Adding a headphone jack to the iPhone

[Zaap]

I found this video fascinating: adding a headphone jack to an actual iPhone 7.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utfbE3_uAMA

The same guy before actually built an iPhone from parts he bought in China. (a 6S I believe.)

Now, of course I don't think this is the least bit practical. It's just fascinating that it's possible, and that someone went to these extremes to do it. I think even if I had the time, materials and expertise, I personally wouldn't bother. Even though it'd make me a personal hero with my wife and several of her friends who'd kill for a modern iPhone with a headphone jack. On second thought, maybe I'd do it just for that praise lol.

I just found it an interesting exercise, and it makes me wonder what else is possible. I'd love to see him do something like create a Note 8 with a removable battery. Some way that the face of it was the same, but a different or modified back that allowed for removable battery.

I personally wish it were more possible to tinker with and change modern smartphones to suit our own needs, the way one can with personal computers. Yes, I know that's probably going to remain a pipe dream for most anyone without a serious engineering degree, unlimited resources, and as much as a year of free time to spare.

 

[Commodus]

It's definitely a clever feat. The only thing I don't like is how some people initially reacted to this video: they treated it as 'proof' that Apple purposefully removed the headphone jack to drive AirPods and Beats sales. Well, no. The hacks needed to squeeze that jack in made it pretty clear that Apple couldn't have just shoved it into the existing space.

Like it or not, we probably won't see most phones made tinkering-friendly any time soon. They're beholden to concerns that you aren't with a PC, like pocketability, hand reach and water resistance. That pushes companies to treat them more as tightly integrated gadgets than modular hardware. I suspect Motorola's mods and Essential's add-ons are about as good as it'll get.

 

[Zaap]

It's definitely a clever feat. The only thing I don't like is how some people initially reacted to this video: they treated it as 'proof' that Apple purposefully removed the headphone jack to drive AirPods and Beats sales. Well, no. The hacks needed to squeeze that jack in made it pretty clear that Apple couldn't have just shoved it into the existing space.

While I didn't post this as any such 'proof', but rather just an interesting tinker, you're logic on this is quite a bit disingenuous. Of course, had Apple wanted to include a headphone jack, they wouldn't have had to go through any such ridiculous reverse engineering of their own product! They simply would have designed the necessary hardware and connectors to work from the start.

I mean come on, with other svelter phones with no problem having headphone jacks, s-pen cavities, SD/Sim card trays etc, it's just silly to even argue there's anything about the nature of the iPhone 7-8 (dunno about the X) that would have prevented a jack had Apple WANTED to. That's indisputable. It's just they clearly didn't WANT the jack, and therefore made no allowance for it in the design. I didn't think anyone really still argues this bit of obviousness.

And again, I didn't post this to argue that same age old point, just I think it disingenuous to say this video proves anything to do with Apple not having their own motives for removing the jack, the very least of which is the physical possibility of it.

 

[Commodus]

While I didn't post this as any such 'proof', but rather just an interesting tinker, you're logic on this is quite a bit disingenuous. Of course, had Apple wanted to include a headphone jack, they wouldn't have had to go through any such ridiculous reverse engineering of their own product! They simply would have designed the necessary hardware and connectors to work from the start.

I mean come on, with other svelter phones with no problem having headphone jacks, s-pen cavities, SD/Sim card trays etc, it's just silly to even argue there's anything about the nature of the iPhone 7-8 (dunno about the X) that would have prevented a jack had Apple WANTED to. That's indisputable. It's just they clearly didn't WANT the jack, and therefore made no allowance for it in the design. I didn't think anyone really still argues this bit of obviousness.

And again, I didn't post this to argue that same age old point, just I think it disingenuous to say this video proves anything to do with Apple not having their own motives for removing the jack, the very least of which is the physical possibility of it.

I suppose I should clarify: it's more that including the headphone jack may have meant giving up some of the goals Apple had, or would have required a significant change of the form factor or interior layout that Apple didn't have time to do with the 7 (the 8 is another story, but that was clearly the "quick, we need something cheaper than the X" model).

Not to rule out a cynical ploy, but if there was one I suspect it wasn't to boost AirPods/Beats sales (not as the main goal, anyway). Rather, it would be that Apple knew the iPhone X wasn't going to have a headphone jack and didn't want to distract from the launch of its all-important redesign.

 

[zerogear]

I suppose I should clarify: it's more that including the headphone jack may have meant giving up some of the goals Apple had, or would have required a significant change of the form factor or interior layout that Apple didn't have time to do with the 7 (the 8 is another story, but that was clearly the "quick, we need something cheaper than the X" model).

Not to rule out a cynical ploy, but if there was one I suspect it wasn't to boost AirPods/Beats sales (not as the main goal, anyway). Rather, it would be that Apple knew the iPhone X wasn't going to have a headphone jack and didn't want to distract from the launch of its all-important redesign.

Yet they put in a notch. I never thought I'd say I'd take Samsung bezel less design over Apples anyday.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[Commodus]

Yet they put in a notch. I never thought I'd say I'd take Samsung bezel less design over Apples anyday.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

I just tried the iPhone X today, and honestly I don't think it's a significant issue. Main beef is that it cuts into videos if you insist that they fill the screen, but it's still a nicer viewing experience than many phones that size if you resize to avoid the notch.

As it stands, the S8 illustrates a compromise Samsung had to make: if you want a tall ratio screen without a notch, you're probably going to end with a tall phone. The iPhone X is barely taller than the 7/8 and about as wide, so I suspect the notch has its subtle advantages even if it does amount to a compromise.

 

[WelshBloke]

As it stands, the S8 illustrates a compromise Samsung had to make: if you want a tall ratio screen without a notch, you're probably going to end with a tall phone. The iPhone X is barely taller than the 7/8 and about as wide, so I suspect the notch has its subtle advantages even if it does amount to a compromise.

The S8 is about 5mm taller than the iPhoneX and about 2mm narrower. Whether you prefer a screen with a chunk missing or 5mm less hight is a personal opinion I guess.

I'm not sure that I'd call Samsung's approach a compromise. It's just the normal way of doing things. Screens normally have 4 straight edges. TVs, monitors, phones, pretty much everything with a screen.

 

[FIVR]

I found this video fascinating: adding a headphone jack to an actual iPhone 7.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utfbE3_uAMA

The same guy before actually built an iPhone from parts he bought in China. (a 6S I believe.)

Now, of course I don't think this is the least bit practical. It's just fascinating that it's possible, and that someone went to these extremes to do it. I think even if I had the time, materials and expertise, I personally wouldn't bother. Even though it'd make me a personal hero with my wife and several of her friends who'd kill for a modern iPhone with a headphone jack. On second thought, maybe I'd do it just for that praise lol.

I just found it an interesting exercise, and it makes me wonder what else is possible. I'd love to see him do something like create a Note 8 with a removable battery. Some way that the face of it was the same, but a different or modified back that allowed for removable battery.

I personally wish it were more possible to tinker with and change modern smartphones to suit our own needs, the way one can with personal computers. Yes, I know that's probably going to remain a pipe dream for most anyone without a serious engineering degree, unlimited resources, and as much as a year of free time to spare.

Lol what a stupid video. The phone comes with a dongle that effectively adds a headphone jack.

 

[WelshBloke]

Lol what a stupid video. The phone comes with a dongle that effectively adds a headphone jack.

I think that the point was that there really shouldn't be any need for a dongle. If the guy in the OP can hack in a headphone socket theres no reason why Apple couldn't.

 

[Zaap]

Lol what a stupid video. The phone comes with a dongle that effectively adds a headphone jack.

It's really no surprise the point flew straight over your head.

 

[FIVR]

I think that the point was that there really shouldn't be any need for a dongle. If the guy in the OP can hack in a headphone socket theres no reason why Apple couldn't.

There shouldn't be a need for a dongle because people shouldn't be poor and should use airpods instead of 1980s tech 1/8th inch stereo jack. But poor folks gotta have the newest iPhone so there is a dongle.

The reason Apple removed the jack is it's 1 less way for water to ingress. That's why apple phones are warranteed against any water damage while android crap phones with USB and headphone jacks are not.

I miss floppy disk drives and CD-ROMs too but I still buy laptops with neither of those things. OP is fixated on his version of floppy disks and that's fine. Not everyone can afford an iPhone sadly.

 

[FIVR]

wrong thread

 

[Zaap]

More like wrong planet.

Snobby attitudes aside, its apparently one where 67 is greater than 68 and 'because I wish it was so!!' emoting passes for tech knowledge.

 

[FIVR]

More like wrong planet.

Snobby attitudes aside, its apparently one where 67 is greater than 68 and 'because I wish it was so!!' emoting passes for tech knowledge.

1/8th inch stereo jack is what the original sony walkman used.


You'd think people would be ready for a new standard of connector. Do you lament the loss of tape decks in your car? The video you posted was an absurd waste of time meant only to denigrate apple and forward conspiracy theories about why there is no headphone jack... when the answer is quite obvious.


There will never, ever be another iPhone with a headphone jack, so get used to it.

 

[wilds]

1/8th inch stereo jack is what the original sony walkman used.


You'd think people would be ready for a new standard of connector. Do you lament the loss of tape decks in your car? The video you posted was an absurd waste of time meant only to denigrate apple and forward conspiracy theories about why there is no headphone jack... when the answer is quite obvious.


There will never, ever be another iPhone with a headphone jack, so get used to it.

I saw the video as a fun little hacking project that this guy is really passionate about. I don't get what the fuss is all about. This guy loves Apple hardware and is enthusiastic about the hardware inside.

Have you ever taken apart hardware to customize and personalize it to your liking? That is what being a geek is all about! This video could have been about adding another Lightning port or USB-C port and it would have been just as awesome to me.

 

[MrSquished]

1/8th inch stereo jack is what the original sony walkman used.


You'd think people would be ready for a new standard of connector. Do you lament the loss of tape decks in your car? The video you posted was an absurd waste of time meant only to denigrate apple and forward conspiracy theories about why there is no headphone jack... when the answer is quite obvious.


There will never, ever be another iPhone with a headphone jack, so get used to it.

You are truly an idiot. The reason other older techs like tape decks disappeared is because something that did what they did but better came along - aka CD's. VHS to DVD's.

There is nothing better than a headphone jack for affordable portable audio out there. There are infinitely more headphone options for those using a headphone jack than bluetooth headphones which also give compressed audio, run out of battery and are generally inferior to good quality headphone jack options. You have no clue buddy.

 

[mikegg]

You are truly an idiot. The reason other older techs like tape decks disappeared is because something that did what they did but better came along - aka CD's. VHS to DVD's.

There is nothing better than a headphone jack for affordable portable audio out there. There are infinitely more headphone options for those using a headphone jack than bluetooth headphones which also give compressed audio, run out of battery and are generally inferior to good quality headphone jack options. You have no clue buddy.

I really hated that Apple got rid of the headphone jack. I vowed to never upgrade my 6S. But I bought the Airpods and they're absolutely amazing and I love them way more than my wired headphones. It's nice not having wires. Seriously.

I wished Apple bundled the Airpods with the iPhone though. Oh well.

 

[Red Storm]

I really hated that Apple got rid of the headphone jack. I vowed to never upgrade my 6S. But I bought the Airpods and they're absolutely amazing and I love them way more than my wired headphones. It's nice not having wires. Seriously.

I wished Apple bundled the Airpods with the iPhone though. Oh well.

I think the main argument of people that are pro headphone jack is this: It's great you are really enjoying those Airpods... but the headphone jack was not an obstacle to Airpods. Bluetooth was already alive and well and co-existed with headphone jacks for many many years. As Samsung has shown, it's not even an obstacle to water proofing. To me there's only 2 logical reasons for removing the jack: Greed, and lazy engineering. I think Apple took the greed route, while Google took the lazy engineering route.

I have a Pixel 2 XL, and I'll be fine without the headphone jack because I already have decent BT headphones, but I completely understand the group of people who are asking why it was removed from phones (Newly launched notebooks and tablets still have them you'll notice).

 

[TheStu]

I think the main argument of people that are pro headphone jack is this: It's great you are really enjoying those Airpods... but the headphone jack was not an obstacle to Airpods. Bluetooth was already alive and well and co-existed with headphone jacks for many many years. As Samsung has shown, it's not even an obstacle to water proofing. To me there's only 2 logical reasons for removing the jack: Greed, and lazy engineering. I think Apple took the greed route, while Google took the lazy engineering route.

I have a Pixel 2 XL, and I'll be fine without the headphone jack because I already have decent BT headphones, but I completely understand the group of people who are asking why it was removed from phones (Newly launched notebooks and tablets still have them you'll notice).

I'd chalk it up more as 'lazy' engineering on Apple's part as well. IF they didn't include lightning earbuds AND the adapter in the box... IF they priced the lightning earbuds higher than the old 3.5mm ones... IF they made their own dongle like Belkin makes, then I'd push it more into the Greed camp. Not saying greed wasn't a factor, just that it's 60-40 lazy-greed

 

[FIVR]

You are truly an idiot. The reason other older techs like tape decks disappeared is because something that did what they did but better came along - aka CD's. VHS to DVD's.

There is nothing better than a headphone jack for affordable portable audio out there. There are infinitely more headphone options for those using a headphone jack than bluetooth headphones which also give compressed audio, run out of battery and are generally inferior to good quality headphone jack options. You have no clue buddy.

I'm the idiot because I can see why Apple could have better uses for the space occupied by that jack that catering to people who refuse to upgrade their old headphones or use a dongle?


LOL. I guess wall street and the millions of people buying iPhones disagree. Too bad for you, nobody cares that I'm an idiot and you're the genius with the 1982 technology in your phone.

Apple will never add another headphone jack to the iPhone. It's gone. Get over it, genius.

 

[FIVR]

I'd chalk it up more as 'lazy' engineering on Apple's part as well. IF they didn't include lightning earbuds AND the adapter in the box... IF they priced the lightning earbuds higher than the old 3.5mm ones... IF they made their own dongle like Belkin makes, then I'd push it more into the Greed camp. Not saying greed wasn't a factor, just that it's 60-40 lazy-greed

It is not "laziness" to design a phone that uses every square mm of space and offers substantially better protection against water ingress. You could argue that it is greed which causes them to not include Air Pods in with each phone, but according to the teardown and their earnings reports their margins only increased 3% over the phones they sold with headphone jacks. Including air pods would basically cut their margins from ~40% to ~20%. That would be a stupid business decision and Apple isn't stupid.

 

[Red Storm]

It is not "laziness" to design a phone that uses every square mm of space and offers substantially better protection against water ingress. You could argue that it is greed which causes them to not include Air Pods in with each phone, but according to the teardown and their earnings reports their margins only increased 3% over the phones they sold with headphone jacks. Including air pods would basically cut their margins from ~40% to ~20%. That would be a stupid business decision and Apple isn't stupid.

The S8 has water proofing and very minimal bezels. It proves that it can be done.

The iPhone 7 and 8 have more than enough space with the giant bezels to have incorporated the jack. I think it was strictly a greed move by Apple.

 

[MrSquished]

I'm the idiot because I can see why Apple could have better uses for the space occupied by that jack that catering to people who refuse to upgrade their old headphones or use a dongle?


LOL. I guess wall street and the millions of people buying iPhones disagree. Too bad for you, nobody cares that I'm an idiot and you're the genius with the 1982 technology in your phone.

Apple will never add another headphone jack to the iPhone. It's gone. Get over it, genius.

Upgrade headphones? You are an idiot. SQ wise there are no BT headphones out there that can compete with a good pair of wired phones, not to mention the variety of sound options available in wired vs BT. There are zero BT headphones that come close to any of my $150-$500 cans or IEMS. You'd have to pay triple to get near my $80 wired earbuds.

You have zero clue about audio quality or the headphone world, it's painfully obvious.

Stick to subjects you have an iota about, of those which are few I would surmise.

 

[FIVR]

Upgrade headphones? You are an idiot. SQ wise there are no BT headphones out there that can compete with a good pair of wired phones, not to mention the variety of sound options available in wired vs BT. There are zero BT headphones that come close to any of my $150-$500 cans or IEMS. You'd have to pay triple to get near my $80 wired earbuds.

You have zero clue about audio quality or the headphone world, it's painfully obvious.

Stick to subjects you have an iota about, of those which are few I would surmise.

iPhones are not high end audio equipment. Nobody cares that you can get an extra 100-200hz of frequency response with your expensive bespoke earbuds. I don't know if there really are better audio quality options that compare well to airpods for <$150... but most of the reviews of AirPods say you are wrong and their audio quality is as good or better than wired options in that price range.

It's pretty clear you are an "audiophile" who thinks they know everything about AV equipment... and you believe that knowledge somehow makes you more capable of judging Apple's iPhones and AirPods in relation to wired headphones and earbuds. I'm here to tell you, as painful as that may be (and I'm sure it's quite painful for a stereo nerd like yourself), that none of your knowledge makes one iota of difference to the average consumer or to me. Nobody cares. Apple doesn't care, consumers don't care, I don't care. The convenience offered by wireless AirPods over regular wired headphones vastly outweighs any minuscule differences in frequency response or sound reproduction quality.

So please - take your whiny, pathetic audiophile ramblings to some AV forum where people will care... because nobody is buying iPhones for premium sound quality. You just sound like another laserdisc fan circa 1996. Yes, it's better than VHS. No, nobody cares. LOL

 

[Fardringle]

I don't understand why anyone would want to do this. Apple told us that we don't need a headphone jack any more, so it must be true!

Besides, it's a great opportunity to go out and spend a bunch of money on new wireless headphones that probably aren't as good as the wired ones you have now, but that you absolutely NEED and just didn't know it until Apple told you that you did...