No Headphone Jack? Thanks Apple!
By
Staten Island, NY Posted: 10/25/2016 1:00:00 AM
The latest iPhone doesn't have a headphone jack, thank goodness.
Every now and then, Apple does something unexpected and it makes people question their judgement. This time it was the simple elimination of the headphone jack from the latest generation of the iPhone. For some people this was a pretty bold move, because it's the first time a smartphone was manufactured without one.
Apple has a history of polarizing people. You either love them, or you hate them, so when they announced that the iPhone 7 wouldn't have a headphone jack, there were a lot of people saying they went too far this time. How can they make a smartphone without a headphone jack? it's a fundamental feature.
To me, I never questioned that choice. Instead of asking "Why did they remove it?", I wondered "Why did it take so long?", because I simply HATE wires. Any time you can eliminate something, especially a wire, I'm the first in line to applaud.
Apple has a history of making bold moves like this.
Apple made the first mainstream Personal Computer.
Apple was the first to include a CD / DVD drive (technically, it was Steve Jobs's Next, but Apple made it mainstream).
Apple was the first to use Firewire.
Apple was the first to use USB.
Apple was the first to STOP including floppy drives.
Apple was the first to REMOVE buttons from MP3 players and mobile phones.
Apple was the first to STOP including CD / DVD drives.
Apple was the first to STOP support for Adobe Flash, even though a large number of key sites required it.
Apple was the first to make a USEFUL tablet that didn't come with a keyboard.
The key is that whenever Apple removes something, there is often a backlash of people who think it's a bad move, but when you look back on it years later, you realize that Apple was right. That's because a true industry leader needs to focus on the future without letting the past drag it down.
The funny thing about this particular move is that the headphone jack was not only an outdated design, it was holding them back from making a truly waterproof iPhone. Eliminating that jack gives them the freedom to make smaller phones, and use the space where the jack was for other components.
Long before they removed the jack, the industry has been moving towards wireless anyway. If you go to a store like Best Buy, you'll find an entire section devoted to wireless headsets, and only a small section for wired sets.
Meanwhile the strange thing about all the people complaining is that they neglect to mention that Apple does include a simple adapter in the package that lets you use a traditional headset. The only complaint I see is that the adapter they give you doesn't include a way to charge it while using the headset. They make a desktop dock that lets you do that, but my guess is there will be a lot of third party support to do this in the coming months.
Joe Crescenzi, Founder
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