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The Next iPad Pros Will Shrink and Lose Their Headphone Jacks, Says Report (9to5mac.com) 219

Posted by BeauHD from the because-that's-what-we-all-asked-for-right dept.
According to supply chain blog Macotakara, the new iPad Pro models that will be introduced later this year will be slimmer, feature Face ID, and have no headphone jacks. 9to5Mac reports the details: First off, the report offers additional details on the 2018 iPad Pro dimensions. The 10.5-inch model is said to come in at 247.5mm (H) x 178.7mm (W) x 6mm (T), compared to the current dimensions of 250.6mm x 174.1mm x 6.1 mm. Meanwhile, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is said to stack up at 280mm (H) x 215mm (W) x 6.4mm (T), which compares to the current-generation model at 305.7 x 220.6 x 6.9 mm. With these dimensions, it seems that Apple is focused more on reducing the overall footprint of the 12.9-inch model, fitting the same size display into a considerably smaller body. The report goes on to explain that Apple is likely to ditch the headphone jack with this year's iPad Pro models, a move the company first made with the iPhone 7. While Apple includes a Lightning to 3.5mm headphone adapter to ease the blow for iPhone users, it will not do the same for iPad Pro users, according to today's report.

Today's report corroborates that this year's iPad Pro models will feature Face ID, but it notes that there is no support for landscape Face ID as earlier reports had indicated. This presents an interesting problem for the iPad Pro, which is used commonly in landscape mode with accessories such as the Smart Keyboard. Macotakara notes, however, that Apple is moving the Smart Connector on this year's models to "the lower rear side -- close to the Lightning connector." What exactly this means is unclear, but the report explains that "the next iPad Pro Smart Keyboard may be changed to vertical position specifications." This is seemingly implying that the iPad Pro would dock vertically into the Smart Keyboard, but how that would work is vague at the moment.
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The Next iPad Pros Will Shrink and Lose Their Headphone Jacks, Says Report More

The Next iPad Pros Will Shrink and Lose Their Headphone Jacks, Says Report

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  • Such courage!

    • Re:Courage (Score:4)

      by Jane Q. Public ( 1010737 ) on Monday July 30, 2018 @12:24AM (#57031158)
      Such bullshit!

      While end-users do not seem to have picked up on this yet, "biometric" authentication is a security failure, and face recognition makes it even worse.

      I warned about this long ago.

      If you think it's bad someone can get your fingerprint while you sleep, wait until it's your face.

      • Re:Courage (Score:5, Insightful)

        by SirMasterboy ( 872152 ) on Monday July 30, 2018 @12:36AM (#57031190)

        Fortunately FaceID requires your eyes to be open. I think it's probably pretty difficult to open the eyes of someone sleeping without waking them. Seems more secure than a fingerprint.

        And if you are some sort of high profile individual who is afraid of or can't take the risk of being attacked by a super expensive face scan and 3D mask created of your likeness or something, then just don't enable FaceID. It's completely optional.

        FaceID is meant as a convenience feature for the majority of average people who don't need to worry about several-thousand dollar tech attacks against them because they just aren't important enough to spend those kinds of resources to attack.

        • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

          by Anonymous Coward

          I absolutely HATE practical long-standing things. Hopefully they will remove the screen and just rent a video stream directly to your Apple Enhanced DRM Eyes. Wirelessly of course. What I really want is a bunch of energy-draining wireless gadgets that are broadcasting every bit of data that passes thru, wrapped up in a nice fashionable, smooooth chiclet brick with NO SCREEN that must be replaced frequently for not less than $1500. and serves as the main wireless hub for all my rented signals, which can be t

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

          FaceID is classic Apple bullshit. They wanted to get rid of the home button, which is fine. Android moved to soft buttons years ago, they work great. But where to put the fingerprint reader?

          Through glass fingerprint readers weren't working very well at the time. Many Android phones already started putting the reader on the back, so can't do that because it wouldn't be special and unique to Apple. So they invented FaceID. Throw an expensive camera system at the problem, and it's still slower than a high end

        • Actually, it's a step up in security for most people. My mom has a Mac Book Pro and refuses to put a password on it. She would do the same thing on an ipad if she had one.

      • What to worry about (Score:4, Insightful)

        by sjbe ( 173966 ) on Monday July 30, 2018 @06:57AM (#57031976)

        While end-users do not seem to have picked up on this yet, "biometric" authentication is a security failure, and face recognition makes it even worse.

        That's a bit like claiming that door locks on the front of your house are a security failure because they can be defeated. Most people at most times don't actually need or want strong security - they are just keeping out the casual snoopers. You're quite right that if you are serious about security it isn't enough by itself but for most people they don't need more than this. The good news is that you can enable other features (like requiring pass codes) to make it more secure.

        I warned about this long ago.

        So did lots of others. We're aware.

        If you think it's bad someone can get your fingerprint while you sleep, wait until it's your face.

        Is this a big problem where you live? Are you a secret agent? If I have to be worried about someone being in my house while I sleep I'm worried about them BEING IN MY HOUSE, not using my iPad. Seriously, let's worry about actual problems before we worry about the ones from a James Bond film.

      • Such bullshit! While end-users do not seem to have picked up on this yet, "biometric" authentication is a security failure, and face recognition makes it even worse. I warned about this long ago. If you think it's bad someone can get your fingerprint while you sleep, wait until it's your face.

        Wasn't it you who warned us that muggers would cut off fingers to get into stolen iPones?

        Anyway, good luck handling the iPad without disabling the Face ID feature when you try to unlock it on that sleeper - remember that "bug" at the keynote that turned out to be security working?

      • While end-users do not seem to have picked up on this yet, "biometric" authentication is a security failure, and face recognition makes it even worse.

        I help setup personal smartphones for a lot of people.
        I've pleaded with them to setup PINs, and sometimes even refused to help them unless they put a simple 4-6 digit PIN. Those I forced to do it in that way removed them a few days later.

        When biometric authentication came along, I FINALLY got everyone that had NO SECURITY AT ALL to at least keep biometric authentication turned on.

        That's what this is for. Biometric authentication is better than none.

        Those of us that need something better will turn this off a

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward

      They'll not just lose their headphone jacks, they'll lose their customers!

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Holi ( 250190 )
        Pretty sure the $1000+ it cost drives away far more customers then the lack of a headphone jack

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Megane ( 129182 )
      When will they have the courage to lose the Lightning port? The future is USB-C, and not only have they made a major product with it already, they went all-in and removed all other types of ports. Also, I know that USB-C is now mainstream, as I have already had someone ask me in the past month if I had a charger cable they could borrow.

  • Does it matter? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by pablo_max ( 626328 ) on Monday July 30, 2018 @12:41AM (#57031204)

    For my personal use, I have found that switching to a phone that uses only USB-C, the P20 Pro in this case, I didn't really care about the headphones jack: I thought it would bother me, but since head phones are included and an extra dongle is also there, I has not had an impact.
    When I bike to work, I use a bluetooth sports style head set and in the car, I use Android auto and never head phones. I think it is technically illegal where I live to use headphones on both ears in the car anyhow.

    It does remind me of the old says when companies would come out with weird proprietary connectors for headphones so that you would have to buy their special headphones if you wanted to listen to music on your phone. Now, you can buy a dongle from them. Sure, maybe they only make 1$ on it, but how many iphones did they sell?
    Plus people will probably just buy new headphones with that lightning connector, which will be basically all profit.

    • Re:Does it matter? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Idimmu Xul ( 204345 ) on Monday July 30, 2018 @12:47AM (#57031216) Homepage Journal

      its a fucking pain in the ass.

      between my bluetooth headphones running out of battery and having to own 3 extra dongles, which i often forget, including a splitter so i can charge my iphone whilst listening to music, i quantifiably listen to less music now that apple has done this.

      • > including a splitter so i can charge my iphone whilst listening to music

        Which splitter are you using? TIA.

      • Re:Does it matter? (Score:4, Insightful)

        by barc0001 ( 173002 ) on Monday July 30, 2018 @01:53AM (#57031394)

        > i quantifiably listen to less music now that apple has done this.

        I listen to just as much. Because, y'know I have an Android tablet with a headphone jack. Super handy for coming into the office loaded up with tunes and just plugging a line in cable into and hitting play. Can't do that with any non-headphone jack device.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Falos ( 2905315 )

          Or the car. Or just walking down the street, or waiting in line, or in the dentist's lobby. Pull it out and watch some Firefly, even. VLC has picture-in-picture, so I can use my phone while I do.

          My first flip phone needed one of those 2.5mm lines to allow me to enjoy mp3s and watch Invader Zim avis on a tiny screen. I was delighted when my blackberry perl had a 3.5mm, everyone was when phones finally started allowing ordinary headphones.

          And you'll have to fucking take them from my cold dead claws.

        • > i quantifiably listen to less music now that apple has done this.

          I listen to just as much. Because, y'know I have an Android tablet with a headphone jack. Super handy for coming into the office loaded up with tunes and just plugging a line in cable into and hitting play. Can't do that with any non-headphone jack device.

          Right. Because the world has not yet invented Bluetooth headphones and speakers.

          Riiiight.

          • I listen to music in my headset at the office since we also use softphones and IM for inter-team communication. External speakers would not be an option. And the desktops do not have bluetooth receivers, so again, not happening.

            Perhaps you should try to envision use cases other than your own?

      • Did your iphone not come with a set of headsets with the proper plug? Why would you need a dongle for them? Why do you need 3 dongles? How many headsets to you actually require to listen to music?
        Most people just use the one or two.
        I have one at work and one at home.. not counting the bluetooth set. That lasts about 6 hours, which is way more than I need.
        The only time I could imagine needed to charge and listen to headphones at the same time is at work, but I am not really the type who can focus on work and

        • try plugging in your headset while charging the phone, then you will understand why you need dongles.
      • Comment removed based on user account deletion

      • My $25 bluetooth headphones last 8 hours on a charge. When I put my phone down, I stick them into a charger. Why are your headphones running down? Why doesn't your phone run out of battery?

        If you've got 3 dongles for headphones, why don't you leave a dongle attached to one set of headphones so you're never without it? If you're also using it in a device with a 3.5mm jack, you can clip the dongle to the headphone wire. (Frankly, Apple should've made a little clip on the dongle so you wouldn't have to use a b

      • Why do you even NEED to listen to music? It will only distract you from looking at your beautiful iPhone!

      • its a fucking pain in the ass.

        between my bluetooth headphones running out of battery and having to own 3 extra dongles, which i often forget, including a splitter so i can charge my iphone whilst listening to music, i quantifiably listen to less music now that apple has done this.

        If you have 3 lightning adapters and STILL have problems not having them when you need them; then I suggest the real problem is not with the phone...

    • Re:Does it matter? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 30, 2018 @01:36AM (#57031342)

      Dropping the 3.5mm port didn't affect iPhones because everyone buys a case and a lot of those started including 3.5mm ports.

      I don't know how popular iPad cases are, but I bet a number of people are going to start buying them.

      • Cases (Score:3)

        by sjbe ( 173966 )

        Dropping the 3.5mm port didn't affect iPhones because everyone buys a case and a lot of those started including 3.5mm ports.

        Which actually makes a lot more sense when you think about it. Not everyone actually needs/wants a 3.5mm port (I have no use for it) but almost everyone buys a case. Therefore it actually makes sense to move that functionality to the case for those who want it and to free those who don't need it from an unnecessary port. If you really want a 3.5mm port that's cool but in the unix philosophy I prefer to add complexity through add on modules rather than to bake it into the core product whether or not it i

        • Only the most loyal of fanboys could advocate for the removal of a feature that doesn't add any significant cost or require a large change in the design. If moving the headphone jack to a case makes so much sense, what advantages does it offer? Do those advantages outweigh the utility of people who don't want to ensnare their device in a case or have to remember to bring an adapter or buy a pair of wireless headphones that also need to be charged?

          • Costs (Score:2)

            by sjbe ( 173966 )

            Only the most loyal of fanboys could advocate for the removal of a feature that doesn't add any significant cost or require a large change in the design.

            Only the most loyal fanboy's huh? Just because someone doesn't agree with your opinion or preferences doesn't make them an irrational fanboy. I hold the same opinion for Android devices. I think putting the headphone jack on the device doesn't make much sense regardless of who the smartphone maker is. And as long as there are some manufacturers putting it on the base device why do you really care? It makes a lot more sense to put it on the case that the vast majority of people use anyway. Cases are fr

      • My case includes a 3.5mm port via a cutout. It's rubber and such. No electronics necessary.

  • iPad "Pro"? (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 30, 2018 @12:46AM (#57031214)

    Isn't that kind of like a Speak 'n' Spell "Pro"?

  • Alternative yet similar headline (Score:4, Funny)

    by DontBeAMoran ( 4843879 ) on Monday July 30, 2018 @12:49AM (#57031222)

    The Apple CEO lost his mind and needs a shrink, says report.

  • Well there's a sure fire way of me never buying 1 (Score:5, Informative)

    by AbRASiON ( 589899 ) * on Monday July 30, 2018 @01:28AM (#57031314) Journal

    and I have owned every single ipad obsessively for the past 4 generations (great resale value)

    I do not subscribe to this bluetooth idiocy. I do not need a thinner ipad. I wouldn't mind the smaller bezel, I wouldn't mind it closer to 16:9. I wouldn't mind an OLED display for true blacks or even better camera / speakers. But overall I'm fairly happy with my ipad Pro 10.5 but I'll be if you think I'll upgrade for a unit with no headphone jack.

    I find the lack of a thumb pad / home button already fairly offensive but the headphone jack on a device like that? Which people use on planes? Hell, god damned no.

    Nope.

  • Dock vertically? No way. (Score:3)

    by 93 Escort Wagon ( 326346 ) on Monday July 30, 2018 @01:31AM (#57031326)

    If that happened, Apple would basically be negatively impacting usability simply because it can’t solve an engineering problem.

    There’s a reason 95% of monitors are used in landscape mode... so I can’t believe this rumor. But I almost want this to happen just so I can hear the logical contortions Schiller, Ive, and company attempt to make - perhaps Schiller will dust off his “can’t innovate, my ass!” line again.

    Meanwhile, my 6S’s TouchID still works sideways and even upside down.

    • Apple would basically be negatively impacting usability simply because it canâ(TM)t solve an engineering problem.

      Like making something that's extremely finicky about how you hold it? Say it isn't so!

  • If I Wasn't Already Boycotting... (Score:3)

    by rally2xs ( 1093023 ) on Monday July 30, 2018 @02:11AM (#57031438)

    ...things Apple for their scurrilous business practices (If you have to ask, you just haven't been paying attention...) I would not be buying something without a headphone jack.

  • Towards devices without connectors (Score:3)

    by Camembert ( 2891457 ) on Monday July 30, 2018 @02:53AM (#57031524)
    Well, it is a rumor, lets see (probably) in September what will be true. FaceID only working vertically would be a bit of a pain, considering that Apple, like them or not, tend to aim for simplicity it looks well possible that this rumor won't happen.
    Regarding the headphone jack, yeah it is a bit annoying though the little dongle which you can leave attached to your favourite cans is not that much of a burden, and I also have the impression that the Airpods are being used by more and more people (I may adopt them once they come with noise reduction, currently use a wired Bose headphone with that functionality). So, not that many customers will be lost I think.
    I expect that a bigger change will come in 2-3 years: phones and tablets without any physical connectors (charging would be wireless). Not only by Apple but I expect all the main makers. A feature that would actually help privacy but of course wired cans and data transfers will be impossible as well.

    • The charger outlet is one of the parts that tend to die in many phones and tablets, forcing people to buy a new one. Why allow wireless charging and hurt that wonderful revenue stream?

    • If they were removing all the ports, that would make sense. But they aren't. They are only abusing customers. It wasn't actually necessary to take the phone jack away to make a smaller iPhone, and this decision only makes sense in light of that decision. It's abuse following abuse.

  • Just play all your music / phone conversations out loud. I'm sure everyone around you won't mind listening to the latest pop hit or whether you'll have time to pick up the dog's worming tablets after work tonight.

  • Apple, what's your excuse this time... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by geekmux ( 1040042 ) on Monday July 30, 2018 @03:52AM (#57031618)

    Apple, your excuse last time for removing the headphone jack was to make room and meet the demand of being able to essentially waterproof the hardware.

    What's your bullshit excuse this time? iPad Pro customers were actually demanding a smaller bezel? They asked to remove the headphone jack? Spin me another tall tale, O' Faithful master of the Proprietary, because you sure as shit can't offer me any proof that people asked for this.

    You call it "courage". I call it Corporate Arrogance. And I hope you eventually learn that not listening to the customer is not the way to do business.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by jabuzz ( 182671 )

      And Sony have been doing waterproof devices with a 3.5mm headphone jack, including phones since the 1980's.

      • I just had to replace my phone. I couldn't find any with a removable battery anymore, but the LG G7 I have now is IP68 certified, and guess what? It has a headphone jack...

    • What's your bullshit excuse this time? iPad Pro customers were actually demanding a smaller bezel?

      Henry Ford once said "If I asked my customers what they wanted they would say 'a faster horse' ". Apple hasn't become the Goliath they are by polling customers about what they think they want or by waiting for customers to tell them. Their job is to figure out what their customers need/want before we figure it out. If they fail in this task then Apple will struggle in future years but so far they've done ok. Honestly I think certain people's attachment to the current design (like bezel size) is more of

    • Uniformity, I imagine. It makes their products look more alike to consumers and lets them use the same hardware across their lines, which probably drops their costs slightly.

  • Closing the analog (ass) hole (Score:3)

    by Laxator2 ( 973549 ) on Monday July 30, 2018 @04:33AM (#57031674)

    Looks like the whole idiocy of closing the analog hole is alive and well, and here is matches with the only way Tim Cook can keep the earnings up to the shareholder expectations: charge for access to the Apple devices.
    Also, he is backed into a corner by the company's previous financial success.

    Rest assured that the only headphones that will work with the iPad will be Apple's own and will cost accordingly. Same with all the proprietary connectors on the Mac. All the dongles and adapters cost a fortune.

    It was an Apple executive who said "Next time there will be no Xerox". Well, that next time is now.

  • Stupid continues (Score:3)

    by markdavis ( 642305 ) on Monday July 30, 2018 @06:48AM (#57031950)

    >"The Next iPad Pros Will Shrink and Lose Their Headphone Jacks"

    No, they won't just shrink, they will just get thinner- smaller batteries to be thinner, more fragile, harder to hold, more impossible to repair, less cooling mass, and more stupid. Next up, delete ALL physical ports and rely only on wireless charging, making sure there is no way to easily connect ANYTHING to the device. Oh, might as well delete the "useless" speakers and mic, too, and force people to use only wireless headphones and wireless mic...

    • That was more or less what I was going to post. By making the ipad thinner, Apple makes it so that you will need a case for it...like you do for the iphone. Of course, in order to make the phone, or tablet, as durable as previous, thicker versions you need to put a case on it which makes it thicker than those previous versions. And the case that makes it as durable as those previous versions with a case makes the new, thinner iphone as thick as those previous versions were in their cases.
    • These tablets with mobile OSs are probably on the way out. I bought what is basically a HP clone of a Surface on clearance and while the battery life isn't great, it is a full Intel i7 powered computer in tablet form. I'm not sure how hard it'd be to put Linux on one of these PCs, but they are only going to get better and they remove the use case for "basically a really big phone" style tablets.

    • A thinner, lighter iPad is actually easier to hold. I went from an iPad 3 to a 2017 iPad, and it's a lot better. The thing with an iPad over a phone is that it's quite long and wide, making a much greater moment of inertia, so even a light object can cause wrist strain over time.

      As long as the battery life stays the same, I've got no problem with this, especially for the iPad Pro. We're looking to buy the 12" one this year, and the lighter it is, the better.

  • About time (Score:3)

    by thegarbz ( 1787294 ) on Monday July 30, 2018 @07:51AM (#57032152)

    Just the other day I was complaining about too much choice in the headphone market. By systematically eliminating all the wired options this is positively awesome for consumers. Apple helping simplify technology yet again.

    And in case anyone doesn't see that for the obvious sarcasm it is, extend your right hand, make a fist, and then as quickly as possible move your clenched fist to the back of your head in a straight line.

  • I hope Apple isn't going to a vertical keyboard. This would be incredibly stupid for a number of reasons. One being that video watching is a major use (maybe even THE use case), and vertical would suck.

    The excuse given for iPhone 7 that the case isn't big enough for headphones doesn't wash either. Apple's minimalism is going too far, and I'm not sure how much more I can stomach.

    • Actually, they figured out a better way - alphabetize the keyboard! That QWERTY (or if you're a weirdo - DVORAK!) thing requires users to MEMORIZE stuff! Terrible! Just list the numbers from 0 to 9, then A to Z, then a to z, then .,/?"';;[]{}()~!@#%$*&^()+_-=\|` and you're set! It is EXACTLY 100 symbols, so you can lay them out in a nice, easy-to-use 10 x 10 grid! Typing has never been easier!

  • and feel no need to upgrade.

  • Normally we only see these huge changes in dimension like this between the variations of the same model of other manufacturers.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

    15 model variants of the Galaxy S III - Dimensions; 136.6-139,0 mm × 70.6-71.0 mm × 8.6-9.4 mm

  • Less and less is better. Until an empty iPad box gives you the full effect.

  • Apple retreats its BIG analogy naming convention. Small is better. Less risk to breakage, damage and theft.

    Stuff an iPad mini with features like folding keyboard and wireless everything - that's real world Pro.

    Travel requires going places; NOT going BIG. Folding keyboard in a vest pocket, MiniPAD slipped in vest lining pocket; earphones and charge cord/plug stuffed in hand warmers; good worldwide.

    iPad Pro with BIG 10-12" screens are just Huuuge 4x4 SUV's going BIG not going places and getting things done.

  • Apple is making their devices more and more like toys for the techo-addicted to play with. An old headphone jack is too simple. Apple's customers want more gee-gaws to dick around with. That's their customer base.

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