Motorola's New 'Moto Z' and 'Z Force' Smartphones Have No Headphone Jack

[Mac 128]

I think given the commonality of the USB, allows for an expanded selection of products. Apple is going its own way again and that means less selection at a higher price. Yes, the iPhone is a major player in the mobile world, but now headphones makers need to deal with USB and Lightening. We may find some headphones deal with this issue by way of a dongle for Apple.

I think given the size of USB-C, and its universal appeal, Apple should have ditched Lightening and gone to USB-C

Again, headphones will not be Lightning or USB-C -- they will be digital, and platform agnostic, at least the good ones will be. So no, headphone makers will not have to deal with it, more than deciding whether to provide an OEM cable that offers a Lightning connector. It will be up to the customer how they want to interface that set of headphones with their device, cable, dongle, or wireless.

 

[Mascots]

Great, but why would anyone want to connect his smartphone to a screen or ethernet port ? I bet 99.999% of all Lightning ports are only connected to a charger or computer using USB on the other side. Ditching compatibility for a very rare edge case is usually called bad design.

The idea is that you are able to attach any device through any connection with Lightning regardless of the iOS device on the other end. It can be nearly any device today, or it could be a future iteration of a connector or device that does not exist.
For example, if USB 4 were to be released without backwards compatibility, every iOS device today with Lightning would be able to support it with only a new cable and software update. That's a hypothetical, but example of Apple's advantage with sticking to it. iPad is where this advantage shines since it reduces the complexity of the port, internal design, and infinitely increases extensibility. It's not about what you think or bet, it's about how these devices need to work.

Of course, there's a lot of other technical and practical reasons for Apple sticking with Lightning and they'll be the ones making my case that it's a better option than USB-C for iOS devices by keeping it there.

I'm just trying to explain that Lightning is not USB, which you assumed. Not convince you that Apple should use it, because they will.

 

[cmichaelb]

It's not about preference; it's about standardization. Lightning and USB-C and virtually the same size and both reversible. I'm not knowledgable on the technical differences between them (charging/data transfer speeds, etc), but all things being equal I'd much rather my headphones work with other devices besides my iPhone. Androids, Macs, and PCs are all moving to USB-C and I expect many other devices to follow suit. USB-C will probably continue to get improvements just as it has over the years.

Having a proprietary charger is one thing, but a proprietary headphone jack is just a step too far.

We'll see but I don't think it's coming that soon if at all. Laptops, yes, less ports that can do more- make's s

I almost sort of agree with you to an extent. However, I don't think USB-C can match the capabilities of Apples equivalent Lightning connector/port. The only reason why other companies are using USB-C in my opinion is because

1: Apple wont let them use the Lightning connector/port

or

2: They don't want to pay the fee that Apples requires, for them to use the Lightning connector/port

If Apple released it as an open standard rather than a proprietary one, I have no doubt that every other company would jump on it, like it was made out of dollar bills
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What exactly are you doing to your cables and earphones? I have earphones from an iPhone 4, that are still in perfect working order and are not torn or tattered in any way. Likewise, I have had wires (charging wires and other forms of media wires) for many years - some of them even from Apple - that are not torn or tattered.

You just have to take care of your things if you want them to last, or stop complaining when they don't.

IN all fairness, the first gen Lightning cables frayed easily near the connector. Apple obviously fixed the issue, but like you, I have older cables and ear buds ( that have been through the washing machine ) that look and act like new.

 

[RandyDowns]

I don't use a headphone jack but it useful for Square credit card transactions.

 

[joepunk]

Never been a fan of battery powered headphones. Now it seems that I'm going to have another device that I have to make sure is charged before heading out.

Also, where have I been when $45 for headphones has become the cheap option and $299 is noting more than just the mid range?

I'm seeing this change as mostly "Apple wants thinner phones and wants its customers to purchase these new ridiculously (for me) priced headphones. Oh well.

 

[bentgate]

What a hideous phone! I have a Moto X (2014), and I think it's a pretty classy phone. I guess this is what Levono's first Motorola phone looks like. Who in the world would want this dumb phone? No sd card slot. USB type-c (so if you're a legacy Android user you have to change all your chargers). No headphone jack. Verizon bloatware. Ugly as hell.

Also, anyone who tried casting their phone screen on the wall with that stupid adapter deserves to get laughed at.

 

[TheHateMachine]

Yet they are ignoring the "small flagship" trend which Apple has ACTUALLY done.

I'd argue that Motorola (When owned by Google) was probably the first OEM to attempt a good small flagship level device at around the $100 pricepoint. When the original E and G series phones came out they were all cheap, small, well built/designed, fast and had a clean vanilla Android on it. They were refined every year and gathered nothing but praise from all the tech journos. It actually helped Moto sell a bunch of phones and turn their ship around somewhat.

Unfortunately, the Google influenced product pipeline was finished with the Moto X Pure and this is the first Lenovo inspired device from them. Motorola is just a shell of a company since all their talent left and went to Google to form their hardware division. Now we get this turd of a phone and as someone who owns Googlerola devices it is quite disappointing and pretty much made me cross anything made by the new Motorola off my list.

I do have to laugh at all the people in this thread claiming everyone is copying an Apple rumor considering this article. You have one OEM who probably has been working on this phone for a long time do this and its only because they copied a few months old rumor. Never change MR members.

 

[kemal]

I will buy one. And an iPhone. And 3.5mm adaptors. And USB C to USB A OTG adaptors. And charging adaptors. And....

 

[Mascots]

If anything, USB-C has more potential as an headphone connector because Lightning is based on older USB technology.

But just like USB-C, Lightning can support USB 2 or USB 3.x.
USB-C is nothing more than a future-proof new wrapper for the USB serial bus, exception is its native support for USB Power Delivery. That does not guarantee any newer improvements to the USB standard at all and I'd be willing to bet that with the exception of higher ends, the majority of Android phones produced in the next several years will not take advantage of features introduced in the 3.x linage.

People make USB-C to be this huge thing but it nothing more than a shape and integrated power line. It's the USB standard backing it that is really important, and it just so happened to coincide with USB 3.1

 

[Eduardo1971]

That's not a camera bump. That's a camera growth.

Yeah, I know; can't believe some people were bent out of sorts over the bump on the iPhone 6/iPhone 6 s.
That Motorola looks absolutely hideous!!

 

[dojoman]

So Motorola copied something that Apple hasn't done or announced?

Apple doesn't have to do anything. Others copy just based on speculation. Just look at force touch, Huawei added S-force touch just before iPhone 6s.

http://www.theverge.com/2015/9/2/9244015/huawei-mate-s-force-touch-availability-price

 

[jedifaka]

Most definitely. Now, if you want an external battery attachment, this is how it should look:

I clicked on the link and howled:

 

[winston1236]

I've been against the removal of the headphone jack since it was first rumored but now I think I get it, they just want to reduce the number of external ports since audio can also be fed out through the charging port. Only downside is no wired charging while listening but thats still leaves wireless. I think I'm all for it now.

 

[Mac 128]

I've been against the removal of the headphone jack since it was first rumored but now I think I get it, they just want to reduce the number of external ports since audio can also be fed out through the charging port. Only downside is no wired charging while listening but thats still leaves wireless. I think I'm all for it now.

How is this meme still persisting? Of course it's possible to charge while listening! Pass through technology has been around since electricity was invented; assuming no smart ports, or wireless charging as rumored.

 

[Wowereit]

Lightning cables are of poor quality compared to 3.5mm cables? Never heard this before.

Lightning cables are garbage quality, that's common knowledge and most people would agree.

 

[Mac 128]

Lightning cables are garbage quality, that's common knowledge and most people would agree.

Depends on which ones you buy. I've never had a problem with any Lightning cables, except a really cheap pair I bought off of Amazon. You get what you pay for.

I've had far more problems with 3.5mm audio cables and connectors over the years than any Lightning cable I've ever bought, including the expensive ones. The problem with a 'standard' is that once a product becomes so common place that it's a commodity and anyone can jump into the business, there's barely any profit short of massive economies of scale; and as such most manufacturers make them as cheaply as possible, regardless of how much they sell them for.

 

[phentex]

I'm gonna be vulgar so pardon me, but seriously, for phok sake, PHOK YOU ALL in the smartphone industry (including Apple). They aren't capable of addressing the real game changing stuff, because, yes, it costs money in R&D (I'll give you a hint : battery technology), so instead, let's artificially create a new market and make some moar easy money by phoking up the well established and good-enough jack port, and let's get into an easy port standard war, lightening vs usb-c with a whole bunch of clumsy adaptor accessories we'll sell for a fortune.

I'm so sick of these BS marketing schemes . . . .

Same goes for the presumably soon-to-be-announced new MBPs with their rumoured oled touchshitbar...

God I'm sick of all this nonsense.

 

[csglinux]

God I'm sick of all this nonsense.

Ditto to everything you said above. I hope this Moto Z phone dies a quick, yet horrible death.

As for MacRumors, I guess they're covering their butts, since if Apple tanks, MacRumors readership declines, but I really have issues with reporting like this:

"The switch to Lightning looks like nothing more than an inconvenience on the surface, but as we outlined in a recent video, there are benefits in the form of a potential boost to audio quality."

No, there isn't. There's nothing intrinsic in the inclusion of a headphone socket that would cause the iPhone to function any less efficiently as a digital transport mechanism for an external DAC.

 

[Mac 128]

There's nothing intrinsic in the inclusion of a headphone socket that would cause the iPhone to function any less efficiently as a digital transport mechanism for an external DAC.

Agreed. However, the 3.5mm jack takes up quite a bit more room than the Lightning port, cannot manage all of the things Lightning does, and is ultimately redundant in function with less utility.

Who wouldn't love an iPhone as small and thin as a credit card, with a foldout screen? Is it your suggestion that they keep such a device artificially large enough to support a 3.5mm headphone jack for those who prefer to be connected to their audio equipment via wires?

 

[navaira]

Am I really the only person to realise that headphones connected to a port in the MIDDLE of the phone are going to make it next to impossible to carry the phone in your pocket and not break either the slot or the plug?

 

[mdelvecchio]

I doubt that very much.

Comparing the headphone jack to floppy discs is not a reasonable comparison. Headphone jacks are ubiquitous; they exist on all musical equipment from the cheapest to the most expensive. The only reason Apple want to get rid of it is to make their phone even thinner. No-one wants a thinner iPhone except chubby Ive.

still trolling on apple, i see. so happy we finally got you perma-banned from AppleInsider.

now, on to your ridiculous statements. floppy drives certainly were ubiquitous when apple dropped them. thus the uproad from people like you. and why on earth you dont think youll be able to charge & listen at the same time is some damn fine closed-minded thinking...just wait until you learn what an adapter is!

 

[Mike_313]

Am I really the only person to realise that headphones connected to a port in the MIDDLE of the phone are going to make it next to impossible to carry the phone in your pocket and not break either the slot or the plug?

They will go wireless. Lightning connection will be for charging your headphone and listening at the same time. Just like pencil can be charged directly from them iPad. It will work wonderfull with beats from apple.
But there will be next to no alternatives at the beginning and in future there will be few, that work just as perfectly as the apple stuff. I don't like the beats sound. And I don't like wireless. Nothing Apple cares about. We will see how this works out for Apple. For me it means wait and see and stop buying Apple for 2 years looking for alteratives to the Apple eco-system.

 

[Mac 128]

Am I really the only person to realise that headphones connected to a port in the MIDDLE of the phone are going to make it next to impossible to carry the phone in your pocket and not break either the slot or the plug?

How do you figure it's any worse than carrying the iPhone with a 3.5mm plug on one side or the other now?

Regardless, even if having the port in the middle is worse, a simple right angle plug will solve that problem. It will also take a lot of strain off the connection in the process. It's a pretty common plug in high end 3.5mm headphones.

 

[Mike_313]

See the article in this post:

This Engadget article sums up what I feel about changing to a non-standardised headphone connector.

Agree 100%

 

[navaira]

How do you figure it's any worse than carrying the iPhone with a 3.5mm plug on one side or the other now?

I own a phone and managed to break off a headphone jack by being careless with how I carry it with headphones connected. It's much safer when the plug is on the side so I can place it in the opening (is that the right word?) of the pocket. With a plug on top I would have to exclusively wear shirts so I can have it in the front pocket.

I agree a right angle plug – as small as possible – could solve the problem, but here's the Moto photo: