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I wonder why Apple chose a headphone port instead of a 2nd USB
- Thread starter FrozenDarkness
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I know numerous people who would stop buying apple products if the headphone port disappeared in the pursuit of more thinness.
I'd have to think carefully about it. I use headphones on my iPhone, iPad and Mac ALL the time. Then I plug them all into amplifiers. Then I plug my phone into car audio systems. I (And majority of my friends I've chatted to) find the audio jack easy. I'm really sick to death of airplay stuffing up, I already carry enough adaptors around (So I don't need another pointless one to cater for a device getting thinner when it is already thin enough), a proprietary connector would be the height of arrogance and inconvenience given what they have now is an established standard and wireless headphones would be a freaking annoying drain on device battery life and recharging yet another device would be annoying.
Whats the point of removing the headphone port for extra battery if doing so would mean having bluetooth on and draining battery?
I'd have to think carefully about it. I use headphones on my iPhone, iPad and Mac ALL the time. Then I plug them all into amplifiers. Then I plug my phone into car audio systems. I (And majority of my friends I've chatted to) find the audio jack easy. I'm really sick to death of airplay stuffing up, I already carry enough adaptors around (So I don't need another pointless one to cater for a device getting thinner when it is already thin enough), a proprietary connector would be the height of arrogance and inconvenience given what they have now is an established standard and wireless headphones would be a freaking annoying drain on device battery life and recharging yet another device would be annoying.
Whats the point of removing the headphone port for extra battery if doing so would mean having bluetooth on and draining battery?
For every one of the numerous people who would drop Apple for removing the headphone jack, there's probably two new kids who are buying their first iPhone, who won't care. Especially since Apple will give them a free pair of Lightning headphones, and the kids probably already have a pair of wireless headphones they're using already.
But Apple isn't going to market it as removing the headphone jack for "thinness". Their selling point will be that they can offer better quality audio through the Lightning, and more convenient audio through wireless -- "no more wires" they'll say, and it will resonate with every headphone users who has ever gotten tangled in their headphone wires.
In the end, this isn't going to happen overnight. First the new iPhone, then maybe the iPad, and MacBook, and over a couple of years it would migrate across the platform. My guess is your friends will get used to it while continuing to use their legacy equipment, not upgrading, and when they do, the market will have made it convenient for them to.
If you plug your headphones into iOS devices and amplifiers, then you are already using adapters to go from 1/8" to 1/4". All modern car audio systems allow a direct USB connection with one cable which not only transfers audio, but charges the phone as well. Otherwise they connect with Bluetooth. Apple can't continue to service the 3.5mm aux jack for legacy vehicles, especially since it does nothing to help them sell CarPlay. It's also less safe than transferring control of the iPhone to an integrated head unit that ties into steering wheel controls as well. It's also less safe in terms of clutter -- I once got my cell phone wires tangled around my gear shift and slammed he car into neutral going 70mph when I pulled the phone off the cradle to look at the map.
Since you already carry enough adapters, what's one more? But assuming it is some major problem for you, it's entirely possible that you'll be able to buy an adapter that incorporates several things you're currently using multiple adapters for making your life easier. If you're not using wireless headphones now, I'm not sure how any of the power issues apply. Lightning connected headphones won't use any more power than the 3.5mm headphones you're using now, in fact they may use less if self-powered. And some Bluetooth models have the option to use a wired connection for when they run out of power, which I expect to see more of. Already there are lightning headphones which allow you to plug in Lightning or a regular 3.5mm cable, and there will likely be more of those too.
I think that's exactly the point, and it's a very good one -- to allow a customer to use a Bluetooth wireless headphone without impacting the devices battery life. Take away the 3.5mm Jack which provides enough extra battery capacity to compensate for the Bluetooth streaming that many customers are already using, which does affect battery life. So it's in Apple's best interest to eliminate any obstacles for customers to use increasingly popular wireless technology, and offering the same battery life while streaming wireless audio (whether AirPlay, WiFi, or BT) is a huge step in that direction.
Like it or not, it's becoming a wireless market. There's huge money in wireless accessories, and people hate wires. But it's not like Apple would be Turing their back on the customer who can't afford to buy all the latest wireless accessories ... They will give the new iPhone customer a Lightning connected set of earbuds to replace their old earbuds. They will sell an adapter for those who want to use an expensive set of beloved headphones, or want to plug into legacy equipment -- You know Apple took away the optical output on the ATV 4 which means I have to upgrade all of my equipment, or buy an HDMI splitter box to extract the audio in the format I like. What I didn't do is drop Apple over this. I will in all likelihood, upgrade some older equipment that needed it, and buy an extra box. All of these things will satisfy the majority of Apples customers such that any threat of your anecdotal accounts will be minimal if any impact on Apple's bottom line, as they increase revenue across all of their other accessory sales, by continuing to offer premium products otherwise superior to almost any other in the marketplace.
As usual, you just defined what's wrong with your argument. "Kids" don't buy $1,500 notebooks. They get them for free in junior high school.
Since all their iOS devices have both Lightning ports and 3.5mm jacks, they are already suited for this mythical 'transition' whenever it is to take place. Like 2020.
BJ
kids in junior high school don't pay for their own iPhones either. So clearly that's not how I'm defining kids.
Either way most kids in junior high have either purchased or been given as gifts wireless headphones for use on the iPhones their parents have purchased for them on their family plans, and which they can use with those free "junior high school" notebooks (I don't know what kind of super affluent junior high your kids go to but that's far from the standard across the nation). And then when they buy their first iPhone in college, or upon graduation, they'll already have those wireless headphones, so right back to my argument that they won't care.
I go on the bus every day to university and I see plenty of people of all ages on the bus, and guess what? They're all using wired headphones. So few people use wireless headphones as people don't want the added bother of bluetooth issues, lower sound quality, battery drain and another battery to replace/charge.
Your argument falls apart when you realise that Apple can improve audio quality through lightning without removing the universal and useful headphone port. It is all about thinness. It is all Apple really does/cares about, and you'd have to kid yourself if you thought this was anything else. Besides, this 'better audio over lighting' is a pretty useless proposition anyway. You would not notice any difference when listening to music over the EarPods Apple provides if they were connected by lightning. You'd have to buy expensive headphones for the difference to be clear. Even then, we're assuming that all iPhone users have high quality audio on their phones, which again is often not the case.
Then we come to the practicality argument. Why would people want to be in a situation (Especially on iOS devices) where they can not charge and use their headphones at the same time?
And in regards to giving people free 'lightning headphones", thats a terrible solution. Its moving away from a well established standard. The headphone port is literally ubiquitous so it would be pretty arrogant of Apple to move away from that. The customer looses out when a clear standard (Which has nothing inherently wrong with it, compared to standards like floppy drives/SCSI/ADB).
Um no .. I'm not using adaptors. My headphones (the Bose and the Apple ones) plug straight into all of my devices, My amplifier plugs straight in by a 3.5mm port to RCA cable. Plenty of cars made in the recent past don't have USB ports. Obviously you are loaded with cash and you're free to replace anything and everything to fit with Apple's arrogance in moving away from clear standards, but I am not in that position. And ffs, aside from not being able to skip tracks, you can still control sound levels. And thats a lot of bull dust. There is nothing safer about plugging the phone in via usb that makes it any safer, both solutions involve plugging the phone in via a cable, and if you're the sort of person who thinks its fine to take their hand off the wheel to look down at their phone, than I don't know if you should be talking about the safety, as using your phone in the car other than for purposes you don't interact with it, is inherently unsafe.
I never said that the lightning headphones will drain any more power. Bluetooth ones will though. Either way you look at it, it becomes a more cumbersome process to use bluetooth headphones, as you’ve got to charge/replace batteries in the bluetooth headphones and you’ve also got to either live with battery drain (leaving bluetooth on, on your device at all times) or you have to turn on bluetooth each time you want to use your headphones. You’ve got to then pair your headphones at times. After trailing bluetooth headphones, I will never be buying them. They’re an inconvenience and apart from the mild bother of tangled cables, plugging a cable in is a lot easier and less of a hassle.
Another adaptors would be considerably annoying , especially one that would have to be used every single bloody time I want to listen to music, ’or no advantage whatsoever. I’m not interested in throwing more money at things that were not problems to begin with.
The slight battery increase as a result of removing the headphone port is not going to compensate for the battery life depredation of leaving bluetooth on at all times. Plus you’re kidding yourself if you think Apple will actually put a bigger battery in. Every time they remove a component or anything in the iPad and iPhone the battery keeps getting smaller. This is not about better audio quality as they can provide that without removing the headphone port, and its not about better battery life. it is about making a thin phone thinner.
Where are your stats on ‘many customers’ already using bluetooth streaming. I don’t know anyone who does and I work with a very diverse group of clients + friends and family. I think one person used to have bluetooth headphones and no longer does.
Plenty of people would disagree with your whole ‘people hate wires’. People hate wires when the alternative is a simple and offers real benefits. Wifi is an example of that. People hate having to jump through hoops to do things where they can just plug their headphones in.
The only people who will welcome this move will be apple apologists.
Your arguments are for:
- better audio quality - which an already be offered without removing the audio port.
- some people like wireless headphones - People can already use them without removing the audio port.
- More battery life - A) this assumes the unlikely event of Apple increasing battery capacity, as they’re more likely to opt for a slimmer case B) battery increases will be offset by bluetooth usage anyway.
What crazy version of realty are you living in? Most kids in junior high do NOT have wireless headphones. The cheapest pair at JB HIFI (one of Australia's leading tech shops) is $99 vs $8 for the non wireless ones, so that pretty much says it all.
Apple is not interested in people who ride the bus. They're only interested in people with money. Not being mean, just honest. Apple built its business on charging a premium, and attracting upwardly mobile customers, most of whom don't ride the bus. But pardon me if I don't accept your limited annectdotal evidence as proof. I could offer plent of annectdotal evidence that would refute yours but what's the point?
It's not my argument and even if it were how is yours anymore valid? I agree about the audio, im just suggesting how Apple will spin it to a consumer market already confused by audio quality.
I don't know why this one even keeps coming up.
Problem solved:
Your opinion only. It locks Apple's customers into their's or licensed products. It wouldn't be the first time Apple was arrogant about anything.
a 3.5mm port to an RCA cable IS an adapter LOL. USB Ports are the new standard, Apple is making money on customers who buy new cars because they have these things, and CarPlay is one more. Just like they always have.
And you've just made it clear where you stand in all this. If you think Apple is concerned with the customer who can't afford to jump on their latest standard, then you're in for a big surprise. Look at how the iPhone 6 is rolling out, slowly making it to the bottom where the Android customers who would prefer to buy Apple can't because they otherwise couldn't afford to buy the flagship 6 when it was first released. But three years later they likely will. Apple didn't make sure all of their customers could afford to buy their new large format phones, just the rich ones. Less affluent customers will just have to hang onto their old products until the new tech becomes cheap enough that they too can step up. You like to pigeonhole and label me as something I'm not, but I have been there many times.
Yes Bluetooth already uses more power than wired headphones. And that's the point. Apple wants to reduce the battery hit for using Bluetooth.
As for your complaints about Bluetooth, they're all your opinion. I only use Bluetooth and I have no qualms whatsoever with them. And here's my annectdotal evidence, 50% of all headphones I see in my gym are Bluetooth. Probably 30% white Apple earbuds, and 20% wired headphones of some other high end brand, but mostly Beats.
And your opinion is clearly based on one set of Bluetooth headphones who knows how many years ago, and assumes the technology will never improve, when indeed I see it has.
Again, that's your problem. I am forced to use adapter with my MacBook Pro every day. Somethings are choices because I can't afford to upgrade my peripherals, and others are necessities required by my corporate IT department. A headphone adapter doesn't have to be a problem, headphones for years have had 1/8" to 1/4" adapters inline to compensate for "pro" and "consumer" products. Most pro equipment still has 1/4" phone jacks.
You have no idea what kind of battery life can be achieved here -- seriously that's a BS claim unless you show me the testing results. Again, these are all just your wild raving opinions, and to the extent mine are too, they are both equally valid without proof.
Where are your stats? Yours appear to be solely what exists in the small bubble that is your world. And yours a pre no more valid than mine, or anybody else's who perceives something differently than us. Seriously let's move on.
Apple hates wires. End of discussion. But I'll tell you this much, my company has seem less wifi across its campus ... You can log on simply and easily on one side and walk 20 minutes to the other side without falling off the wifi network. On the other hand, outer secure network requires Ethernet -- remember those dongles I mentioned my IT department makes me use? Right, the Thunderbolt to Ethernet adapter. Well here comes another annectdotal moment for you -- colleagues and clients alike hate plugging in their devices to Ethernet, and jump through hoops to avoid having to find an available Ethernet port, connect it, and log in. Especially the ones giving presentations, where wires limit their ability to move about a space.
Nice cherry-picking of my arguments. I've already addressed these points above. As for your third rebuttal, Apple has almost certainly increased the battery life in every generation of every decice they have sold since the original iPhone, while simultaneously increasing the battery demands of the device. And you have the gall to suggest it's unlikely Apple will increase battery capacity? And again with the battery increases will be offset by Bluetooth ... Well I'm still waiting for your confidential internal Apple studies that onpbjectively prove your confident assertion.
Most kids? I'm talking about the kids of Apple parents. Again, this is your annectdotal world view. Mine sees Beats headphones on kids whose mother pay for foo with food stamps at the grocery store. And my own upper middle-class friends whose kids all have wireless beats because that's the new must-have status symbol. And of the two, Apple is mostly concerned with my friends and their incomes, not the unfortunate welfare mother and her status seeking child. Back in the days of the early iPods, The white earbuds became such a status symbol that people were buying them to wear with their Zunes., or whatever other cheap MP3 player they could afford. And they were so associated with wealth that people wearing white earbuds were targeted for muggings, because it meant they had money, or at least an expensive iPod.
This is he Apple you seem to think you can change. I certainly wish it were otherwise, but my world view suggests otherwise. Apple increasingly has one master to serve, the wall street shareholder. And maintaining premium margins on their products, expanding their ecosystem, and being the envy of every electronics maker on the planet is how their top priority. Not keeping the status quo, not catering to the lower financial classes, and not making decisions that are in the best interests of their customers.
Apple benifits in so many ways from proprietary technology, and decisions that lock their customers into Apple products. In the long run, they have to capitalize on their image to ensure down the road their customers have to seriously think about jumping ship. We're just lucky Apple does ensure very high standards. I'm no Apple apologist, I'm just calling it like I see it. The apologists on the other hand, are likely trying to convince themselves that the premiums they fork over to Apple which ultimately limit their choices are worth it.
You said that "kids" would be the deciding factor and I'm pointing out that they aren't because they don't control the $. My kids all received Chromebooks as part of our school district's curriculum, dare I say most neighborhoods whose student population have parents affluent enough to buy Apple MacBook's get the Chromebooks for free anyway. You're out of touch with what "kids" get for 'notebooks' these days. It's called a Chromebook plus an iPhone, there is no MacBook in the equation. My kids don't want notebooks, they view them as homework.
That is true of every product category except smartphones where Apple is all about marketshare and has some of the cheapest (read "free") phones in the industry. So until the iPhone loses its headphone jack, there is nothing that's going to change on any of their notebooks.
Furthermore, you're ignoring Apple's own recent actions on this matter and simple physics. Earbuds are an expected freebie when purchasing a smartphone, there is no thinness or battery life win in removing the 3.5mm jack from a notebook, and going to a strictly wireless protocol goes against Apple's rumored "HD Music" strategy.
Bluetooth kills battery life. Bluetooth sounds worse than wired. Customers are expect free earbuds. "Adults" own multiple wired headphones and speakers and make the buying decisions. You can stop this ridiculous thread whenever you're ready.
Or, better yet, take a hot glue gun, seal up all the 3.5 mm jacks on every device you own, and from personal experience tell us how crappy your music sounds, how your battery life is awful, how inconvenient it is to charge devices incessantly, and how the rest of us with our wired cans envy you and your mobility.
BJ
And all the rumored signs are pointing to that happening sooner rather than later, if it's going to happen at all. There's really not any point in debating with you any further since you don't seem to care to look at this any other way. The fact that you keep making "quality" of sound an issue, along with others, is contrary to what most people experience, and believe in their daily lives. And Apple will market to those sheep with all their usual aplomb as to how much better the quality will be if those customers embrace Lightning and Apple's and their many licensees' products.
What I believe from a practical user experience about the MacBook headphone jack when this thread started, to what I see happening vis-a-vis the rumors about Apple pushing Lightning as a potential replacement for that headphone jack, are different, but the end result is the same. Apple enabling Lightning to USB 3 speeds may signal a much more useful replacement on the MacBook. I might have once agreed that the headphone jack will persist on desktop Macs and MacBook Pros (where there's room), but now, if Apple is serious about pushing Lightning, then that won't happen for long, if at all.
As for this thread, well, I'll keep it going as long as it makes sense to do so, despite you arrogantly strutting around after each rebuttal to me as if you've won the fight with your annectdotal experiences and superior opinions. But by all means keep the flame burning, and stay on top of "policing" this thread as you seem to have been doing to "keep me in my place". We only have about 6-7 months for the rumors pan out for the release of the iPhone 7 to see if there's any need for me to keep fanning these flames. Maybe even as early as the rumored 4" iPhone in March. So until then, I guess we're in thread purgatory here.
https://www.macrumors.com/2016/01/05/iphone-7-no-headphone-jack-supply-chain/
Yet more rumors pointing to the Demise of the 3.5mm audio jack.
Which of course means if true, the current design of the rMB will have to replace the 3.5mm single function headphone jack with a multi-function Lightning port. Other Macs will not have a problem adding a Lightning port while retaining the legacy jack.
And of course, if true, this decision wasn't made overnight, which means Apple probably designed the rMB with a Lightning port in mind to begin with (e.g. Two multi-function ports), but launched it before they were ready to launch Lightning audio.
Yet more rumors pointing to the Demise of the 3.5mm audio jack.
Which of course means if true, the current design of the rMB will have to replace the 3.5mm single function headphone jack with a multi-function Lightning port. Other Macs will not have a problem adding a Lightning port while retaining the legacy jack.
And of course, if true, this decision wasn't made overnight, which means Apple probably designed the rMB with a Lightning port in mind to begin with (e.g. Two multi-function ports), but launched it before they were ready to launch Lightning audio.
And the plot thickens...
iPhone 7 May Feature Thinner, Waterproof Body With No Headphone Jack and Wireless Charging
iPhone 7 May Feature Thinner, Waterproof Body With No Headphone Jack and Wireless Charging
Making stuff up is how clickbait bloggers make money. The bigger the target (Apple) and the bigger the bait (your headphones are obsolete!) the more the bank goes up.
There is no financial or physical benefit for Apple to do this. So they won't.
BJ
I heard this crazy sick rumor, the next iphone will be even better than the last one!
Sooooooo many rumors about the same thing. Some even from reliable sources ...
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ess-earphones-also-under-development.1949314/
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ess-earphones-also-under-development.1949314/
I heard this crazy sick rumor, the next iphone will be even better than the last one!
Apple does a great job making improvements that people actually need.
For those who wish a wireless experience, the iPhone already has Bluetooth. For those who wish a higher fidelity experience, the iPhone (supposedly) will receive a Lightning option. For those who don't care for either, they'll get their 3.5mm jack for a transitional period while manufactures (supposedly) embrace the new Apple standard and its steep royalty and release a host of new products.
BJ
And the OTHER shoe drops:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/10273...-cables-to-connect-headsets-to-mobile-devices
http://www.anandtech.com/show/10273...-cables-to-connect-headsets-to-mobile-devices
Still just a money grab.
Instead of one good DAC and amp in your expensive device, now every headset you own has to have one in it. Want to take bets on how good the implementation is going to be in your average set of $20-$50 headphones thrown together with zero R&D budget?
Instead of one good DAC and amp in your expensive device, now every headset you own has to have one in it. Want to take bets on how good the implementation is going to be in your average set of $20-$50 headphones thrown together with zero R&D budget?
I'm glad they did. I use my headphones (and therefore the headphone port) just about every day. I use my MacBook for writing and I listen to music while I write. I realize they may be getting rid of the port on the iPhone, and I have a Plantronics Bluetooth ear bud for calls, but I really don't want a pair of Bluetooth headphones for music right now. My Bose wired headphones sound plenty good and don't yet need to be replaced.
That's what I expected this year with the rMB. Two USB-C port and no more headphone jack. If they're going to ditch the headphone jack from the iPhone it makes sense to do the same on the rMB.
There is one problem though, the connector would be USB-C on the Mac and lighting on the iPhone so you won't be able to use the same headphone on all your devices without an adapter.
Unless, and that would be a surprise (I don't believe it will happen), they'll introduce a lighting port on the rMB, so you can use all of your iPhone accessories on the Mac and be able to charge it via the lighting port, as you do with iPads and iPhones.