Really think phasing this in might have been the better play (ship lightning headphones, keep the port for backwards compatibility) but that's not how apple rolls. They make user-hostile decisions all the time but the track record of not getting burned too deeply probably makes this an easier decision from their eyes. The aux port is super ubiquitous though and a lot of buy-in is already there, so if ever they're going to burned by one of these decisions now would be the time.
Taking the headphone jack off phones is user-hostile and stupid
41–50 of 217 posts
Re: Taking the headphone jack off phones is user-hostile and stupid
#42"Raise your hand if the thing you wanted most from your next phone was either fewer ports or more dongles.
I didn’t think so. You wanted better battery life, didn’t you? Everyone just wants better battery life."
raises hand to second point
Show me a phone battery that lasts a week between charges, and I shall show you my wallet
Re: Taking the headphone jack off phones is user-hostile and stupid
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
And yet I've got three pair of $300 headphones in my house between my wife and I, two of which are 6+ years old. If you take care of high quality headphones they will last quite along time. Wire wears out? Replace it. Ear pads lost their shape? Replace them. So yaaaay dongles? Which that's even more fun because if I'm listening music for any length of time, there's a portable amp in between the phone and my headphone…
>Wire wears out? Replace it. Is there any reason why a replacement wire with a lightning connection on one end wouldn't be possible?
That's not what he's saying. The original quote was that people replace head phones all the time, he doesn't. Higher end headphones allow you to not replace headphones all the time when a small piece wears out or breaks. So that quote is false for him.
Re: Taking the headphone jack off phones is user-hostile and stupid
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
And yet I've got three pair of $300 headphones in my house between my wife and I, two of which are 6+ years old. If you take care of high quality headphones they will last quite along time. Wire wears out? Replace it. Ear pads lost their shape? Replace them. So yaaaay dongles? Which that's even more fun because if I'm listening music for any length of time, there's a portable amp in between the phone and my headphone…
For your phone? Nice to be you. Most of us use the $2 ones we buy at the checkout counter for our phones.
What's your point? Of course most people will use bundled headphones. However a significant share of customers will use premium ones and expect to run them for years and with multiple devices.
Re: Taking the headphone jack off phones is user-hostile and stupid
#45Earlier quoted context omitted.
And yet I've got three pair of $300 headphones in my house between my wife and I, two of which are 6+ years old. If you take care of high quality headphones they will last quite along time. Wire wears out? Replace it. Ear pads lost their shape? Replace them. So yaaaay dongles? Which that's even more fun because if I'm listening music for any length of time, there's a portable amp in between the phone and my headphone…
>Wire wears out? Replace it. Is there any reason why a replacement wire with a lightning connection on one end wouldn't be possible?
You'd need the electronics somewhere in the headphone to convert the digital signal to an analog one. The pair of headphones I use the most (B&W p5) is actually exceedingly easy to replace the wire on. B&W also happens to have a very close relationship with Apple... I wouldn't be surprised to see them make wore with the integrated conversion from digital to analog.
That said, the other two pair in the house are studio monitor headphones and replacing the wire is non-trivial but supported.
Re: Taking the headphone jack off phones is user-hostile and stupid
#46I'd be completely comfortable for replacing it with USB-C. You already have the port, it's an industry standard, it's de facto open to use for anyone. It's smaller, both in terms of thickness (which I don't care much about by now, but I'll grant it's a thing), as well as volume. What concerns me is that the most popular phone and probably listening device in the world, will move towards a proprietary sound system, fr…
I came here to say just this, but you captured every though I had, and better. USB-C finally has the chance to be the universal adapter for "phone sized" devices (there will probably have to be a micro-USB C for things that are tinier) - and if Apple really wanted to show courage/leadership, they would replace their lightning ports with a standard that every device in the world is moving to.
I'd have no problem with USB-C headphones.
Re: Taking the headphone jack off phones is user-hostile and stupid
#47Earlier quoted context omitted.
You aren't forced, just coercively "suggested" into it, via updates pushed out by the carrier that inevitably make your phone run slower than a Celeron laptop from the early 2000s
At least you get latest updates, unlike phones from literally any other manufacturer. If it's not the top-range model then you can consider yourself lucky to get even one update before the phone is completely forgotten.
This is one of the two reasons I switched to an iPhone after being a staunch Android supporter since the first Samsung Galaxy device. The other being the fact that I was sick of my carrier installing branded software without my explicit consent. No Sprint, I'm not and never will be interested in your NASCAR app.
Re: Taking the headphone jack off phones is user-hostile and stupid
#48I lose my earphone regularly and replace them with 15$ headphones I can get at the drugstore. I guess that means I'm getting off the iPhone .
$15? Jeez, for $20 you can get the Xiaomi Piston, which is great. Otherwise, just buy ten $2 buds from dx.com.
Re: Taking the headphone jack off phones is user-hostile and stupid
#49I for one believe apple's users deserve better than a decades-old, ugly design just because everyone else tolerates it.
Re: Taking the headphone jack off phones is user-hostile and stupid
#50John Gruber's response ( http://daringfireball.net/2016/06/headphone_jacks_are_the_ne... ): > Should the analog headphone jack remain on our devices forever? If you think so, you can stop reading. What's the advantage to removing the headphone jack? Is the jack some sort of bottleneck to sound quality that nobody noticed until now? I really don't see a benefit in removing the headphone jack, now or anytime in the for…
I think the argument that is made is that it's stopping phones becoming thinner - which looking at the size of the jack on my Nexus 5X, I can believe. However, personally, I'll live with a thicker phone if it means I can have a larger capacity battery, let alone a 3.5mm jack
The thickest feature on most phones is the camera