I own airpods. They are good. I have an SE so this doesn't apply to me, but I can tell you where it would apply. I have a small mixer for my v-drums. I plug my phone in to play along with songs. I forgot my airpods at work the other day and used some normal earpods I found in a drawer to use during my second job that night. I have a nice pair of headphones I use while mixing. I have an old speaker system in the garage that I plug in to every now and then. I use earpods connected to my work computer all day and sometimes I like to just pop the plug into the phone when someone sends me a video without busting out the earpods and waiting for them to connect. Point is, there was nothing gained by losing the connector, but a lot was lost. In my case, they lost one iPhone upgrade. They don't care, and I don't really care either, but I'm not stupid for wanting a 3.5mm port.
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Apple's Headphone Jack Adapter Remains a Top Seller at Best Buy
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It's funny that Best Buy's best selling Apple product is something that restores a feature that Apple removed, and it has a rating of 1.5 stars out of 5 on Apple's own website. People are clearly not happy about the removal of the jack, nor are they happy with the adapter that's meant to restore the function.
If you want to listen to music in your car, chances are you don't have Bluetooth and it's not like you're going to buy a new car just because of Apple's stupid decision. So you use an AUX cable like normal people and for that you need a headphone jack. If you just bought the car, then it's likely that in 10 years you'll still have the same car, so even in 10 years, you'll still need a headphone jack.
Wireless headphones are nice, but wired headphones aren't going away because the best headphones, used by audio technicians, are going to stay wired for a long time. Audio recorders don't come with Bluetooth. And having to buy wired AND wireless headphones is unnecessarily expensive.
Floppies went away and were replaced by CDs, which were replaced by internet downloads. But floppies, CDs and the internet were only used by computers at the time, so it was an easier transition. Headphone jacks are used by computers, phones, music players, cars, audio recorders, audio interfaces, microphones, cameras, and many more devices. Therefore, wireless headphones aren't a direct replacement to wired headphones. They are a new product that exist in parallel, and this isn't going to change for a long time. I don't see DJs and audio technicians buying new equipment just for this, nor do I see Sound Devices or Zoom releasing recorders with Bluetooth in their high end products any time soon.
If you want to listen to music in your car, chances are you don't have Bluetooth and it's not like you're going to buy a new car just because of Apple's stupid decision. So you use an AUX cable like normal people and for that you need a headphone jack. If you just bought the car, then it's likely that in 10 years you'll still have the same car, so even in 10 years, you'll still need a headphone jack.
Wireless headphones are nice, but wired headphones aren't going away because the best headphones, used by audio technicians, are going to stay wired for a long time. Audio recorders don't come with Bluetooth. And having to buy wired AND wireless headphones is unnecessarily expensive.
Floppies went away and were replaced by CDs, which were replaced by internet downloads. But floppies, CDs and the internet were only used by computers at the time, so it was an easier transition. Headphone jacks are used by computers, phones, music players, cars, audio recorders, audio interfaces, microphones, cameras, and many more devices. Therefore, wireless headphones aren't a direct replacement to wired headphones. They are a new product that exist in parallel, and this isn't going to change for a long time. I don't see DJs and audio technicians buying new equipment just for this, nor do I see Sound Devices or Zoom releasing recorders with Bluetooth in their high end products any time soon.
My biggest issue isn’t that they removed the headphone jack, but the lack of consistency among products.
How’s this: I bought an iPhone 8 late last year, so for the first time, got the lightning headphones. A month ago, I buy a new MBP, with the force down your throat new USB-C plugs, without an adaptor included, and no other inputs. Except an old headphone jack. And unlike the iPhone, where an adaptor exists to plug traditional headphones in, there is nothing I am aware of to go the other way. So the new headphones that came with my iPhone literally can not be plugged into my MBP. Let’s not forget the MBP was released AFTER the iPhone 7. So why are they forcing use of upgraded USB plugs, but old headphone plugs? Makes no sense to me.
How’s this: I bought an iPhone 8 late last year, so for the first time, got the lightning headphones. A month ago, I buy a new MBP, with the force down your throat new USB-C plugs, without an adaptor included, and no other inputs. Except an old headphone jack. And unlike the iPhone, where an adaptor exists to plug traditional headphones in, there is nothing I am aware of to go the other way. So the new headphones that came with my iPhone literally can not be plugged into my MBP. Let’s not forget the MBP was released AFTER the iPhone 7. So why are they forcing use of upgraded USB plugs, but old headphone plugs? Makes no sense to me.
That's what I think is going to be the dumbest thing I read today. Thanks.
I leave the pair that came with my iPhone X on a pair of wired earphones that are better in noisy environments than AirPods. But I got a second one to leave on a clip-on tuner pickup that works with an app on my iPhone (a bit more accurate than a standalone clip-on tuner). Since I have a case (soft silicone that's pocketable and also keeps them tangle-free) for the earphones and leave the tuner pickup in the ukulele's case, neither gets lost.
The marketshare would appear to be relevant until you realize that Apple takes in more profits by percent than Android has marketshare by percent. You don't think that profits are relevant to a discussion of how well a company is doing.
Interesting.
This is why I'm pulling away from Apple. They just don't seem to know what direction they're going in.
iPhone: Lightning, no headphones
iPad: Lightning, headphones
MacBook Air: USB, SD slot, headphones, no lightning
MacBook: USB-C, headphones, no lightning
MacBook Pro: USB-C, headphones
Every product has a different bunch of connectors. And for a company who says the headphone jack is dead, the majority of their products have it, and only two have lightning.
I'd use it on the Switch and on my work PC (which is a Dell.)
Plus of course my iPhone (I assume I'd buy a new one in the next year or two) and maybe the Apple Watch will finally have features that look useful enough for me to buy it.
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You were the one who said that marketshare is irrelevant.
Not sure how it's possible that another company taking 75% of the global market (that Apple created) can be excluded from the understanding of how well Apple is doing.
They seem to like to eat the scraps from Google's table, and reinforce that position every time they stick their finger in their users' eye. Like when they refuse to allow headphones.
Seems relevant to me.
I don't think that either marketshare or profits are irrelevant to the discussion of a company's strategy and/or success.
You were the one who said that marketshare is irrelevant.
Not sure how it's possible that another company taking 75% of the global market (that Apple created) can be excluded from the understanding of how well Apple is doing.
They seem to like to eat the scraps from Google's table, and reinforce that position every time they stick their finger in their users' eye. Like when they refuse to allow headphones.
Seems relevant to me.
This says a lot about how "unnecessary" and "obsolete" the headphone jack is.
I do think you can use them as a standard bluetooth headset assuming the devices you mentioned have blueooth. Just isn't as seamless and easy as using it with the W1.
When your best selling product works exclusively with a specific phone, it just means that most people will choose that "form over function" in great numbers and that people care enough about the headphone jack to get a cheap adapter, but obviously they don't care enough to get a different phone.
It also means that they loose things (like the bundled adapter from the box) way too easily.
The truth is: regular people don't care. It's only places like this (and The Verge) where people are loosing their minds over something as trivial.
Also: if people were given a choice: choose between bigger battery and better water resistance and having to use an adapter VS having the headphone jack, I think most people would choose the "courageous" option.
Btw, "bigger battery and better water/dust resistance" is function, not form.
It's inconvenient to carry the headphone. A lot of people keep a pair of headphone in each car, a pair at home and a pair in the office. The same story for the charging cables.
Getting rid of the headphone jack was stupid and always will be stupid and this is coming from a heavy AirPods user. Their claims of needing space ring hollow and the reality is they didn’t replace it with something superior in all ways the way past harsh transitions took place USB and CD-Rom come to mind.
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They didn’t explicitly show space saving and water resistance required it, but whatever.
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They didn’t explicitly show space saving and water resistance required it, but whatever.
Read the article. AirPods are the best selling Apple product at Best Buy. The world is going wireless. People don't care as much as people in this echo chamber seem to think. Bluetooth is basically standard in cars these days or there is a USB input. Audio technicians are a subset of a subset. Apple isn't catering to the needs of audio technicians. Also dont forget iPhones include a pair of wired headphones AND an adapter for use with any other pair of headphones.
Sounds like a lot of work. They're not worth much of anything to me and on top of that I'd need to spend at least an hour or more of my time dealing with putting them up for sale, dealing with the sale, packaging and labeling them, going to the post office, paying for postage, and making sure they get there. If I made even $20 for all my time I'd be surprised. At that price I'll just throw them in the trash as it's not worth the time.
Nope, not this one.
I'm not a earpod using simpleton who is happy because those two items are great for me, and all I need.
I'm a huge fan and user of BT audio gear, own no fewer that 10 different models for various applications, over ear, bone conduction, super noise cancelling etc. So I'm not al all advocating that wireless isn't awesome, it is.
But the headphone jack was used by may other 3rd party hardware makers from lapel mics, handy for comm recording in private planes and heli's, anemometer sensors and app were also handy. Plus charging/listening while air travelling.
So just because YOU are living your simple life, doesn't mean that many others used and appreciated the ubiquitous headphone jack that simply didn't have to go.
Yes, I can jump away, and well that day is coming.
Yes, but what if you happen to be someone who uses their headphones with other—non-ios—devices?
My iPhone SE is working fine with my "wired" Sennheiser headphones w/o need for a dongle...
Wireless headphones have their use for some occasions and applications, but when I'm travelling, e.g., I don't want to worry about having them fully charged ahead of any long (10h+) plane flight, and then figuring out on how to re-charge them during the flight.
Wireless headphones have their use for some occasions and applications, but when I'm travelling, e.g., I don't want to worry about having them fully charged ahead of any long (10h+) plane flight, and then figuring out on how to re-charge them during the flight.
You expect Apple to price the AirPods considerably for $100 less? And where would be the profit in that? They are a company out to make profit. Also for the record, the AirPods are actually priced significantly _lower_ than the competition, they provide excellent technology with the W1 one chip and they stellar battery life. I think they’re priced reasonably where they should be, given that some Bluetooth headsets are priced higher that don’t have the technology or battery efficiency the AirPods do.
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Apple should outsource their dongle business into a separate company. Certainly the kind of stock a MR reader would buy. 100% secure investment with an almost guaranteed growth as long as Timi is in charge.
You know, I think your post is really reasonable, and respect you for saying it but personally, I've always thought that including the adaptor was an indication that even apple thought it was pushing things a bit too much. For example they didn't include a floppy drive or superdrive with their computers when they removed them. If you really think this is the future, then commit one hundred percent. Given that the iPhone X costs such a premium, well over a grand for essentially a different screen to the 8/8+, they really should have included airpods with the iPhone X. Just my IMO.
Also, I'm happy for everyone that loves their wireless headphones be it airpods or otherwise, but how would it have been a bad thing if Apple offered the airpods and kept the headphone jack? Please someone explain this point to me.
BTW, how much does it cost Apple to manufacture these dongles en masses? 50 cents? 25 cents? So how much profit have they made by selling something that used to come free with the device? Can someone smarter than me calculate it please?
Lastly, let me remind you guys that no one, NO ONE, on these forums was advocating for the removal of the headphone jack before we heard the rumours that Apple were going to do it, despite excellent wireless headphones existing already. So I personally feel some of the pEople coming to Apple's defense after the fact are jumping on a bandwagon.
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