Apple Might Remove the Headphone Jack From Its Next Entry-Level iPad 141
Apple's upcoming entry-level iPad is rumored to cut the 3.5mm headphone jack, joining the iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad Mini, and the entire iPhone lineup. The Verge reports: MySmartPrice says the CAD renders are sourced from a case maker working on accessories for what will be the 10th-generation iPad. It's a substantial redesign from the classic iPad design that has been left largely untouched for years; Apple increased the display size slightly in 2017 and has made other internal hardware upgrades, but the overall look has remained consistent. It appears that's about to change, with the new iPad sharing the same flat-sides aesthetic as recent iPhones, iPads, the 14-inch / 16-inch MacBook Pro, and 2022 MacBook Air. Both 9to5Mac and MacRumors reported on the renders. But as always, treat these easily faked images with a healthy amount of skepticism.
The home button remains present, which means so do the sizable bezels above and below the display. MySmartPrice reports that the screen should be larger than the current 10.2-inch model, and there's a redesigned camera on the iPad's back reminiscent of the module from the iPhone X. The revamped iPad has a USB-C port, which would complete the transition for Apple's tablet line. These renders also include quad speakers, and that's where I get somewhat doubtful of what we're seeing: only the iPad Pro is currently outfitted with four speakers, so if this pans out, the base-level iPad would be leapfrogging both the iPad Air and Mini in the audio department. That strikes me as unlikely, but it could also serve as Apple's justification for nixing the headphone jack from a product used in many classrooms and other scenarios where support for affordable wired headphones has been meaningful.
The home button remains present, which means so do the sizable bezels above and below the display. MySmartPrice reports that the screen should be larger than the current 10.2-inch model, and there's a redesigned camera on the iPad's back reminiscent of the module from the iPhone X. The revamped iPad has a USB-C port, which would complete the transition for Apple's tablet line. These renders also include quad speakers, and that's where I get somewhat doubtful of what we're seeing: only the iPad Pro is currently outfitted with four speakers, so if this pans out, the base-level iPad would be leapfrogging both the iPad Air and Mini in the audio department. That strikes me as unlikely, but it could also serve as Apple's justification for nixing the headphone jack from a product used in many classrooms and other scenarios where support for affordable wired headphones has been meaningful.
Too much courage (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3)
The world is not ready for such courage.
Don't use the headphone jack and don't care if they delete it. If you miss it go raid a tech museum.
Amongst all of us here, you, sir, are undoubtedly the most courageous.
Prithee tell us, then, why you would post as a coward?
Re: (Score:2)
It's the only way to listen to audio privately, say on a plane. Bluetooth? No thank you, that's for technophiliacs and just a way for Apple to overcharge for their solution. What it would mean is that everyone with a new ipad has to buy an expensive ($40 from Apple, or more) USB-C based ear buds.
Obvious (Score:5, Insightful)
Makes perfect sense.
Why let them plug in a $2 pair of headphones when they could be buying $200 Airpods?
Let's be realistic (Score:3)
Schools aren't going to buy any wireless headphones for their iPads. They'll buy a pair of headphones w/ a USB-C end, like these. [schooloutfitters.com]
Which will suck, because USB-C connectors break incredibly easily. Just bend the head downwards and they snap, which happens all the time, because, ya know, we're giving them to kids. (Every summer I have to replace 10-15 Chromebook charging cables on our charging carts due to snapped ends.) On the other hand, I see -maybe- one 3.5mm head break each year on our school headphon
Re: (Score:2)
USB C is way less prone to breakage compared to its predecessors Micro USB and Mini USB. As far as 1 dedicated jack that does everything it does a pretty good job. And even just for power delivery, it's much better than the 100+ different diameter and polarity combinations of barrel jacks.
The one thing that I think that could really help repariability would be for at least 1 power jack on each device (no matter the connection method) to be attached to the main board via an easily swappable internal cable. R
Re: (Score:2)
The big problem with USB-C on laptops is the mistake of making multiple ports capable of receiving USB-PD. When you plug the charger on the opposite side of the laptop to where the power circuitry is, there's a lot of heat to deal with in carrying it across to the other side.
Re: (Score:2)
Those can be replaced. I've never tried with a USB-C port, I haven't had one break yet, but I have replaced Mini and Micro USB ports. The biggest difficulty is finding the same type as the one you're replacing as they don't all mount the same way.
Re: (Score:2)
My work laptop is the first I've had with USB-C connectors. It's not great. It's handy, but only if it works. It's not an apple product though, I've got plenty to bitch about decline macbook features but that's another issue. But I plug in a low speed device on my hdmi/usb adapter and suddenly the monitor starts cutting out - improved after moving it to a different port (they're all rated for video though). In the office with the expensive docking station, I still have low speed devices cause things to
Re: (Score:2)
Get something like these:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092... [amazon.com]
Rotating magnetic tip at the USB-C end, easy breakway. Also comes with interchangeable USB-micro and Lightning tips.
Re: (Score:2)
So why are you using USB-C headphones instead of 3.5mm headphones with a USB-C adapter? Cheaper to replace the adapter, right? But your link looks like $6 headphones marked up to a ridiculous degree. I haven't seen connectors that cheap looking in the real world.
It's probably not worth trying to find cheaper plugs because of constant breakage. Maybe find better quality ones that you won't have to replace.
Re: (Score:2)
You're right that the 3.5mm trs connector is way more durable and far better suited than USB-C for use with headphones, but I don't understand your complaint about it in general. USB-C is a lot more durable than Mini USB, Micro USB, or Apple's wispy little connector. It's the best USB connector we've seen to date, hands down.
Try to understand that kids will destroy anything you give them, no matter how robust. I've seen more than a few damaged 3.5mm connectors myself. I'm a little amazed that you've onl
Re: (Score:2)
Why let them plug in a $2 pair of headphones when they could be buying $200 Airpods?
What drugs are you on? First, you seriously use $2 pair headphones? Might as well cut your ears off. Second, adapters from headphone jack to lightning are dirt cheap. Third, why would anyone feel forced to buy $200 Airpods when they can get $450 Airpod Pros, or for example Grados from $99 to $1795, or some nice Anker headphones for about $40?
Re: (Score:2)
They haven't released a device yet that won't take wired headphones. You might need a lightning or USB-C adapter for $10 or so. A lightning port is easier to waterproof.
I'm not defending them - but I really don't see why it matters whether an adapter is needed.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
You need to stop spending all of your time at Starbucks.
Re: (Score:2)
It's interesting, I walk the skyway in Minneapolis every day and I still see lots of wired headphones. I see a lot of airpods too but it does surprise me how many people still are using wired headphones.
Re: (Score:2)
What YOU'VE SEEN personally, and what the actual market will accept, are not necessarily the same.
Apple STILL hasn't justified the removal of the jack in ANY form factor yet. The only semi-plausible argument I've ever seen is water resistance. iPad shouldn't need that.
Re: (Score:2)
Apple STILL hasn't justified the removal of the jack in ANY form factor yet.
I didn't say it's justified, I said that ship has sailed. And what I've seen is a market that accepts the iPhone as the single most popular device for listening to music.
The only semi-plausible argument I've ever seen is water resistance. iPad shouldn't need that.
No, that's a shitty excuse that Apple tried to calm down the backlash. It's competitors have no problem with water resistance while retaining their jacks. The *ONLY* reason they removed it was they sat on what was at the time the single company with the most widely available and largest product base of wireless headphones/earphones. Beats.
Re: (Score:2)
Let's put it this way: this decision of theirs falls among a good dozen other stupid decisions of theirs that I disagree were necessary in any form. I don't and won't ever give them or anyone else money for products with stupid features. Their financial success or lack of it has zero influence on my buying decisions.
Re: (Score:3)
If those of us who consider it important stay silent, you who don't consider it important will "win" by default. Clearly my objections have no financial impact. If they make you feel uncomfortable and prompted to respond by denigrating me, then I guess I've accomplished all I will accomplish with it.
It remains a stupid decision, it will always remain a stupid decision. Throwing up tales of other obsoleted connectors is just bullshit distraction.
Re: (Score:2)
I don't care if you keep it or not. What made you think I care anything about you or your decisions?
I'm not enforcing anything. I'm not even forcing you to read my comments here. I'm putting them out there, just like everyone else is, and everyone else decides what to do with them. Mostly they choose to do nothing. You seem to be different.
I've been using the Internet since 1992 (Quartzbbs and telnetting to rpi.edu) and using computers since 1980 (I had a TRS-80). My slashdot userID is 610529; yours is almo
Re: (Score:2)
I use them. Very convenient. I have wired earbuds at home and at work, they work in my iphone too (it is a sucky replacement for the ipod, that podcast app sucks so hard it keeps the headphone jack from falling out). I don't have to carry them with me, whereas I see people fumbling all the time trying to to find where they set down their overpriced airbuds. I also regularly see just one airbud lying down on the ground in random places, like the grocery store, on a trail, etc. I regularly use the wired
Re: (Score:2)
Apple is just too used to its captain fan base that will buy anything that it doesn't care about the rest of the customers who don't want to buy a whole new set of peripherals every time they get a new device.
Oh goodness - if it were only Apple. I had to buy dongles and/or new microphones when PC manufacturers decided that the microphone jack was superannuated. I had to buy USB to RS232 dongles when it was decided that no one uses serial any more.
And that's why I don't get too down on Apple when they provide me with a dongle so that if I wanted to listen to a wired mic on my iPhone.
When the PC people made their change, they didn't give me a new adapter - they just changed it. Serial was mandatory. Micropho
Re: (Score:2)
I was just checking on new PCs (not laptops) and the stereo/microphone jack is still there. For my new work laptop, the USB for a high quality headset is flaky, it's often causing me headaches. That may be a Windows problem though.
Re: (Score:2)
I was just checking on new PCs (not laptops) and the stereo/microphone jack is still there. For my new work laptop, the USB for a high quality headset is flaky, it's often causing me headaches. That may be a Windows problem though.
Unfortunately, so many of us are using laptops now. I do have a really old laptop (Compaq) that has a mic jack, but that thing is ancient, I think I'm running Linux puppy on it.
Re: (Score:2)
Admittedly this is a niche of a niche of a use case, but I use my gen 1 iPad Pro with a midi keyboard connected via lightning-to-USB, and wired headphones in the headphone jack. There are only two ports on the iPad, but I need them both. Bluetooth headphones do NOT work; the delay between playing keys on the keyboard and sound into my ears makes it unusable. I guess once I upgrade to a USB-C iPad I'll need a dongle that has both USB and audio. Or, just thinking out loud here, an iPad could have 2 USB-C ports!
I don't mind not having a headphone jack on a phone. On a tablet, it seems like there's room for it.
I have a lot of USB devices, so I have multiple external ports. It might be that I come from a different niche, but you should see my adapter case. I have a thistothat adapter connector for just about every use case. Right now I have a 1/4 inch plug to 3.5 mm to micro stereo adapter in use. It's crazy, but when I gotta interface things, I gotta do it no matter how dopey it seems.
But agreed that having only 1 USB-C port is not that great an idea.
Re: (Score:2)
Not at all, I think it's an important use case. There are an enormous number of virtual instruments for iPad (including, for example, a free version of the Moog Model D) with millions of users. Without a headphone jack, they're useless.
Yes, you can use the little lightning-to-headphone dongle that they sell. I consider this to be an absolutely atrocious solution. First of all, you're guaranteed to misplace the thing at some point. Secondly... you're talking about a $15 dongle which has to include a DAC
Re: Obvious (Score:2)
I haven't seen someone use wired headphones for anything other than a high-end audiophile setup for a long time now.
Which says something about the range of product quality available in the wired types. You can buy a $2.00 set of shitty earbuds. Or $300.00+ headphones which will blow BT out of the water*.
*There are top end dual mode BT/wired headphones. But they all spec their audio performance higher when using the wired option. So it's the Bluetooth connection that sucks.
Re: (Score:2)
That really sounds like bad design. Going through an extra ADC/DAC layer should have more effect on quality. AptX HD is very good, but iPhone doesn't have a patent license. In fact, it's really hard to figure out what codecs are even supported by sources/receivers.
Re: (Score:2)
So it's the Bluetooth connection that sucks.
Audiophiles companies love advertising to audiophiles some audiofoolery. Yeah of course they spec their products better. But I challenge you to find a single person which could tell the difference, even if they are a self declared golden eared audiophile.
Mind you that ship has also sailed with the release of aptx Lossless, the first products of which have already hit the market.
Re: (Score:2)
You don't? What do you see them use instead? Surely you're not talking about those white things sticking out of ears, those are vastly expensive. The standardize wired headsets work on just about every device out there, ditching it likely means a lot of customers decide that they'll use an Android phone or tablet instead. Of course I use the wired headsets, why wouldn't I? I've got several lying around, they all worked on my old phones, and ipods, etc.
Apple has always ignored or pissed on standards. A
Re: (Score:2)
What do you see them use instead?
Beats, JBLs, Skullcandy, and a million other wireless things I don't recognise.
Surely you're not talking about those white things sticking out of ears, those are vastly expensive.
Huh? You can buy wireless in ear phones for $35, they go well with the $1000 iPhone or iPad the user is using to listen to music.
The standardize wired headsets work on just about every device out there
Actually they don't work on the single most popular mobile phone, nor on many flagship mobiles that many people use to listen to music. At least not without the said $9 adapter. (or is that too expensive for you too?)
Apple has always ignored or pissed on standards. And for no good reason.
No they had a good reason. They acquired a company that specialised in wireless music a
Re:Obvious (Score:5, Insightful)
If you want your devices to last any reasonable length of time, using the lightning port for wired headphones isn't wise. The 3.5mm jack is a lot more durable. It's a solid standard that has stood the test of time. There just isn't a good reason to remove it.
Well, there is one reason. It's just not good for consumers.
Selling my iPad Pro (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Selling my iPad Pro (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Selling my iPad Pro (Score:5, Interesting)
It is not even difficult to find android tablets with a 3.5mm jack. But even if you have to resort to a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter, it's not like the Apple adapter — because every Lightning to 3.5mm adapter has a DAC in it, while the Type C connector lets you plug in just a dumb cable. There were de facto standards for doing this on both the Mini and Micro USB connectors too, but it's officially part of Type C.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
He complained about the adapters being easy to loose, to break and not being able to charge (without a bulky slitter),
that would be the case for any adapter whether it had a DAC or not.
Not really on the breaking part - the main reason the Apple (and equivalent clones - I’ve tried several) adaptors break seem to be that the tiny wires connecting the DAC chip embedded inside the plug are fragile and don’t withstand the stresses of everyday use (cable tugging, bouncing in pockets, etc)
After trying several kinds of adaptors I gave up and found some affordable Bluetooth earbuds (Lenovo LP40) that are good enough (much better than any other cheap ones I tried) and cheap enough that
Re: (Score:2)
Not really, because lacking any electronics there is less to go wrong with USB C to audio adapters. They are also much cheaper so loss is less of an issue, and you can buy several of them to keep in different places to avoid carrying them (which in turn reduces breakage and loss).
Re: (Score:2)
Not to mention that a splitter cable is not even bulky.
But since my initial premise is that you can still get a tablet with a 3.5mm jack, I'm not here to defend dongles. I'm just here to point out that they're less bullshit when they're not Lightning peripherals.
Re: (Score:2)
>> you can buy several of them to keep in different places to avoid carrying them (which in turn reduces breakage and loss).
yeah, you could, but can't you see how much of an incovenient burdern and workaround this is to users compared to, say., Apple just leaving the fucking 3.5mm adapter on the device?
Re: (Score:2)
Oh I don't disagree, I prefer having a headphone jack too. I'm just saying that Lightning makes an annoyance into an expensive frustration.
Re: (Score:2)
>> you can buy several of them to keep in different places to avoid carrying them (which in turn reduces breakage and loss).
yeah, you could, but can't you see how much of an incovenient burdern and workaround this is to users compared to, say., Apple just leaving the fucking 3.5mm adapter on the device?
A lot of us don't want the "fucking 3.5mm adapter" on the device.
Why are you so enraged about a device you hate and would never buy? You claim it is some sort of "inconvenient burdern" when mot I know do not want the thing you consider so important.
Use your android, be happy and glad of your choice, homie. Life's too short to rage over someone else's preference.
Re: (Score:2)
Genuinely interested in why do you actively not want your device to have a particular connector?
I mean even if you personally don't see yourself needing it now, isn't it still better to have it just because it at least provides another possibility for some use case in the future you haven't encountered/thought of yet?
Re: (Score:2)
Genuinely interested in why do you actively not want your device to have a particular connector? I mean even if you personally don't see yourself needing it now, isn't it still better to have it just because it at least provides another possibility for some use case in the future you haven't encountered/thought of yet?
I've fixed or trashed enough devices with mini stereo jacks over the years that I consider a device without them to be more reliable. So I find their absence a good thing.
That being said - I don't control people. If the most important part of a device is the mini stereo plug, then people are free to purchase based on it's presence.
Re: (Score:2)
The fact that USB-C can carry analog audio doesn't mean all devices (or even many) support it. If anything it makes things worse as you have two types of dongles that look the same but you need to know which one to pair with each device.
You do have some rules like Pixels don't do analog so they do need the DAC dongles but for Samsung for example older (and maybe newer but from the mid-low tier) devices have analog, newer flagships not.
Re: (Score:3)
If I were in the market for a device without a 3.5mm jack, which I am not, I would make sure I knew whether it supported analog audio output before purchasing.
However, I just buy Moto all the time since I have settled on them being cheap and adequate (~$200 for 8 cores, 3GB, and 128GB is fine for me — This phone is only 720p but frankly who gives a shit on a screen this size, if I want to read a book I'll use a reader) and they all seem to have a proper headphone jack. I don't get 99% of people who bu
Re: (Score:2)
Well, it isn't a published spec; I guess you can find reports from other people if you search long enough (even there you need to be careful as some phones have totally different SoCs depending on the region, most notably Samsung with the Snapdragon versus Exynos, never mind if they somehow change something as the model becomes older, chip shortages,
Re: (Score:2)
I hardly ever use headphones on my phone, but when I do they are always wired.
I always use headphones at my desktop, I have some (used) Sennheiser HD420s that I refoamed, connected to a (used) M-Audio USB Mobile Pre, which has the high impedance amp necessary to drive them.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
It's one major reason why I'm still hanging onto my S8 and just swapping the battery in it every few years.
When that path ultimately fails I'm literally done with Samsung (and will never buy an Apple).
I'll probably end up buying a pinephone or something.
Re: (Score:2)
I don't blame you. The headphone jack is the main reason I have the regular iPad rather than the iPad Pro. I kept my iPhone 6s for way longer than I would have because I didn't want to give up the headphone jack.
I haven't swapped to Android phones or tablets because Apple has less spyware than Google, but it's a hard choice for me between which is more important a headphone jack or less spyware. The poor updates on Android phones drove me nuts as well, although that Apple doesn't allow you to reinstall an o
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
If you're literate enough to care about spyware you're literate enough to know apple spies on you at least as much as google and apple also routinely sends out malware disguised as patches to cripple performance on older devices that would otherwise keep working fine. You're also literate enough to know that you actually OWN your android devices and can put whatever software on them you want.
Re: Selling my iPad Pro (Score:5, Insightful)
Oh realty? I havenâ(TM)t noticed this with my nearly five year old iPhone 8 that I use every day, nor my even older iPhone 6s that I still use when I go to gigs. Do you have a list of these problematic updates?
Re: Selling my iPad Pro (Score:5, Informative)
nor my even older iPhone 6s that I still use when I go to gigs. Do you have a list of these problematic updates?
Oh you must have a magic phone. After all, Apple themselves thought it wise to pay a $113 million dollar settlement in Canada over an iPhone update for the 6S. I trust their judgement, and that of the French regulator who issued a 25million euro fine over the same case, (and the court case, and the investigation over your anecdote).
I take it you're also not in California? Sucks, otherwise you would have qualified for a $25 payout of the $500 million settlement agreed with the California courts which covers any one of 7 different iPhone models.
Remember what we're talking about yet? I mean it was extensively covered on Slashdot.
Re: (Score:2)
The problem isn't USB-C. The problem is their badly made adapters. At least it's standardized. You can buy a better adapter - even one with passthrough charging. Their charging cables are junk too.
Re: (Score:2)
I'm selling my iPad Pro *because* it doesn't have a headphone jack. I've had two of those stupid Apple USB-C to headphone adapters die on me already. When I'm not losing the things, the bloody things stop working! I get enraged when I can't charge the ipad and use my wired headphones at the same time. And no I don't want wireless headphones - just another device I have to keep charged. No thanks - I'm perfectly fine with my wired audiophile headphones. Stick your jackless tablets up your arse you "brave" Apple engineers. I'm looking at Android tablets now. Will never ever buy another Apple tablet.
Uh huh, yes, we believe that you are going to change everything because you are in a rage over the adapters.
If you think that Apple adapter is shit - tell us about the reliability of that connector for headphones that is presumably getting you to scrap a whole ecosystem for.
The mini headphone jack is just about the least reliable connector there is - I've seen whole devices scrapped because they failed. There ae two main failure modes. First is the torquing of the socket when the cord catches on some
Re: Selling my iPad Pro (Score:3)
Please tell us what us mouth breathing rustics are missing by not having to worry about charging headphones as well as the device each day? Clearly you exist on a higher level of fanboy enlightenment...
Re: (Score:3)
what you're missing is now having a limited listening time thanks to having a battery in your earbuds, the fact you have to re-buy them every 3 years (since you can't replace the battery), the fact you now have to carry a case and worry about recharging them, and also the relatively crappy audio quality.
But hey (you imagine) you look cool right? In truth you're just signalling that you're like every other consumer sheep.
Re: (Score:2)
I wish I could vote you up.
Re: (Score:2)
Hate to break it to ya but I finally bit the bullet and invested in both a pair of cheap on-ear bluetooth headphones for $20 and a pair of these for $15 on Black Friday:
https://www.amazon.com/TOZO-A1... [amazon.com]
Sure, sound quality isn't superb AAA+, but it is good enough. Like it or not the 3.5" jack is dying in consumer space.
Re: (Score:2)
>> Like it or not the 3.5" jack is dying in consumer space.
I think that's exactly the point. A significant percentage of people actually don't like it and the manufacturers are not listening.
Re: (Score:2)
I don't think there are many who actively hate having an unused port that they don't need. But those who do want it are not quite small enough to not make it a problem either. To get an adpater, I'd need multiple of them or else I tape one to the back of the phone so I know where it is (home, work, in the car for when I'm a passenger, maybe even one in the suitcase because I often forget to pack the headset, which is why I have extras purchased for severe markup in airports).
I really foresee the day when
Re: (Score:2)
I'm seriously thinking about my next phone being something like a pinephone pro or other homebrew-kickstarter-type phone.
Pinephone pro has 3.5mm connector, easily replaceable battery, sd card slot, Linux OS, cost is currently a very reasonable $300.
The downside is that it still isn't daily-driver mature (but they're working on it) and doesn't natively support a bunch of familiar google/apple apps (but being Linux I'm guessing you could run a container or something at least for android apps).
Schools (Score:5, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
$9 is not expensive, and that is retail price for the 3.5mm adapter, not the educational discount or bulk discount price. Those schools will be just fine.
They are fragile and easily lost (Score:2)
$9 is not expensive, and that is retail price for the 3.5mm adapter, not the educational discount or bulk discount price. Those schools will be just fine.
Have you used them? Apple makes them as thin as possible, deliberately to make them easily broken/lost.
It's fine for you, but no parent WANTS to deal with that stupidity.
Please remember that now a device of some sort is required for all school age children, even the little ones.
Re: (Score:2)
Oh, yeah. Don't use Apple's. Don't use their charging cables either. Their devices are fine but all of their cables are trash. Thankfully you can buy better quality alternatives for less money.
Screw Apple for this (Score:4, Insightful)
There is no excuse, iPads don't need to be so thin they have no room for a tiny headphone jack. I stopped buying iPhones because they took out the headphone jack and I could see myself doing the same for iPads.
Wired headphones are A GREAT OPTION. Wireless ones come with heaps of bullshit, you lose them much more easily, you have to worry about charge levels, they cost 3-10x times as much or more... just a ridiculous, stupid move all around. I'm still waiting for them to put the headphone jack back on an iPhone while my 6s+ and it's used copies for replacements are all working fine. Even as an iOS developer.
They should lose lots of money for this arrogance.
Re: Screw Apple for this (Score:3)
This nonsense only sells because of technosuckers who put fashion and oneupmanship ahead of practicality and cost.
Re: Screw Apple for this (Score:2)
This post is an example of geek arrogance; being convinced that your view - that a headphone jack is important - is clearly right, despite Appleâ(TM)s sales numbers clearly demonstrating that most people just donâ(TM)t place a lot of import on it.
The worldâ(TM)s moved on, kids. Let it go.
Re: (Score:2)
It's not Apple's fault that Slashdot can't handle standard basic UTF-8 and proper typography. The curled quotes are the proper way to write the words. Microsoft Word does this correction automatically as well.
Re: (Score:2)
It is, however, your fault for continuing to use them despite knowing that it will fail on Slashdot.
If you didn't know, it's your fault for not knowing. This has been a widely publicized limitation of Slashdot over the last ten years.
Re: (Score:2)
I think most people have better things to do than manually copyediting their typography on specific web sites. Everyone knows what it means. I don't post to Slashdot from Apple hardware. I honestly think there are some at Slashdot who explicitly won't fix this in order to annoy Apple users.
Re: Screw Apple for this (Score:2)
This site uses english. Theres no need to use UTF8 when writing a plain english sentence you utter tit. You've heard of ascii I take it?
Re: (Score:2)
Proper typography uses curled directional quotes, em dashes, en dashes, ellipses, and a lot more.
ASCII is for people who haven't moved out of the 80s.
The best Apple product (Score:3)
Laptop with a touchwheel instead of a keyboard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Re: (Score:2)
On an ipod, that was a great interface. Trying to play music or podcasts today on an iphone is painful and nowhere near the simplicity of that simple wheel. Even the newer ipods screwed up the usability. The podcast app is remarkably stupid, it won't even play downloaded podcasts if you're not connected to cellular data, which is a real pain when driving, and sometimes it will remove downloaded podcasts that haven't been listened too yet, it's bizarre.
That missing headphone jack is a constant PITA (Score:3)
I use my iPad (pro) for music as a sheet reader, and it also plays the backing tracks into an external amp. BT latency makes wireless unusable, so I am stuck with the dongle, but the dongle port is on the bottom. Which when sitting on a music stand is inaccessible, so I have to flip it upside down, so dongle side up. But now the power button is on the bottom, and it keeps randomly turning itself off. Was all this aggravation worth saving apple a few cents per unit? No, no it was not.
Re: (Score:2)
Yep and those dongles seem to have awful sound quality too compared to the old headphones. Cheaper DACs on them or something.
Regardless a *major* market for ipads is as live daws for musicians to bring on stage, knowing the headphone is decent enough quality to DI into a PA system leaving the all important lightning plug connected so running a bank of expensive granular synths and convolution reverbs isnt going to trash the battery by the time the gigs over (And god help you if your a DJ with a 5 hour set)
Y
Re: (Score:2)
Cheaper DACs on them or something.
The cheap cables do not have DACs - they just use the USB data lines for analog data. Needless to say, USB data lines were not designed for analog data and it results in horrible sound. But it is simple and cheap.
Re: (Score:2)
USB Type C lines were designed to be shared with audio. However, the implementation can be poor on the device. That's not USB's fault, though. If you're not using the port for data at the same time, there should be little risk of noise. If you're charging at the same time, then the quality of your power supply will matter. But that always matters.
Re: (Score:2)
>> But it is simple and cheap.
So is a 3.5mm jack, and it doesn't have the downsides.
Rabble rabble (Score:2)
ITT: the same fistshaking when Apple removed floppy drives, optical units, RJ45 ports and USB-A ports.
I'll taking buying a $10 adapter for some stuff over dealing with Windows or Android.
Re: (Score:2)
Lack of RJ45s is still a problem, and they didn't remove them from their desktops. In fact, Apple added them there, and kept them ever since; their machines used to have the AAUI connector, if any Ethernet.
Lack of Type A connectors is still a real problem too, because if you want to load from a flash drive and you don't have your dongle on you, you're screwed.
PC laptops managed to retain both of these things without them causing any problems whatsoever. Only Apple lacks the competence to make them work corr
Re: (Score:2)
You really need one of those on a non-mobile computer. The USB-ethernet adapters tend to suck badly. It's nice to have something that just works without fiddling or having to get help from the internet support forums.
Re: (Score:2)
honestly Apple removed all/most of these too soon (when they were still useful).
I still wouldn't get a laptop without RJ45 or USB-A, too useful for my work
Re: (Score:2)
Except it's an adapter at home, an adapter at work, an adapter in the car, an extra just-in-case adapter in the luggage...
It doesn’t physically fit on full screen dev (Score:2)
Once you take the screen out to the edges, the 3.5mm socket no longer physically fits in the device.
Re: (Score:2)
Well it's not impossible. my phone has a wrap around screen and also a 3.5 jack.
Re: (Score:2)
They could double the thickness and use the rest of the space for additional battery in addition to the port. The real trouble with that socket is that it's harder to waterproof.
Re: (Score:2)
I keep hearing this, but how?
https://www.cuidevices.com/wat... [cuidevices.com]
Re: (Score:2)
IP67 is a lot cheaper than IP68 which is what most of their iPhones are. It's an unnecessary expense for the people who won't ever use it. That said, none of the tablets carry any IP rating at all.
Re: (Score:2)
I'd buy an iphone that left extra unused space instead of stretching out the screen to the edges. In fact, I did. I wouldn't mind a lot of extra space at the bottom it would increase reliability. For an ipad, a screen to the edges would be detrimental, how would you hold it to watch a video without a thumb getting in the way?
it's for kids, they better not jack up the price! (Score:5, Informative)
These are heavily used by kids as young as 3. Kids that age are ANIMALS!!! You can't trust them to troubleshoot Bluetooth pairing issues, of which Apple has a TON! I have AirPods and all apple devices. I use my AirPods with only my iPhone. It connects about 3/4 of the time...which is better than many devices, but still for a 3yo...they don't have the patience to Apple's cumbersome Bluetooth menu to manually pair a device...and their menu is quite a bit worse than Android's, BTW.
My biggest concern is cost. I have to buy one per kid. It's required for school now. They last 3 years tops for small kids (if you have a boy, you're lucky if they last 2), because even with the thick foam cases and screen protectors, little kids are ANIMALS with devices. I hope Apple doesn't plan on raising the price substantially. It's already a ripoff because the base model doesn't have enough storage to do much and the kids are filling it up constantly...oh, you took a 5 min video?...welp, we're out of storage...go clear everything out again for the 5th time today...and the upgraded storage models are currently highway robbery prices: $150 for 192GB of storage upgrade
USB-C? I'm happy about that!...Thank you for reaching the charging technology level my Android phone was at 7 years ago! Losing the headphone jack was STUPID, though. Kids need headphones. Letting them plug in simple ones with no dongle that's designed for kids and works on most devices (chromebooks, laptops, Nintendos, etc) was best.
I know one of my kids already needs their model replaced and was waiting for Christmas. I was dreading it because the base model didn't have enough storage...now it sounds like they're trying to update the design to justify a price hike.
Apple, do what you want to the expensive models. My wife & I bought one and deal with your bad design decisions. Please keep one model cheap, simple, and effective for children.
I wish apple would focus on usability not style (Score:2)
from a usability aspect, bluetooth earbuds are simply inferior to a 3.5mm jack.
Apart from the obvious "yet another battery" arguments such as limited listening time and planned obsolescence, the sound quality is noticeably not as good.
Not a problem (Score:2)
I've already removed it. Along with the iPad it would have been on.
Re: (Score:2)
The whole idea behind Bluetooth was to make connectors and wires redundant, so this is not news. What would be news is if Apple would release something better than Bluetooth.
What they have on Bluetooth is Bluetooth, with very high transfer bitrates so it should interfere less with other devices in the same room, and audio uses ALAC (Apple Lossless audio compression).
Re: (Score:2)
Apple doesn't license AptX on their devices and also hasn't designed their own low-latency codec. This makes Bluetooth useless for video. And the audio quality suffers when headphones don't support AAC because they'll settle for a much worse codec like SBC.
The problem is - both the device makers and the headphone makers just put the word Bluetooth on the box and don't mention codec support at all. And the Bluetooth standard hasn't mandated anything much better.