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I still miss my headphone jack, and I want it back

fastcompany.com

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Re: I still miss my headphone jack, and I want it back

#161

Post by Endy »

grecy wrote: post #60
BLKNSLVR wrote: post #3

The blog ends with the best and most insightful comment: And no human’s life is measurably better since Apple had the “courage” to remove the 3.5 mm jack. But a lot of our lives are just a little worse. The author also points towards active de-standardisation between Android and iOS: "if only there was one universal audio port they both could use" Apple gets an advantage from this with their iron-grip on compatible p…

> And no human’s life is measurably better since Apple had the “courage” to remove the 3.5 mm jack. But a lot of our lives are just a little worse. Eh, you could have said the same thing when they removed serial ports, 3.5" floppy drives, CD drives, etc. etc. etc. Yes, the world is moving forward. Yes, it's a little inconvenient.

I don't know about you, but my computer still has 2 serial ports on the back, a 3.5" USB drive, and 100% compatibility with CDs via my CD-RW/DVD-RW optical drive. Who removed these things? Who would have the gall to tell me that my use-case is somehow invalid because I use older, more reliable hardware and methods?

Re: I still miss my headphone jack, and I want it back

#162

Post by nradov »

jamesrcole wrote: post #106
nikofeyn wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

but that doesn’t really answer the question of “why remove it?” keeping the audio jack does not prevent the use of wireless headphones. and keeping the audio jack does not really pose a problem.

It does answer it: as I said, it forces quicker uptake of wireless, and thus quicker reduction of cost.

If wireless enables quicker reduction in cost then when do iPhones keep getting more expensive?

Re: I still miss my headphone jack, and I want it back

#163

Post by dvcrn »

I don't miss the headphone jack a bit. Apple forced me into trying bluetooth headphones and so far I've not looked back. For cases when I want a cabled connection after all (like in airplanes), I just use the adapter.

I had it a few times in the past that I used cabled headphones, ripped on the cable and smacked my phone on the floor by accident.

Re: I still miss my headphone jack, and I want it back

#164

Post by PhasmaFelis »

S_A_P wrote: post #19
S_A_P wrote: post #17

100% agree with this. Its pretty interesting that I almost never use headphones anymore now because bluetooth headphones require a few things: 1) preplanning/foresight in charging the headphones 2) refer to number 1. I have 2 really nice pairs of bluetooth headphones, and almost NEVER use them. Guess what pair gets used almost daily? my 15 year old beyerdynamic DT770s. 3.5mm or ¼" plug, closed back. Not really the mo…

I am happy to discuss with anyone who downvotes as to why they disagree with me. My comment may be tangental but is completely relevant to the discussion and reinforces points made in the article.

There's a few people on HN who seem to have a weirdly emotional affection for the iPhone's lack-of-headphone-jack. One guy argued that it was all worth it because it reduces dust infiltration, another because it makes it more water-resistant. (Yeah.)

I can see why someone who's never used wired earbuds wouldn't care one way or another, but I really don't understand this sort of attachment.

Re: I still miss my headphone jack, and I want it back

#165

Post by PhasmaFelis »

eksemplar wrote: post #150
S_A_P wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its not that I "want" to use them. The difference is that I could use the same headphones to record drums, drum machines, guitar, Vox, or even my iPhone. Bluetooth is great! I use it in my car for phone and audio all the time. Wireless headphones are at a fundamental disadvantage in that they have less battery capacity than a phone. Those AirPod thingys you like? great. They don't fit my weird ears. My problem. but e…

Why don’t you just plug your old headphones into the adapter and continue to use them?

Because it's a pain in the ass to have to carry around another fiddly bit of tech gear which should have been completely unnecessary.

Yeah, it's petty. But literally no one benefits from the absence of jack (or at least no user), so why inflict even a petty annoyance on some users with nothing gained for it?

Re: I still miss my headphone jack, and I want it back

#166

Post by dclowd9901 »

ggg9990 wrote: post #98
S_A_P wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am happy to discuss with anyone who downvotes as to why they disagree with me. My comment may be tangental but is completely relevant to the discussion and reinforces points made in the article.

Unsolicited tip: cultivate some misanthropy so that you can relish downvotes.

That deliciousness of righteousness against hatred.

Re: I still miss my headphone jack, and I want it back

#167

Post by PhasmaFelis »

mh8h wrote: post #117
finnthehuman wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I just keep mine hooked up to my wired headphones. This works great, until... You leave the pair of headphones with the dongle behind by mistake and spend the rest of the day frustrated because you have access to a perfectly good pair of headphones but no the dongle. Or you stick to one primary pair of headphones and are frequently taking the dongle on and off making it even easier to misplace or leave behind.

It's not supposed to be perfect. It's just a solution to that problem. Remember when optical drives where removed from laptops? We had to carry an external optical drive. Some times we'd forget it. It was inconvenient. But we survived.

> It's not supposed to be perfect. It's just a solution to that problem.

It's frustrating to have to come up with solutions, however effective, to problems that should never have existed in the first place.

Re: I still miss my headphone jack, and I want it back

#168

Post by jamesrcole »

nradov wrote: post #162
jamesrcole wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does answer it: as I said, it forces quicker uptake of wireless, and thus quicker reduction of cost.

If wireless enables quicker reduction in cost then when do iPhones keep getting more expensive?

I never said that. I said if wireless is the only option in those phones then this will cause more wireless headphones to be sold, and this will cause wireless headphones to become cheaper. (This is clearer if you read the earlier comments in this sub-thread. By the time the discussion got to the comment you were replying to, that context was being assumed).

Re: I still miss my headphone jack, and I want it back

#170

Post by dclowd9901 »

MAGZine wrote: post #59
NeedMoreTea wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many have said thinner is the reason, yet phones without jacks are not thinner than those with. The problem solved was encouraging sales of some very expensive wireless earbuds. I really do think it was as simple as that. Those who want Bluetooth wireless could just as easily have it on a phone with a jack without losing any benefit. They already did.

My understanding is that the headphone jack actually occupies a lot of space. If you have opened up a phone before, it is evident that all internal space is _very_ well accounted for, so removing a headphone jack is actually a very tangible increase in usable internal space. And it's not just the jack, you need to include a DAC in the device, too! This means being able to include more/new co-processors, different/bet…

Do you notice the space difference? Because I sure as shit do not.
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