Well, this makes my previous wire vs wireless debate a bit more relative
It's a rumor. That's all it is, Apple may decide to drop the 3.5mm audio jack on their new phones for 2016. If true, that is huge. Goodbye majority of headphones in the market, Apple wants Bluetooth only. Will the sound quality drop because we often hear wire is better than Bluetooth, or has Bluetooth sound quality improved to justify the major change?
He is my new favourite YouTuber along with Jims Review Room, and he breaks down his thought on it.
What is your thought on this?
Good riddance to audio jacks and wires?
Maybe still have wires but audio through lighting jack they use for chargers?
Will the price of Bluetooth headsets go up or down? Some are cheap and good already?
If it is true, then very likely my next phone will be an android. I don't want to deal with the hassle of having to make sure both my phone AND headphones are charged at all times. When I run I use headphones and listen to music on my phone, and when I'm in the car I plug it into the auxiliary jack and listen to it that way. I'm not so much a stickler for quality, but the damn hassle of being unable to use my headphones if ever I forget to charge them is not acceptable.
Yeah, I'm inclined to believe that this rumor is false. Partly because Apple isn't that stupid, (surely?) but mostly because Apple has so many hate bandwagons that the rumor could be that the iPhone 7 will come with an orphan-skin casing by default and somebody would still take it at face value so that they have an excuse to roar "I dislike this big company, see how cool I am!"
Wireless is the future but I still think that some things should be backwards-compatible.
I use a wireless mouse and headphones with my computer and there is virtually no difference in response or sound.
That said, they still have ports for wires for when and if it should falter.
Keep at least two different generations of access on devices and only remove something when it's become so obsolete that no-one buys it anymore.
Hmm, maybe there should be a manual/physical way AND a digital/electrial way.
It would make thing a little bit pricier but hey, MultiPass right!?
One thing that bothers me especially is the switch from manually rolling down the window to pushing an electrical button.
There are scenarios in which you would want or even need to roll down a window manually but cars with both options are very rare, if they even exist.
They DID design an iPod Shuffle that required their own customized headset to work and said headset routinely failed to work whenever it got a little moisture (like...say a runner who sweats). Never underestimate how much smarter Apple thinks they are compared to everyone else.
OT: I don't use Apple products so this wouldn't really affect me and I can't see Android phone makers following if this is true. For myself at least, Bluetooth doesn't play well with other devices (my WiFi routinely loses connection with my phone if my Bluetooth is on) and the cost difference between Bluetooth headphones and regular headphones would be very irksome to me.
I can't imagine Apple would be foolish enough to think this is a good idea but then again, see "Shuffle, iPod" above...
If Apple are doing this (and that's a big if) then I don't see this catching on. Apple diehards will buy iPhones no matter what, but for a lot of regular consumers it'll be a major sticking point.
The only way this would work is if it was some new standard that the entire electronics industry are slowly adopting. People are annoyed about USB Type C being the only port on the MacBook, but they'll get over it eventually because that will be a standard port going forward. However, if the rumours that it will be bluetooth only or using the Lightning port are true, then Apple are shooting themselves in the foot as they simply aren't going to be the standard for audio connections.
I'd imagine that Apple understands their users and would make the decision based partially on that. Apple's fanbase is rather notorious for being cultishly devoted (and no, I'm not exaggerating) to their products and are willing to go along with just about anything they do. Even those that aren't have likely put in a tremendous amount of money and trust into the Apple ecosystem that it would be a serious monetary and time investment to jump over to Android or (less likely) Windows.
Sure, that doesn't mean Apple is guaranteed to go along with this. But Apple is probably one of the few companies that could reasonably take the risk. And the fact that they could profit off all the peripherals would just make it better for them.
That said, I'd imagine that this is just a rumor and won't be seriously pursued, at least not on this version of the iPhone. If anything, they'll probably start trying to phase-in a new idea. It's not like this is making a change of the power connector, where they basically have to go all-in. They could start transitioning users to a new, less standardized idea while supporting current headphones for another generation or two. That would probably be a lot more well-received and less likely to blow up in their face if their more cultish fans happen to finally wake up from Apple going too far.
Apple has a long history of shooting themselves in the foot by rapidly adopting new tech before anyone else in an attempt to seem more cutting edge. Remember when Macs switched to CD only when Floppy Disks still held some importance? Or when they almost dropped discs almost all together? This time though they have taken upon themselves to force us to only use one way for headphones. Maybe in the past the tech was on the way out, but this time it's not a simple old vs. new debate. Bluetooth drains battery like you wouldn't believe and you have to depend on the Bluetooth device batteries as well, so there is another docking station. Also sound quality is nowhere near the level you get from wired. This is going to be highly controversial and might end up getting some people in the Android crowd, Xbox One/PS4 style.
Edit: Since apparently this video might be seen as false by some people, and my post using facts from the past might be seen as bandwagon hating on, I will say I have a bit of doubt Apple would be so willing to do something that stupid.
The rumour was that audio would be handled through the Lightning port. I can totally believe that Apple would lock shit down behind a proprietary tech that would require an adapter to work with normal tech, if it worked at all.
Is this the case? Don't know. But I bet it will sell even if it is.
I like the whole trend of music playing through bluetooth. Really fancy. Yes, yes.
If I had to think of a reason why not to make that the exclusive way of playing music they would be that bluetooth drains battery and batteries on modern phones don't last as is. Also I am resistant to change - the whole idea of getting rid of auxiliary headphones just freaks me out.
Still though, bluetooth headsets and speakers are a winner!
I've used a pair of bluetooth headphones for my PC (cheap ones, mostly so I can listen to videos and music while moving around), and it needed constant charging. I even wore out the port from plugging the USB cable in so much. I also had issues with the Bluetooth cutting out in several newer cars with factory Bluetooth sound systems and the phone was sitting right next to the radio. Wireless has convenience, but it is far more susceptible to interference than wired signal, especially audio level signals. Hopefully this is a rumor, or everyone not named Apple realizes that.
Even with the Bluetooth option, I like having a port to plug directly into whatever audio device I want to use. I like redundancies whenever possible and have had to use them many times for a variety of reasons. I don't like worrying about an extra battery. I'd rather go with a cord when my headphones are getting audio from something in my pocket.
Hazy992 said:
If Apple are doing this (and that's a big if) then I don't see this catching on. Apple diehards will buy iPhones no matter what, but for a lot of regular consumers it'll be a major sticking point.
The only way this would work is if it was some new standard that the entire electronics industry are slowly adopting. People are annoyed about USB Type C being the only port on the MacBook, but they'll get over it eventually because that will be a standard port going forward. However, if the rumours that it will be bluetooth only or using the Lightning port are true, then Apple are shooting themselves in the foot as they simply aren't going to be the standard for audio connections.
Apple has always been one of the first tech companies to try out new ports and protocols on their products, even if some of those new standards don't catch on beyond small groups *cough*firewire*cough*. Even some of their proprietary connections came back to bite them (Apple Display Connector not being able to run larger or high end monitors that came out a couple years later.) And them some, like mini-DVI cut amount of space taken up by the port and gave them the excuse to overcharge for another adapter. Although, I'm sure the Apple fans will eat up whatever they make and defend their actions with gusto. So this rumor, if true, would only bite those stuck in the Apple ecosystem that routinely use the audio jack. (And, I'm sure they won't be happy with the ~$40 price tag for Apple's eventual Lightning to 3.5mm audio adapter.) I almost want this to happen just to see the internet backdraft.
Although, in the type C MacBook case, they jumped too far ahead that time. Even two or three USB type C ports would have been good. (They could have even sold more overpriced dongles that way!) Their product lineup is also now all confusing with the MacBook Air, what I associate with with weight reduction at the cost of features, now having more connectivity than the MacBook, the midrange model. You'd think they hired a Nintendo executive for the naming.
I couldn't even use that machine without a dongle dangling everywhere I went. I use a Logitech trackball with my laptop, and Logitech, in their brilliance, went with a proprietary wireless protocal that needs its own USB receiver, instead of Bluetooth. That's mostly Logi's fault there, but I do use all of the ports on my laptop (except the firewire. I haven't had a firewire device in years).
I like the whole trend of music playing through bluetooth. Really fancy. Yes, yes.
If I had to think of a reason why not to make that the exclusive way of playing music they would be that bluetooth drains battery and batteries on modern phones don't last as is. Also I am resistant to change - the whole idea of getting rid of auxiliary headphones just freaks me out.
Still though, bluetooth headsets and speakers are a winner!
Unfortuately bluetooth seems to be a bit powerconsuming, you need batteries for both the phone and the headset.
On the other hand, the wire for headphones is also commonly used as an antenna when you want to listen to the radio (not sure if this is still an option to have FM radio on apple, AM doesn't seem to be present on my android brick).
Apple isn't stupid, they most likely will go for the multyfunctional port and sell compatible headphones or adapters to both 2.5 and 3.5mm plugs.
Will a Bluetooth at least be included with the iPhone? Those things always come with a pair of ear buds, so they would at least include their own Apple brand one, right?
Will a Bluetooth at least be included with the iPhone? Those things always come with a pair of ear buds, so they would at least include their own Apple brand one, right?
Will a Bluetooth at least be included with the iPhone? Those things always come with a pair of ear buds, so they would at least include their own Apple brand one, right?
Those pack-in ear buds are so cheap to produce that everyone puts them in with their phone and mp3 players. They are basically just to "get you going" until you buy better pair or dig out a pair from the drawer of cords. I hear the Apple buds are notoriously disposable.
If Apple did nix the jack, it would be nice if they did offer a cheap pack in Bluetooth headset. I know their accessories (especially their audio gear endorsed by someone with a doctorate in hiphop) have an outrageous markup. They can eat the cost of a pair per phone. Although, they probably won't.
Dear lord I hope not. I don't feel like dropping thirty to sixty bucks on a set of bluetooth headphones that also become something else I have to charge.
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