The Pro series of iPads were billed as laptop replacements; they will be keeping handy ports that they have plenty of room for, not dumping them to the chagrin of the exact users they are most trying to attract to this precise segment.
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iPad Pro New iPad Pro models with no 3.5mm jack your thoughts.
- Thread starter TheRealAlex
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The Pro series of iPads were billed as laptop replacements; they will be keeping handy ports that they have plenty of room for, not dumping them to the chagrin of the exact users they are most trying to attract to this precise segment.
Except iPads fall into the "mobile" product catagory and MacBooks fall into the "desktop" product catagory. They could make a sweeping decision to remove the port from "mobile" products.
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Well, no. The 3.5mm jack is the ONLY port that the iPad shares with the laptop so there is no argument there. If the iPad had the same physical ports the MacBook has, then there might be some meat there, but they don't - only the headphone jack.
Toward what end??
I get SO confused by this thought process!
I can repeat this until I'm blue in the face, it seems...
Apple, to deflect some ire (obviously there was still some left), had to come up w/ three GENUINE reasons why they were dropping the port from iPhone 7. Trade-offs that would make it worth it to most (most, not all). They were: increased battery, better haptics, better water resistance. They set a CLEAR precedent. The precedent is this: "We don't just randomly do crap to be jerks.... especially if it can affect our bottom line negatively... we indeed had a nice list of undeniable benefits to the consumer prior to making this decision. Expect that".
What you lot have yet to describe to me is this- what is the list of benefits to removing it from the iPad? I can't think of one. That's why the logic centers of my brain can't give credence to the idea that they'd drop it. Again, for what?? I can give clear, easy to understand, sensical reasons why they would NOT, but I have not read a single reason why they would. Just random, completely unfounded speculation that they would. I don't get it. Why?? Why is it that you guys think this? Apple is in the business of making money. Steve said "no stylus". Tim realized there was money in it. It became reality. Steve said "no big phones". Tim realized there was money in it. It became reality. The man in charge wants to make money! This is incontrovertible. It was daring (courageous? Lol) to remove the headphone jack from the iPhone 7... they could have lost money (you have to believe Tim does NOT want that, yeah?). That's why he made DAMN sure he had those reasons lined up- "hey guys, longest battery life EVER on an iPhone thanks to dropping that headphone jack!!", etc.
The idea that they'd remove it from the iPad WITHOUT a list of trade-offs is insane! They would for sure lose money.
I think the only reason they should remove it is for water resistance. There is enough space on the iPad and I doubt we'll see a haptic engine this year on them, there's almost no reason to have a vibrating iPad, so there isn't any need to free up space. If 3D Touch or a battery expansion comes, that needs space, I'd gladly sacrifice it.
Because, of course, the future is wireless. That's the only reason they need. Apple thinks the future is port-less and are working toward that goal. If Apple truly believes that the future of mobile has no wires, they will drop the audio port in future versions of all mobile (iOS) devices. We know they're working on wireless charging and that would be the only excuse they need to drop lightning and have NO physical ports - save, perhaps, for the Smart Connector (maybe - even that one I bet they would drop... it hasn't exactly taken the world by storm - I can see them leaving it for "travel charging").
Water resistance on an iPad seems unlikely to me. I don't see it serving a major purpose as it would an iPhone. Not saying it wouldn't be appreciated, I'm just saying that water resistance with an iPad is only to be used for protection, not for literal use for submersion.
I think the consensus seems to be a lot of users would like to see 3D Touch, being how much of a convenience and a shortcut it is. I don't think 3D Touch would vibrate the iPad in terms of how the iPhone would with the strength from Haptic motor from a phone call.
I know Cook mentioned that implementing 3D Touch on a larger device is fairly difficult as it was for the iPhone. So chances are likely we wouldn't see it. But I think there are quite a few iPad users that would appreciate this feature being it's still expanding.
And I personally think they're going to remove the 3.5 mm Jack on the iPad. That's just my thought though. I'm not necessarily for it, but I think it's just another avenue for the AirPods to be pushed along side iPhone.
AirPods by the way, are a great device. I really like them.
I honestly can't see it in this gen, because I think there's a lot of tech they want to unveil 1st on the 2017 iPhone.
I suppose if the 2017 iPhone "style/design language" is 1st revealed in March via a 10.5" version of the iPad w/ integrated TouchID, SIGNIFICANTLY thinner design, & wireless charging... I could buy the idea of the loss of headphone jack.
It could be positioned the way the original Retina MacBook Pro was... as a futuristic version, available now at a price premium, alongside other brand new products in the same category (an updated 9.7" version, at a lower price point, w/ no wireless charging, but a headphone jack).
If the new iPad is missing any of those three features though, and they STILL drop the headphone jack... I'll eat my hat!! =)
Let me be clear - I don't think wireless charging will show up the year, nor do I think it will show up on the iPad first.
HOWEVER... if that's indeed the direction they're going, then dropping the headphone jack on the iPads in this coming rev makes sense (from an Apple Strategy perspective). They (may) want to deliver this message by saying "Wireless is the future, we introduced it on the iPhone, now we're standardizing across the mobile line."
All in prep for removing Lightning in the future when wireless charging comes to be.
I kind doubt you'll get any of those, but you could still loose the headphone jack.
Except, if it was positioned like the MacBook Air, it would (a) be the 10.5" iPad and (b) cost more. Like the MacBook Air and the new MacBook, Apple charges a premium for it's "future vision" devices.
I'm not saying they WILL drop the headphone jack, but if they do it confirms they're pushing a wireless future. If they don't, it's just a message saying "the wireless future may be farther away then we were willing to initially commit to".
I do think the jack is on borrowed time. Now, for engineers at Apple, the argument isn't "why should we get rid of it", it's "why should we keep it"?
[doublepost=1484781935][/doublepost]Here's what I think happened...
Sometime a few years ago, maybe around the time of the iPhone 5 or 5S, Tim Cook walked into a meeting at Apple HQ. Very dramatically, he takes his iPhone out of his pocket, plugs in headphones and a lightning cable, points to it and says "This is a problem." He then directs the team to the mobile device of the future - Nothing to plug-in (headphones, lightning), no buttons (power, volume, Home/fingerprint scanner), and no bezels. Gradually, Apple has been working toward this device.
Evidence?
- Rise to Power On - eventually will replace the power button
- Loss of Lock Switch on iPads - now controlled in Control Center (possible removal in future iPhones)
- Easy access to Control Center could create a future without external volume controls
- Increased focus on the Cloud (especially photos and music) directly access data will decrease the need to "transfer" materials from a device to desktop - especially with Airdrop and Continuity
- Loss of headphone Jack on the iPhone (and probably iPads in the future) shows commitment to wireless audio
- Solid State Home button - says Apple is looking to cut back on moving parts (especially those vulnerable to frequent failure)
- Above, along with the Touch Bar on the new MacBooks, could signal a Touch Bar to control volume in future iterations (possibly with wrap-around displays)
- Ceramics - it's been said before a Ceramic device would be more condusive to wireless charging than aluminum.
- If above, Taptic could be the prototype to give users "tactile feedback" to compensate for the loss of buttons.
- Wireless Charging - The Apple Watch has a conductive type of wireless charging, and we know that Apple is working on non-conductive wireless charging - seems like it's a goal and would seem odd if constrained to just the watch
- Lightning - It will be very telling if Apple sticks with Lightning on these new devices - if so, it may mean that Apple doesn't believe a physical port will be sticking around long enough to change it.
I haven't been able to get to an Apple Store to try them, but that's great to hear. Everyone seems to like the AirPods.
I think the iPad as water resistance would be for accidental use as opposed to a phone-like submersion. 3D Touch I don't think has advanced enough (technologically) to expand across larger screens, but if it can I'd love it. I would hope the 3.5mm removal would lead to a new feature, perhaps one the iPhone doesn't have (maybe to get bezel to bezel 3D Touch??) to differentiate the iPad from being a large phone that can't call.
I don't like the AirPods. They are hideously expensive and very easy to lose. I dare not waste my money.
You mean hideously expensive in the UK. In terms of pricing, they are comporable in price when compared to the price points of Bragi, Murel, and Bose. The argument that they are easy to lose, could be said about any Bluetooth earbud device. Understandable if they're not suitable for you. But they are great device and I couldn't be happier with them.
If they cost more than £25 then I don't bother. I lose or break earphones quite regularly so to me they are hideously expensive. Not fussed at all with Bluetooth headphones and am yet to embrace them in the decade plus they have been around. I just don't see the point when the alternative is cheaper and carries superior sound quality. If others love them then great, it makes no difference to me. I'm sure i'll be grateful for the stupid little adapter when I finally own a device with the jack missing.
I don't care anywhere near enough. I don't need to buy additional headphones just to use a port that isn't universal to other devices I also use headphones with. My iPhone and iPad have a headphone jack so this isn't an issue for me.
They look like EarPods with no wire and are priced in line with competitors. I'm very happy with mine
Opinions.
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I seen no reason for Apple to abandon the headphone jack in the ipads, nor do I see what reason they could give iPads have plenty of space.
I have seen them, I wasn't giving a blind opinion. I wasn't commenting on the looks but more the cost (£159.00) and the ease in which I would undoubtedly lose them. I can cope with leaving the wired ones on a train or losing them down the side of the sofa but couldn't fathom spending so much money on something I don't need anyway. Having to make sure they are charged is also a pain I remember from owning Bluetooth headphones years ago. They are not for me.
People use iPads for audio and music production. These users want to be able to plug into audio and midi interfaces via the Lightning port, use lightning microphones and accessories and record and monitor audio input without added Bluetooth latency, and work with demanding audio applications while using headphones and charging at the same time (without another adapter), etc.
There are very practical and smart reasons to keep the headphone jack on iPads and MacBooks for now, more so than the iPhone, which is why Apple didn't ditch it on the new MacBook Pro models, and I hope it will remain on the next iPads as well.
There are very practical and smart reasons to keep the headphone jack on iPads and MacBooks for now, more so than the iPhone, which is why Apple didn't ditch it on the new MacBook Pro models, and I hope it will remain on the next iPads as well.
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