Apple To Ditch 3.5-mm Headphone Jack on Future iPhone?

[Irvrobinson]

What you mean to say it apple took a gamble by NOT including any old interfaces with original iMac and only relying on usb. New Macbook with single USB-C is another example, albeit a terrible one since only one port is horrible idea for computer to be productive.

Actually, the MacBook Pro, which is the one most often used for business, has two USB-3 ports.

The real problem Apple has is depending on Intel's Thunderbolt for external video monitors. Their Thunderbolt monitors have a reputation for becoming unresponsive anytime a MacBook goes to sleep and is reawakened. The only remedy is to reboot the MacBook. I know this, because my wife uses a MacBook Pro and an Apple monitor for business purposes, and debugging the resulting mess fell to me. Very annoying. I'm not sure who was so stupid, Intel or Apple or both, but each deserves ten lashes, as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Johnny2Bad]

I would not object to an alternate connection form factor to replace the 3.5mm Mini Phone jack and plug.

It is a miniaturized version of the standard phone plug and jack, which were adopted more than 100 years ago in 2-conductor mono configuration with the primary function being extreme reliability and quick to insert and pull in telephone exchanges (where the operator actually made and broke connections from one phone to another, often with the intervention of a second, third, and maybe more operators).

I don't see the average headphone user worrying whether he or she can pull and re-insert the plug 300 times per day.

Apple is, strangely enough, just dominant enough in the personal listening market to implement a change and make it stick. And let's not forget they are trying to sell a watch, and if the mini phone jack is too big for a phone, well, then it's colossal for a wearable phone.

I found the options amusing ... nobody needs to be "forced" to buy Beats headphones; their annual sales were 4x the sales of every other headphone manufacturer combined, back when Monster owned them. I'm not a fan of the brand, but clearly I'm in the minority.

 

[Alexandre]

This is cool: https://instagram.com/p/BATUWtehG7l/

The new Audeze el 8 titanium with integrated dac. Exactly the kind of thing the Lightning connection allows which would not be possible with a headphone jack.

https://www.audeze.com/products/el-8-collection/el-8-titanium

 

[yepimonfire]

I will never buy anything apple because of their proprietary bull and this is just another nail in the coffin with them for me. Want a powerful notebook? Buy an MSI or Asus gaming computer. I had an iPhone for a year and felt like digitally imprisoned by iOS.

 

[Alexandre]

I will never buy anything apple because of their proprietary bull and this is just another nail in the coffin with them for me. Want a powerful notebook? Buy an MSI or Asus gaming computer. I had an iPhone for a year and felt like digitally imprisoned by iOS.

While you are entitled to your opinion on this matter and nobody's forcing you to buy apple products, I still think that a headphone with built in dac is cool and in this case, you can buy different cables for different devices.

 

[MR.MAGOO]

Apple probably secretly co-owns and owns stock in all those companies which make iPhone / iPod / iWhatever protective cases!

 

[Irvrobinson]

Apple probably secretly co-owns and owns stock in all those companies which make iPhone / iPod / iWhatever protective cases!

There's no secret involved. Most iPhones I see are in the cases Apple itself sells, like two of our iPhones are.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

While you are entitled to your opinion on this matter and nobody's forcing you to buy apple products, I still think that a headphone with built in dac is cool and in this case, you can buy different cables for different devices.

Lets agree to disagree.
a) correct. I loathe anything Apple, after being one of the first iPhone users - yes - gen 1 - They did something right - in fact - they did few things right. They had borrowed and stolen and in few cases - like screen glass and touchscreen even pushed the current state of technology forward, but I despise their walled garden. Since I switched to my 1st droid - Moto droid (gen 1) I would never go back to apple despite minor benefits, I still rather have my smartphone tightly integrated with Google

b) headphone with built-in dac is very much NOT cool. It's idiotic, just like idea of replacing dac to improve SQ.

c) These phones you'd mentioned cost $800. I hope this price is not an early indication of apple tax on headphones....

 

[Alexandre]

Lets agree to disagree.

c) These phones you'd mentioned cost $800. I hope this price is not an early indication of apple tax on headphones....

Yes, those are expensive, Philips has a set for 300$ and don't forget that you can pickup any pair of Bluetooth headphones which should work just fine within iOS or android devices.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Yes, those are expensive, Philips has a set for 300$ and don't forget that you can pickup any pair of Bluetooth headphones which should work just fine within iOS or android devices.

Have you ever had a chance to try Senheiser hd201? Not prettiest, but dear God, they have no right to sound so good for their price:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=370597&gclid=Cj0KEQjw94-6BRDkk568hcyg3-YBEiQAnmuwkkA1sAvxgAZqq-BwH3u9Wj2nR9B0i54MhQrcUjH45GoaAsle8P8HAQ&Q=&ap=y&m=Y&c3api=1876,92051677562,&is=REG&A=details

I will guarantee you, that you won't find comparable BT phones which sound nearly as good even at double of price of these.

 

[MR.MAGOO]

how thin can a cell phone become before it's totally useless for it's original intended purpose, being a PHONE. if the speaker / microphone suffers how can you hear or talk on it?

 

[jliedeka]

I didn't vote because I don't like any of the choices.

A lot of phone makers are looking to drop the 3.5mm jack. I think we'll see a lot more of that in higher end phones.

I hated the idea at first but now I'm ok with it. I'll probably add a portable DAC/Amp like the Oppo at some point anyway.

Jim

 

[Dan Madden]

I would expect Apple to make anything, any type of technology they can, to be a proprietary interface so they can own yet one more little slice of the Applelovers lives...and wallets.

Android please. Thank you.

Amen to that!! Apple wants all it's users to drink the Apple Kool Aid and to make their stuff as proprietary as possible and non compatible with other stuff. By eliminating the industry standard phono plug and putting in something 'apple' they will FORCE their users to comply to 'thier' standard. This is what irks me about anything Apple.

 

[j_garcia]

Motorolla dropped the 3.5mm on their new phones that will be coming out too.

 

[jcparks]

Apple is an industry leader for sure, and odds are they wont lose any money if the drop the 3.5 because apple is smart about the way they do things. Warrior is right, they will release a lightening to 3.5 connector for 50 to 80 dollars that will bridge the gap... however since it will be aimed at audiophiles, if they have a lick of sense they will likely do a higher quality DAC on it and advertise it as so. There are lots of blind apple followers out their though, and they are going to buy whatever apple puts out, with that there means there is a lot of money for 3rd party companies to make on apple products as well, so even if Apples does give the headphone jack the axe, there will be options...
The Mac book has one USB 3c connector, and one 3.5 headphone jack, apple is a minimalist company, I have no doubt the headphone jack will get the axe in this generation or the next, and they will be hailed and called revolutionary for it, it's going to happen.

 

[jcparks]

Oh BTW, I have never owned, nor will I ever own an apple phone, I'm not a fan of their closed ecosystem. However no once can deny that they push innovation and are a huge reason the smart phone, and personal computing industry has moved as fast as it has.
Look at ARM's growth since 2006...
http://seekingalpha.com/article/3961678-arm-holdings-growth-story-yet