Hi all,
Like Tim I have remained silent, waiting for what others in the industry
expressed about the headphone jack.
The article below indicates that yes only Apple could do this...but
frankly there is little reason for it to be done. I found particularly
interesting the weak nature of the lightning port in terms of popping out
of the phone if stressed, the less than stellar quality of both bluetooth
and wireless headphones, at least if you care about sound quality, how
quality could be achieved while keeping the jack, and most interesting for
those using audio, you cannot charge the phone and listen at the same
time. If it impacts music, will it also impact voiceover?
Article is below. I leave it to others here for comments if any.
As the iPhone's headphone jack dies, Apple wins and you lose
By Caleb Denison -- September 7, 2016 4:09 PM
As predicted, Apple just killed off the headphone jack in the new
iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The familiar and universal 3.5mm
headphone jack -- also known as the 1/8-inch headphone jack and
TS jack -- is nowhere to be found on its new phones. Apple
wheeled out plenty of rationalizations for the decision, but at
the end of the day, it was a bad call, and a step back for the
forward-thinking tech giant.
We're talking about the same mini plug which was first used in
Sony's EFM-117J transistor radio in 1964, and which was
popularized for portable personal electronics with the original
Sony Walkman, released in 1979. The tech behind it goes back over
100 years, and we've been buying and collecting wired headphones
using this connector for over 36 years now. While Apple hasn't
left wired headphones completely in the dust, it has made
connecting them to its latest phones a big hassle.
We did it because ...
Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller
boiled the decision to kill the headphone jack down to one word:
courage.
Yeah. That's one way to put it. Another might be: gamble.
Apple has done something it's never done before: alienating
millions of people.
Apple says it has a long-term vision for audio, which is
impressive considering it doesn't seem like it's had any vision
for audio at all until it purchased Beats headphones in 2014.
Instead of killing the headphone jack, Apple could have made a
better sounding EarPod, improved the digital to analog converter
(DAC) in its headphones to support higher resolution audio files,
or beefed up the headphone amp for better overall sound for any
headphone. None of those options would have required adding any
new space-hogging components to the phone or required any radical
redesigns, though it may have cost more. Know what it wouldn't
have required? Courage.
Regardless, Apple had opportunities to take audio more seriously,
but it didn't. How new, exactly, is this audio vision?
Schiller also pointed to the Lightning connector. "From the
start, we designed Lighting to be a great digital audio
connector," he said before pivoting toward an example of new
headphones ready to use the digital plug, the JBL Reflex Aware,
noting they require no battery to charge, since the iPhone
provides all the power. It may be true that the Lightning port is
meant to be a great digital connector, but that has nothing to do
with ditching the analog component. Android phones use the micro
USB plug as a digital connector, but they still have their 3.5mm
headphone jacks on board.
Finally, Schiller, after taking a moment to poke fun at the
century-old 3.5mm jack like it was some cute, tech-averse
grandma, pointed at space considerations as a third motivating
factor. "Our smartphones are packed with technologies and we all
want more." Apple says it needed space, and needed it right away.
"When you have a vision of how the audio experience can be, you
want to get there as fast as you can and make it as great as it
can be." To be fair, there's some truth in there somewhere. As a
tech-obsessed public, we do want more. We expect more. And
perhaps Apple did need the space. Or maybe the phone doesn't
have to be quite so thin?
Headphones of the future
To work with its new headphone jackless phones, Apple introduced
two new Apple-branded products, three lines of wireless Beats
headphones, and some new wireless tech to drive it all. The new
Apple EarPods remained wired, but simply use the Lightning
connector now. As such, they'll be outfitted with a DAC/headphone
amp and will draw power from the phone, ultimately reducing its
battery life, though perhaps not much more than when the same
components were located inside the phone.
Apple also introduced the AirPods, completely wireless in-ear
headphones that look a lot like golf tees sticking out of your
ears when worn. They're powered by the new W1 wireless chip,
Apple's first ever proprietary wireless technology, which is
meant to make pairing easier than with Bluetooth. Battery life is
a relatively
impressive -- if still inadequate -- five hours per charge, with
an included charging cradle providing up to 24 hours of charge in
total.
Finally, Apple pointed to three series of Beats headphones which
would take advantage of the new W1 chip. Add them all up and you
have five Apple-specific headphone options, all of them squarely
planted in Apple's walled garden. Typical. Fortunately, companies
like Audeze are working hard to make Lightning connections an
option, not a requirement.
We still don't know how Apple's new wireless tech will actually
sound, but if history is any indication, it will be "just OK."
Take off the Apple goggles, already
Apple may be showing a lot of cojones by blazing its own trail,
but once the Apple magic glitter starts to wear off, it becomes
clear Apple has done something it's never done before: alienating
millions of people. At a time when wireless headphones just can't
compete with their wired counterparts, this seems like a
radically premature move, if not an entirely short-sighted one.
"Bluetooth is still no substitute for the rich audio experience
you get from a wired connection."
This isn't like Apple's move from its 30-pin connector to
Lightning. On the other side of that cable is a standard USB
port, which means Apple's devices can easily be charged and
interfaced with by all kinds of peripherals. As for interfacing
with third-party peripherals, Apple made that move at a time when
people were already abandoning hard-dock connections in favor of
wireless options -- adapters were made available, but not really
necessary. By forcing people to connect headphones via Lightning,
Apple is trying to force headphone manufacturers to create an
additional, Apple-only model for every single headphone product
they already make. That's going to be a costly transition, and
one that will take time. If it takes at all. Maybe a big brand
like JBL can hack it, but what about all the other, smaller
headphone brands out there?
Lightning is weak
But Apple is including an adapter dongle, you say. People will
still be able to connect their old wired headphones if they want
to, and at no additional cost!
Indeed, Apple was wise to include the lightning to 3.5mm adapter.
If it hadn't, the uproar would have been fierce. But this adapter
sounds like a last-minute move by Apple to save its ass. And it
probably isn't going to work.
Ever tried to slip an iPhone connected to a charging battery into
a jacket pocket or hand bag? It eventually stops charging because
the Lightning connector pops right out of the phone -- it's worse
if you have a case on the phone. There's simply not enough
strength at that connection point to allow even a modicum of
strain on the Lightning cable without it popping out.
The same thing will happen to headphones connected to the new
iPhones. The Lightning adapter will pop right out, and the music
will stop. Talk about a buzzkill. Also, dongles are a pain. It's
one more thing to carry, one more thing you can lose, and it
makes using your sleek new device awkward. This is Band-Aid fail
if we've ever seen one. And if the Band-Aid doesn't work, then
something's gonna bleed out.
The other glaring problem with using the Lightning port for
connecting headphones is that you preclude the phone from
charging while listening to music. Pay special attention over the
next few days to when you have to go charge your phone. Were you
listening to music at the time? Not any more.
Wired is still better
Wired headphones don't usually rely on batteries, and when they
do, they are often user replaceable, or at the very least last
much longer than anything Apple is offering. Plus, as good as
Bluetooth has become in recent years, it's still no substitute
for the rich audio experience you get from a wired connection.
Today's wireless audio is probably good enough for the vast
majority of the iPhone 7's target audience, but audiophiles will
still prefer the better sound you can get from a
hard connection.
If you're an audiophile on the hunt for the best phone with the
best sound, it isn't going to come from Apple.
Take a look at the new LG V20 released just ahead of Apple's big
event. The phone was made for audio, with high-end DACs from
Sabre, a ton of high-end audio processing, and the ability to
record high-res audio as well. It all gets to the end user by way
of a standard headphone jack.
Wireless is absolutely the future for headphones. But the day to
dismiss wired headphones has not yet come, no matter what Apple
says. By alienating a broad base of users, Apple will certainly
feel some fallout. Debates will roil on the internet, some users
will switch to Android phones in revolt, and some headphone
manufacturers will scramble to offer multiple versions of the
same headphones, only to find out it's too costly a transition to
sustain.
But in the end, Apple won't flinch. It can afford to make such a
sweeping change, and weather the storm of insults and those who
chose to abandon ship. In the end, Apple will have its way, and
iPhone users will simply bear the burden of buying new
headphones, struggling with adapters, or tolerating subpar sound.
Or, you know, buy an Android.
Kare
