Meh. I see the deletion of the analog out as a good reason to go embrace the future that is wireless. I've been reticent because sound quality on Bluetooth headphones - thus far - are not quite as good as the wired variety. Hopefully this will mean improvements to sound quality in upcoming and future wireless headphones.
Bluetooth is nice, but so is a headphone jack. without buying something I can not listen to wired headphones and charge my phone. I do interact with people much at work, and listen to headphones 70% of the work day.
My typical day in relation to headphones: Go to gym, use bluetooth headphones, go to work, iphone battery about 80% at beginning of day. plug in headphones, and charge phone, listen to headphones most of the day. Any home chores like mowing the lawn are bluetooth headphones go to bed, listen to audio book - fall asleep. (Have you ever fallen asleep listening to Bluetooth headphones? when the battery runs out it beeps and you think your house is on fire.) So if Im not charging my phone over night, or at work, when am i charging it? I guess Ill have to buy a dock. (or wait a year and see if the jack comes back)
I hope the Air pods sound better than the wired apple provided headphones - not that I am likely to buy them at $160 anyway. Im also not sure about the completely un-wired headphones, It just gives me another opportunity to lose one.
The W1 chip does sound interesting, but if it stays proprietary there will never be inexpensive alternatives to beats/apple. I look forward to seeing what advantages the new technology has, but I am skeptical.
At first I argued that charging and headphones was a legit complaint for some (and it is, a minor one). But even I think this has been blown way out of proportion. The reviews are making it sound like the lack of headphone jack is this huge black mark on the phone and is a major issue that can be weighed against all the new features. And they make it sound like all your wired headphones are now useless and your only option is to go Bluetooth. Enough already!
Its REALLY REALLY RIDICULOUS that the TECH MEDIA which suppose to be all about being open minded to new technology is so stuck with the 100 year old headphone jack.
Absolutely ridiculous and irresponsible. The benefits of removing the head phone jack is obvious. Yet the tech media refuses to see the bigger picture. Sure its a small inconvience for a small portion of the user base but the long term benefits are MASSIVE.
In the short term you get:
1. Better waterproofing (don't say the Galaxy line does it with a jack because Galaxy phones have failed numerous water tests) 2. Better battery life - more space for a bigger battery 3. Better sound quality and the ability to have 2 way communication and power
Its really short sighted that the tech media bashes this forward thinking move by Apple, when they should really be praising it.
The thing these all-obsessive reviewers all seem to miss is that this isnt about going from the 6s to the 7 but the 5, 5s, 6 to the 7. that's what MOST normal people will be considering!
Why is it when Steve Jobs cut the cord on Ethernet cables and delivered one of the first truly wireless computers to the market, everyone says yeah we love it! It's because he got it right on the first try and now Apple is doing the same thing with headphones and everyone is upset about It?
Firstly most people don’t like to be forced out of their comfort zone and secondly, I think, it’s because most people don’t see, that Apple has fixed all the headaches and all stigma surrounding Bluetooth headphones yet.
3-4 months from now all the cool kids will have wireless headphones with a W1 chip in them and the rest of us will feel outdated and will have to catch up!
Let's face it wearables is a huge market and today everyone owns a pair headphones. Just think what all third-party headphone companies are doing right now? I bet they want that W1 chip in their headphones!
The biggest problem with the missing headphone jack is how it’s being presented in the media. The impression given in most of the articles is that users will no longer be able to use their current headphones and that they will be forced into buying expensive wireless headphones. The included adapter is never mentioned. The included Lightening earbuds are never mentioned despite the fact that the vast majority of users listen with the included earbuds and why we see those white cords hanging down all over the place. It almost seems like a misleading crusade to punish Apple.
Not almost. A fair and balanced perspective is not what we're reading from lamestream tech blogs.
Yes, it is the Fox News "school" of narrative journalism.... Who cares about the truth, lets tell a little story...
Sorry for just quoting you and re-posting, it wouldn't let me add my bit underneath.
All I wanted to say was that I totally agree with you, SOG. I haven't used the headphone jack since I purchased my iPhone 6 the day after it was released. All it has done is collect lint inside. I've been using a Beats Pill to listen to music while at home and my new car has Bluetooth. Even in my 10 year old truck I don't use the headphone jack, but instead an FM transmitter that hooks into the Lightning port. Oh, and we just bought an iMac that came with a set of Beats Solo 2s for free (so awesome, by the way). And even if I needed the old jack, it comes with an adapter inside the box!
Why is the media giving it so much attention and critics continuously harping on it? Could it be they are tired of covering Samsung phones that are actually BLOWING UP?
If you can get over it?!? Good grief, these people have serious problems.
Daniel Eran Dilger absolutely pinned these people. They have massive ego issues, and think they have (or should have) the power to inform Apple on how to proceed, and when they fail to do so, they become irate.
I am not a fan of not including the headphone jack. Waterproofing is not a valid excuse. They managed it with the Lightning connector, they can do it with the headphone jack. I use my headphone jack every day and regularly switch between my earphones plugged into my MacBook Pro, PC, iPhone, and iPad. If I upgrade to the iPhone 7, I'll have to use the adaptor, which would be a minor hassle, except that my vehicle only uses Bluetooth for phone calls. I have to use the headphone jack for audio playback. I use the Lightning connector for charging. So, if I upgrade, I have to buy a bulky adaptor and still plug in the Apple adaptor to playback audio while charging my phone in my car, and I have to use an adaptor throughout the day to use my phone in my workflow. The alternative that Apple offers is to buy $160 Bluetooth earphones that will only automatically switch between my Apple devices, and only have ~4 hours of battery life. Here's a newsflash, just because a tool or technology is relatively old, doesn't make it obsolete. In fact, if a technology lasts for 100 years or more, it's probably because it works really well and serves a very useful purpose. That doesn't mean stop innovation, just give us a few options. Apple could have easily kept the headphone jack and still hyped their new Airpods and Beats products. I was considering upgrading, but I think I'll wait. Maybe someone will make a case that has a headphone jack.
Bluetooth is nice, but so is a headphone jack. without buying something I can not listen to wired headphones and charge my phone. I do interact with people much at work, and listen to headphones 70% of the work day.
My typical day in relation to headphones: Go to gym, use bluetooth headphones, go to work, iphone battery about 80% at beginning of day. plug in headphones, and charge phone, listen to headphones most of the day. Any home chores like mowing the lawn are bluetooth headphones go to bed, listen to audio book - fall asleep. (Have you ever fallen asleep listening to Bluetooth headphones? when the battery runs out it beeps and you think your house is on fire.) So if Im not charging my phone over night, or at work, when am i charging it? I guess Ill have to buy a dock. (or wait a year and see if the jack comes back)
I hope the Air pods sound better than the wired apple provided headphones - not that I am likely to buy them at $160 anyway. Im also not sure about the completely un-wired headphones, It just gives me another opportunity to lose one.
The W1 chip does sound interesting, but if it stays proprietary there will never be inexpensive alternatives to beats/apple. I look forward to seeing what advantages the new technology has, but I am skeptical.
Fair enough. But I don't believe the jack will be coming back next year. Instead, I am quite certain there will be a plethora of fairly-priced options available to choose from that will allow you to charge and listen to wired headphones if that is what you need to do. I personally feel that the dock option is far too bulky for people that will need it, but someone will release a sleekly-designed adapter that will look and work great.
One question I have is with the Jet black model if you're on the upgrade program will fine micro abrasions or small scratches be tolerated when you turn in your phone to Apple. Or is Apple going to penalize you for not using a case? Because it's not a question of if you get scratches.....you will. Guaranteed.
If you're familiar with the upgrade programs being done for the last several years by every major carrier, cosmetic perfection is not a required part of the trade in.
I have to say it does bother me a bit not you have it. I do not listen to music on my iPhone but I do use several iPods. I do use the headphones sometimes when making phone calls at work or in noisy places. It's nice to be able to just grab any set I have lying around and instantly be able to use them without needing a dongle etc. That being said I have ordered a 7.
Audio engineer here to dispel some misinformation.
Major consideration: it has to be powered somehow. That means at least two cables. I believe the term I learned in my Recording Engineering classes was "fuck that shit".
But seriously: there is no effective benefit.
The entire reason digital headphones haven't been done for the last 25 years is because powering the headphones is a problem. USB headsets, are near universally hated for much of the same problem. If you had a $300 sound card with it's own DAC and amp circuitry, you'd not want to plug a USB headset in and bypass it entirely. Same with HDMI "speakers" in your TV. When was the last time a TV came with good speakers? The entire "thinner, lighter" rabbit hole has ensured that speakers in anything thinner than a sandwich sound terrible.
So what did Nokia, Motorola and Nintendo do, and subsequently stop doing? Don't use your proprietary connection for headphones/carkits unless it can charge the device at the same time.
The cable that should have been included with the "3.5mm-less iPhone" is a USB-c (power or headphones) with a 3.5mm jack (headphones) lightning bridge.
Just no USB-C digital audio support exists yet. So obviously this would be a futile thing to do right now.
But realistically, if they were going to get rid of the 3.5mm jack, it should have been replaced with usb-c or another lightning connector (perhaps on the other side of the device, or when it's in landscape orientation.) Forcing users to use wireless headphones is just not going to happen, because go back to point 1 "additional cables or chargers, FTS"
It should be noted that USB-C supports an "analog" mode which puts the same 3.5mm pins on the USB jack, but that would only suffice for USB-C headphones that can run on 500mv, and would require a charge-through connector.
Going to be a great phone but I am too attached to the headphone jack to upgrade this generation. I'll let things play out for a year and upgrade my iPhone 6+.
The camera is the only thing that really tempts me to upgrade. Sure, it is faster the iP6+ is still good enough. Cheaper anyway.
Surely as a purchase consideration, the 7 Plus camera far, far outweighs any issue associated with the (farsighted) removal of a headphone jack, not to mention water resistance etc.
If you can get over it?!? Good grief, these people have serious problems.
Daniel Eran Dilger absolutely pinned these people. They have massive ego issues, and think they have (or should have) the power to inform Apple on how to proceed, and when they fail to do so, they become irate.
The reason that some in the press can't 'get over the all-too-familiar design' is because Samsung copied it verbatim and so now, Apple's design is obvious. In this case, 'obvious' is elegant too.
Mike W's negative, uninsightful, boring headlines are annoying. How about: Thoughtless knee-jerks continue bemoaning progress, or Wired continues resisting wireless - for some reason! Come on Mike!!
Comments
Apple doesn't need that simple-minded noise getting in the way of the 8.
My typical day in relation to headphones:
Go to gym, use bluetooth headphones, go to work, iphone battery about 80% at beginning of day.
plug in headphones, and charge phone, listen to headphones most of the day.
Any home chores like mowing the lawn are bluetooth headphones
go to bed, listen to audio book - fall asleep. (Have you ever fallen asleep listening to Bluetooth headphones? when the battery runs out it beeps and you think your house is on fire.)
So if Im not charging my phone over night, or at work, when am i charging it? I guess Ill have to buy a dock. (or wait a year and see if the jack comes back)
I hope the Air pods sound better than the wired apple provided headphones - not that I am likely to buy them at $160 anyway. Im also not sure about the completely un-wired headphones, It just gives me another opportunity to lose one.
The W1 chip does sound interesting, but if it stays proprietary there will never be inexpensive alternatives to beats/apple. I look forward to seeing what advantages the new technology has, but I am skeptical.
Why is it when Steve Jobs cut the cord on Ethernet cables and delivered one of the first truly wireless computers to the market, everyone says yeah we love it! It's because he got it right on the first try and now Apple is doing the same thing with headphones and everyone is upset about It?
Firstly most people don’t like to be forced out of their comfort zone and secondly, I think, it’s because most people don’t see, that Apple has fixed all the headaches and all stigma surrounding Bluetooth headphones yet.
3-4 months from now all the cool kids will have wireless headphones with a W1 chip in them and the rest of us will feel outdated and will have to catch up!
Let's face it wearables is a huge market and today everyone owns a pair headphones. Just think what all third-party headphone companies are doing right now? I bet they want that W1 chip in their headphones!
There is an adapter and extra ones are basically given a away at $9 (probably sold at cost by Apple).
If you want to charge and plug it in, you can buy a $20-40 adapter to do it.
Most new stereos in the last 3 years have a bluetooth entry.
The Verge should should kill themselves, because they're worth nothing.
All I wanted to say was that I totally agree with you, SOG. I haven't used the headphone jack since I purchased my iPhone 6 the day after it was released. All it has done is collect lint inside. I've been using a Beats Pill to listen to music while at home and my new car has Bluetooth. Even in my 10 year old truck I don't use the headphone jack, but instead an FM transmitter that hooks into the Lightning port. Oh, and we just bought an iMac that came with a set of Beats Solo 2s for free (so awesome, by the way). And even if I needed the old jack, it comes with an adapter inside the box!
Why is the media giving it so much attention and critics continuously harping on it? Could it be they are tired of covering Samsung phones that are actually BLOWING UP?
Fair enough. But I don't believe the jack will be coming back next year. Instead, I am quite certain there will be a plethora of fairly-priced options available to choose from that will allow you to charge and listen to wired headphones if that is what you need to do. I personally feel that the dock option is far too bulky for people that will need it, but someone will release a sleekly-designed adapter that will look and work great.
Will there ever be a market for SPDIF(Toslink/Coaxial) headphones?
The entire reason digital headphones haven't been done for the last 25 years is because powering the headphones is a problem. USB headsets, are near universally hated for much of the same problem. If you had a $300 sound card with it's own DAC and amp circuitry, you'd not want to plug a USB headset in and bypass it entirely. Same with HDMI "speakers" in your TV. When was the last time a TV came with good speakers? The entire "thinner, lighter" rabbit hole has ensured that speakers in anything thinner than a sandwich sound terrible.
So what did Nokia, Motorola and Nintendo do, and subsequently stop doing? Don't use your proprietary connection for headphones/carkits unless it can charge the device at the same time.
The cable that should have been included with the "3.5mm-less iPhone" is a USB-c (power or headphones) with a 3.5mm jack (headphones) lightning bridge.
Just no USB-C digital audio support exists yet. So obviously this would be a futile thing to do right now.
But realistically, if they were going to get rid of the 3.5mm jack, it should have been replaced with usb-c or another lightning connector (perhaps on the other side of the device, or when it's in landscape orientation.) Forcing users to use wireless headphones is just not going to happen, because go back to point 1 "additional cables or chargers, FTS"
It should be noted that USB-C supports an "analog" mode which puts the same 3.5mm pins on the USB jack, but that would only suffice for USB-C headphones that can run on 500mv, and would require a charge-through connector.
The reason that some in the press can't 'get over the all-too-familiar design' is because Samsung copied it verbatim and so now, Apple's design is obvious. In this case, 'obvious' is elegant too.
Except that it doesn't light itself on fire.
How about: Thoughtless knee-jerks continue bemoaning progress, or Wired continues resisting wireless - for some reason!
Come on Mike!!