You've moved the goalposts.
You guys were discussing 'outdated', which it is. 'Obsolete' is an entirely different thing.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Samsung's Next-Generation Galaxy S8 Won't Include a Headphone Jack
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
You've moved the goalposts.
You guys were discussing 'outdated', which it is. 'Obsolete' is an entirely different thing.
Even "outdated" isn't correct. There's nothing better out there yet that isn't obscure or proprietary.
It isn't really outdated or obsolete, though.
In all cases, the sound has to go to from digital to analog to get to the headphone speakers.
Moving the DAC to the headphones and then using USB, lightning, or Bluetooth, are all ways of having it done headphone-side... but that doesn't really make the headphone jack outdated. It's still a very practical, inexpensive way of delivery audio to headphones -- a standard still used in all kinds of devices and will be for quite a while to come.
It isn't outdated just because there are alternative ways of accomplishing similar results in specific situations.
It's pretty easy to assume the S8 will have wireless charging as well since their prior devices have it. That means you can charge and listen to music at the same time w/o a special adapter.
But it is still rather amusing the way Samsung mocked the lack of a headset adapter when they launched the Note. Reminds me of the commercial making fun of Apple's move of the headset jack to the bottom of the phone on the 5S, I think it was. And then a year or so later, Samsung moved theirs to the bottom.
I like me how many people are forgetting that the Moto Z which came out before the iPhone 7 also has no headphone jack. And it too comes with a headphone jack adapter. I guess what I am saying is Apple isn't really inovating anything here by removing the jack. It's just that the iPhone sells way more then the Moto Z so it's a bigger deal. I think in a few years most high end smartphones probably won't have headphone jacks.
I think the point is that when it comes to influence, the iPhone is more likely to affect the way people listen to media on their mobile devices compared to any other brand.
Think about it. If Moto phone has no headphone jack, people unhappy with the move will simply get another Android phone. With the iPhone, what choice do you have if you want the latest and greatest? Most people will simply end up getting the new model, and accommodate by using an adaptor or wireless headphones. It is through these actions that Apple shapes the industry.
Where Apple innovates is not by simply removing the headphone jack, but what they release to replace it. We have the W1 chip for Apple devices, which can potentially lock users into the Apple ecosystem. What does Android have to offer, beyond USB-C and existing wireless headphones?
This is what people who blindly copy Apple don't understand. Removing the headphone jack is a means to an end, not an end in itself. If you take away the headphone jack, but don't offer anything meaningful as a replacement, then it's pointless.
They haven't shaped the industry in this case though, nobody else in the industry is going to providing audio over a lightning connector other than Apple. Intel has been pushing for audio over USB C for a while.
Dress it up however you like the fact that in the not to distant future Samsung phones might ship with earphones that can be used with the new MacBook Pro but the iPhone doesn't isn't something to be congratulating Apple about. It is a shambles.
By that time, I would already be using the new Airpods, if Apple does finally get round to shipping them.
I don't care if they include one or not.... I however didn't make the statement every one wants one.
Does anybody here on MACrumors know anything about Apple, anything at all? Apple wants to control accessories for iPhones and iDevices in general to ensure quality and to grab cash, how can they do that with an open standard like USB-C? Have some logic.
That's cool. Do they cost under $3? Because if they don't, then they arn't disposable.
I can only assume that's why you called headphones "cans"..... guess I'm out of the loop.
Moving the DAC to the headphone side makes sense: it allows headphone manufacturers to chose the quality of the DAC they'd like the users of their product to experience. Something not possible using a standard 3.5mm jack. Also, by moving to newer technologies, you can have true back/forth communication between the headphones and the phone, allowing for significantly more functionality than you can have today with the extremely limited communication channel the standard audio jack can support.
Obviously, the 3.5mm jack isn't going away any time soon. But the reality is that there are technologies out, today, that do the same thing but offer far more functionality, flexibility, and ultimately/eventually quality than will ever be possible with the older option due to its design constraints. This is what qualifies it 'outdated'.
I agree with this. However, USB-C is nowhere near widespread enough, and Lightning is entirely way too proprietary to be convenient.
Both of these things are "courageous" and forward thinking and all that jazz, but are ultimately things that are very inconvenient for users that Apple have always said they "care about and love."
I guarantee you that, even at 10 dollars, they're making a killing off of the 3.5-to-Lightning dongles. We've already lost and then subsequently purchased two dongles.
They're similar, but not the same. That's why I think they'll exist in parallel for quite a while to come.
3.5mm stereo port still offers a lot of flexibility you don't get with Bluetooth or USB-C / Lightning headphones as the application goes far beyond just connecting a pair of headphones to a mobile phone or laptop. So while there is absolutely overlap that it will take away from, the 3.5mm will still be the most useful in many applications.
That's why I don't consider it outdated. There's a newer alternative for some uses, but for the rest, it's still a reasonable and popular choice.
Really? I didn't know that!
Thanks for the tip!
Now how can I connect my new lightening headphones to my Mac please!?
Really? And what exactly are people using mini jacks for these days other than smartphones and their accessories? Those ports will be relegated to the back bin in 5 years. Max.
No headphone jack.
However, it will include a battery with a better than zero chance of exploding. Bonus!
Hmm. A "higher than zero chance of exploding" is not a "better than zero chance of exploding" really. For "chance of exploding", zero is the best.
I had five different smart phones before the iPhone - let's be clear, we are talking about how they CHARGED not how they connected to a computer.
As far as your first candy bar phones, either you got your first one in 2008 or you seem to have forgotten. As an IT guy in the late 90's and early 2000's, I used to have to carry around a bag of different charging connectors for the different phones. How could you have forgotten this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_Pop-Port ?
Interestingly enough, that article shows you that Nokia adopted mini-USB after the iPhone.
[doublepost=1481194589][/doublepost]
Yes, and that's pretty much the difference I see right now between plugging in a cable and laying something on a plate...that needs to travel with you in addition to the cable. I've had a few "wireless charging" phones and opted to not travel with the wireless charger as it was pointless. Also had a few of the chargers die on me, maybe because they were earlier revisions of the technology.
[doublepost=1481194632][/doublepost]
I don't really feel like it but it seems to me that you weren't clear if two of us missed it so easily and replied.
Last edited:
Soz for the late reply.
Firstly, I appreciate your input on the forum. Great to see your passion for all things Apple.
There will come a time when no one will care about 3.5mm headphone jacks. We can hang onto how things were or embrace change.
The 21st century is going to bring change at rates never before seen. I say get used to it, because there is plenty more to come.
Do you even care your new computer doesn't come with a 5 1/4 inch disk drive? I put to you that one day you won't care about 3.5mm headphone jacks either.
get back to me when I can go to a 7-11 at 3AM and buy a USB-C cable. Until then, USB-C will make it much, much harder to find these things.
I think it's fair to say the majority of people in the world listen to music through headphones predominately from phones and computers. What are all of these other applications that people need universal access to?
New home stereos support BT and wifi, as well as HDMI (native USB-C). Cars support USB and BT. So seriously what are all of these other sound applications that require a majority of audio customers to use a 3.5mm jack?
The only things I can think of, are legacy equipment manufactured before digital and wireless technologies we have now, which are still in use. They require dongles, just like my 1970s era amp that requires a 3.5mm adapter to attach headphones, and a DAC to attach my Apple TV. As new equipment replaces old, the headphone jack will fall out of use.
Last edited:
People will always care about universal standards and high quality audio. Audio over lightning or bluetooth offers neither.