Apple idiocy? No 3.5mm jack!

[rudder]

The entire article is speculation based on Apple releasing guidelines on how headphones would work through the lightning connector.
Stick with Android for sure.

The only headphones that will work will be beats.

 

[GlacierFreeze]

apple is also not known for being stupid. there is a reason they are as successful as they are.

Really?

"You're holding it wrong."

The only reason they're successful is marketing. They're good at making people believe they need to buy their overpriced, underpowered product.

And for hipsters and people that want to look cool at coffee shops.

 

[Newell Steamer]

Hai guyz - Apple haz teh AiDz,... lulz.

 

[Schfifty Five]

If it makes AAPL more money... so be it. I love watching my shares soar!

 

[SP33Demon]

Nowhere does it say they are dropping the 3.5mm jack...

Regardless of that, I'd be fine if they did. And for all you morons who are going to say "but I spent $500 on a pair of good headphones" I will respond with "who gives a crap? Oh, you can't use your audiophile headphones to listen to that shitty 96kbps mp3 file on your iPhone? The horror!"

You need to read up on file formats that are close to lossless off a rip.

 

[purbeast0]

Really?

"You're holding it wrong."

The only reason they're successful is marketing. They're good at making people believe they need to buy their overpriced, underpowered product.

And for hipsters and people that want to look cool at coffee shops.

so you're saying that what everyone needs to buy, is another product that isn't apple?

so you are saying you know the needs/wants of everyone?

 

[destrekor]

Nowhere does it say they are dropping the 3.5mm jack...

Regardless of that, I'd be fine if they did. And for all you morons who are going to say "but I spent $500 on a pair of good headphones" I will respond with "who gives a crap? Oh, you can't use your audiophile headphones to listen to that shitty 96kbps mp3 file on your iPhone? The horror!"

? Well that's the wrong attitude.

Plenty of people know how to keep high-quality audio files on their portable devices, and expect to be able to listen to them.

Some people even go with portable external headphone amps to connect in-line between their portable device and audiophile-grade headphone.

Apple has been growing on me a little as of late; or, to be more accurate with my terms, I can appreciate the products they come out with and I definitely appreciate OS X at this point.

That said, if Apple ditches the 3.5mm, I hope they burn and rot to the point of failure.

I can understand the practical purposes and the business drive to make such a move, and in time moving beyond 3.5mm could help enrich our media - no standard was meant to be THE standard for eternity, as better is always possible.
I don't think we are there yet. Apple would like to take us there so they could laugh all the way to the bank while they establish a new standard, as all the top computing and CE businesses dream of each and every day. A page right out of Sony's playbook, for sure... but while the best audio in the world is still delivered with analog signals, so too must the 3.5mm jack remain standard (and its big brother, the 1/4").

 

[ultimatebob]

Apple will make a 30 dollar adapter for you. Kaching.

Yeah... as any new Macbook owner can tell you, Apple LOVES their $30 adapter dongles. Want an Ethernet port? $30 dongle. Want a VGA port? $30 dongle. Want a DVI connection? You get the idea. Don't like dongles? Pony up some big $$$ for some shiny new Apple branded accessories.

So, yeah, the idea of a $30 Lightning to 1/8" audio jack dongle for the iPhone 6 sounds pretty believable.

 

[smackababy]

You need to read up on file formats that are close to lossless off a rip.

And how many people do that? The overwhelming majority of iPhone users use the earbuds that come with (and, if the 3.5mm jack is removed, the new earbuds will use lightning) and download their music from iTunes. Not to mention the audio hardware on the iPhone is likely not ideal.


Plus, audiophiles are generally full of shit. They buy Monster cables. Their opinions on such matters are worthless.

 

[BurnItDwn]

This is not a case of apple stupidity. This is a case of apple greedy.

 

[bearxor]

Again, Apple has announced no plans to drop the 3.5mm jack from their devices.

But let's think about it for a second. What is likely the one thing preventing an iPhone from being thinner...?

But if it did happen and if I did have a nice pair of studio headphones that I wanted to use, I would just buy this:
http://www.amazon.com/Jumbl-Bluetoot...2509997&sr=8-2

And, quite honestly, would have done so already. Because fuck cords, that's why.

 

[squarecut1]

Really?


The only reason they're successful is marketing. They're good at making people believe they need to buy their overpriced, underpowered product.
.

I'm no apple fan but the above is not true. They do make quality products. Maybe not to everyone's liking... I'm included in that list

 

[ultimatebob]

On the flip side, this is a pretty good excuse to get rid of my old ear buds and get a decent set of Bluetooth wireless headphones. They aren't going to have a Beats logo on them, though.

If this ever happened, there are going to be even more pissed off people than you think, though. Here are some more examples:

* The Square users would need to buy a new credit card swipe adapter, since they use the headphone jack

* Anyone who has a car with an Audio AUX jack but no USB port is going to need an adapter. Hell... even if it HAS a USB port, there is no guarantee that it will work with an iPhone 6. The USB port in my wife's Ford Escape doesn't seem to work with much of anything anymore.

* Anyone who plugs their iPhone into their stereo system with a headphone AUX jack gets screwed as well.

 

[destrekor]

Again, Apple has announced no plans to drop the 3.5mm jack from their devices.

But let's think about it for a second. What is likely the one thing preventing an iPhone from being thinner...?

But if it did happen and if I did have a nice pair of studio headphones that I wanted to use, I would just buy this:
http://www.amazon.com/Jumbl-Bluetoot...2509997&sr=8-2

And, quite honestly, would have done so already. Because fuck cords, that's why.

Eh, Bluetooth is no replacement for wires when the devices at the ends of the wires are up to snuff. If you have a set of high-performance headphones, I wouldn't go muddying up the solution by replacing the wired connection.

It works great replacing the generally so-so DACs included in most devices. I use Bluetooth headphones for the gym (one wire that goes behind the neck to connect the two ends), and in my car, because I'm not using high-grade audio files and the digital audio sounds better... the DAC on my phone is likely not impressive, at least not with so-so file quality.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Regardless of that, I'd be fine if they did. And for all you morons who are going to say "but I spent $500 on a pair of good headphones" I will respond with "who gives a crap? Oh, you can't use your audiophile headphones to listen to that shitty 96kbps mp3 file on your iPhone? The horror!"

I am glad you have your ridiculously snobbish line of defense ready to go just in case Apple does what history shows they like to do and the 3.5mm jack is axed in the near future.

As the boyscouts say, "always be prepared."

 

[poofyhairguy]

The only reason they're successful is marketing.

Not completely.

The reason they are successful is because they add a polish to technology that no other company can match. As part of that polish they make technical decisions for you, which is what most consumers need.

Take an iPad for example. Almost anything that device can do a PC (or Android device) can do with the proper accessories, plus that PC or Android device can do a LOT more. Yet to someone like your mom (or my mom) it doesn't matter how much more functional a PC MIGHT be if only the iPad offers an easy enough way for her to do the actual task.

They make good products that have a very certain demographic that appreciates those products.

Just because their price incorporates that polish, and us nerds don't see value in that polish, doesn't mean they aren't good products.

 

[tynopik]

Eh, Bluetooth is no replacement for wires when the devices at the ends of the wires are up to snuff.

how so? if you have a good DAC on the headphone side, why wouldn't BT replace wires?

 

[Rakehellion]

The Square users will need to buy a new credit card swipe adapter as well. Grr.

Ha. Square just obsoleted their adapter last month and made everyone get a new one.

 

[amdhunter]

Seriously? I hope they do drop it. Something with a magnetic connector so that the jacks don't mess up after time would be awesome. Also, the removal of this jack can allow for even thinner devices.

Don't like it? Get a bluetooth adapter instead with a legacy 3.5mm jack on it to use with your old ass headphones.

Too bad Apple doesn't have the balls to go through with this because people will find a way to spin it against them.

 

[Scarpozzi]

My Droid RAZR's headphone jack stopped working last year. I could get a replacement module, but have switched to bluetooth. 3.5mm jacks are great, but I've been happy with these:
http://www.kinivo.com/Kinivo-BTH220-Bluetooth-Stereo-Headphone/dp/B005LKB0IU

Sound quality is great and they'll last 8 hours easy on a charge. With smart charging, they only charge until they're at capacity...so you can leave them plugged in overnight.

 

[stlc8tr]

how so? if you have a good DAC on the headphone side, why wouldn't BT replace wires?

I thought BT was still lossy?

From what I've read, A2DP uses SBC as the default codec and aptX support isn't that universal.

 

[Phoenix86]

apple is also not known for being stupid. there is a reason they are as successful as they are.

Every company makes mistakes, even wildly successful ones.

 

[DesiPower]

Hold a 9v on your tongue?

:biggrin: brilliant

 

[DesiPower]

As many suggested before, I think its just a add on, no one is taking the 3.5mm away. I believe Apple is trying to do something with the company they just bought that makes overpriced headphones. Maybe they will add some features to the headphones that can only be controlled/used via the propitiatory hole.

 

[AstroManLuca]

The only headphones that will work will be beats.

Oh, they'll work with non-Beats™ headphones. But new Beats™ will include an identifying chip and offer improved audio quality when connected via the Apple™ Lightning™ BeatsAudio™ port, and will automatically downsample audio played to other headphones.