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[reelbigtink]

As someone who works in the audio industry, no 3.5 is a huge negative mark against this phone. We use that port daily for hundreds of things, and nearly every employee at my company has a 6 or 6s. They're all grumbly and talking about swapping over to Samsung now. It's chaos, really.

 

[March of the Crabs]

This is still a really stupid idea.

 

[anonymous_abc]

Still a camera bump?

 

[rezuth]

Compared to 3.5mm though? Not really seeing much of a difference. In fact, I'd imagine the added length of the 3.5mm jack would help keep it in place when you're on the move, and is less likely to wobble or get pulled out.

It clips into place and doesn't wobble

 

[Meus Renaissance]

It would be a demonstration of Apple's brand power to see whether this works. I doubt it will, especially if the phone retains the current form factor.

 

[nib95]

It clips into place and doesn't wobble

I'd say the one on my iPad Mini has a tiny bit of wiggle room, it also pops out now and again whilst I'm casually using it in bed or on the sofa during charging. Same with the Micro USB in my phone on rare occasion too. Can't say that's ever happened with a 3.5mm jack except with major force or pull. Eg I actually stepped on the cable or it really snagged on something.

 

[uncelestial]

do I need to explain why this comparison is foolish?

You can try if you want to, but since most people are going to see it for what it is and are generally good at spotting unconvincing arguments, I wouldn't waste my time.

 

[Suikoguy]

that 3.5mm headphone jack adapter will cost $100.

lol, do we actually know how much it will cost?

 

[uncelestial]

No ethernet port, no buy, no usb port, no buy...

There are no computers without USB ports. Even the Raspberry Pi has a USB port. And unless you're claiming that there's a large number of people out there using computers with no USB ports, which there isn't, I'm not sure what the point of that example is.

 

[sc0la]

There are no computers without USB ports. Even the Raspberry Pi has a USB port. And unless you're claiming that there's a large audience of people out there clamoring for computers with no USB ports, which there isn't, I'm not sure what the point of that example is.

There are plenty of phones and tablets without them however. Which is my guess what that is referring to.

 

[demon]

I dunno. I can't count the number of times my corded earbuds have pissed me off for whatever reason, from countless annoyances caused by the cord getting in the way, catching onto something or getting impossibly tangled up, to just flat-out dying on me because of the crappy plug. So I'm either constantly buying new cheap earbuds or praying my expensive ones don't become garbage because of the goddamn jack. I look forward to a cordless future.

There are plenty of phones and tablets without them however. Which is my guess what that is referring to.

Well, they all have mini-USB...

 

[jax]

Getting flashbacks from 2007

Spoiler

 

[killer rin]

Come on Apple, implement qI like everybody else

 

[AHA-Lambda]

I don't get it? I thought getting rid of the headphone jack was supposed to make the phone thinner.

Said it before and I'll say it again -- no headphone jack, no sale.

This and this.

So even the useless excuse of making it thinner isn't a benefit.
If Apple stick with this going forward I'm going Android

 

[nib95]

I dunno. I can't count the number of times my corded earbuds have pissed me off for whatever reason, from countless annoyances caused by the cord getting in the way, catching onto something or getting impossibly tangled up, to just flat-out dying on me because of the crappy plug. So I'm either constantly buying new cheap earbuds or praying my expensive ones don't become garbage because of the goddamn jack. I look forward to a cordless future.

What's stopping you from trying out wireless options now? Does someone actually have to remove a feature from your device in order for you to experiment with alternative options? Lol.

 

[Dan]

I dunno. I can't count the number of times my corded earbuds have pissed me off for whatever reason, from countless annoyances caused by the cord getting in the way, catching onto something or getting impossibly tangled up, to just flat-out dying on me because of the crappy plug. So I'm either constantly buying new cheap earbuds or praying my expensive ones don't become garbage because of the goddamn jack. I look forward to a cordless future.

Cordless would be amazing, if it worked flawlessly. Most people don't think Bluetooth is at that level, however. Certainly not to warrant moving away from the reliable and widespread 3.5mm.

 

[womfalcs3]

Apple doesn't know how to evolve the phone. If it is just a 6S with better specs and no headphone jack, that's messed up. I need the headphone jack for the aux connection in my car.

 

[lupinko]

Unless the 7 is a bajillion times better, I'm going to buy a 6S+ later this year.

Yeah it's true that I don't use 3.5mm when I use my Fiio DAC and Q701s, but I don't bring those out for everyday use.

 

[uncelestial]

There are plenty of phones and tablets without them however. Which is my guess what that is referring to.

That wouldn't make much sense, since the smartphone boom never had a phase where there was widespread adoption of ethernet and USB host ports.

 

[michaelius]

I have to wonder what their official explanation will be for the removal of the headphone jack. It seems like a huge gamble with not much in the way of potential payoff.

We only changed everything including your 200$ headphones

 

[GHG]

I guess Apple have got to try and claw back all that lost revenue from somewhere.

 

[FinalStageBoss]

What in the fuck is the point of removing the headphone jack then?

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Apple will 100% lose me as a customer with a change like this. Guaranteed.

 

[Staccat0]

Man, I have decent headphones and I lose shit like adapters. Fuck all this noise.
You don't know how many events have been resched by a 3.5mm headphone jack.

As someone who works in the audio industry, no 3.5 is a huge negative mark against this phone. We use that port daily for hundreds of things, and nearly every employee at my company has a 6 or 6s. They're all grumbly and talking about swapping over to Samsung now. It's chaos, really.

Word. Up.

 

[Auto_aim1]

Give me a reason to upgrade from the 5S Apple. This design is so boring.

 

[Kathian]

I don't get it? I thought getting rid of the headphone jack was supposed to make the phone thinner.

No it's supposed to make you buy headphones that work with their new proprietary wireless connection that will include the words beats in the branding.

 

[uncelestial]

If I didn't have a fuckton of movies and music purchased via iTunes that I use on my phone I'd honestly consider switching at this point but my iPhone is just too integrated into my setup for me to ever consider changing.

Apple Music has an Android App, man. The music comes with you. All my uploads, purchases, and Apple Music tracks are totally playable on my Nexus.

As for the movies, personally I only involve my phone when I'm casting to the big TV (why watch anything on your phone screen? Bleh.) Assuming you're using an Apple TV to watch all those iTunes purchases on the big screen (what else even can?), there's an app for controlling Apple TV with your Android device too.

 

[Ollie Pooch]

How are bluetooth headphones as a thing? Will the removal of the headphone jack be a big deal in the grand scheme? (Not rhetorical, actually asking.)

I use some Plantronics Backbeat Fits and I love them. I won't go back to wired ones now (for exercise, anyway). I really do think removing the 3.5mm port is excessive, though.

 

[BladeoftheImmortal]

I'm OK with this. I want Bluetooth headsets to be the future. Fuck wires.

 

[makingmusic476]

Apple Music has an Android App, man. The music comes with you. All my uploads, purchases, and Apple Music tracks are totally playable on my Nexus.

As for the movies, personally I only involve my phone when I'm casting to the big TV (why watch anything on your phone screen? Bleh.) Assuming you're using an Apple TV to watch all those iTunes purchases on the big screen (what else even can?), there's an app for controlling Apple TV with your Android device too.

And a lot of people just stream nowadays.

I'm a Google Play Music All Access subscriber, and if I ever decided to switch to Apple, switching streaming services would be relatively painless.

I just realized I'm not very invested in Google's digital store, despite having an Android phone for ~six years. I'm heavily invested (of a different sort) in Gmail, Gdocs, etc., but I've probably spent <$50 on the Play Store on digital purchases over the past six or so years, ignoring my All Access sub. And most of that was on music I bought pre-sub.

Is Apple's streaming service easily accessible on a PC? I stream All Access via my PC at home.

 

[Hydrargyrus]

Revolutionary...

I hope the rest won't follow.

 

[uncelestial]

Is Apple's streaming service easily accessible on a PC? I stream All Access via my PC at home.

Yeah man, it's called iTunes.
It's not a great app, but it does run on PC.

Apple needs a web player so bad for their movies/music services. :/

 

[Jimrpg]

Way to go Apple, alienating every single existing iphone customer!

I don't recall anyone saying - lets get rid of the 3.5mm headphone hack it sucks!

 

[Slayer-33]

I'm OK with this. I want Bluetooth headsets to be the future. Fuck wires.

I mean, you know you could always buy a Bluetooth headset regardless. This decision if final is ridiculous.

No option to wire up the phone is silly

 

[makingmusic476]

Yeah man, it's called iTunes.
It's not a great app, but it does run on PC.

Apple needs a web player so bad for their movies/music services. :/

It's weird that they don't have one. All their direct competitors do.

I know it's because they're coming at it from a different angle, given Apple's roots vs Google/Spotify, but it's been the obvious solution for years now.

 

[XGRaViSmOrSX]

It's also gonna be rad as fuck when those non official apple wireless headsets are being disconnected due to non HDCP compliance or some sort of proprietary chipset that needs to be put on the headset to keep it connected to the iOS device.

Anyone who trusts apple with this kind of move needs to put down the kool-aid. There is NO net benefit to the end consumer. none.

 

[Fret]

What in the fuck is the point of removing the headphone jack then?

They own Beats, which is a HUGE music brand, and if they can use that as leverage to make people switch over to using Lightning as a general headphone input, then they stand to make a lot of money from licensing.

It's a bold move, but it seems pretty desperate

 

[neemmss]

Guys instead of being distracted over the lack of a headphone jack, look at the back of the iPhone! You guys missed that there is going to be a smart connector on this thing!! It means that Apple might be going with a "magsafe" like charging system for the iPhone.

This means that you can charge your phone and listen to your music at the same time.

E.g.

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/base-ipad-pro-stand?WT.ac=HPB1-CTA1-base
This product uses the Smart Connector to charge the iPad Pro, instead of the lightning port. IMO this is the first step to going full wireless for charging.

 

[BladeoftheImmortal]

I mean, you know you could always buy a Bluetooth headset regardless. This decision if final is ridiculous.

No option to wire up the phone is silly

I already do, but sometimes you have to force people into the future.

 

[Fret]

Guys instead of being distracted over the lack of a headphone jack, look at the back of the iPhone! You guys missed that there is going to be a smart connector on this thing!! It means that Apple might be going with a "magsafe" like charging system for the iPhone.

This means that you can charge your phone and listen to your music at the same time.

E.g.

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/base-ipad-pro-stand?WT.ac=HPB1-CTA1-base
This product uses the Smart Connector to charge the iPad Pro, instead of the lightning port. IMO this is the first step to going full wireless for charging.

wow having to buy expensive accessories to be able to charge and listen at the same time

sounds great

 

[Mokujin]

I don't get it:

* No jack
* Larger camera bump
* Same design?

Worst new model release? A lot of people change to new models just because of new model designs, so that doesn't look to bright for iphone7 sales in my eyes, I could be wrong but at the very least it looks so lazy in my eyes.

 

[oti]

Looks like they're getting rid of the headphone jack because "design".

Didn't they do the same thing with their laptops? I will never get the point of accepting such inconvenient design just because it's Apple or any other company.

 

[neemmss]

wow having to buy expensive accessories to be able to charge and listen at the same time

sounds great

You sound hurt. Did Apple do something to you? Did they hurt you? It sounds like this is the end of the world to you and some other people. I bet you were the part of the same group of people that said the iPhone would never be successful *cough* Ballmer *cough*. You don't even know it is a true rumor.

Now, this accessory is only this expensive because it is the first of its kind and for the iPad Pro "I have money" marketshare. As the smart connector becomes more prominent and more people start buying phones/tablets that feature this connector, it will become cheaper.

So many people don't like change or push back if technology tries to move forward. Just because RIGHT NOW the benefits are slim and more expensive, doesn't mean that it is a bad idea. We need someone to set the standard and as more people jump on board, there will be more mass production and things WILL GET CHEAPER.

 

[Husker86]

As a Nexus 5x owner who uses USB-C for charging, it's going to be terrible for audio. I can imagine the jack wiggling loose just by walking with my phone in my hand.

Are you using the factory cable? I've found USB C physical connection to be incredibly solid on my 6P. Almost as good as, if not equivalent to, the Lightning port on the iPhone.

 

[LeeRoyBrown]

This and this.

So even the useless excuse of making it thinner isn't a benefit.
If Apple stick with this going forward I'm going Android

No you're not. Apple has been shit for years. Less features like nfc, ir sensors, removable batteries, easy to transfer info. Plug in hdds. Better screens. More options. Easier to switch to another phone brand. Sd card slot, open platform.
Youve been getting fucked for years and you still buy it. You think pulling a headphone jack out would stop you? Lmao!
Fuck me they will release it in a new colour and you guys will line up at 6am the day before.

 

[m4st4]

I've never seen anything like it.....

 

[Kill Your Masters]

You sound hurt. Did Apple do something to you? Did they hurt you? It sounds like this is the end of the world to you and some other people. I bet you were the part of the same group of people that said the iPhone would never be successful *cough* Ballmer *cough*. You don't even know it is a true rumor.

Now, this accessory is only this expensive because it is the first of its kind and for the iPad Pro "I have money" marketshare. As the smart connector becomes more prominent and more people start buying phones/tablets that feature this connector, it will become cheaper.

So many people don't like change or push back if technology tries to move forward. Just because RIGHT NOW the benefits are slim and more expensive, doesn't mean that it is a bad idea. We need someone to set the standard and as more people jump on board, there will be more mass production and things WILL GET CHEAPER.

How exactly does this move us forward? You have usb and 3.5 right now on your phone, you will jist have usb in the future. You lost a port without gaining anything and you will have to shell out money to have it back in form of adapters.

Yay progress.

 

[neemmss]

How exactly does this move us forward? You have usb and 3.5 right now on your phone, you will jist have usb in the future. You lost a port without gaining anything and you will have to shell out money to have it back in form of adapters.

Yay progress.

Straight from Intel.

Usage of digital audio means that headsets should gain their own amplifiers, DACs and various other logic, which is currently located inside smartphones. Intel proposes to install special multi-function processing units (MPUs), which will perform beam forming, noise suppression, acoustic echo suppression (AES), acoustic echo cancellation (AEC), non-linear processing and other operations. The MPUs will also support HDCP technology, hence, it will not be possible to make digital copies of records using USB-C digital headset outputs. It is unlikely that audio processing will be offloaded to external headsets completely, but the latter will clearly gain their own chips. This may, however, see a spike in cost, especially at the super-low end.

A good thing about USB Type-C headsets with MPUs is that they are going to be software upgradeable and could gain functionality over their lifespan. Intel admits that such MPUs will make digital headsets more expensive compared to analog devices, but high volumes and new process technologies will help to reduce the cost of digital headsets over time. In fact, USB Audio headsets and audio chips for them are not something completely new. For example, Plantronics Audio 655 DSP headset costs $49.99, whereas CMedia&#8217;s HS-100 chip for headsets is available $1. Therefore, from the cost perspective, digital headphones should not be too much more expensive in general. Meanwhile, Intel wants USB-C digital audio headsets to offer &#8220;significant value at higher end&#8221; and have improved functionality in a bid to become popular among consumers.

More: http://www.anandtech.com/show/10273...-cables-to-connect-headsets-to-mobile-devices
Discussion: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1212319

This is the first step to getting this stuff to become cheaper and more widespread. The first users/generation will take on the biggest burden, but in the end it is going to be worth it.

Edit: Also, we will have wireless charging on the iPhone in the next 2-3 years. So by then no port will be necessary.

 

[oti]

My problem with the "but it's progress!" argument is that I just don't see how this is progress. 3,5mm works, sounds perfectly fine and I can get cheap Sony headphones for 5€ that work for years with no problems (anecdotally the packed-in Apple headphones were always terrible for me by comparison). What exactly is the problem here that needs fixing? A total water proof phone sounds very nice but other companies already sell those including the headphone jack. So? Where's the progress?

 

[Koyuga]

What's next, no physical connectors at all? Wireless charging and wireless devices only, that's where this looks like it's probably gonna go. I'm out. I love my 6 Plus but Apple's gonna have to pull out something really impressive to convince me to get this one.