What seemed to be just a rumor, it was finally confirmed by Apple during yesterday's Keynote to be a fact; the iPhone 7 will no longer have a 3.5 mm audio jack.
Why I personally believe this is a big mistake by Apple?
Let me start by stating I'm not a brand fan of any kind and my professional background comes from IT, Videography, Photography and Administration. Why is this important or relevant at all? Because it is a known fact the internet has turned into a place where stating one's opinion can be turned into a source of senseless accusations without any knowledge or solid foundation. Therefore, my opinions are based on my professional experience whether it applies to a certain group of individual, you are part of the fan base or you just want to disagree just because.
The 3.5 mm audio jack origins go back to the 19th century, and somehow it has managed to survive technology during a time where a device can go obsolete in a matter of a year, if not months. Today's electronic devices that provide sound, whether it is music, or any other form of audio, have a 3.5 mm audio jack, and when it comes to smartphones, they not only serve to listen to your favorite music or during a phone call, but they can be used as well to extend the reach of audio recording for journalists using external microphones or even for small business owners that can use the Square credit card reader to charge on the go.
In recent years, wireless technology has grown incredibly, making the Bluetooth technology one of the main systems to become a standard in most personal electronic devices, and while this is a know fact, there are still advantages of using wired devices.
Now, before I jump into explaining why Apple's decision is a big mistake, I want to mention I value how reliable Apple products are. In fact, I own a MacBook Pro, an iPad, an Apple TV and an iPhone 6. While they have admitted they hope their products don't last longer than a couple of years, their products are so good they can last for many years more than many other brands. They are more secure than many other OS (operative system), and the are less buggy than other devices. This doesn't mean their products are perfect. Their computers can't be upgraded, except for memory expansion, but other than that, you're basically stock with what you bought from them.
Why the iPhone 7's lack of a 3.5 mm jack is a mistake? Well, what I'm about to state has no importance order and will not necessarily apply to every user out there, so disagreeing with my opinion just because it doesn't apply to you, it doesn't mean something isn't a mistake.
Let me start by stating I'm not a brand fan of any kind and my professional background comes from IT, Videography, Photography and Administration. Why is this important or relevant at all? Because it is a known fact the internet has turned into a place where stating one's opinion can be turned into a source of senseless accusations without any knowledge or solid foundation. Therefore, my opinions are based on my professional experience whether it applies to a certain group of individual, you are part of the fan base or you just want to disagree just because.
The 3.5 mm audio jack origins go back to the 19th century, and somehow it has managed to survive technology during a time where a device can go obsolete in a matter of a year, if not months. Today's electronic devices that provide sound, whether it is music, or any other form of audio, have a 3.5 mm audio jack, and when it comes to smartphones, they not only serve to listen to your favorite music or during a phone call, but they can be used as well to extend the reach of audio recording for journalists using external microphones or even for small business owners that can use the Square credit card reader to charge on the go.
In recent years, wireless technology has grown incredibly, making the Bluetooth technology one of the main systems to become a standard in most personal electronic devices, and while this is a know fact, there are still advantages of using wired devices.
Now, before I jump into explaining why Apple's decision is a big mistake, I want to mention I value how reliable Apple products are. In fact, I own a MacBook Pro, an iPad, an Apple TV and an iPhone 6. While they have admitted they hope their products don't last longer than a couple of years, their products are so good they can last for many years more than many other brands. They are more secure than many other OS (operative system), and the are less buggy than other devices. This doesn't mean their products are perfect. Their computers can't be upgraded, except for memory expansion, but other than that, you're basically stock with what you bought from them.
Why the iPhone 7's lack of a 3.5 mm jack is a mistake? Well, what I'm about to state has no importance order and will not necessarily apply to every user out there, so disagreeing with my opinion just because it doesn't apply to you, it doesn't mean something isn't a mistake.
- Multi-purpose jack. This port is basically a multi-purpose jack. This is used for more than just listening music. This port, as mentioned before, can be used with credit card readers (free readers like the one from Square), external microphones, game controllers and adapters, etc.
- Expensive headsets. Imagine you just got yourself some wired Beats, Sennheiser Momentum, Bose, Audio-Technica, Logitech, Panasonic or any other expensive headset brand about a month or two ago. Now you find yourself that without the Lightning to 3.5 mm audio adapter you can't use your headsets with your new iPhone 7. And of course, after spending a few hundreds on these headsets I don't think you'll want to spend another few hundreds on wireless headsets.
- Lightning to 3.5 mm audio adapter. While this adapter is included with the iPhone 7 (what a nice gesture from Apple), this is now an extra small item you need to worry about, remembering to take with you everywhere you go and making sure you don't misplace it, losing it and forcing you to buy another one, even if it just cost $9 plus tax. Or maybe having to buy a few extra ones to keep one at home, one in the car, one in your office, one in your gym bag and one by your toilet...
- From simplicity to complicated. I don't know about you, but having that extra item with pieces of plastic attached to each side of it hanging out of your pocket or your fitness armband seems to me like a more annoying and complicated thing to deal with from just plugging your headset in your phone and be done with it. To complicated things even more, if you are familiar with the Square or any other Credit Card reader, I would really like you to imagine having to hold your phone (if you're not close to a table), also hold the adapter and the card reader to be able to swipe the cards. It sounds like it won't be a fun and easy thing to do anymore. Of course, you have the option to BUY the wireless Square reader, but that brings us back to "BUY" more things you didn't need before just because of one port going away.
- Durability. Anyone familiar with cables knows how bending a cable will eventually break the wires inside of it. So the question is, how durable will be this adapter? Putting your phone in your pocket and connecting your wired headsets would allow your headset cable to point upwards towards the edge of the pocket avoiding the cable to bend constantly. Now with this adapter you'll need to bend it either by the edge of your pocket or inside your pocket. I can almost guarantee you this will shorten the durability of this adapter, forcing you to buy another adapter every once in a while.
- No charging while listening to music. Yup, that's exactly right. Since now your new "awesome" iPhone 7 has only one port, you can't listen to music if you need to charge your phone, unless of course you use the phone's speakers or you buy a new set of wireless headsets. That's until Apple or any other company comes with a splitter adapter where you can plug your charger and you headsets, and I'm sure it won't cost $9 like the regular adapter.
In any case, those are the main issues I can think of right now as to why this is a big mistake. This doesn't mean Apple won't sell millions of iPhone 7, but I can almost guarantee they will notice a decrease of sells on the new device, and probably some increase of sales on the iPhone 6s. That would include myself whenever the time comes for me to upgrade my phone. Either going for the iPhone 6s or the Samsung Galaxy (like I said, I'm not a brand fan, I just go with what gives me flexibility and what I need).
I now want to mention, before I finish this post, what the "reasons" are Apple took this decision.
- Impermeability. Apparently Apple is not capable enough to make a 3.5 mm audio jack water proof like so many other companies have... tsk tsk tsk
- A bigger battery. While this might make some sense, their obsession with making this phone thinner, therefore extending things along the device, is leading them to eliminate things that are actually useful and are being used by millions of potential customers who don't want to spend more money on extra devices just for 1 or 2 more hours of battery.
- More space for the camera and the stabilizer. Oh give me a break. How much bigger is the camera now? Bigger enough to the point the whole circuit board needs to be pushed down towards the audio port?
- Taptic Engine API. Because we so needed a vibrating home button. We really needed that. I mean, this feature right there just put the iPhone 3 years ahead of its competitors.
In conclusion, I personally believe Apple is pushing too hard to get rid of technology that's still being used (like USB ports on computers and now the audio jack on their phone) that will lead to a decrease in sales and eventually making them realize they might be forcing people to do things and spend more unnecessary money, and people won't be happy about it. At some point, I dare to say, they might even decide to release along with the future iPhone generation a version of its phone with an audio jack for those who refuse to be manipulated by Apple.
Here's a video sample of what this adapter could potentially look like and bring to your daily life.
Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. - Albert Einstein
Has laoreet percipitur ad. Vide interesset in mei, no his legimus verterem. Et nostrum imperdiet appellantur usu, mnesarchum referrentur id vim.
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