Innovation or e-waste? Apple rumored to ditch headphone jack

[Shane R]

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

I expect Android manufacturers will remove the jacks as well in the next couple of years.

Yes. And Windows phones too.

Except they'll go for USB-C (assuming it can be used for audio).

[cvkemp]

You can not make integrated chips without a lot of very dangerous chemicals. And we have integrated chips in everything now days. Every new kitchen appliance has chips in them, our cars are full of them. Apple did not invent them nor did Microsoft. They were invented long ago for military communications and intelligence. If we did not buy the devices that the corporations but on the market then they would not be out there. We as people on this planet are our own worst enemies.

[zebradude]

http://www.macrumors.com/2015/09/28/...be-waterproof/

I can live without a 3.5 jack for a WaterProof device.

[crane3]

Originally Posted by Shane R

Where do people get this stuff from?

Bluetooth is a open standard. Just like the current headphone jack is an open standard.

Any bluetooth device will work with any Apple device that supports bluetooth, just as any headphone with a normal headphone plug will work with any device with a headphone jack.

That not changing.

SCSI cables have/are "standard" specs. When still working, the sysadm, a MAC person, verified my experience about the 3.5 in diskettes on a Mac 512. The sysadm removed the hard disks from an iMac & a pc with OS/2; both hard drives were the same size made by Seagate. The pc was able to "see" the mac hard disk & able to reformat for install of an OS; the imac did not recognize the hard disk from the pc even if both hard disks were the same size & made by seagate.

I bought a 4 mm digital tape for backups. However, the tape drive unit was for an apple product; I was in the market to get the refurbished tape drive for it low price. The dealer stated that the imac 4 mm tape units always worked on the pc BUT the pc tape units don't work on the macs. As the for apple tape unit was a new drive at the same price as a refurbished pc unit, I bought the mac version which worked. BOTH tape units were using serial ports which were also a standard.

Another coworker who was/in an apple person from the days of the apple II, said there were rumors that even memory chips have a problem as only apple ram & those from orange micro worked; I think this was going too far tho.

Bluetooth is just a "standard" for connections but it is not a guarantee that it will work with every device. Ever see mention of Bluetooth problems with keyboards? Or can you ever connect multiple "master" Bluetooth device with a single client Bluetooth device?

[Cinisajoy]

My car and truck both have 3.5 jacks.
2011 and 2015.

[Shane R]

Originally Posted by crane3

SCSI cables

...are 20 years or more out of the picture. Different times, different company.

[tomsem]

Eliminating 'ports' is something Apple has been doing for awhile. Each one they can eliminate reduces the cost of the device, and offers opportunities to license 'apple certified' accessories that only work with their devices via lightning port. So they are not going to stop doing this. Moreover it is one less thing to break and need support or replacement. Mo' profit.

Whether you or I like it is not as important to them. Yes, we'll be able to get a dongle or box that lets you hook up USB, digital/analog audio wires, etc. But we'll pay for it, and when it doesn't work, it won't be Apple's problem. They won't be idiots enough to offer their own accessories.

And some will say this makes Apple devices somehow better. I'm not so sure. If wireless connectivity were more robust and flexible, then this is the future. But I don't think we're there yet.

I think there have also been rumors about eliminating the Home button as well (I guess after building touchid in to the display somehow).

Of course the lightening port's days are numbered as well. I will confess I have used my iPad's only for charging, unless you count the times I plug it into my Kangaroo PC and turn it into a Windows machine. With wireless charging, maybe there's no need?

[Rev. Bob]

My major concern on this isn't even the headphones. It's the other stuff that uses that jack, like credit card readers.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by Rev. Bob

My major concern on this isn't even the headphones. It's the other stuff that uses that jack, like credit card readers.

Easy fix, they just use ApplePay over NFC.

[Rev. Bob]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Easy fix, they just use ApplePay over NFC.

Wrong way, Tigger. Square and PayPal swipe readers both plug into the headphone jack. Doing away with that form of connectivity would be a big middle-finger to not only accessory manufacturers and buyers, but a horde of small businesses.

[GeoffC]

Before long they will ditch on-device storage (except for OS) and insist all files etc be on cloud....

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Conan46

I had not really thought about this aspect of the rumor of Apple dropping the 3.5 headphone jack. But this move likely would add more tech to landfills as everyone wants the 'latest and greatest'.


http://www.theguardian.com/sustainab...headphone-jack

Apple is always trying to push their own connections, just as Sony has always tried to push their own storage media.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by David Munch

Given how many people use the headphones that come with the iPhone, which will now likely switch to Lightning, it won't really change for the majority of people.

Those people have never heard some real in-ear monitors, such as Shure's SE series or Sennheiser IE series. And even if they have, their converted or streamed music is probably of too low a quality to make a difference...

On top of that, more and more people use Bluetooth headphones anyway. And it is not like peoples other electrical appliances with head phones ports suddenly disappear anyway. So I think the amount of waste won't change much.

Bluetooth headphones. Another device to keep charged, another wireless device with crap connection.

[leaston]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Those people have never heard some real in-ear monitors, such as Shure's SE series or Sennheiser IE series. And even if they have, their converted or streamed music is probably of too low a quality to make a difference...

This!!! Wireless headphones/earbuds/IEM's simply don't sound as good as wired.

Try streaming lossless files via bluetooth and you'll kiss goodbye to hearing anything with high fidelity. If Apple cared about providing a quality listening experience they wouldn't supply such poor earbuds with their products in the first place.

This change isn't for the customer's benefit, it's for Apple.

[Katsunami]

To be honeset, the older Apple iPod Classics had quite a powerful headphone amp and a good DAC. I've used one for years with Shure SE215 earphones and had no problems and it sounded great.

I sold it when I re-ripped my library to FLAC, replacing it with a FLAC player, and replaced the SE215 with SE315 when they broke after 5 years of use (3 hours a day in public transport).