Low-Cost iPad and iPod Touch Are Last iOS Devices With Headphone Jack as iPad Mini 6 Drops Support

[MacRumors]

Apple is continuing to phase out the headphone jack from its iOS devices, and the iPad mini 6 is the latest iPad to see the feature removed.

The prior-generation iPad mini 5, released in 2019, had a headphone jack located at the top of the device, but the iPad mini 6 does not include this feature. With no headphone jack, the iPad mini 6 supports only Bluetooth-enabled headphones or headphones able to connect to the USB-C port on the device.

iPad mini 6 components​

Apple has now removed the headphone jack from all of the devices in its iOS lineups with the exception of the low-cost iPad and the iPod touch, a device that's likely being phased out and sees few updates.

The 10.2-inch iPad 9 that was released last week continues to offer a headphone jack at the top left of the tablet, and it is the only iPad have to a headphone jack available. Given that this tablet is aimed at schools, it makes sense that it has a headphone jack to allow students to use school-provided headphones.

iPad 9 components​

Though Apple has now phased out the headphone jack from almost all iOS devices, Apple's Macs continue to have a headphone jack available, including the newest M1 models. It is not clear if Apple plans to remove the headphone jack from Macs in the future, but that may not be in the cards because Macs have more available space for the headphone jack component.

Apple began removing the headphone jack from iPhones with the launch of the iPhone 7, and it was pulled to make room for other components as well as to improve water resistance by removing a point of ingress. Apple's iPhones and iPads have continued getting thinner, more compact, and more feature rich over the years, leaving no space for a headphone jack. With the transition to AirPods and other Bluetooth-based wire-free headphones, the headphone jack is also no longer as important to many iOS device users.

Article Link: Low-Cost iPad and iPod Touch Are Last iOS Devices With Headphone Jack as iPad Mini 6 Drops Support

 

[albert421]

I personally think it is ok removing it from iPhone since you need to space. But why can't apple keep it on the iPad :/
They for sure have space on the iPad for a headphone jack.

 

[Joe_]

iPod touch: “Am I a joke to you?”
Tweet:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1440019290258825222

 

[Spock]

Sounds about right, the war on the headphone jack is almost complete. I think it is on borrowed time with the Mac.

 

[WiiDSmoker]

I personally think it is ok removing it from iPhone since you need to space. But why can't apple keep it on the iPad :/
They for sure have space on the iPad for a headphone jack.

Because “courage”.

 

[mannyvel]

"Dongles."

 

[HackMacDaddy]

I use headphone jacks for work aswell as for private entertainment. It's an unnecessary stupidity to get rid of it when there is no apparent need to. I am stuck in a dilemma where the "new design iPads" have no jack but lef-right stereo speakers, but the basic iPad has the jack but the mono sound. Why cant I have both Apple?

 

[fwmireault]

Sounds about right, the war on the headphone jack is almost complete. I think it is on borrowed time with the Mac.

I wouldn’t mind that Apple remove the jack on the mac, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon. Just look at how people are reacting when apple put only the standardized USB-C in macbooks…

With the rumors regarding the return of some older ports in future macbooks, I think that the removal of headphone jack is too controversial for the time being

 

[Royksöpp]

I haven’t used a headphone jack in 5 years. Not a loss. I can see the problem with removing it off of certain products though. The budget iPad is used heavily in schools. A headphone jack makes sense. As for the other products, a dongle isn’t ideal but is completely doable If necessary.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Sounds about right, the war on the headphone jack is almost complete. I think it is on borrowed time with the Mac.

Na.
Especially if they’re bringing back the HDMI an SD card slot on the new MacBook Pro‘s, the headphone jack isn’t going anywhere.
Keep in mind that on iOS devices, 99% of people only used the headphone jack for listening.
With the Mac, between audio editing, engineering, and production, alongside video editing and production, The headphone jack serves much more of an important purpose that can’t just be replaced with Bluetooth.

 

[AlexESP]

Because “courage”.

You can make fun about it, but it’s real: it takes courage to make such a controversial move in a device that generates 50% of your profit. You hear Xiaomi and Samsung are the ones to innovate and take risks, yet they are afraid of removing legacy technology or performing bold changes in their main lineup.

 

[guzhogi]

I prefer wearing headphones, and wired ones at that. I don't have to worry about charging them, plus I can have higher quality audio with wired vs wireless.

Something I'd like to know: Which Apple headphones (or any headphones, really) support all of Apple's new audio features (spatial audio, lossless, etc.)?

 

[ambientdaw]

might I say, "idiots" ? Apple really seems to hate music, music ownership, musicians, music collectors.

 

[SpotOnT]

I haven’t used a headphone jack in 5 years. Not a loss. I can see the problem with removing it off of certain products though. The budget iPad is used heavily in schools. A headphone jack makes sense. As for the other products, a dongle isn’t ideal but is completely doable If necessary.

Is that cause you rarely use headphones or do you actually find that wireless headphones work for you?

I find wireless headphones completely unusable since the battery isn't long enough to make it through the workday (or even a very long movie for that matter).

And it is not just me - everyday someone ends up dropping out of a work call because their headphones suddenly went dead. It is extremely unprofessional and and insanely stupid problem to deal with in 2021.

 

[bobtem]

“… iPad Mini 6 Drops Support”

So the new iPad Mini has a headphone jack, but it doesn’t work? You can’t “drop support” for something you don’t have. The correct wording would be, “iPad mini has no headphone jack.”

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I prefer wearing headphones, and wired ones at that. I don't have too worry about charging them, plus I can have higher quality audio with wired vs wireless.

Something I'd like to know: Which Apple headphones (or any headphones, really) support all of Apple's new audio features (spatial audio, lossless, etc.)?

Only those with a wire to hook into a quality 3.5mm dongle that will hang off our new iPad Minis. Bluetooth "the future" does not have the bandwidth for full high res yet. I'm also sad to see it go here. It's one of the few decisions about this new 6 that I don't like.

Does Airplay 2 have capacity for wireless high res audio? I haven't looked around but if so, is there Airplay 2 headphones that also have the option of a wired connection for all the devices in the world that can't work with Airplay?

 

[deaglecat]

IPT has unusable battery life in my opinion. it misses it's niche as a music player for that reason.

 

[mrochester]

Is that cause you rarely use headphones or do you actually find that wireless headphones work for you?

I find wireless headphones completely unusable since the battery isn't long enough to make it through the workday (or even a very long movie for that matter).

And it is not just me - everyday someone ends up dropping out of a work call because their headphones suddenly went dead. It is extremely unprofessional and and insanely stupid problem to deal with in 2021.

Wouldn’t you be using your work supplied headset when on a work call though? We are talking about your personal equipment here not work stuff.

 

[B4U]

If my 2021 Sony android phone can have the headphone jack, there is no way the iPad mini (a larger device) shall not have it, right?

 

[ivan86]

I wish one day there would be a massive lawsuit that would underline how using wireless headphones and earphones is not near as healthy as using wired ones, thus pushing manufacturers do get either 3,5mm jack back, or at least 2,5mm which would be absolutely fine as well.

Does anyone really think that iPad is lacking space for a headphone jack or that it would make it less usable? Right. Only $$$ is at play here and this is very sad indeed.

 

[_Spinn_]

I didn't even realize that Apple still made the iPod Touch. It is hard to find on their website so when my wife's really old iPod Nano finally died a few years ago I convinced her to move from Android to an iPhone.

I can see the argument for Apple phasing out the iPod Nano but at the same time it seems like a good entry device for parent's to give their kids if they don't want them to have a phone yet. Although I suppose you could argue that one of the iPads (like the mini) can fill this roll too.

 

[Realityck]

All the good wired earphones with 3.5mm jacks have disappeared. Remember when RHA had multiple wired earphones at the Apple store now look what they sell

 

[Michael Scrip]

I understand how losing the headphone jack can upset some people. This has been a hot topic since the iPhone 7 in 2016.

But if people are happy with 36" of wires hanging from their ears... they can handle the extra 3" from a dongle at the end too.

And before you say "what if I forget my dongle?"

Well... keep the dongle in the same place you keep your headphones. You won't forget your headphones, will you?

All that said... it's silly that larger devices like iPads don't have a headphone jack. But what are ya gonna do. We're in Year 5 of "no headphone jack gate" and frankly I'm getting sick of hearing about it...

 

[JosephAW]

Someday you’ll read a headline that says the iPhone 13 and low costs iPads are the last devices that offer a computer connection port for syncing to computers.

 

[GMShadow]

I prefer wearing headphones, and wired ones at that. I don't have too worry about charging them, plus I can have higher quality audio with wired vs wireless.

Something I'd like to know: Which Apple headphones (or any headphones, really) support all of Apple's new audio features (spatial audio, lossless, etc.)?

AirPods Pro and Max both support Spatial Audio.

I didn't even realize that Apple still made the iPod Touch. It is hard to find on their website so when my wife's really old iPod Nano finally died a few years ago I convinced her to move from Android to an iPhone.

I can see the argument for Apple phasing out the iPod Nano but at the same time it seems like a good entry device for parent's to give their kids if they don't want them to have a phone yet. Although I suppose you could argue that one of the iPads (like the mini) can fill this roll too.

The Nano and Shuffle went away in 2017. My guess is it was a mix of Apple Music and the parts for both of them reaching end-of-life status, and not being profitable enough to warrant a redesign.