Mike Tech Show – Podcast – #592 – 09-08-16
September 8, 2016
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Posted by Mike
Apple removal of iPhone 7 headphone jack debate
(56 minutes)
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Show #592 Notes
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Mike, I currently work 10 hours shifts at my current day job and use my phone a lot to listen to the show, as well as other podcasts such as Podnutz and some others on YouTube (I like to listen to PC Perspective for instance, to stay up to date on new hardware). I need my wired headphones, because there is no way Bluetooth headphones are going to last 10 hours on a charge. I also need to charge my phone at the middle of the work shift, especially when using YouTube. Therefore using the included adapter is not an option either, because I need to charge at the same time. Sure, there are adapters that allows to charge at the same timd, but I stills prefer not to be forced to use them. They are simply cumbersome. What’s the point of having a thinner phone if you need to carry a bunch of adapters with you? I will also add that the inability for the Lightning connector to rotate like a 1/4 jack do, will make the lighting headphones cable twist and tangle more, and therefore break more easily.
I don’t think the removal of the headphone jack can be compared to when Apple dropped the floppy drive or the optical drive, because they were getting replaced by flash drives, which are better in every category while still being affordable. The only advantage of Bluetooth headphones is the lack of cable, and that’s it. There are several disadvantages on the other hand: lower sound quality, another battery to worry about, a lot more expensive, very limited choice of decent wireless headphones right now, possibility of losing wireless earbuds, etc. The headphone jack might be old, but it still do what it’s supposed to do perfectly.
As for the Apple wireless earbuds, even if the wireless technology is miles ahead of Bluetooth, in the end, it’s still the same kind of earbuds that were previously included with Apple devices; they’re decent, but nowhere near other high quality headphones. The price difference is also insane. What would cost a pair of $200 headphones from say, Sennheiser, if they have to implement this technology? The price will double. And they will only work with Apple devices…
Bottom line, I feel Apple removed the jack simply because they could, and they know its will bring additional income with the adapters(including third party ones that will have to pay for the Lightning port certification) and their expensive and proprietary wireless earbud. They could have easily kept the headphone jack, the only thing they did is removing a widely adopted option.