Apple's Headphone Jack Adapter Remains a Top Seller at Best Buy

[Abazigal]

Why does that not surprise me

You have still to explain the (in) convenience of Airpods when out in public places like coffee shops and trains.

I actually addressed that in my earlier post (edited it after posting it because your second part wasn’t there when I was typing out my response using Tapatalk). In a nutshell, I am just not in public transport often enough for it to be an issue (I walk to work, my colleague gives me a lift home after work, and I generally rely on ride hailing to get around). And if I eat in public, it’s typically with company, so it would be rude to use headphones anyways.

So it just hasn’t really been an issue for me by virtue of me not needing to be in those situations where Airpods would suck.

 

[Roadstar]

I actually addressed that in my earlier post (edited it after posting it because your second part wasn’t there when I was typing out my response using Tapatalk). In a nutshell, I am just not in public transport often enough for it to be an issue (I walk to work, my colleague gives me a lift home after work, and I generally rely on ride hailing to get around). And if I eat in public, it’s typically with company, so it would be rude to use headphones anyways.

So it just hasn’t really been an issue for me by virtue of me not needing to be in those situations where Airpods would suck.

Also one user’s complaint about the AirPods in public transport is a single anecdote. I have a contrasting anecdote in my earlier post.

 

[Abazigal]

Wait so you don't even really listen to music but keep harping on about how good AirPods are. For listening to Podcasts, sure BT headphones are the way to go, no doubt. However for listening to music that annoying wire makes all the difference to audio quality.

I don’t know if it’s the nature of the music I listen to (typically mandopop, kpop and just pop music in general), but the music sounds pretty decent over my Airpods.

Not saying there aren’t better alternatives (and I have heard better), but sound quality is good enough, and whatever I sacrifice in this area is more than compensated in other aspects such as comfort and portability.

Also one user’s complaint about the AirPods in public transport is a single anecdote. I have a contrasting anecdote in my earlier post.

Fair enough. The few times I took a train to get around, the engine had this really persistent hum which just drowned out my Airpods, and I didn’t want to crank the volume all the way up (could be an underground thing). It’s less an issue on buses for me.

 

[Gilligan's last elephant]

Well, one convenience factor for me is the case that also charges the AirPods multiple times. With my other Bluetooth headsets I’ve run into situations where I notice I’m almost out of battery when leaving from work, so no podcasts for me during that commute then. The AirPods have charged themselves during the workday in their case and the case itself needs charging far less often than my other compact Bluetooth headphones.

So when commuting to work, why not charge the headphones at work so they are fully charged for the commute home. Doesn't seem like rocket science. That way you can enjoy better quality audio on your commute and actually be able to hear them.
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I don’t know if it’s the nature of the music I listen to (typically mandopop, kpop and just pop music in general), but the music sounds pretty decent over my Airpods.

Not saying there aren’t better alternatives (and I have heard better), but sound quality is good enough, and whatever I sacrifice in this area is more than compensated in other aspects such as comfort and portability.

Well there are better alternatives that can be used in places like coffee shops and trains, where by your own admission, Airpods are useless

 

[Roadstar]

So when commuting to work, why not charge the headphones at work so they are fully charged for the commute home. Doesn't seem like rocket science. That way you can enjoy better quality audio on your commute and actually be able to hear them.

I don’t always remember to do that, and my other compact Bluetooth headphones (Sony SBH-70 and Plantronics BackBeat Fit) aren’t better in any meaningful way when it comes to noise isolation and they are more annoying to charge. I’d have to wear my Sennheiser PXC-550s to make a difference in noise isolation, but they arent’t compact anymore.

 

[ctrlzone]

What, so every other audio product in the world has a lightning connector?

no, but bluetooth, even the lightning connector will go away soon, just like any connector out there.

 

[Abazigal]

So when commuting to work, why not charge the headphones at work so they are fully charged for the commute home. Doesn't seem like rocket science. That way you can enjoy better quality audio on your commute and actually be able to hear them.

You see how badly the Airpods have spoiled us?

Well there are better alternatives that can be used in places like coffee shops and trains, where by your own admission, Airpods are useless

No doubt there are.

I am not saying the Airpods are perfect, just that they currently are the best mix of sound quality, ease of use and portability for me based on my use case.

Let’s see what Apple comes up with for Airpods 2.0 and that high end pro headphones they are rumoured to be working on.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Wait so you don't even really listen to music but keep harping on about how good AirPods are. For listening to Podcasts, sure BT headphones are the way to go, no doubt. However for listening to music that annoying wire makes all the difference to audio quality.

Who doesn't listen to music? I guess there are some people then.

 

[Gilligan's last elephant]

You see how badly the Airpods have spoiled us?

Until you forget to charge the case However, Senheisser Bluetooth phones will last around 24 hours between charge and allow a wired connection when the batteries fail. Seems a better option. My issue with charging a product that can last days is that one tends to forget. So with my tablet, I put it on charge each night so I never find its out of charge. If I forget one night it then isn't an issue.

 

[Abazigal]

Until you forget to charge the case However, Senheisser Bluetooth phones will last around 24 hours between charge and allow a wired connection when the batteries fail. Seems a better option. My issue with charging a product that can last days is that one tends to forget. So with my tablet, I put it on charge each night so I never find its out of charge. If I forget one night it then isn't an issue.

Yeah, that’s definitely happened to me a couple of times. At least the Airpods themselves hold enough of a charge to get me to work where I could then charge them.

Wish there was a way to view the battery remaining in the Airpods case when the Airpods were not in them.

 

[Gilligan's last elephant]

Also one user’s complaint about the AirPods in public transport is a single anecdote. I have a contrasting anecdote in my earlier post.

I was directly responding to a single user's anecdote, directly to that user, which makes it relevant. I find it bizarre a person can praise a product to such an extent and admit they are a failure in a very common usage case.

EDIT: I have seen a few comments from users about the Airpods lack of noise isolation which is really poor in that price range.

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You see how badly the Airpods have spoiled us?


No doubt there are.

I am not saying the Airpods are perfect, just that they currently are the best mix of sound quality, ease of use and portability for me based on my use case.

Let’s see what Apple comes up with for Airpods 2.0 and that high end pro headphones they are rumoured to be working on.

And I am sure that when Apple release their "high end headphones" all your previous issues with on ear headphones like interference with your glasses will disappear like sna' aff a dyke

 

[Abazigal]

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And I am sure that when Apple release their "high end headphones" all your previous issues with on ear headphones like interference with your glasses will disappear like sna' aff a dyke

I am cautiously optimistic.

And I also forgot to mention another reason I have come to love my Airpods. Streaming music from my Apple Watch. No headphone jack there.

 

[ipponrg]

The reality is that more and more users are opting to hold on to their existing smartphones (many as old as the 5s or 6) instead of upgrading because they are good enough for their needs.

For those specific users, it's not really "opting". They are simply not thinking about it.

Wearables is the obvious answer. WWDC showed a heavy emphasis on AR, which likely paves the way for a pair of AR glasses in the near future.

Consumer AR glasses just like VR technology as it is today isn't going to grow the company as you think it might. However, if they can address a use case such as Google glasses in the hospitals, then you might have something there. But when was the last time Apple has really done something useful outside of consumers? I might give you its classroom tools, but it gets stomped by Google.

Apple Watch continues to gain more functionality, and it's really only a matter of time before it gains independence from the iPhone. A line of health-tracking wearables and maybe even smart clothing from Apple (weren't they rumoured to be working on a glucose monitor?) doesn't sound all that radical coming from Apple. We already have bits and pieces of the technology in place, from W1 chip, to the fabric used in the iPad Smart Keyboard, to Apple's expertise with miniaturisation.

Until they greatly improve the watch's battery life and can replicate the iPhone's functionality completely, then no.

Then there's content distribution, between News, Apple Music, their purchase of Texture, the rumoured video streaming service, revamped stocks, books and podcast apps. Apple is in a prime position to manage how content is being distributed to its users. My guess is a single subscription for news, music, video and maybe even iCloud storage?

It makes sense what they are trying to do. Try to replicate and build a unification of their services and create a sustaining plan to drive their revenue higher. I disagree they are in a "prime" position though. They are probably using this as a live A/B test as what they seem to do and pivot from there.

Additional accessories in the form of the homepod, airpods, the upcoming Pro Apple headphones, and who knows what else is cooking in their labs also form a good source of supplementary income.

There's also Apple's self-driving and health initiatives. I don't know how Apple plans to monetise them, but they obviously wouldn't invest in these areas if there wasn't money to be made.

And all this works because by virtue of the iPhone, Apple has access to the best customers who have a higher propensity to spend and generally seem more amenable to adopting new Apple features.

So my answer - look to the future, not to the past.

Do you agree that the past gives you a glimpse into the future? There is no company out there that is immune to a fall.

I think Apple would be the last company on earth to "need" a good source of supplementary income, although they definitely tear consumers' wallets for their 1st party accessories.

I agree in that the health initiatives might be an avenue considering how slow the health sectors are. I disagree that self-driving is going to have an immediate impact. Self-driving is pretty useless if you can't have it in the big cities.

 

[Abazigal]

For those specific users, it's not really "opting". They are simply not thinking about it.

Either way...

Consumer AR glasses just like VR technology as it is today isn't going to grow the company as you think it might. However, if they can address a use case such as Google glasses in the hospitals, then you might have something there. But when was the last time Apple has really done something useful outside of consumers? I might give you its classroom tools, but it gets stomped by Google.

Apple’s strength is in mainstreaming technology and making it accessible to the masses. They are not going to bother if the AR glasses has only a niche use case for a select group of users.

When you look at all the AR demos they have done, there’s a common problem. They all involve holding up the iPhones and iPads, which look tiring after a while.

So my guess is Apple is using their iOS devices to find out which AR applications make sense on mobile, identity the pain points, then “magically” solve them with a pair of AR glasses you don’t have to hold.

The idea is to have the glasses provide a level of utility similar to the Apple Watch so people willingly wear them 24/7.

Until they greatly improve the watch's battery life and can replicate the iPhone's functionality completely, then no.

I don’t think you need to replicate the iPhone’s functionality 100%, just take on enough of it that users are comfortable leaving their phones at home, even if it is just for short trips.

Even right now, the Apple Watch is capable of streaming music, maps, Siri, Apple Pay, messaging and health tracking while away from your phone. I can go for a run, then stop at a grocery store and so on without needing my phone.

It makes sense what they are trying to do. Try to replicate and build a unification of their services and create a sustaining plan to drive their revenue higher. I disagree they are in a "prime" position though. They are probably using this as a live A/B test as what they seem to do and pivot from there.

Well, Apple already has a fair number of Apple Music subscribers. Doesn’t seem that hard to market to these people and get them to upgrade for just a little more each month.

I am thinking $20 a month for music, video and news, plus a bit of iCloud storage? In turn representing even greater lock-in for its users.

Do you agree that the past gives you a glimpse into the future? There is no company out there that is immune to a fall.

That goes without saying.

But if people want to claim that they know why Apple will fall, then they should at least first demonstrate an understanding of how Apple even grew to become as successful as it is today.

Until then, I see no reason to believe that Apple is losing (or has lost) its way. And no, choosing not to focus on its Mac line is not proof of this either.

I think Apple would be the last company on earth to "need" a good source of supplementary income, although they definitely tear consumers' wallets for their 1st party accessories.

Well, as iPhone sales stagnate, the next logical source of income would be expensive first-party accessories (essentially extracting more value from each customer if you can’t grow your customer base).

I agree in that the health initiatives might be an avenue considering how slow the health sectors are. I disagree that self-driving is going to have an immediate impact. Self-driving is pretty useless if you can't have it in the big cities.

I admit I have no idea how self driving will impact Apple’s bottom line. Just that if they are doing it, there’s definitely going to be money that can be made somehow.

That’s just my take on this at any rate.

 

[falcn]

Are you saying wireless headphones didn't exist before airpods or that the quality of pre-Airpod wireless headphones were lacking? (FYI it's a trick question because both options are incorrect).

Also please give me an example, concrete evidence of how Apple dropping the headphone jack solely pushed the industry forward and would have otherwise not occured if not for Apple. That's an open question for everyone else spouting this nonsense without proof, enough with the non-specific statements and let's get scientific please.

Yeah, let's get scientific.

Here is the first report about Airpods, a couple of months before it was officially announced.
According to this article, the only thing that existed before that was Bragi Dash.

https://www.theverge.com/2016/1/8/10737806/apple-beats-wireless-earbuds-iphone-7-rumor

Dash was far from perfect.

I have a pair of Jabra Elite Sports, Jabra's answer to Airpods, and I'm very happy with them. Nothing like that existed before Apple shifted the focus to wireless earbuds by removing the headphone jack. Now you have a great choice from all major brands.

 

[travelsheep]

This is called bridging technology.

we get it. you have a bluetooth headset. congratulations. you are a man of the future. so amazing. everybody applause.

 

[Nieval]

Yeah, let's get scientific.

Here is the first report about Airpods, a couple of months before it was officially announced.
According to this article, the only thing that existed before that was Bragi Dash.

https://www.theverge.com/2016/1/8/10737806/apple-beats-wireless-earbuds-iphone-7-rumor

Dash was far from perfect.

I have a pair of Jabra Elite Sports, Jabra's answer to Airpods, and I'm very happy with them. Nothing like that existed before Apple shifted the focus to wireless earbuds by removing the headphone jack. Now you have a great choice from all major brands.

I don't follow so simplify your point for me please. What I summise is:
1. Before the airpods there were no wireless headphones except the Dash
2. The invention of the airpods prompted the invention of wireless headphones afterwards the effect of which meant customers now have a choice that otherwise would no exist.

Genuinely I'm asking for clarification so I can be sure when I reply I'm answering your points because I don't quite follow and don't want to post gibberish.

Sorry bear with me dude.

Also by scientific I mean what scientific technological advancement has the airpods ushered in that has propelled the wireless audio section forward. That was the real point of my comment so if you want answer that point for me. If you don't want then cool but thought I'd just clarify what I meant by scientific and point out that it wasn't sarcasm as you may have perceived but actual scientific technology and methodology you know.

It's all good tho, my dude.

 

[ReneR]

Apple's fastest growing product category.

yep, a dongle for everything, even DVI to DVI, …

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This is true. Wireless will eventually be the standard. But this really speaks to Apple's (albeit small) misfire when it came to this idea. It is a big reason I still hold onto my 6s Plus.

yep, me too, just glued a new pseudo tempered glass, and crystal case to hopefully preserve my 6s further:

I will not buy a new iPHone without headphone jack, and yes I also have bluetooth headsets, but I still mostly prefer wired ones, especially for travel and such. At least I can now use Apt-x on Linux

 

[falcn]

I don't follow so simplify your point for me please.

I don't know if Apple had any role in creating standards that made Airpods and Airpods alternatives possible.

What I do know is that
1) introduction of an iPhone without 3.5mm headphone jack significantly increased market for wireless headphones, forcing major headphone makers to shift their priorities.

2) introduction of Airpods set a bar for expectations for truly wireless headphones. Before Airpods, truly wireless headphones were expected to have some flaws because it was considered a bleeding edge technology. After Airpods, reviewers will demolish your truly wireless headphones if they are worse than Apple's.

 

[DeeEss]

Disgusting. It's absolute robbery.

When you make a cash grab from your loyal customers it really starts to smell bad.

Apple is a highly unethical company who stops at nothing to get the cash from you, designing in things like this to make you have to spend more money for no reason at all.

Ugly, ugly, ugly.

 

[Nieval]

Okay so lets recap, this discussion started with your comment:

Well, I have iPhone SE, which still has headphone port, but I own decent wireless headphones thanks to Apple's decision to drop the port from it's flagship phones, and I'm very happy with them. My headphones would not exist if Apple wouldn't went that road. They pushed wireless industry forward.

To which I replied:

Are you saying wireless headphones didn't exist before airpods or that the quality of pre-Airpod wireless headphones were lacking? (FYI it's a trick question because both options are incorrect).
Also please give me an example, concrete evidence of how Apple dropping the headphone jack solely pushed the industry forward and would have otherwise not occurred if not for Apple. That's an open question for everyone else spouting this nonsense without proof, enough with the non-specific statements and let's get scientific please.

Then you answered:

I don't know if Apple had any role in creating standards that made Airpods and Airpods alternatives possible.
What I do know is that
1) introduction of an iPhone without 3.5mm headphone jack significantly increased market for wireless headphones, forcing major headphone makers to shift their priorities.
2) introduction of Airpods set a bar for expectations for truly wireless headphones. Before Airpods, truly wireless headphones were expected to have some flaws because it was considered a bleeding edge technology. After Airpods, reviewers will demolish your truly wireless headphones if they are worse than Apple's.

...............................................................................

Right with context now established and your argument point calrified here's my reply. You say:

I don't know if Apple had any role in creating standards that made Airpods and Airpods alternatives possible.

So if the Airpods did not introduce new standards from a technological or scientific point of view resulting in widespread adoption, do you agree that it's fair to say that in this one regard the Airpods have not been the advancement to the industry that many have proclaimed it to be?
That was why i disagreed with and took issue with your earlier statement:

My headphones would not exist today without them. They pushed wireless industry forward.

Hence, for the sake of constructive dialogue, I asked for evidence that wasn't circumstantial or personal anecdote but rather scientific, factual and concrete, see my earlier comment:

Also please give me an example, concrete evidence of how Apple dropping the headphone jack solely pushed the industry forward and would have otherwise not occurred if not for Apple. That's an open question for everyone else spouting this nonsense without proof, enough with the non-specific statements and let's get scientific please.

What I do know is that
1) introduction of an iPhone without 3.5mm headphone jack significantly increased market for wireless headphones, forcing major headphone makers to shift their priorities.

While it's undoubtedly true that consumer headphone makers would not want to miss out on the iPhone market it does not mean that Apple removing the headphone jack has allowed this to happen.
The point you're missing is as follows: Airpods' strength is the convenience factor and not audio quality as many here have pointed out. This convenience comes from wireless technology enabling features like pause on removal, seamless pairing, hands-free siri, etc. Yet in reality, these features are from the W1 chip and not wireless technology standards per say. If you want iPhone users to buy your wireless product you must compete against Airpods and therefore need to provide the same standard of convenience as a minimum. Here's the catch: Apple demands a premium from any company that wants to implement W1 chip in their headphones.
This is the opposite of open competition, in fact, the presence of the headphone jack ensured that a free, widely recognized standard was accessible to all manufacturers and meant anyone could produce headphones for the iPhone.

2) Introduction of Airpods set a bar for expectations for truly wireless headphones. Before Airpods, truly wireless headphones were expected to have some flaws because it was considered a bleeding edge technology. After Airpods, reviewers will demolish your truly wireless headphones if they are worse than Apple's.

Dude take a step back and break down what Apple did:
So not only did they not remove the headphone jack earlier even despite excellent wireless headphones from Bose, Sony, Sennheiser (to name a few, also note headphones not earbuds) but they remove it while co-incidentally introducing their wireless solution in the shape of airpods & also reap the profits of selling a 5 cent dongle for 9 dollars, all the while demanding a premium for the W1 chip if headphone companies want to compete against them for the ears iPhone owners and even programming iOS to not allow implementation of similar features without the W1 chip.

They claimed it was for water-proofing but other manufacturers have waterproof phones with headphone jacks. They even claim it's for the new bezel-less screen but they still left it out of the iPhone 8 (even though they sell the iPhone SE with a headphone jack).

Nah man, the only standard here is a new standard of manipulating your fanbase, competition and the market to bend to your knee and the only courage here is the courage to attempt such brazen daylight robbery.

And lastly

Before Airpods, truly wireless headphones were expected to have some flaws because it was considered a bleeding edge technology. After Airpods, reviewers will demolish your truly wireless headphones if they are worse than Apple's

Wireless headphones like the BOSE QC 30/35 wireless, Bower & Wilkins P5 wireless, Sennheiser's Momentum 2.0 wireless headphones/PXC 550, Sony MDR-1000X were all excellent with little flaws that were on the market long before Airpods were introduced let alone made available for sale to name a few. Some of them even have active noise cancellation making them technologically more advanced than airpods despite being older.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Disgusting. It's absolute robbery.

When you make a cash grab from your loyal customers it really starts to smell bad.

Apple is a highly unethical company who stops at nothing to get the cash from you, designing in things like this to make you have to spend more money for no reason at all.

Ugly, ugly, ugly.

But you don't have to spend anymore. You can use the headphones in the box or you can use the provided adapter so you can carry on using any old pairs of headphones you have.

 

[Kabeyun]

we get it. you have a bluetooth headset. congratulations. you are a man of the future. so amazing. everybody applause.

No I don’t. I have Audio Technicas connected with the adapter. I guess you don’t get it! Everybody laugh! LMAO!!

 

[falcn]

Okay so lets recap

Sorry man, I don't have motivation to fight hardcore forum battles.

I'll try to keep it short.

I don't care about wireless headphones like Sony MDR-1000X and alike, because, just like their wired counterparts, they can't be used during vigorous training, when you move a lot and sweat a lot. And when I'm not training, I don't mind having a wire.

I had two pairs of "sport" bluetooth earbuds. First one had left and right pieces connected by a wire, second one had left and right pieces attached by a short wire to a neck thingy. You know the kind.

I hated them. Both of them did not gave me the level of comfort I was hoping for, both of them stopped working after a few months of training due to mechanical stress and sweat.

I kept an eye on "truly wireless" headphones from Bragi and some obscure startups, but, aside from being truly wireless, they truly sucked. Pairing problems, connectivity/stability issues, audio delay when watching a movie and more.
Reviewers were like "yeah, they are barely usable, but what did you expect, it's still a bleeding edge technology...".

Enter the Airpods, first truly wireless earbuds which doesn't suck. I don't give a **** if it's W1, or magic, what matters is that they just work. No delays, no pairing hell, no desync, no audio drops. It put huge pressure on competitors to fix their ****.

I tried Airpods, but I liked Jabra's "airpods" more. They have more features. I bought them just for training, but I ended up using them for everything, because they just work.

I can use only one if I want to. When I put a second one in my ear, it somehow knows what is going on, and starts playing instantly. If I remove it, it switches to mono. Magic! Rock solid connection. Great range. Zero delay. Good sound quality. Waterproof. HR monitor that puts Apple Watch to shame. 4 microphones with audio passthrough. Great fit: they stay in my ears no matter what I do, and I forget I'm wearing them. Awesome case. Adequate battery life.

There was nothing like this on the market before Airpods. Thanks Apple!
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I think you’re confusing want and practical necessity. I’m all in on Bluetooth headphones, but I also want to listen to podcasts and music from my phone when I drive, and my 2011 Ford has Bluetooth for call audio only. Media audio relies on the aux jack and unfortunately I’m not rich or stupid enough to ditch an otherwise perfectly functional car just because my phone vendor decided to have a courageous moment.

You can use dirt cheap bluetooth to FM converter that also doubles up as a USB charger.

https://www.lifewire.com/best-iphone-fm-transmitters-for-car-1999388

 

[AmazingRobie]

Wait, phone sales are down?

Q2 2017: 50.76m
Q2 2018: 52.22m

That doesn't look down to me?

If there were a way to see who purchased these additional phones, one might see that a large portion of the stock goes to places like wal-mart and the service providers (AT&T, Verizon, ect.) in anticipation of sales. If sales of the phone are down they do deals like "two for one with new contract" and the like, so yeah, the service providers help Apple and Apple probably cuts them a bulk discount. It's a you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours type of situation. Those are unit numbers not dollars.