This isn't a re-design of the headphone jack, only the input jack. It's just trimming really, reducing housed parts that surround the 1/8" input so as to cut down on space taken up inside the device by the physical input jack.
Companies often patent these sorts of things to protect themselves against future lawsuits, some yahoo coming in after the fact & claiming Apple stole the idea from them. This is really no news, you can move along.
Wow. It took 8 (and 9) posts before somebody actually understood what this actually is. And even after it's been explained in those two posts; people still don't get it.
I suggest trying a store that sells professional music equipment, like Guitar Center. They probably have something for you to try. Failing that, maybe something from Etymotic?
The adapters to make those work makes the problems worse. I've almost damaged a portable music player once because the leverage is so high. Most seem to be 1/4" jacks with 1/8" adapters, but some are 1/8" jacks that have 1/4" adapters, which is more useful for more people.
I agree. I've tried three different BT headphones, they all had one serious problem. One wouldn't charge reliably. Another had bad music playback. Another had bad call quality. I'll probably try some more soon, but I burned out for a while trying to make those work.
Agreed (and thanks for the info).
Apolgies for the rant, but I'm a big music fan and wrassle with those wires all day every day. Apple's in-ear models are fine for me at the moment (even though they don't last more than six months).
If the new headphone jack technology makes room for other compontents to be added or to make a device thinner, that is fine. However, it appears from the article and diagrams that Apple is exploring ways to make iPods smaller in all directions.
I hope that Apple learned something from the market the last year and a half. The 2009 Shuffle design was a failure. Kudos for going back to the 2008 design. I wonder about the new Nano. Who wants to look at picture on a screen that is the size of a postage stamp? While no one does touchscreens better than Apple, a postage stamp-sized touchscreen is uttery worthless.
The Apple ear buds completely suck and I think anyone who appreciates good audio would agree. Granted not everyone would want to buy the UE-10's but almost anything is better than the ones that Apple ships.
So true; only those like it who say the Boombox was a Hi-Fi device.
If they simply wanted to have a smaller overall space taken up by the plug and socket they could simply use a 2.5mm plug and socket instead of the 3.5mm plug and socket.
I am not sure what impact that would have on the sound quality or amount of power you could push through the connector.
That change - from 3.5mm to 2.5mm would surely make nearly every existing set of headphones incompatible without an adapter.
What we have here is Apple up to its usual clever way of doing things - lets use exactly the sam plug - but come up with a better socket which does in fact use exactly the same plug - while allowing the socket to have the same overall performance - but in a smaller physical space.
In other words - improve the user experience without any change required on the part of the user.
And it appears that my iPhone 4 is already using some form of this technology - yes there still appears to be a cantilever all the way at the bottom - but along the sides I see three bumps - not it may well be that the bumps are only providing electrical contact - and not affecting the effort require to plug or unplug the headset - so what is new here is simplifying the socket by increasing the function of the contacts. Or in other words - replacing what is likely a 50+ year old concept of how a jack should interface with a socket in a way that takes advantage of modern materials and manufacturing techniques that were undreamt of 50+ years ago.
Regarding magsafe - I have often thought it would be cool to have magnetic connectors for USB, Firewire, Audio, etc. On the other hand, all of those have to carry data - so the magnet would either need to be aligned in such a way or shielded such that it would not interfere with the data being transmitted - DC power does not have this issue since there is no data flowing over that wire.
how cool would it be to have a "docking station" with all magnetic connectors such that when you wanted to take your notebook portable you could just pick it up - and to re-dock - you just set it back down again and al the magnets grab their appropriate places.
we don't want proprietary phone jacks, we want ipods that have a higher capacity and that cost LESS!!! that's it!
thank you
Three hours and fifteen minutes after the article was posted, and on the second page of comments, we *still* have people posting stuff that shows they didn't even read past the headline.
You forgot not supporting Blu-ray. 720p is better than 1080p, I guess.
Nope 4096 is better than 1080 and can't be delivered on optical media, that is what Apple are working on (they're also the only computer manufacturer who offer optical out as standard on all of their laptop and desktop range, and the new AppleTV.
Blu-Ray would put up unit costs and not benefit from being displayed at close quarters on a laptop or desktop computer monitor.
The AppleTV is a device for streaming rental content, there is not streaming media available at 1080 being delivered by any legal source - there isn't the bandwidth or connection speed available on a commercial telecom infrastructure.
we don't want proprietary phone jacks, we want ipods that have a higher capacity and that cost LESS!!! that's it!
thank you
Some people also want better battery life - smaller jack allows for larger battery, and other implications. A patent in one area doesn't mean that other areas aren't also being looked at. There is more than one development team working at Apple.
we don't want proprietary phone jacks, we want ipods that have a higher capacity and that cost LESS!!! that's it!
For someone that can write, you sure didn't read or examine the diagram at all.
It's not really a proprietary connector that requires different headphones. It's just a new way to make the jacks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cmf2
Get back to me when the sound quality is comparable, the battery and reciever can fit into the design of current wired earbuds, and they aren't priced way higher than comparable wired ones.
In other words, you're not willing to compromise on anything at all for the convenience of not having a tangle of wires.
The Apple ear buds completely suck and I think anyone who appreciates good audio would agree. Granted not everyone would want to buy the UE-10's but almost anything is better than the ones that Apple ships.
I bought the "Apple In-Ear Headphones" (canal buds) and find them to be a good step up from the ones that ship with the iPhone 4. Apple also stands firmly behind them. I had a problem with them (my fault) but they replaced them free anyway, no questions asked. All this for a reasonable price. I am sure these wouldn't be good enough for a professional or audiophile, but for the casual user I recommend them as a reasonable upgrade.
Shrinkage of components such as jacks doesn't necessarily mean that the space savings will be used to create a smaller case. It may also allow for using the saved space for other things within the same case size. Such things as additional features, or higher quality audio circuitry that need more space to fit in. Just a thought.
And then we'll see apple suing anyone who manufactures compatible headphones for these audio jacks.
Maybe this has already been covered - but the point of the new design is that it already IS compatible with ALL 3.5mm plugs out there. NO CHANGE to the PLUG required to fit into this new SOCKET.
The socket in this case is in effect a "black box" - meaning that you want to plug in any headphones, apple branded, or otherwise, as well as other devices which are not headphones - such as headphones with mic or IR remote control - and have the device function as expected - regardless of the internals of the socket. there could be a dozen different internal socket designs for all I care - so long as they all treat the incoming plug the same in terms of providing the mechanical contact and electrical contact as needed for the device to function.
Just as the engine in your car could be considered a "black box" that makes the car go. Do you care if that black box is a gasoline burning motor, or a diesel burning motor, or an electric motor or a hybrid, etc, etc - well of course you do at some level - but the point is that for the vast majority of users the only thing that matters is that it starts when you turn the key and goes when you press the gas.
If Apple had patented some new shape or size of connector - both the male and female ends - for example a flat connector similar to USB with distinct sides that separated video from audio for example - then perhaps there is a reason for concern about compatibility with other devices.
Comments
This isn't a re-design of the headphone jack, only the input jack. It's just trimming really, reducing housed parts that surround the 1/8" input so as to cut down on space taken up inside the device by the physical input jack.
Companies often patent these sorts of things to protect themselves against future lawsuits, some yahoo coming in after the fact & claiming Apple stole the idea from them. This is really no news, you can move along.
Wow. It took 8 (and 9) posts before somebody actually understood what this actually is. And even after it's been explained in those two posts; people still don't get it.
I suggest trying a store that sells professional music equipment, like Guitar Center. They probably have something for you to try. Failing that, maybe something from Etymotic?
The adapters to make those work makes the problems worse. I've almost damaged a portable music player once because the leverage is so high. Most seem to be 1/4" jacks with 1/8" adapters, but some are 1/8" jacks that have 1/4" adapters, which is more useful for more people.
I agree. I've tried three different BT headphones, they all had one serious problem. One wouldn't charge reliably. Another had bad music playback. Another had bad call quality. I'll probably try some more soon, but I burned out for a while trying to make those work.
Agreed (and thanks for the info).
Apolgies for the rant, but I'm a big music fan and wrassle with those wires all day every day. Apple's in-ear models are fine for me at the moment (even though they don't last more than six months).
I hope that Apple learned something from the market the last year and a half. The 2009 Shuffle design was a failure. Kudos for going back to the 2008 design. I wonder about the new Nano. Who wants to look at picture on a screen that is the size of a postage stamp? While no one does touchscreens better than Apple, a postage stamp-sized touchscreen is uttery worthless.
YOU DON'T NEED TO MAKE THE IPODS SMALLER!!!
we don't want proprietary phone jacks, we want ipods that have a higher capacity and that cost LESS!!! that's it!
thank you
Apple exploring shrunken audio jacks to allow even smaller iPods
iPod pico? iPod femto? iPod neutrino?
The Apple ear buds completely suck and I think anyone who appreciates good audio would agree. Granted not everyone would want to buy the UE-10's but almost anything is better than the ones that Apple ships.
So true; only those like it who say the Boombox was a Hi-Fi device.
I am not sure what impact that would have on the sound quality or amount of power you could push through the connector.
That change - from 3.5mm to 2.5mm would surely make nearly every existing set of headphones incompatible without an adapter.
What we have here is Apple up to its usual clever way of doing things - lets use exactly the sam plug - but come up with a better socket which does in fact use exactly the same plug - while allowing the socket to have the same overall performance - but in a smaller physical space.
In other words - improve the user experience without any change required on the part of the user.
And it appears that my iPhone 4 is already using some form of this technology - yes there still appears to be a cantilever all the way at the bottom - but along the sides I see three bumps - not it may well be that the bumps are only providing electrical contact - and not affecting the effort require to plug or unplug the headset - so what is new here is simplifying the socket by increasing the function of the contacts. Or in other words - replacing what is likely a 50+ year old concept of how a jack should interface with a socket in a way that takes advantage of modern materials and manufacturing techniques that were undreamt of 50+ years ago.
Regarding magsafe - I have often thought it would be cool to have magnetic connectors for USB, Firewire, Audio, etc. On the other hand, all of those have to carry data - so the magnet would either need to be aligned in such a way or shielded such that it would not interfere with the data being transmitted - DC power does not have this issue since there is no data flowing over that wire.
how cool would it be to have a "docking station" with all magnetic connectors such that when you wanted to take your notebook portable you could just pick it up - and to re-dock - you just set it back down again and al the magnets grab their appropriate places.
dear apple!
YOU DON'T NEED TO MAKE THE IPODS SMALLER!!!
we don't want proprietary phone jacks, we want ipods that have a higher capacity and that cost LESS!!! that's it!
thank you
Three hours and fifteen minutes after the article was posted, and on the second page of comments, we *still* have people posting stuff that shows they didn't even read past the headline.
You forgot not supporting Blu-ray. 720p is better than 1080p, I guess.
Nope 4096 is better than 1080 and can't be delivered on optical media, that is what Apple are working on (they're also the only computer manufacturer who offer optical out as standard on all of their laptop and desktop range, and the new AppleTV.
Blu-Ray would put up unit costs and not benefit from being displayed at close quarters on a laptop or desktop computer monitor.
The AppleTV is a device for streaming rental content, there is not streaming media available at 1080 being delivered by any legal source - there isn't the bandwidth or connection speed available on a commercial telecom infrastructure.
Do you understand?
dear apple!
YOU DON'T NEED TO MAKE THE IPODS SMALLER!!!
we don't want proprietary phone jacks, we want ipods that have a higher capacity and that cost LESS!!! that's it!
thank you
Some people also want better battery life - smaller jack allows for larger battery, and other implications. A patent in one area doesn't mean that other areas aren't also being looked at. There is more than one development team working at Apple.
dear apple!
YOU DON'T NEED TO MAKE THE IPODS SMALLER!!!
we don't want proprietary phone jacks, we want ipods that have a higher capacity and that cost LESS!!! that's it!
For someone that can write, you sure didn't read or examine the diagram at all.
It's not really a proprietary connector that requires different headphones. It's just a new way to make the jacks.
Get back to me when the sound quality is comparable, the battery and reciever can fit into the design of current wired earbuds, and they aren't priced way higher than comparable wired ones.
In other words, you're not willing to compromise on anything at all for the convenience of not having a tangle of wires.
not supporting the floppy disk
using HD screens when analog screens are "good enough"
using miniDisplay port when DVI is "good enough"
Using Firewire when USB is good enough.
Using OpenDoc when Apps are good enough.
Using the Newton when Palm was good enough.
Using Appleworks when MS Office is good enough.
Using PowerPC when Intel is good enough.
The Apple ear buds completely suck and I think anyone who appreciates good audio would agree. Granted not everyone would want to buy the UE-10's but almost anything is better than the ones that Apple ships.
I bought the "Apple In-Ear Headphones" (canal buds) and find them to be a good step up from the ones that ship with the iPhone 4. Apple also stands firmly behind them. I had a problem with them (my fault) but they replaced them free anyway, no questions asked. All this for a reasonable price. I am sure these wouldn't be good enough for a professional or audiophile, but for the casual user I recommend them as a reasonable upgrade.
And then we'll see apple suing anyone who manufactures compatible headphones for these audio jacks.
Why? C'mon, Apple is not as bad as that. They will atleast not rush up things that fast
And then we'll see apple suing anyone who manufactures compatible headphones for these audio jacks.
Maybe this has already been covered - but the point of the new design is that it already IS compatible with ALL 3.5mm plugs out there. NO CHANGE to the PLUG required to fit into this new SOCKET.
The socket in this case is in effect a "black box" - meaning that you want to plug in any headphones, apple branded, or otherwise, as well as other devices which are not headphones - such as headphones with mic or IR remote control - and have the device function as expected - regardless of the internals of the socket. there could be a dozen different internal socket designs for all I care - so long as they all treat the incoming plug the same in terms of providing the mechanical contact and electrical contact as needed for the device to function.
Just as the engine in your car could be considered a "black box" that makes the car go. Do you care if that black box is a gasoline burning motor, or a diesel burning motor, or an electric motor or a hybrid, etc, etc - well of course you do at some level - but the point is that for the vast majority of users the only thing that matters is that it starts when you turn the key and goes when you press the gas.
If Apple had patented some new shape or size of connector - both the male and female ends - for example a flat connector similar to USB with distinct sides that separated video from audio for example - then perhaps there is a reason for concern about compatibility with other devices.
iPods do NOT need to be any smaller. The new iPod nano is already too damn small. It's difficult to hold and operate with one hand.
They really need to stick with a design already. Especially with the Shuffle.