If Apple did say "we're going with USB C only", power, connectivity, audio etc... and they started making MacBooks with multiple USB C ports, would one need to be assigned as the power connector or could you connect the power supply to any of the available ports? What would happen if you accidentally plugged two power supplies into the same Mac? Can a USB C cable always carry power regardless of what else it's doing, i.e. could the new Cinema display have a single USB C connector that handles audio, video and power for the MacBook?
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Intel Touts USB-C as Future of Digital Audio as Apple Set to Ditch Headphone Jack
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Then how are competing manufacturers able to make waterproof phones while retaining the jack? There are more than a few out there...
The difference is that Apple replaced the floppy disc -and countless other obsolete technologies- with a standard technology (USB, CD/DVD drive, etc.). This time Apple is replacing it with a new, proprietary tech that other companies won't adopt for obvious reasons.
Maybe because Apple's solution is generally the superior one in this regard.
It would be great, but I doubt it. They probably wouldn't want to force people to switch to Lightning headphones now if they planned to switch to a different connector just a year from now. If USB-C was the plan, they likely would have kept the 3.5mm jack for another year.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
On this topic, here's my best guesses at what happens:
What's in this change that genuinely benefits the consumer masses? Nothing that I can see. To me, this looks like a profit and "thinner" play, plain & simple. I'll hope there is something unseen that makes this actually bring something tangibly better to consumers than the "as is" now (where those arguing for Lightning or Bluetooth can ALREADY connect by their preferred method). What's in this change that we consumers don't have now? As is, apparently "thinner" if that matters to anyone outside of Apple HQ. After that, I see nothing to gain for consumers unless there's some big surprise behind the curtain that depends on preserving a digital connection a few more mm before converting it to analog so our ears can hear it.
- iDevices stick with Lightning, ship with Lightning-terminated earbuds. Why? Cheaper than giving away wireless bluetooth earbuds. Sell the "air buds" separately for high profit. And no need to include a Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter in the box since the giveaway buds plug right into Lightning. This sets up lots of sales of...
- Lightning to 3.5mm adapter sold separately (at a handsome profit). Guess: $29.99 to $49.99. Why? very profitable accessory that will be "must have" for many with good headphones. The combo drives up average unit sale by $29.99 to $49.99 or so while cutting the cost of the part out of each unit.
- All non-Apple devices that want to embrace this kind of "the future" embrace USB3c, not Lightning. Why? cheaper for the same or better benefit and, for computing devices- including Apple's own Macs- Intel will build support for it right into the chipsets. Digital audio connection fragmentation is us consumer's "the future" for probably many years to come, as Apple locks in with Lightning while the rest of the world goes USB and/or sticks with 3.5mm. Thus...
- To cover all wired connection bases, you need to lug along 2 (yes TWO) adapters (pick your terminator and then think about the utility of being able to connect to the other two when any such needs arise). Or carry multiple sets of headphones or buds terminating with the fragmented connectors to come. Or just do without making audio connections when you might otherwise want to do so.
- So why not Bluetooth? Bluetooth is not ubiquitous, quality is not equivalent, etc. Lots of audio devices to which 3.5mm plugs right in don't even have Bluetooth. Bluetooth seems to be "the future" only for those that have very narrow audio connection needs. For those that only listen to audio on iDevices and computers and don't care about equivalent audio quality and/or video audio lag, Bluetooth may be the best option for minimizing accessory lug. As soon as one needs to hook to even one other (non-Bluetooth) audio device (like Airline seat-back video players), Bluetooth fails you (or you just do without).
- And what about Macs? Do any of us that can be objective really want precious port space allocated to a Lightning connector for headphone use? Or would we rather that same space be given to an extra USB3c port that can do a lot of other things too? Does even Apple want to have the unit costs of building Lightning into Macs since it appears it will be cheaper to utilize Intel's adoption of USB3c for audio in Macs (it will already be in there)?
What's in this change that genuinely benefits the consumer masses? Nothing that I can see. To me, this looks like a profit and "thinner" play, plain & simple. I'll hope there is something unseen that makes this actually bring something tangibly better to consumers than the "as is" now (where those arguing for Lightning or Bluetooth can ALREADY connect by their preferred method). What's in this change that we consumers don't have now? As is, apparently "thinner" if that matters to anyone outside of Apple HQ. After that, I see nothing to gain for consumers unless there's some big surprise behind the curtain that depends on preserving a digital connection a few more mm before converting it to analog so our ears can hear it.
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Why? From what I can tell, the Lightning plug is smaller and more durable. USB-C is great for laptops, though.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Do you feel the same about that more ancient battery technology and camera? Or just this one ancient technology since it's the one Apple is kicking out this time?
If I see you with an iPhone 7 in yours hands in October Imma gonna slap it to the ground...
If I see you with an iPhone 8 in yours hands next October Imma gonna slap it to the ground...
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Correct, and why does water only want to enter the 3.5mm port's round hole, but not the larger rectangular hole nearby or the smaller round real and faux speaker holes?
And what is your wireless access connected to at home and at work? An ethernet jack.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Correct. It's not like USB3c is a big surprise to Apple. They were pretty early adopting that in real hardware. This phone could have adopted it too if Apple wanted to embrace that standard.
However, USB3c would not be as profitable as sticking with a proprietary standard, thus...
I use BT in my car everyday as well, but bluetooth audio is NOT issue free. Unless you don't care about latency, skipping, diminished stream quality, and dropouts.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Please wake us up when the quality of that future is as good and ubiquitous as the quality of wired audio. If wireless was already the superior option, we'd already be all over it and deprecating "the past" would be much less noisy and angst-ridden.
Whatever kills Lightning, I'll take it. Sick of these stupid cables that fall out of my phone, break, or randomly stop being "genuine" Windows-style. Also, I want a headphone jack. No purchase without one.
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And what is wrong with that? If my iPhone 6 still works, holds charge and does what I want from a phone, please tell me the reasons why I must upgrade to a new device.
I will upgrade at some point in the future but not for at least another year.
It's fine. This time, it won't be Apple's copyrighted and DRM'd cable. You'll find them for 25 cents each on eBay.
That's usually something you say about an underdeveloped nation, not a tech toy.
Exactly. What all these whiny babies miss is that Apple HATES CABLES. I'm not saying its right, but thats the truth. Once Apple can make a device with NO power cord and NO headphone jack they will.