Maybe wireless will be the next logical step in a few years; nobody can say for sure. But as of 2016, it is still vastly inferior to wired, and given what we've seen of apple the last few years, there is no way they're sitting on some revolutionary wireless technology.
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iPhone 7 May Ship With Lightning-Connected EarPods, New Wireless Earphones Also Under Development
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Maybe wireless will be the next logical step in a few years; nobody can say for sure. But as of 2016, it is still vastly inferior to wired, and given what we've seen of apple the last few years, there is no way they're sitting on some revolutionary wireless technology.
There may be good reasons for Apple wanting to ditch the 3.5mm socket (I'm not convinced, but I know many of you are), but please don't pretend that the 3.5mm jack/socket's impending obsolescence is one of them.
The reality is, every year Apple squeezes more and more tech and features into the phone, all of which require more and more battery. At some point miniaturization and processor efficiency are not going to offset the need for real space.
So let's look at this realistically. Apple has four redundant ways to get audio out of the iPhone: 3.5mm, Lightning, Bluetooth, and Wifi. Three of which are standards, one is proprietary. Three are multifunction, one is audio only. Now, let's say you have to choose one to get rid of in order to make room for some "must have" new tech. And let's say for the sake of argument without getting into the merits of each, that you keep the standards, and lose the proprietary Lightning jack. Instead, the 3.5mm jack becomes a multi-function jack like the iPod Shuffle. It offers data transfer and charging though a digital controller, and audio. I'm not sure the iPod Shuffle can charge and be used for audio at the same time, so maybe Apple has to go to a 5 conductor plug adapter for that situation, as they must to maintain universal compatibility with everyone else. Now you don't reclaim as much room as keeping Lightning instead, especially if you have to make it bigger so you can charge and listen at the same time, but you keep everybody happy by keeping the universal audio standard.
So is that a better solution for everyone who are insisting the 3.5mm jack shouldn't be removed? I'm pretty sure the data transfer is going to be much slower, but there's always wifi right? And Apple is also pushing for the cloud, especially given the relatively small size of typical iPhone storage 16-64GB. Any device that can be used over Lightning should also be able to be adapted to a 4 or 5 conductor pins too, right (does anything actually use all 9)? Am I missing anything here?
As for the 3.5mm connectors impending obsolescence, well all good things come to an end. But as far as mobile devices are concerned, wireless is an improvement over wired. Unless you just like plugging into an Ethernet Jack everytime you need to access the Internet. So the future of mobile audio is wireless. The time to get rid of the 3.5mm Jack on mobile phones is debatable, but the result isn't.
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So is Ethernet to wifi. Yet I no longer have the choice to use it without an adapter on my MacBook Pro, and have never had the option on an iPod, iPhone or iPad.
Apple apparently has a need to remove the Jack to reclaim the space for feature improvements, and short of a proposition as I proposed above, it seems to be the most logical way to achieve those goals. The reality is for many, BT has reached a point where it is good enough to replace it. No it's not going to make everybody happy, but for those for whom BT doesn't quite cut it, there's an adapter. And improvements will continue to be made, likely at an accelerated pace now that there is increased demand and competition to drive R&D investments. This wouldn't be the first time Apple dropped a universal standard for a new one which wasn't quite ready for Prime Time, and customers were left struggling for a few years if they wanted to stay on the leading edge of technology.
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Sorry, this is wrong. USB does have 4 conductors, but they are power (5v), data +, data -, and ground. Two of the conductors are simply power, all the data transferring is done with two wires. It is a differential signal as in the final signal is the amplitude of data + minus the amplitude of data -. There is only one signal carried over two wires. It is bi-directional, but data can only be going in one direction at any given moment. Analog audio through the headphone jack still requires 2 wires per speaker, but you can get away with 3 wires for stereo headphones (which is what your wired 3.5mm jack headphones do) as the return/ground can use the same wire for both channels, and then one additional wire for the signal of each channel.
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Problem is we don't need anything better than lossless 16-bit/44.1khz audio on the listening end. That covers every frequency we can hear perfectly, and has a low enough noise floor and high enough dynamic range that we don't need better. The higher sampling and bit depth is only useful in the production stage. The DAC in the iPhone is actually quite good as is.
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dood. Progress already. 3.5mm jack is long overdue to fall to the wayside. Why have a wire if its not needed? Still miss corded telephones?
sort of.
not enough movies anymore showing people being strangled with telephones.
If it was tech that was better than wired there would be nothing to complain about. It's not like people are terrified of changes, there are serious concerns about this;Gee, it's an ancient 19 century implementation and anyone who thinks Apple is removing it to have a thinner device is really really gullible. I swear, if it was for some people (like some individuals in this forum) we would still be using cassette players
-Another battery level to manage. Large headphones currently last about 4-5 hours, how long do you expect smaller earphones to last?
-Audio quality decreases
-Audio delay is introduced making it unusable for video watching or games.
Now, I know you were trying to joke but it's an incorrect comparison to say people on this forum still want to use cassette players. There are no benefits to them except for having disposable media, which can be used on various devices (once upon a time at least).
And in the case of moving to a lightning adapter;
-More accessories to buy to get previous expected functionality
-Weaker grip on the device
-Can't charge and listen to music at the same time (without another accessory)
There some pretty good point, but u'r sounding as those your one of those people who don't like wi-fi for the same RF based reasons, or have ever used a mobile up to your ear..
There is zero evidence on all that.. It was tried in court but got tossed out because not enough evidence.
I do have my own external floppy drive somewhere, since i still have floppy disks kept..
Bluetooth would need its own profile AD2P for stereo.. so no, not low quality.
My biggest concern is changing batteries..... so no Bluetooth for me. I have enough trouble with the batteries in keyboards, and mice from Logitech
Logitech makes a pretty cool wireless keyboard that has solar panels on it. I bought one for a relative as a gift and they love it. Personally though I use an RGB backlit mechanical keyboard, types extremely fast, best keyboard ever.There some pretty good point, but u'r sounding as those your one of those people who don't like wi-fi for the same RF based reasons, or have ever used a mobile up to your ear..
There is zero evidence on all that.. It was tried in court but got tossed out because not enough evidence.
I do have my own external floppy drive somewhere, since i still have floppy disks kept..
Bluetooth would need its own profile AD2P for stereo.. so no, not low quality.
My biggest concern is changing batteries..... so no Bluetooth for me. I have enough trouble with the batteries in keyboards, and mice from Logitech
Not if a person is using his iPhone to record Pro 4K video, and also wants Pro 24/48 audio. So why put in a DAC that does more than what it absolutely needs to do (which is drive a low quality speaker, mic and earpiece), and instead offload the choice of higher quality to the user, which can be better matched to the device in question, controlled exclusively by the manufacturer?
1) Large headphones are rated up to 25 hours. I expect smaller headphones to last up to 8 hours like mine do.
2) Audio quality is subjective. Most people likely listen to their music on cheap $10 earbuds. Or expensive Beats headphones which have numerous reviews questioning their audio quality. Audio quality is typically not the main reason are unhappy with BT headphones. If audio quality is that important to someone on a mobile device, there's an adapter.
3) Current lag may not be acceptable for some video games, but it's been shown to be un-perceptible to most for watching movies and many video games on current equipment.
4) If BT headphones are unacceptable, and you need access to more than just newer Apple devices equipped with Lightning audio, then yes you do have to buy an adapter. How could it be expected if you know buying it there won't be a jack? Don't buy it. Keep using your old iPhone of buy a 6S if it's that important to you, until one of the other technologies offered becomes acceptable to you. And don't expect to switch to Android or Samsung, since the most likely reason Apple is doing this is to add features and reclaim space. The competition is likely facing the exact same dilemma, and will replace their own jacks within a year of Apple doing it.
5) I don't understand how an adapter affects your girl on the device at all. Frankly, most people won't even know there will be an adapter on the end of their headphones at all.
6) Of course you can charge at the same time you listen. The same adapter that allows you to plug in a 3.5mm device will offer you a Lightning passthrough. Something like this:
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That's a good point. I also have solar panels for when I go camping. Unfortunately they are best used for charging a battery pack, since they generally don't supply enough power to directly power a device. Certainly not the size of the panels on something like a headphone. And generally, you'll be inside listening to them, rather than outside. And won't help on a plane. But they might be a good option for recharging on the go without carrying along a charger. I can literally open my panels inside in front of a window and they work great.
Recording would require an ADC that supports that format, not a DAC. That is a whole separate argument. They could upgrade the DAC to have the ability to play 24/48 or 24/96 files raw so you could hear the recordings, but there will be no noticeable difference in audio quality when listening to them, it would just be capable of playing those files so you didn't have a bunch of unplayable recordings on your phone. Your statement does nothing to change my argument as you are referring to the production stage that I mentioned in my post, which is still no reason to remove the headphone jack that is predominantly intended for listening, not production.
Exactly, more accessories required to match the exact same audio functionality the iPhone currently has.6) Of course you can charge at the same time you listen. The same adapter that allows you to plug in a 3.5mm device will offer you a Lightning passthrough. Something like this:
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(Oh, and the grip point (not girl*), the lightning cable pops out of my iPhone without much effort at all. I'm sure Apple will address this issue; an audio jack is a pretty solid connection due to its size and shape. A lightning cable is flimsy in comparison. Will they increase the strength of materials of a lightning adapter, or its grip, one has to wonder. I'd find it annoying if my headphones constantly pop out of its adapter/phone.)
I bought a nice pair of Sony BT headphones when I owned an Apple Watch back in July. I tried the headphones out (they were around £200 - so a good pair) with my phone too and found the delay with video to be simply awful. It's about a second out which makes it impossible to watch anything... but who knows, maybe Apple are trying to get people away from watching videos on their phones.
The same Steve Jobs that refused to support BluRay and Flash and proper pen support for iPad?Sadly, removing the 3.5mm jack continues the devolution of Apple under Cook. When your only vision is maximizing profits for your shareholders with Sir Ive noodling around on ios, I really just miss Steve Jobs
The extra expense assures that iPhones will no longer ship with earbuds.
That means higher expense for buyers, and lots of sales for headset makers. Apple will have theirs which will most certainly be quite pricey, then there will be the third party choices. A top of the line high capacity iPhone 256 GB? and Beats wireless are sure to push your out of pocket expense well over $1100 - $1200 for those paying cash.
Leave it to Apple to push pricing sky high.
Leave it to the devoted followers to blurt out "just take my money"...
That means higher expense for buyers, and lots of sales for headset makers. Apple will have theirs which will most certainly be quite pricey, then there will be the third party choices. A top of the line high capacity iPhone 256 GB? and Beats wireless are sure to push your out of pocket expense well over $1100 - $1200 for those paying cash.
Leave it to Apple to push pricing sky high.
Leave it to the devoted followers to blurt out "just take my money"...
19 century....your school days are long gone. I guess we're living now in 20th century, so 5400 rpm hd in 1500 dollars iMacs can be justified .Gee, it's an ancient 19 century implementation and anyone who thinks Apple is removing it to have a thinner device is really really gullible. I swear, if it was for some people (like some individuals in this forum) we would still be using cassette players
I remember the cries when Apple removed the 30-pin dock connector (funny how the world didn't end). It's all dejavo again!
You should check what to copy and paste. You may appear not much reliable.
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Honestly... I think Steve Jobs would have removed the 3.5mm jack if he could have. But all we had was the clunky 30-pin Dock Connector at the time.Sadly, removing the 3.5mm jack continues the devolution of Apple under Cook. When your only vision is maximizing profits for your shareholders with Sir Ive noodling around on ios, I really just miss Steve Jobs
Do we think the Lightning Connector was started when Steve was still alive? I bet this was the plan all along.
I suscribe Dagless reply. Too many adapters and dongles, this future is not appealing6) Of course you can charge at the same time you listen. The same adapter that allows you to plug in a 3.5mm device will offer you a Lightning passthrough. Something like this:
I sure hope the ear pods are better designed than the current ones as they fit for **** when I try to wear them. As soon as I move in almost any way they fall out; my ears are not particularly abnormal, so I'm thinking it must be the design of the ear pods.
Considering doesn't mean that they will listen. Why would they go ahead and undo their models just because of a 3.5 mm jack? People will pay up either way, so they might as well do what they want. It's not like Microsoft with the X1 and DRM.
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Someone is mad. 16 GB still makes them money. 2GB of RAM being included only w/ the 6S/6S Plus vs the 6/6+ still net them money. They haven't put touch screens on the MBP or MB at all. All that in mind, they still make great products. A premium phone ought to have good tech, strong build quality, and tons of support. Pretty sure the iPhone is a good designed device that doesn't have the bending problem as much anymore, the A9 chip is fantastic, benchmarks are pretty good, and they support the heck out of it w/ timely updates and will support it for at least 2 years or more. It's not Steve Jobs, but it still is something.
Leave it to the devoted followers to blurt out "just take my money"...
Ha...so true. I'm a devoted follower, but enough is enough. I will survive giving Apple $50 for an adapter, but, on the other hand, Apple can survive without squeezing extra (and unnecessary) money from their customers. I had a bad feeling when Apple bought Beats -- nothing good could come out of that purchase, and now we are seeing the results. I hate pencil pushers...and Cook is the worst pencil pusher around. I really hope this move backfires and blows up in his face.
You make a really good point about Apple sales. It's going to become increasingly challenging for Apple to 'feed the monster' of sales expectations. They have expanded to every market possible. The iPhone has grown from a device mom and dad have to a device mom/dad, kids and grandparents all own. The larger screen was the last 'easy card' to turnover as something that would guarantee massive upgrades.
There is always going to be a percentage of the users that upgrade like clockwork every 1-2 years. But what's going to be the killer feature that's going to drive people to the new model? The last thing Apple needs is the perception (real or not) the new phone takes away features or is more complicated than the current model.
This isn't like making changes to the MacBook. This is the bread/butter item that drives the massive Apple profit engine. In a way Apple stock is held to a different standard. There is no doubt sales/profits will be big, but the stock price now almost expects an unrealistic expectation of continued sales growth.
I'll just drop this here for anyone interested in the petition for 3.5mm headphone jack. 227K+ signatured, need total 250,000.
https://action.sumofus.org/a/iphone-headphone-jack/
https://action.sumofus.org/a/iphone-headphone-jack/
Need for what?
250,000 signatures will not change the mind of a company that sells over 200 million smartphones a year.
Exactly so this notion that Apple execs just decide on a whim they are going to get rid of the headphone jack is ridiculous.
This is actually really stupid. If Apple is dropping the headphone jack for iPhone 7 it's was decided a long time ago. I'm sure the 7 is basically done from a development/feature standpoint.