Is removing the headphone jack really going to be a thing moving forward?

[desura]

like, five ten years from now every phone won't have a headphone jack? Will laptops start removing it as well? It seems like such a stupid move. Why couldn't Apple have come up with like a MagSafe- like headphone standard? They just removed it without a good alternative.

 

[rbk123]

Only if we have courage.


They removed it to boost sales in their wireless headphone investments - i.e. Beats.

 

[Yakk]

There's liquid courage... and then there's dongle courage.

 

[JimKiler]

Agreed, no one is against removing it but Apple did not have a better alternative to offer its customers. Not being able to listen to music and charge you phone at the same time is lame unless you buy wireless headphones. But i hear the charging time on the wireless headphones is high compared to the use time.

How many things do you want that need charging?

• Phone
• tablet
• laptop
• watch
• headphones

 

[Crumpet]

I think Apple should continue removing everyday connections from their devices, I could do with laughing more.

 

[tsupersonic]

Wireless headphones are great, but there are far more wired headphones out there. I hope Android flagships don't remove this jack until wireless adoption increases. I'd really rather phones get thicker (>8 mm, and <12 mm) with larger batteries (4000 mAh+), IR blaster, headphone jack, expandable storage, and no camera hump. Most people put cases on phones that make it pretty hefty.

 

[Phynaz]

The headphone jack is dead. Good riddance.

 

[Zaap]

Next Apple can remove the lightning port from the iPhone. Who needs wired charging? Then all buttons. Who needs em? Then the cameras. You can probably shave off another half millimeter if no cameras. If you needed to take a picture for some reason, you could buy the iDongle camera. A thinner device is most important. The best new features are things you already had being missing by default, but able to add back as costly add-ons. Consumers just need to be brave enough to get with what's been determined to be best for them.

 

[Rifter]

Im ok with it as soon as a few things are met:

1. Bluetooth(or whatever wireless standard) having enough bandwidth to sound identical, i mean 100% identical to wired, not good enough, not close, identical.
2. Wireless headphones being the same price for the same quality as wired, as in i can buy a wireless set of AH-D7000 that sounds identical to AH-D7000 wired for an identical cost.
3. Wireless having at least enough battery for a week so i can charge them only once a week and not need to screw around charging them during the week(40-60 hours of play time would get me through a week)
4. The ability to both use wired with a dongle and charge the phone at the same time

As soon as that happens ill jump on the wireless bandwagon, untill then im not buying a phone without a headphone jack.

 

[Chiropteran]

Bluetooth sucks ass.

I'd be okay with removal of headphone jacks if:

1- USB C headphones are ubiquitous
and
2- Devices have more than 1 USB C port (so we can charge while headphones are plugged in)

Until both occur, I'll cling to my headphone jacks

 

[Anubis]

from what i have seen from the various prototypes the come through my lab, yes, in 2 years they will be extremely rare

 

[desura]

I don't get why this was never attempted:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/magzet/magzet-the-audio-jack-reinvented-with-the-power-of

No more headphone jacks probably means I won't be buying any phones past 2016/2017 but will stick with used models of the iPhone 6s and contemporary android devices.

 

[nOOky]

Not only did LG leave the jack on it's latest phones, they gave me a set of B@O headphones for free. I struggle to see what problem it solves removing the jack other than assisting in water-proofing maybe? In my mind we need more removable battery and memory card options, not less. I also hate charging the Anker BT headphones my wife has as it is. I want the headphones to last as long as the phone battery lasts when plugged in.

 

[Andro Boy]

My only real issue with the jack removal is that it takes your average listening routine and makes it more complex for no additional benefit. Bluetooth headphones still have a while to be on par with wired sets, not to mention having to keep them fully charged along with your phone.

I plan on sticking with my iPod Touch 6th Generation for as long as I can and never fully upgrading to one of these "new" devices.

 

[MrSquished]

I hope not. I don't wan't additionally compressed audio. I don't want either ugly or easy to lose BT earbuds. I'd like to charge my phone and listen to music sometimes.

 

[biostud]

I bought an usb-c dac to use with my phone. So that is also an option, instead of wireless.

 

[Ackmed]

I don't really have an issue as long as there is an adapter. I have been using wireless to work out in for awhile now. One of my vehicles doesn't have BT though, so I use AUX to listen to music. I suppose I could upgrade the radio, but if there is an adapter I'm ok with using that too. I'm not a music nerd so much, don't notice differences in compression unless obvious.

 

[rbk123]

I struggle to see what problem it solves removing the jack other than assisting in water-proofing maybe?

It doesn't solve any problem. It helps their net revenues by growing future wireless headphone sales (they are a corporation and they have to grow their revenues any way they can; not evil, just a fact).

Second - it's a marketing tool. They get to continue to present an image as an innovator, which is very important to them to continue their sales. See revenue item above. Also not evil, just typical marketing schtick.

It's purely a business move, nothing more, nothing less, as they are a business.

 

[desura]

It doesn't solve any problem. It helps their net revenues by growing future wireless headphone sales (they are a corporation and they have to grow their revenues any way they can; not evil, just a fact).

Second - it's a marketing tool. They get to continue to present an image as an innovator, which is very important to them to continue their sales. See revenue item above. Also not evil, just typical marketing schtick.

It's purely a business move, nothing more, nothing less, as they are a business.

Naw. I think that it is kinda like the iOS 7 redesign: an elitist out of touch move probably drive by Johnny Ive who would have done it earlier if he could have. Steve Jobs/Scott Forstall would never do this crap.

 

[ElFenix]

Only if we have courage.


They removed it to boost sales in their wireless headphone investments - i.e. Beats.

half of beats' marketing is that red cord.

 

[Ackmed]

I have the wireless beats, black and gray though. I like them well enough. Work well, sounds good, no complaints. About to get the new Bose wireless though, reviews are good.

 

[Oyeve]

I stick with my SOL cans. way better deal that beats and definitely than blose.

 

[you2]

Well to be fair there are some technical advantages to removing the jack (space); but personally i rather have a jack. I don't mind if the jack is shaped like a usb connector as long as there is a tiny adapter. While there might be technical advantages to removing the jack i doubt that is what motivated apple. Btw I'm anti apple (even though their laptops are pretty decent hardware); because I dislike scummy companies; and i find some of apples policies/decisions pretty darn scummy.

 

[lxskllr]

Well to be fair there are some technical advantages to removing the jack

A technical reason could be made for removing just about everything, including the battery and screen, but that doesn't make it a good idea. We aren't talking floppy drives here. It's a widely used, and bulletproof standard.

I get pissed every time I think about it. I will never purchase a headphone that requires charging, and consider a jackless phone as being unable to use headphones at all. I'll adjust the amount I'm willing to spend on that phone accordingly.

 

[Commodus]

A lot of the "omg no headphone jack" griping is, well, overblown.

I won't deny that it's less convenient, and sometimes arbitrary. But it's always amusing when people act as if it's the end of the world, and they can't imagine how anyone can live with a dongle or buying Bluetooth headphones. Folks... it's not that bad. More often than not, you can attach the adapter to your favorite set of earbuds and forget about it. The big issue is that you can't charge while listening to wired audio unless you buy another adapter.

And no, it's not as simple as claiming that company X or Y is greedy. In the iPhone 7's case, for example, that space does get used for other things (the advanced haptics, a slightly larger battery, even a barometer). If you're going to be cynical, one theory I've heard is that Apple is removing the jack on the 7 so that it's not a distraction when the 8 comes without any room for that port. Get the complaining out of the way now so that everyone focuses on the major redesign's positive features.

And to answer the original question: yeah, it's probably going to be a thing. I don't know that the vast majority of phone makers will follow suit, but there are reports that even Samsung might ditch the headphone jack. You may have to settle for a phone you wouldn't otherwise prefer simply to get that jack.