Barclays Predicts 2018 iPhones Won't Come Bundled With Lightning to Headphone Jack Adapter

[honglong1976]

Can you explain why wired headphones are a "legacy" device? The majority of all devices being manufactured which provide audio have a headphone socket.
This goes across Apple laptops/tablets, the majority of Android phones sold, amplifiers/stereo systems, games consoles, probably all windows laptops, Chromebooks etc etc etc.
[doublepost=1525163683][/doublepost]
So I take it that Apple don't provide headphone sockets on any of their tablets and laptops.

adjective: legacy

1. 1.
   denoting or relating to software or hardware that has been superseded but is difficult to replace because of its wide use.

Bluetooth is outselling wired devices (this was in 2016 https://gizmodo.com/bluetooth-has-finally-outsold-wired-headphones-1784543501). Have Bluetooth headphones superseded wired headphones? In my house yes. Where I work, students nearly all use Bluetooth headphones, so at my college yes. Are wired headphones difficult to replace because of widespread use? No. With headphones sockets going, they will be legacy!

Same for speakers! In the 90's I had a hi-fi, then upgraded, then to 5.1 etc. Now, I use a small speaker I bluetooth too. Hi-fi separates are starting (if not already) to become a niche product. Sad but true! I miss my amp and speakers along with exotic cables which we swore improved the sound (which we had to say to justify the £20 per meter it cost).

 

[obiwan]

I think “legacy” is the wrong term here. Rather, it’s more that Apple has a very specific experience in mind for the user (iPhone, Apple Watch, Airpods, AirPower) and their design decisions is geared towards enabling this setup (as well as steering users towards it through the removal of the headphone jack).

Apple's specific user experience they have in mind excludes audio professionals. They are attempting to own a universal standard of audio connectivity, and then subject people to their own proprietary implementation of it. It reminds me a little bit of the time when Microsoft attempted to own Java by writing custom extensions for it in order to modify it for their own benefit (they were eventually sued by Sun Microsystems). It's these anti-competitive practices that I used to lambaste Microsoft for, and now Apple is playing the same game.

Here's an example of an audio professional using only an iPhone to record/mix and produce a song. - Note he is not using AirPods to mix his track, but a pair of professional studio monitor headphones, plugged into that ridiculous lightning adaptor.

Until professional studios can record without plugging in audio cables, Apple has not 'solved' the wireless audio 'problem'.

 

[DNichter]

Or no longer buy iPhones.
[doublepost=1525160188][/doublepost]
Most people who prefer wired headphones, especially when traveling, use devices with the 3.5 phone jack. That's another way of saying they don't buy iPhones anymore. This is a reasonable move by Apple, as the folks that still buy iPhones post 6S don't care about wired headphones, at least for use with their phones. That's why you hear so many on this forum piping up "Good riddance, I never used the dongle anyway."

That's certainly an option as well. Buy what works for you.
[doublepost=1525173543][/doublepost]

Well at the time of me writing this comment, his comment has twice as many likes. So....

I am not sure a bunch of people complaining on tech forums about a missing headphone jack is a fair representation of the common consumer, but hey maybe. If you want to stomp your feet and say you'll never buy a phone without one, have at it.
[doublepost=1525173633][/doublepost]

Or we have continued using our 6S or older phones because moving to a newer one hampers the way we like to use our phones. I don't want a dongle, I want a damn headphone jack in the phone.

Guess you're out of luck then. Probably best to move on to alternatives that work better for you.

 

[mrklaw]

Why buy something you don’t need? Most of the 215+ million iPhones Apple sells every year don’t have a headphone jack. Apple maybe ships somewhere around 175 million adapters.

Most people don’t use the adapter. So there’s maybe 125 million headphone adapters going into a drawer or the garbage, every year. What a waste.

If only 50 million people need the adapter, why should the other 125 million pay for something useless (to them)? Because that’s what’s happening. Everyone is paying for that “free” adapter, whether they need/want it or not.

It makes more sense for the people who want one to fork over the $9. If everyone used it, sure include it and everyone will be happy. But really it’s a waste of money and resources to include it in every box, when most don’t use, need or want it.

(Assuming for the moment the analyst’s guess is correct.)

using that argument, wouldn't it make more sense for them to stop including chargers? Way more of those in peoples houses.
[doublepost=1525173961][/doublepost]

To all those saying to adopt AirPods... I may be in the minority here (though I'm hardly alone), but Apple's AirPods quite simply won't fit in my ears. At best they barely "hang" in there for a few seconds before they slip out. And don't even try chewing or yawning, or sneezing, or using them in the gym because that's causes the pods to fall out or get ejected right away. AirPods quite simply are not an option for me. I wish Apple would acknowledge that not all ears out there are one size fits all.
So for me it's either full on headphones, (not very practical in many every day life situations), or get in-ear pods with earhooks. The latter Apple frustratingly don't make. So it's on to other brands yet again. Sometimes I wonder why I still bother with Apple, their current product line has more holes than Swiss cheese.

the beats X are in-ear earphones with different sizes of silicon tips and optional ear hooks.

 

[Tozovac]

I’m not speaking for others, only myself

True but it’s that similar short-sighted mindset by Apple that is the issue here to many of us. Removal of one simple ancient-tech audio port significantly affects many of us for whom our “life systems” benefit from accessing music from that port while still being able to charge our power-sucking i-tem and not being required to buy yet more adapters or hardware to keep track of. But speaking for Apple itself, all they seem to care about is some cool tech leap here that is new and different.

 

[The Game 161]

True but it’s that similar short-sighted mindset by Apple that is the issue here to many of us. Removal of one simple ancient-tech audio port significantly affects many of us for whom our “life systems” benefit from accessing music from that port while still being able to charge our power-sucking i-tem and not being required to buy yet more adapters or hardware to keep track of. But speaking for Apple itself, all they seem to care about is some cool tech leap here that is new and different.

I imagine though Apple are expecting those buying the new phones are already iPhone users and therefore will already have the original adapter so think adding another one isn’t needed.

Obviously they are trying to push people to go wireless but everybody else apart from Samsung it seems are also doing the same

 

[honglong1976]

Apple's specific user experience they have in mind excludes audio professionals. They are attempting to own a universal standard of audio connectivity, and then subject people to their own proprietary implementation of it. It reminds me a little bit of the time when Microsoft attempted to own Java by writing custom extensions for it in order to modify it for their own benefit (they were eventually sued by Sun Microsystems). It's these anti-competitive practices that I used to lambaste Microsoft for, and now Apple is playing the same game.

Here's an example of an audio professional using only an iPhone to record/mix and produce a song. - Note he is not using AirPods to mix his track, but a pair of professional studio monitor headphones, plugged into that ridiculous lightning adaptor.

Until professional studios can record without plugging in audio cables, Apple has not 'solved' the wireless audio 'problem'.

Consumer (hundreds of millions) vs professional (not hundreds of millions)

Bluetooth serves and benefits the consumer more than the professional (whom may use lightning to 3.5mm or another type of adapter). By removing the headphone socket, consumers are catered for with a wire free audio experience. Which as a consumer and looking at the sales of bluetooth headphones vs wired, I am not on my own. I am sure Apple wouldn't have just killed the 3.5mm headphone jack without research.

Why not put the headphone jack back, and also destroy all the wifi networks out there, along with cordless phones, wireless baby monitors. Let's just stay with everything wired like the 80s and 90s. It was much better then. I miss having a 30m ethernet cable trailing down my stairs. I miss using a 10m audio cable to connect my headphones to the TV. Those were the days!

 

[AppleScruff1]

What's that have to do with anything?

Corporations are all about profit. You said more power to them, hence my question.

 

[Tozovac]

Consumer (hundreds of millions) vs professional (not hundreds of millions)

Bluetooth serves and benefits the consumer more than the professional (whom may use lightning to 3.5mm or another type of adapter). By removing the headphone socket, consumers are catered for with a wire free audio experience. Which as a consumer and looking at the sales of bluetooth headphones vs wired, I am not on my own. I am sure Apple wouldn't have just killed the 3.5mm headphone jack without research.

Why not put the headphone jack, and also destroy all the wifi networks out there, along with cordless phones, wireless baby monitors. Let's just stay with everything wired like the 80s and 90s. It was much better then. I miss having a 30m ethernet cable trailing down my stairs. I miss using a 10m audio cable to connect my headphones to the TV. Those were the days!

Good assessment that Apple seems to be deprioritizing the professional customer.

But it also sounds like you’re ready for replacing all your outdated wired appliances and wired-anything and buying a new wireless rechargeable microwave oven, television(s), fridge, all house lighting, etc. how clean the outside of your house will look without those pesky centuries-old black wires connecting to the house!! Now, how you’ll get the electric service to recharge those devices may be tricky but you have the courage to adapt to whatever inconvenience may arise to the provided solution! And you have the right sized bank account. You got this!!

 

[manu chao]

1)Apple has always provided headphones (and power adapters) but maybe they are just a waste at this point?

All iPods, including the iPod Touch, have shipped without power adaptors since 2005 (they have always come with headphones and a USB/Firewire to Lightning/30-Pin Connector/Firewire cable).
[doublepost=1525180578][/doublepost]

But it also sounds like you’re ready for replacing all your outdated wired appliances and wired-anything and buying a new wireless rechargeable microwave oven, television(s), fridge, all house lighting, etc. how clean the outside of your house will look without those pesky centuries-old black wires connecting to the house!! Now, how you’ll get the electric service to recharge those devices may be tricky but you have the courage to adapt to whatever inconvenience may arise to the provided solution! And you have the right sized bank account. You got this!!

If you look carefully at your list and the list of products that use wireless today, you'll notice that your list contains stationary objects, whereas almost all the stuff that uses wireless today is something that moved around or even carried with you.

 

[citysnaps]

Corporations are all about profit. You said more power to them, hence my question.

You may not be aware that many "power companies" are in fact public utilities, and are most often monopolies for a particular geographical area due to the immense infrastructure cost relating to power delivery/distribution. A a result, customers have no choice as to who delivers their power. Because of that and zero to limited competition in areas they serve, they are regulated (ideally) by a public utilities commission whose goal is to act in the public interest and set parameters, such as profit, the utility is allowed to operate under being a monopoly. Consumers of electrical/natural gas power, generally, have little choice as to who delivers their power.

Apple, and most other corporations are not monopolies, are motivated by profit they set, have competition, and thus do not come under control of a public utilizes commission where their profits and other operating parameters are limited. If someone doesn't like Apple's profit margin (which, as an aside, happens to be in line with industry norms), or any other aspect about Apple or other corporation, there are many other companies from which customers can purchase computers and other tech products.

Hence, my response: "What's that ('Do you feel the same about your power company?') have to do with anything?"

 

[honglong1976]

Good assessment that Apple seems to be deprioritizing the professional customer.

But it also sounds like you’re ready for replacing all your outdated wired appliances and wired-anything and buying a new wireless rechargeable microwave oven, television(s), fridge, all house lighting, etc. how clean the outside of your house will look without those pesky centuries-old black wires connecting to the house!! Now, how you’ll get the electric service to recharge those devices may be tricky but you have the courage to adapt to whatever inconvenience may arise to the provided solution! And you have the right sized bank account. You got this!!

I think you may have misunderstood my sarcasm. I am all for replacing those items that appear to be legacy or archaic with better convenient alternatives. Changing LAN to WIFI for example in the home is great! It's much more convenient but in a business environment, not so. Wired headphones for Bluetooth headphones. In 2007, no, they sucked! But in 2018 they sounds very good! And so on!

Thanks to Apple, we got rid of the floppy disk, serial and parallel ports and much more. The only thing that annoys me is removing all USB ports from the Macbook Pro and adding a USB-C connection. I am all for embracing technology, but I felt there wasn't enough adoption to warranty this. Adding USB-C and USB then released USB-C devices, then slowly removing USB would have been better.

Sure, if the technology allows for that, it doesn't yet but it may in the future. Wireless powered devices (fridges, microwaves) are not possible yet. I use a wireless light all the time. Xiaomi battery powering an LED light by Xiaomi. Lasts for about 1 week on a charge and brighter than my LED bulb powered by the mains. Think about what you wrote and then imagine someone writing this in the 80s.

Wireless internet, wireless rechargeable phones, wireless game controllers, wireless rechargeable headphones and a smart watch that charges wirelessly using a magnetic puck. In the 80s this would be crazy talk. But it happened! And that was only 30 odd years ago.

If the technology is good, embrace it. Don't fight it! You will get your dream wirelessly powered fridge one day

 

[DakotaGuy]

Although a move like this doesn’t benefit the consumer you have to look at it from Apple’s point of view. Saving a few dollars on each iPhone sold can net the corporation millions in profit. That’s one difference between Tim Cook and Steve Jobs. Steve was always worried about “user experience” whereas Tim is much better at squeezing maximum profit out of existing products. If someone needs the adapter they can purchase it for an extra amount. This benefits Apple in two ways by cutting iPhone production cost and selling more adapters at retail.

When I bought my S8+ I was surprised at all the little USB adapters that were included. I was also surprised that they included pretty high quality AKG earbuds in the box. No wonder their profit margin is not as good as Apple.

 

[Gilligan's last elephant]

adjective: legacy

1. 1.
   denoting or relating to software or hardware that has been superseded but is difficult to replace because of its wide use.

Bluetooth is outselling wired devices (this was in 2016 https://gizmodo.com/bluetooth-has-finally-outsold-wired-headphones-1784543501). Have Bluetooth headphones superseded wired headphones? In my house yes. Where I work, students nearly all use Bluetooth headphones, so at my college yes. Are wired headphones difficult to replace because of widespread use? No. With headphones sockets going, they will be legacy!

Same for speakers! In the 90's I had a hi-fi, then upgraded, then to 5.1 etc. Now, I use a small speaker I bluetooth too. Hi-fi separates are starting (if not already) to become a niche product. Sad but true! I miss my amp and speakers along with exotic cables which we swore improved the sound (which we had to say to justify the £20 per meter it cost).

[doublepost=1525182301][/doublepost]Wired headphones are not legacy by the fact that they are in mass production and supported by the audio industry as the principal method of listening to audio. Your definition does not fit.

 

[honglong1976]

[doublepost=1525182301][/doublepost]Wired headphones are not legacy by the fact that they are in mass production and supported by the audio industry as the principal method of listening to audio. Your definition does not fit.

I didn't actually say they were legacy and the definition is from google! "With headphones sockets going, they will be legacy."

Who would have thought that game controllers would all be wireless when at the time we all used wired ones. Those are now legacy. Imagine what happens in a few years!

 

[Gilligan's last elephant]

But this experience isn't for Apple tablet and laptop users?
[doublepost=1525184545][/doublepost]

I think “legacy” is the wrong term here. Rather, it’s more that Apple has a very specific experience in mind for the user (iPhone, Apple Watch, Airpods, AirPower) and their design decisions is geared towards enabling this setup (as well as steering users towards it through the removal of the headphone jack).

But this experience isn't for Apple tablet and laptop users?

 

[honglong1976]

Although a move like this doesn’t benefit the consumer you have to look at it from Apple’s point of view. Saving a few dollars on each iPhone sold can net the corporation millions in profit. That’s one difference between Tim Cook and Steve Jobs. Steve was always worried about “user experience” whereas Tim is much better at squeezing maximum profit out of existing products. If someone needs the adapter they can purchase it for an extra amount. This benefits Apple in two ways by cutting iPhone production cost and selling more adapters at retail.

When I bought my S8+ I was surprised at all the little USB adapters that were included. I was also surprised that they included pretty high quality AKG earbuds in the box. No wonder their profit margin is not as good as Apple.

Samsung bought aquired Harmon Kardon, which had AKG under the umbrella. https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-electronics-completes-acquisition-of-harman

You can pick up a pair of AKG earphones from TK Maxx for about £5. Included earphones are most likely Samsung earphones with some AKG branding (they do own it). The Apple earpods still are pretty decent for free earphones. Nice case, design, etc.

I am astounded how many people use bluetooth headphones. They are everywhere (in the UK at least).

 

[Gilligan's last elephant]

I didn't actually say they were legacy and the definition is from google! "With headphones sockets going, they will be legacy."

Who would have thought that game controllers would all be wireless when at the time we all used wired ones. Those are now legacy. Imagine what happens in a few years!

But as an example, Sony Playstation Dual Shock 4 wireless controllers have a 3.5mm socket for headphones

 

[mattopotamus]

I honestly do not think this is surprising at all. There are actually good wireless options available if people are really concerned about quality, and wireless is the future. Personally, I do not think the have pulled the adapter out once. I have a good set of wireless cans and AirPods for convenience

 

[Mac 128]

I honestly do not think this is surprising at all. There are actually good wireless options available if people are really concerned about quality, and wireless is the future. Personally, I do not think the have pulled the adapter out once. I have a good set of wireless cans and AirPods for convenience

I disagree. There are acceptable wireless options, but none of them are good -- its inherent in the technology. Critical and accurate listening still requires wires. That will change. But we're not there yet. Now for working out, jogging, commuting, airplanes, et al, where there's lots of competing noise to dilute the audio coming from the headphones, even an average Bluetooth headphone will do the job. And that's really the debate. An iPhone is a mobile device, meant to be used in many different environments, which do not inherently lend themselves to critical listening. BT is fine.

 

[honglong1976]

But as an example, Sony Playstation Dual Shock 4 wireless controllers have a 3.5mm socket for headphones

How cool is that? Gaming requires low latency. I am sure in the future consoles will stream direct to bluetooth earphones with the need for this jack. You read it here first

 

[Xgm541]

You done?

Seriously. What a meltdown lol.

 

[oyabroch!]

Cheap a$$, Apple! Sigh.

No, cheapskate customer if they are already silly enough to buy a phone approaching £1,000+ but refuse to walk the last 10 metres of that 1,000 mile journey. Were Apple "cheap a$$" when they removed the floppy drive, and didn't throw in an external floppy drive on older Macs? Don't be silly.

If you're spending £1,000+ on a phone, one could argue that you'd probably have been prudent to have researched whether or not your headphones will be compatible with it. If I were spending ONE THOUSAND POUNDS on a phone, you'd better believe that I'd have researched this overpriced distraction slab for WEEKS, and would know every single thing about it, bar none.

 

[ipponrg]

How cool is that? Gaming requires low latency. I am sure in the future consoles will stream direct to bluetooth earphones with the need for this jack. You read it here first

Actually you mentioned this several years late. People had been talking about this a while ago already.

If they can reduce the latency sure. But this again adds to the existing problem of having to charge a slew of devices. Before, they temporarily solved this with rechargeable batteries. Now, we have to carry an adapter(s) + USB cable(s) for n-devices.

As wireless headphones mature, we should hopefully get better wireless gaming headphones (i.e. headphone with mic). Right now, the current landscape of wireless headphones is quite paltry. The only thing that even has any resemblance of forward movement is the Audeze Mobius.

 

[Tozovac]

If you look carefully at your list and the list of products that use wireless today, you'll notice that your list contains stationary objects, whereas almost all the stuff that uses wireless today is something that moved around or even carried with you.

Sure. And the iPhone isn't used 100% when moving around in situations where a wireless listening connection could very well be a clear best and most-convenient option, like when exercising vigorously.

And, even certain items used nearly 100% in one location are certainly best being wirelessly charged, like the dozens of security sensors on my home's windows & doors.

And, even certain items moved around often for their use are best remaining plugged in when in use. Home portable heaters.

Plus, I mis-read his post. He was "on my side."
[doublepost=1525192044][/doublepost]

I think you may have misunderstood my sarcasm. I am all for replacing those items that appear to be legacy or archaic with better convenient alternatives. Changing LAN to WIFI for example in the home is great! It's much more convenient but in a business environment, not so. Wired headphones for Bluetooth headphones. In 2007, no, they sucked! But in 2018 they sounds very good! And so on!

Thanks to Apple, we got rid of the floppy disk, serial and parallel ports and much more. The only thing that annoys me is removing all USB ports from the Macbook Pro and adding a USB-C connection. I am all for embracing technology, but I felt there wasn't enough adoption to warranty this. Adding USB-C and USB then released USB-C devices, then slowly removing USB would have been better.

Sure, if the technology allows for that, it doesn't yet but it may in the future. Wireless powered devices (fridges, microwaves) are not possible yet. I use a wireless light all the time. Xiaomi battery powering an LED light by Xiaomi. Lasts for about 1 week on a charge and brighter than my LED bulb powered by the mains. Think about what you wrote and then imagine someone writing this in the 80s.

Wireless internet, wireless rechargeable phones, wireless game controllers, wireless rechargeable headphones and a smart watch that charges wirelessly using a magnetic puck. In the 80s this would be crazy talk. But it happened! And that was only 30 odd years ago.

If the technology is good, embrace it. Don't fight it! You will get your dream wirelessly powered fridge one day

Ha, I did misunderstand!

I will remain against removing the 3.5mm jack when so much of our personal systems rely upon mating hardware that uses a wired input. That's the thing Apple & others miss in this discussion - we can buy wireless headthings and carry them around with our iPhone but we don't carry around all those items we plug our iPhone into for which using a wired connection (where you can leave the wire with the item) is Sooooooooo much eaiser and convenient and quick to enable via the jack using readily available cables, while still allowing you to charge simultaneously using your readily available lightning cable. Mixing board when playing gigs, large stereo in my basement, stereo in my garage, etc. But Apple no longer cares about the big picture. It's more about thinner than last year and less input/output/interaction ports than last year, and newer, and pushing the limit because...just push the limit regardless of any pains!