on dongles and Airpods have no imagination or foresight.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

My travel mostly is done by ground transport. And yes, I do notice more wireless than wired. I am not preferring the iPhone over other devices. iPhone is one product they removed the 3.5mm jack. They didn't do it across the board. Apple still the supports 3.5mm.

As for travel by planes.... maybe it's just me. But I actually have more than one type of headphones. Over the ears wired ( I'm a musician) for the studio. Around the neck wireless and over the shoulder wireless. These serve different purposes. And I suspect they are more people like me who have more than one type of headsets.

Now IF I travelled by plane, I would either buy one from the airline or bring a set with me. And that's ONLY if I wanted to use their entertainment offering (I have tonnes of stuff to keep me entertained on a flight)

Again, I get it- spin in support of whatever Apple does.

My points are that:

• removing 3.5mm didn't have to work against Bluetooth or Lightning at all. iPhone already supported both. So someone like you didn't have to do without or have any pressure on you to use 3.5mm if you wanted to embrace either other option. Instead, it just took something from those who preferred the ubiquity of the defacto and universal audio connection standard and created a fragmented mess that requires your solution- bring along multiple things (multiple sets of headphones or dongles) to be ready for anything... where before, we could just use one set of headphones for everything (enjoying the benefit of much less in the bag).
• it didn't really do anything for us consumers- just took something pretty useful away.
• it didn't meet a strongly-desired, consumer want or need. In other words, it wasn't a matter of a corporation listening to the greatest wants of their consumers and giving it to them.
• the alternatives are relatively weak in some way: one being isolated to pretty much just iOS devices and the other with inferior audio quality, latency issues, and being another thing to hope has sufficient charge

And of course, if one knows exactly what they'll need (such as "if I traveled by plane"), we could bring along only the minimum stuff we would need. But, I find that anticipating audio connections is generally impossible so the safe solution is to bring along EVERYTHING you'll need to be able to connect in just about any scenario. Net result: a heavier bag to be able to do something that used to be just as doable with one good set of headphones or buds.

I'm glad you are happy with Apple's decision. Not all of us share that happiness even if we still buy Apple products and just roll with such hassles as this one.

 

[gregoryalee]

Again, I get it- spin in support of whatever Apple does.

My points are that:

• removing 3.5mm didn't have to work against Bluetooth or Lightning at all. iPhone already supported both. So someone like you didn't have to do without or have any pressure on you to use 3.5mm if you wanted to embrace either other option. Instead, it just took something from those who preferred the ubiquity of the defacto and universal audio connection standard and created a fragmented mess that requires your solution- bring along multiple things (multiple sets of headphones or dongles) to be ready for anything... where before, we could just use one set of headphones for everything (enjoying the benefit of much less in the bag).
• it didn't really do anything for us consumers- just took something pretty useful away.
• it didn't meet a strongly-desired, consumer want or need. In other words, it wasn't a matter of a corporation listening to the greatest wants of their consumers and giving it to them.
• the alternatives are relatively weak in some way: one being isolated to pretty much just iOS devices and the other with inferior audio quality, latency issues, and being another thing to hope has sufficient charge

And of course, if one knows exactly what they'll need (such as "if I traveled by plane"), we could bring along only the minimum stuff we would need. But, I find that anticipating audio connections is generally impossible so the safe solution is to bring along EVERYTHING you'll need to be able to connect in just about any scenario. Net result: a heavier bag to be able to do something that used to be just as doable with one good set of headphones or buds.

I'm glad you are happy with Apple's decision. Not all of us share that happiness even if we still buy Apple products and just roll with such hassles as this one.

Careful. Only Apple fruit(boot)-lickers are welcome to have an opinion when it comes to the headphone jack.

 

[Col4bin]

Impressive. Went Bluetooth about 4 years ago and haven't looked back.

Good on Apple for having the converter for another year.

Jealous of you. My Bluetooth music experience has ultimately sucked with spotty connections and constant music drops--even with decent $100+ earbuds and an iPhone 7 Plus. Way overrated currently with a lot of room for improvement.

 

[marty1980]

Removing the headphone jack is part of that vision. People who claim the move is so Apple can make money on dongles and Airpods have no imagination or foresight.

"Have faith my children"

Lmfao

This grand vision doesn't affect me right now. Whereas a proprietary solution to replace a decades-old-and-universal standard does, actually affect me right now. It forces me to have to workaround my normal life for the privilege of using an iPhone.

Sure. Eventually none of these problems we complain about will be there. But that's "eventually" and not NOW.

Honestly, wireless audio just isn't an option in many scenarios, today. And none of the current or upcoming wireless technologies are going to fix that.

So maybe in 3-5 years. That "wireless future" comes and mostly the annoyances are minimal and not every day and everywhere you go. Good. Now a 4-year-old iPhone 7 is outdated, but, Hey! It's wireless.. except so was the iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S, 5, 5S, 6, 6+, 6S, 6S+, and SE... and they all have a jack that also supports those rare instances (in the future) where they may need it.

See my previous post (previous page) for my explanation of feelings towards the jack overall.

Just can't believe this "think about the big picture" crap when we're talking about the audio jack.

 

[Mac 128]

The problem with applying this to the auto industry is that they move at a much, much slower pace. Combine that with the fact that most people's "upgrade cycle" for a vehicle is much longer. The options for interim parts upgrades also isn't always ideal. This point is virtually moot for me, as I use a lightning cable in my car, but it still applies to many people out there.

Thanks for your thoughts. However, I still disagree. Just like my car only had an aux jack, yet I wanted BT wireless, there are inexpensive solutions out there that make that possible -- so the same applies to a car that has a bad BT implementation that the auto maker refuses to repair. I agree that Apple could have come up with a better solution for charging and listening at the same time, or at least one that did not cost $40. However, if a customer choses that solution, it's on them. My guess is Apple wants a hard wired charging and listening solution to be inhospitable, specifically because they are likely introducing some kind of wireless charging solution in the near future and wants people to upgrade to wireless. Indeed, I'd say most people would prefer wireless, especially in the car, and just need to be pushed in the right direction. And this is what Apple does.

No ****, the world still uses jack for audio input. Those stereo's everywhere aren't just going away because Apple removed the jack. I'm up to at-least 8 times i've needed to attach my phone to the gym stereo and i've had to say sorry and send someone get their phone because **** you Apple.
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Walking down the street I would say 90-95% uses the included EarPods.

I'd say after the first time, you should have started carrying an adapter with you to the gym.

hhmm, the current Lightning to 3.5MM headphone jack is good, but how about a Lightning to 3.5mm headphone plug, so I can use my Lightning headphones on everything else that has a 3.55mm jack, you know, just about every device out there has it, except the iPhone.

I agree. I've been asking for this since the day the iPhone 7 was announced. However, after 8 months, it seems clear to me that Apple has no intention of supporting Lightning audio products on anything else. If customers don't want to go wireless, then they're stuck with an adapter and 3.5mm jack.

Why not include 2 lightning ports. One for charging and another for media usage with the dongle.

Because that defeats the purpose. Apple got rid of the headphone jack to free up space.

Forgot how needed this dongle is. Was setting up to play some music for a funeral today and I go to plug in the 1/8mm jack into my 7Plus, whoops! Got to head home and get the dongle.

I'd keep a 3.5mm Lightning adapter in my car, or my bag.

 

[ActionableMango]

See my previous post (previous page) for my explanation of feelings towards the jack overall.

I am not dismissing your pain in any way. I acknowledge that it will be painful and throw off many people, including myself, many times along the way. Right now I am wearing Sennheiser wired headphones connected to my iPhone 6S.

My point is not to diminish what people want, it is to tell you what I think the iPhone will be like 5-10 years from now and how the headphone jack removal is the second or maybe third sign of that future.

Dumb people think Apple is doing this to make money selling dongles or simply to alienate customers for no reason at all. I'm providing an alternate explanation to that theory. I'm arguing against them, not you.

Another example. I also love the physical mute switch. That switch's days are numbered--it's already started on the iPad. People like you and I will have perfectly valid complaints about that when it happens. But it's still going to happen.

Don't confuse my predictions for my preferences. These are two substantially different things.

 

[2010mini]

Again, I get it- spin in support of whatever Apple does.

My points are that:

• removing 3.5mm didn't have to work against Bluetooth or Lightning at all. iPhone already supported both. So someone like you didn't have to do without or have any pressure on you to use 3.5mm if you wanted to embrace either other option. Instead, it just took something from those who preferred the ubiquity of the defacto and universal audio connection standard and created a fragmented mess that requires your solution- bring along multiple things (multiple sets of headphones or dongles) to be ready for anything... where before, we could just use one set of headphones for everything (enjoying the benefit of much less in the bag).
• it didn't really do anything for us consumers- just took something pretty useful away.
• it didn't meet a strongly-desired, consumer want or need. In other words, it wasn't a matter of a corporation listening to the greatest wants of their consumers and giving it to them.
• the alternatives are relatively weak in some way: one being isolated to pretty much just iOS devices and the other with inferior audio quality, latency issues, and being another thing to hope has sufficient charge

And of course, if one knows exactly what they'll need (such as "if I traveled by plane"), we could bring along only the minimum stuff we would need. But, I find that anticipating audio connections is generally impossible so the safe solution is to bring along EVERYTHING you'll need to be able to connect in just about any scenario. Net result: a heavier bag to be able to do something that used to be just as doable with one good set of headphones or buds.

I'm glad you are happy with Apple's decision. Not all of us share that happiness even if we still buy Apple products and just roll with such hassles as this one.

Just because i disagree with you doesn't mean I am slanted to Apple. In today's market not having 3.5mm on a wireless device is not a make or break deal for most of the consumer market. And this is looks likely where the market is heading. Because Apple isn't the only manufacturer to drop the 3.5mm jack so far. Their sales didn't crash through the basement as a lot of folks here predicted. Correct me if I am wrong but they dropped the 3.5mm for a reason. Not just for looks or wanting to be "courageous."

As for packing for travel..... maybe I'm a little anal. But I think about my mode of travel and where I am staying. I bring two lengths of charging cables. Necessary headphones (on a flight I need sealed (as possible) in-ears) and a portable charger (just in case) depending on the length of the flight/airline, I will bring a wired headset.

But that's just me.

 

[Abazigal]

Super Pathetic on so many levels. Apple sucks balls! Removing a standard is not innovation. Also keeping your crap proprietary lightning port instead of switching to USB C like all other apple products is retarded. So glad I've switched to Android.

The lesson Apple keeps teaching and others keep ignoring is; to create true meaningful change in a market you need to force change. By taking bold unapologetic stances.

Here’s a touchscreen smart phone without the familiarity of a physical Qwerty keyboard. Here’s a large screen tablet without a desktop OS and desktop apps and file system. Here’s a smart phone without a headphone jack.

It's not innovation in the sense of the word, but it does invariably play towards Apple's long term goals (no wires) and I am cool with playing along.

PS: AirPods are awesome.

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

I can safely assume that you don't care the sound quality of your music. There's nothing wrong with that if it's good enough for you listening over Bluetooth headphones. They have the convenience over the wired ones. But when I'm working out I care less about the sound quality. But when I have to sit down and relax jamming to my music gotta have my wired ones.

I use them mostly for drowning out office conversation around me and talking on the phone. But, you are correct, when I want to listen to music, I put on the over the ear headphones.
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I actually haven't used my included adapter as of yet. But since my Airpods purchase, it's been a seamless experience with using them within seconds with the freedom of wires. I find once you use the Airpods, you almost don't want to return to your wired earbuds, even if those do have superior sound over the
Airpods.

And I do foresee Apple to include the adapter for another year, being they realize not everyone has transitioned iPhone 7 as of yet.

I'm just scared about losing them, as I wear them while riding my bike too. I like having the around the neck headphones, so there is something holding on in case they come out of my ear. (only have the sidewalk side earbud in)

 

[Abazigal]

I am not dismissing your pain in any way. I acknowledge that it will be painful and throw off many people, including myself, many times along the way. Right now I am wearing Sennheiser wired headphones connected to my iPhone 6S.

My point is not to diminish what people want, it is to tell you what I think the iPhone will be like 5-10 years from now and how the headphone jack removal is the second or maybe third sign of that future.

Dumb people think Apple is doing this to make money selling dongles or simply to alienate customers for no reason at all. I'm providing an alternate explanation to that theory. I'm arguing against them, not you.

Another example. I also love the physical mute switch. That switch's days are numbered--it's already started on the iPad. People will have perfectly valid complaints about that when it happens. But it's still going to happen.

Don't confuse my predictions for my preferences. These are two substantially different things.

Bingo. This guy gets it.

Nobody is saying the removal of the headphone jack doesn't hurt. What we are saying is that this will worth it.

In short, we need perspective, and Apple has to provide that long-term perspective because people tend to be incapable of looking beyond their own short-term needs.

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

Jealous of you. My Bluetooth music experience has ultimately sucked with spotty connections and constant music drops--even with decent $100+ earbuds and an iPhone 7 Plus. Way overrated currently with a lot of room for improvement.

I'm just using a Jabra headset (not recommended... it pauses a lot on my head movement) that replaced an LG one, that eventually died after 2 1/2 years. I like the around the neck ones.

 

[uwdude]

Many people here are missing the larger picture

Many are thinking about the past, the current day, and maybe a couple of years into future. Apple is planning much, much further than that. They have at least the next couple years worth of iPhones in some type of prototype form. They are throwing around designs for iPhones 3 or 4 years out, and they certainly have ideas and dreams for iPhone models beyond that.

Somewhere in that future there is an iPhone that is just a perfectly smooth iconic slab with a screen on front and a logo on back. No ports, no home button, no switches, no holes. The home button will be under the screen. Charging will be wireless and will work without sitting on a mat. Headphones are going wireless now. Syncing has already been wireless for some time.

They simply cannot do all that at once--look at the uproar over the headphone jack. There would be similar uproar over the ringer switch, volume buttons, etc., especially the Lightning port--people will absolutely rail against removing that. But make those changes over time? We will adapt and adjust. Another reason Apple can't do all this at once is simply that the technology isn't there yet.

So to get to that iconic vision without cataclysmic disruption to the users, Apple will remove one thing at a time, slowly over the years. Last year was the headphone jack. This year or next will be the home button. Some time after that, the other switches and buttons. Then the Lightning port. And eventually, if they can figure it out, the mic and speaker holes too.

Removing the headphone jack is part of that vision. People who claim the move is so Apple can make money on dongles and Airpods have no imagination or foresight.

Quit visioning!! I'm still not over the iPhone not having an Ethernet port!!

 

[Rob_2811]

I'm still interested as to why the headphone jack was removed. I can't actually see any reason for it other that to push people towards purchasing the AirPods. Seems like another strange user hostile decision really.

Lets hope that the iPhone 8 brings something special. The iPhone 7 was actually a step backwards for me, I think thats the first time I've been able to say that about an iPhone.

 

[uwdude]

If they make it thinner they will have to get rid of the buttons too, and maybe the speakers!

 

[Rob_2811]

Apple is planning much, much further than that. They have at least the next couple years worth of iPhones in some type of prototype form. They are throwing around designs for iPhones 3 or 4 years out, and they certainly have ideas and dreams for iPhone models beyond that.

Somewhere in that future there is an iPhone that is just a perfectly smooth iconic slab with a screen on front and a logo on back. No ports, no home button, no switches, no holes. The home button will be under the screen. Charging will be wireless and will work without sitting on a mat. Headphones are going wireless now. Syncing has already been wireless for some time.

Not happening in the next 3 - 4 years !

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Just because i disagree with you doesn't mean I am slanted to Apple.

OK but in my experience, everything I see you post always aligns with Apple. I never see you take a side against some Apple decision and/or with someone taking such a side. If you recall any such post by you, I'd welcome being pointed toward it.

And this one's easy. Those who completely believe that Lightning and/or Bluetooth is "the future" or better or "where things are heading" ALREADY HAD both options when iPhones had a 3.5mm jack too. In other words, if your posts are really your own thoughts on this topic, this decision did nothing for you, nor hindered your own choice with regards to how you listen to audio on iPhone.

Yet here you are taking a side that aligns with Apple's choice against fellow consumers who are not happy with the choice because it did affect their favored use of their iPhones. And how do you do that? The usual ways such as implying that most consumers have gone wireless because you increasingly notice a lack of wired connections in your own travels... and/or spinning these same old points about this issue...

In today's market not having 3.5mm on a wireless device is not a make or break deal for most of the consumer market.

I agree and didn't write that it was. It's not a make or break- just a hassle for those of us who prefer to have that benefit than have it removed. Most of us bought iPhone anyway not because we endorsed the change but because "the rest" made just rolling with that hassle somewhat tolerable.

And this is looks likely where the market is heading.

Again, I agree. But until the replacement options deliver the same or better quality of sound, don't have latency issues, are even modestly as ubiquitous and are a non-proprietary standard, what's the problem in keeping the thoroughly ubiquitous, global standard that "just works" too? All consumers could get what they want between now and when the market gets to that "the future," then the superiority of "the future" can make it natural to deprecate such a feature with hardly anyone missing it... or being hassled with having to carry extra stuff in a bag to approximate the same level of utility we used to have built in.

Because Apple isn't the only manufacturer to drop the 3.5mm jack so far.

So that makes it right? Almost all of the other manufacturers have embraced Android, so should Apple go with that flow too? OR none of the other manufacturers will embrace Lightning, so Apple's choice to do so fragments the replacement hardware. Personally, I could be more content with jumping this gun if Apple had gone with a non-proprietary USB3C- like everyone else will including Apple's own computers- instead of proprietary Lightning that none of the others will embrace.

As a result, to cover all bases, we need ways to link whatever kind of headphones we favor to a variety of connection options... which is fragmentation by choice... not consumer choice, but a corporate one.

Their sales didn't crash through the basement as a lot of folks here predicted.

I don't think people predicted sales crashing through the floor. But apparently for some people, this was their straw. And that's what happens when decisions are made that go against consumer wants. Some opt out. Apple has massive momentum on their side right now, so record sales can be spun to imply that this kind of thing is a non-issue because the dollars say so. But that same argument could be applied to Blackberry year after year as the "crackberry" gained more and more ground. And then what happened?

Correct me if I am wrong but they dropped the 3.5mm for a reason. Not just for looks or wanting to be "courageous."

Correct. A corporation can always spin any decision that they make- good or bad. Look at what United Airlines did right after the recent incident... then went to a strategy of trying to make the Doctor look bad because of some past legal issues... and then finally begun trying to do the right thing after a lot of damage to their brand has been done. Have you seen the consumer proclamations of never flying United again? That could be all hot air but maybe some United loyalists saw that as their last straw with United.

One thing Apple said was they needed to "create space" for some other things. That sounds good and logical... but corporate spin almost always sounds good & logical. I recall Apple making good & logical arguments for 3.5" and 4" as perfect screen sizes for phones and ridiculing larger screen sizes. That's marketing spin to sell what you have or what you want a market to accept.

Of course, if that's true they could have also created that space by backing off the "thinner" stance and making the new one only a fractionally bit thicker to create space AND keep the jack. And if they spun that as the reason for making it modestly thicker, how many of us would have bashed them for it (the same number who clamor for "must be thinner" with every new iDevice launch). If one looks around at objective posters, we consistently see people saying how they think iPhone has become too thin and/or how they would welcome some added thickness for tangible benefits like "more battery." Given the choice of same "thinness" or fractionally thicker but keep the headphone jack, I wonder what consumers would have chosen?

Bottom line: what we got instead was a free "tail" for our iPhones which seems like an uglier, non-Apple-type option than just keeping the jack inside the phone. Of course, we can keep that tail attached to the headphones so it's not always visible but that's just one more chunk of bulk for the bag. Or we can do what you do and lug along more than one set of headphones but that's just more bulk for the bag too. If there was a tangible consumer benefit to the decision, it would be much easier to swallow. Instead, it's just a hassle for those that are not completely content rolling with anything Apple decides is best for ALL of us. We may roll anyway for "the rest" but there's nothing wrong with not being completely happy about it.

 

[marty1980]

Another example. I also love the physical mute switch. That switch's days are numbered--it's already started on the iPad. People like you and I will have perfectly valid complaints about that when it happens. But it's still going to happen.

Don't confuse my predictions for my preferences. These are two substantially different things.

Don't confuse what my actual issues are with how Apple has handled the removal of the jack.

To reiterate from previous posts: I prefer Apple do one or more of a few things:

1) Include decent Bluetooth headphones in the box instead of Lightning headphones

2) Increase the cost of the iPhone to allow AirPods to be included in the box

3) Include 3.5mm headphones instead of lightning headphones

4) Include a Lightning to 3.5mm in the box instead of the other way around. Or both. But damnit release the adapter for $9.

I don't necessarily need a headphone jack, but I sure as hell don't want their useless Lightning headphones.

 

[oliversl]

I can't connect a new iPhone's headphone to a new MacBook Pro. Ahh, I must buy the Airpods instead? I see what you did there ...

 

[Col4bin]

I'm just using a Jabra headset (not recommended... it pauses a lot on my head movement) that replaced an LG one, that eventually died after 2 1/2 years. I like the around the neck ones.

My issues occur when I'm outside and I have my phone in my pocket--it seems to greatly weaken the connection with my earbuds. Maybe Bluetooth 5 or 6, right?