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Lightning-to-Headphone Adapters Appear Ahead of iPhone 7 Launch
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Really? How would you power the Lightning headphones' DAC and amp from the 3.5mm jack in an airplane?
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
No problem:
THE Future!..
...in tangible form. So, SO much better than clinging to the antiquated "just works" ubiquity.
I guess if we are going to voluntary add tails to our iPhones, having something like that will be more like a horse's tail than a robots table with a thick cable and some kind of rectangle as illustrated in THESE dongles (from Post #1).
Joking aside, since this move will fragment audio connections, there is no way to buy any one thing and have it cover everything. The nearest you get IS a Lightning to 3.5mm adapter. However, if Apple is a little successful with this change, it will fuel the rest of the players to go harder at adopting USB3 for their versions. And should that yield anything with only USB3, we'll need another adapter in the bag.
Could that really happen? I fly a lot. Often people stuck together by seating might share a screen to watch a movie one of them has on their device. I actually see this happen pretty regularly. Put yourself in that seat and imagine the person next to you is not an Apple worshipper. Think about the scenarios to do something as simple and common as watching a movie together in "the future."
As is, that typically requires either one of you to have a 3.5mm jack splitter so that 2 can plug in. As long as one of you have that, enjoy the movie. Now step into "the future" and what happens?
If Apple had a USB C AND Lighting connectors on the bottom of iphone 7 now that would be something . Apple could justify removal of 3.5 mm jack to make room for USB C and have a legit claim future proofing hardware. I love the idea of USB C becoming the standard for the next few years. Other new phones use USB C for headphones and it becomes a new standard to REPLACE 3.5 MM , I wouldn't have any problem but wireless is NOT the ideal solution for the PRESENT, and neither is making headphones use Lighting .
Hey all, I know a lot of you are bagging on the included earbuds. Should they be ditched?
I'd make the point that the lower down the economic tree you climb, the more you see those headphones in use. In a lot of areas where the phone is the ONLY computer people own, the use of those crap headphones rises dramatically.
So maybe in the States they are hardly necessary, and like you, I toss them in a drawer. But consider the global release... it must come with. Otherwise, they lose a competitive advantage. It's a $1.25 well spent for most nations.
[doublepost=1464731809][/doublepost]
Why do people get upset? Two reasons... either they've spent a lot on the existing platform, or they are bothered by a drop in quality. That's about it. Let's cover your highlights:
Floppy drive removal: People were upset because they had no heir-apparent to write media. Sure, CD-R was around the corner, but for years, people had to lug around a floppy drive. This hurt laptop users until they were able to get larger hard drives. Some legitimate whinging, but also it was painful for many.
The loss of a DVD drive was not nearly what you're making it out to be.
The loss of MagSafe is a big deal... you have a decade of users who were taught they could be careless at that point. Plop on the couch, and don't worry about pulling crap out. It's really a great feature - so great even Microsoft flatly ripped it off with their Surface Book. Choosing to forego that option in lieu of thinness is another annoyance in the War On Thickness™.
There was never a clickwheel on the iPhone because they provided a superior technology. Obviously.
On the other end of the spectrum, removing a 3.5mm plug means that most will lose quality (unless you have A2DP, see the other thread... most BT out today still use the 4.0 protocol which is crap, but A2DP is fine with quality - and 99.9% of people have never heard of it). It also means that to continue using their standard equipment, they'll need a non-standard converter for their phone. That non-standard equipment will be an additional power draw, prevent from simultaneous charging, and add a wire chain. It also will likely not be able to transmit the buttons on headphones we're used to, with the three-button setup currently available. Add to that where if you do use BT headphones, you have to charge them as well.
Are these problems that can be overcome technically? Sure they are! If you made a tiny sleeve that fit my 3.5mm, and it did A2DP and had a solid battery life, then yes, that'd be great. So why don't we have that now? Because it is still a $50-$100 item, and at that, they are still kinda chunky and add white noise more than you'd find acceptable.
Compare that dodgy product with a 3.5mm plug that for decades has been a $0 upgrade, and you see the friction.
I'm not suggesting the 3.5 has to stay forever, but you have a few years yet where A2DP needs to propagate, and people have to get past the idea that Bluetooth audio is horrible quality. You can do that by having Apple sell that little connector in a more refined way for at least one cycle. Instead, they're going the route of getting OEMs to make proprietary connections.
Because THAT ends well for everyone...
I'd make the point that the lower down the economic tree you climb, the more you see those headphones in use. In a lot of areas where the phone is the ONLY computer people own, the use of those crap headphones rises dramatically.
So maybe in the States they are hardly necessary, and like you, I toss them in a drawer. But consider the global release... it must come with. Otherwise, they lose a competitive advantage. It's a $1.25 well spent for most nations.
[doublepost=1464731809][/doublepost]
Why do people get upset? Two reasons... either they've spent a lot on the existing platform, or they are bothered by a drop in quality. That's about it. Let's cover your highlights:
Floppy drive removal: People were upset because they had no heir-apparent to write media. Sure, CD-R was around the corner, but for years, people had to lug around a floppy drive. This hurt laptop users until they were able to get larger hard drives. Some legitimate whinging, but also it was painful for many.
The loss of a DVD drive was not nearly what you're making it out to be.
The loss of MagSafe is a big deal... you have a decade of users who were taught they could be careless at that point. Plop on the couch, and don't worry about pulling crap out. It's really a great feature - so great even Microsoft flatly ripped it off with their Surface Book. Choosing to forego that option in lieu of thinness is another annoyance in the War On Thickness™.
There was never a clickwheel on the iPhone because they provided a superior technology. Obviously.
On the other end of the spectrum, removing a 3.5mm plug means that most will lose quality (unless you have A2DP, see the other thread... most BT out today still use the 4.0 protocol which is crap, but A2DP is fine with quality - and 99.9% of people have never heard of it). It also means that to continue using their standard equipment, they'll need a non-standard converter for their phone. That non-standard equipment will be an additional power draw, prevent from simultaneous charging, and add a wire chain. It also will likely not be able to transmit the buttons on headphones we're used to, with the three-button setup currently available. Add to that where if you do use BT headphones, you have to charge them as well.
Are these problems that can be overcome technically? Sure they are! If you made a tiny sleeve that fit my 3.5mm, and it did A2DP and had a solid battery life, then yes, that'd be great. So why don't we have that now? Because it is still a $50-$100 item, and at that, they are still kinda chunky and add white noise more than you'd find acceptable.
Compare that dodgy product with a 3.5mm plug that for decades has been a $0 upgrade, and you see the friction.
I'm not suggesting the 3.5 has to stay forever, but you have a few years yet where A2DP needs to propagate, and people have to get past the idea that Bluetooth audio is horrible quality. You can do that by having Apple sell that little connector in a more refined way for at least one cycle. Instead, they're going the route of getting OEMs to make proprietary connections.
Because THAT ends well for everyone...
You don't. Almost all digital headphones (which can be used with any digital connector, not just Lightning), will have a hybrid D/A connector. One cable can supply digital, or analogue, or both. So, one "travel" cable with a Lightning connector for use with your iPhone and Mac, that taps into the digital side of the headphones; and a flip down 3.5mm plug on the same slim connector that taps into the analogue side of the headphones for use on the airplane.
That's the future of headphones: hybrid designs that allow the same transducers to provide sound reproduction bypassing the internal DAC & amp directly from the external source, or digital input that is decoded by the custom amp and DAC onboard for higher quality sound reproduction on those matched headphones. This technology already exists in digital headphones today, as well as headphones equipped with BT radios. So when the battery runs out on the wireless headphones, there's still a way to use them.
Moreover, these same digital wired headphones can contain a battery that powers noise cancelling when used with analogue connections, as well as a more power to drive higher quality headphones that most analogue phones can't supply. The battery could be charged when plugged into the phone, while the phone powers noise cancellation when using the digital connection. And that's but one set of advantages to such a set of headphones.
I'm pretty sure Apple will never do "flip down" contraptions. I also seriously doubt that they will put Lightning ports into Macs.
Wow. All this complexity (and cost) ... and for what exactly?
Not my experience at all (over 3 different cars). I have the bluetooth drop out between the car being in ACC and then turning it over, then I get drop outs while driving. Not to mention the battery it drains, and the inconiejnce of swapping devices. Oh want to listen to music from another passenger's phone? un-pair the current phone, use radio menu to select other device and pair that, and just hope it works. With 3.5mm audio cables, or usb, its a simple case of swapping the cable. Usb and 3.5mm connectors pretty much never drop out - its plug and play. Very simple.
Charging headphones is just another complication (To 'Solve' a problem that doesn't exist). Its inconvenient, its time consuming and I'd never remember. Bulky adaptors just to use wired headphones are also an inconvieince. Easily loosable, expensive and breakable. Again to solve a problem that dos not exist. Oh and hello second adaptor just to use your headphones and charge the phone at the same time.
Lightning headphones are literally the worst idea I've ever heard. Want to swap to a different device and use your headphones? Sorry can't do that, I'm using Apple's propriety connector.
Apple can claim it is environmentally friendly, but attempting to obsolete a good audio standard will create a of waste, in production of adaptors and in the disposal of old headphones.
Sounds like Bluetooth works great for you now, and thats what is great about Apple offering a choice, you get to use Bluetooth headphones and I get to use what works for me
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Save the wait. Sell now. No plug.
I'm thinking mid-September will be a great time to be all-cash... then pick it up off the floor after the disappointing holiday season.
Sucks to be you then, 3.5mm headphone jack is a part of an extremely outdated standard, once Apple and Android competitors start adopting non 3.5mm jacks in their devices, it'll be over.
Then I simply don't buy any device without 3.5 mm headphone jack, unless USB-C wired headphone is good enough, which is not a real problem for those manufacturers.
Those adaptors are not very elegant solutions to a problem that currently does not exist.
If you have half decent quality headphones / IEM you probably have detachable cable, in that case, change the cable antdyou won't need an adapter...(the major brand are gonna be releasing a new cable as it means more money for them as well!!!)
If you do not have half decent quality headphones / IEM you will probably use the bundled ones anyway...
I see no fuss.
If you do not have half decent quality headphones / IEM you will probably use the bundled ones anyway...
I see no fuss.
Ironically, I quite liked the design decisions between the Apple Pencil and battery case at least. Yeah, they look stupid at first glance, but after analysis, I find them quite clever.Armageddon is upon us:
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
If you have half decent quality headphones / IEM you probably have detachable cable, in that case, change the cable antdyou won't need an adapter...(the major brand are gonna be releasing a new cable as it means more money for them as well!!!)
If you do not have half decent quality headphones / IEM you will probably use the bundled ones anyway...
I see no fuss.
The fuss is in the "carrying" due to "solving" a problem that no one has. Your suggestion selectively addresses the gripes of needing to carry an adapter by having to carry a cable. No real difference. Either way, it's one more thing in the bag. Unless one can get all they want out of their headphones by ONLY connecting to an iDevice, they will need another adapter or cable to connect to ANYTHING else... even Apple's own Macs. Personally, I should be able to do exactly what you are suggesting but it doesn't make me any happier. Dodging the adapter requirement by replacing it with a cable requirement is basically no different to me.
Your kind of rationalization should apply should Apple decide to eject the battery and/or camera next. "Now people can get any amount of battery they want" and "Now people can get any quality of camera they want". Keep that up and eventually we are paying our $1000 for an empty box... everything that used to be built INSIDE an iPhone now sold as separate accessories.
Does anyone actually want "thinner & lighter" anymore, meaning they actually find current iPhones too thick? I just don't see or hear that. Yet apparently, the main reason for ejecting 3.5mm is for "thinner & lighter" (though we are complying by not counting the weight of the adapter- or cable- against the total weight of "lighter" even if we know we will generally need to carry it along to maintain the ability to connect with anything else we encounter).
Yes, some are also trying to spin waterproofing but I can't see how they can dare spin getting rid of a smallish round hole next to a larger rectangular hole is key to waterproofing: damaging water only flows into round holes?
Much of the tangible "fuss" is in the added "carry." Some of it is in being able to recognize what this is very likely really about. And even the faithful are venting frustration at what seems to be an AAPL decision vs. the Apple we want them to be. As the "in the know" keep asking, what's in this change for us consumers? It's easy to see what's in it for AAPL and Apple Corp: dollars. What is the gain for rolling with this for us?
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That is your assumption... The iPod seems to be doing fine being thinner & lighter and having the jack...
I bet you where one of the many complaining about the removal of the floppy and the cd rom....
It is progress, in a couple of years we will all be wondering why we stayed with the jack for so long.
Looking forward better audio quality!!!
But the "haters gonna hate hate hate....."
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HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
floppy and CD rom had obviously better replacements in place. This is very different.
And iPod does prove that "thinner" could be accomplished without jettisoning the 3.5mm. So why do it then? If it's about "the future" connections, there's ALREADY bluetooth and Lightning-terminated headphones available for iDevices. So those who are believing the "antiquated" spin have "the future" options already available to them. If either is actually so much better, why aren't we hearing about it already? Why aren't the masses getting turned on to the obviously-better "upgrade"? And don't give me the "faster horses" Henry Ford quote, which is just calling all consumers too stupid to know better when they hear it.
"In a couple of years", the alternative- if there is to be one- will be USB3. Why? Because Intel is going that way and anyone wanting to go that way that doesn't depend on Intel chips will likely choose the cheaper (to license) option over the (more expensive) proprietary one. So even if 3.5mm gets "retired," us Apple people will need an adapter to connect with it's mainstream replacement (if there is to be a mainstream replacement).
Also "in a couple of years," thinner will collide with the thickness of Lightning now. Look at the bottom of your iPhone right now and see how much room is left before it conflicts with Lightning. So, "in a couple of years" a proprietary Lightning jack will become a "the future" proprietary Lightning 2 in the name of "thinner" and all the dedicated headphones purchased now will need a Lighting 2-to-Lightning adapter... plus a USB3 adapter... plus a 3.5mm adapter (as this change- if it can take- will take a very, VERY long time to propagate to everything that uses 3.5mm now).
So yes, I'm a hater of this "solution" trying to "solve" what appears to be nobody's problem. For what exactly? a 10 second line of "thinnest iPhone ever" at the big reveal? Carrying adapters and/or alternate cables the next few years is a big (additional) price to pay for that 10 seconds of marketing spin. If there is a "nobody" out there that really desires this change for reasons other than they believe Apple is going through with it, those "nobodies" can ALREADY run with Bluetooth or Lightning headphones/buds. So again, what's in this for us consumers? How do we benefit? Those questions had tangible answers when it was floppy drives and CD-roms. How do we benefit from THIS decision?
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Sorry but you assume too much in your post, as I said I am looking forward having better sound and even 3rd party DACs... And this is how we consumer benefit, as Bluetooth might be an alternative but it certainly is not for those who want audio quality (and I do not want to charge another thing!!)
Also for all we know Apple
Could ditch lighting connector for usb 3 as it is anyone's guess at this point.( I know it is not likely, but since we assume.......)
Changes require time ( some people still burn CDs that not many other can play) and you already found the solution yourself... Get a good pair of Bluetooth headphones
those are as compatible as you wish and you won't have issue.I can understand why people are upset, it happens with changes ( and I am not saying it will be an easy transition), mark my words in few years we will all be laughing at this!
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HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
I wish I was as optimistic about you that we'll be happy about THIS change in "only a few years."
I hope all of the other places where we can "just works" plug in to the most ubiquitous jack in common use now can make the transition in "only a few years" so we can't stop carrying adapters and basically get back to how it is now, and how it has been for many years. I just don't see it happening. Will airlines embrace- and pay for- Lightning licensing so we can use our own headphones with their little screens? Will the entire AV industry embrace Lightning? And so on.
Because- if all those other players don't- adapters for Apple people will be long-term requirements. And if the other players do make any change, it's probably to the cheaper USB3 which still leaves us Apple people needing one or two adapters to cover everything we may encounter.
Only those who pretty much use headphones with ONLY Apple devices are probably "laughing about this" in even the next year. As soon as one wants to use headphones anywhere else... they better have an adapter(s)... or have a credit card ready... or another pair of headphones with them to work with the rest of the world beyond the walled garden.
I hope all of the other places where we can "just works" plug in to the most ubiquitous jack in common use now can make the transition in "only a few years" so we can't stop carrying adapters and basically get back to how it is now, and how it has been for many years. I just don't see it happening. Will airlines embrace- and pay for- Lightning licensing so we can use our own headphones with their little screens? Will the entire AV industry embrace Lightning? And so on.
Because- if all those other players don't- adapters for Apple people will be long-term requirements. And if the other players do make any change, it's probably to the cheaper USB3 which still leaves us Apple people needing one or two adapters to cover everything we may encounter.
Only those who pretty much use headphones with ONLY Apple devices are probably "laughing about this" in even the next year. As soon as one wants to use headphones anywhere else... they better have an adapter(s)... or have a credit card ready... or another pair of headphones with them to work with the rest of the world beyond the walled garden.
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