[charmerci]

This is the real reason.

http://news.yahoo.com/apple-announces-headphone-standard-152845961.html

[wushuliu]

This is the real reason.

http://news.yahoo.com/apple-announces-headphone-standard-152845961.html

Lol. That's so apple.

[Guy 13]

Hi all.
A) Good for the shareholders.
B) Not good for the customers.
C) Not good for the customers.
D) Not good for the shareholders.
What Apple is thinking?

Guy 13

[wushuliu]

Hi all.
A) Good for the shareholders.
B) Not good for the customers.
C) Not good for the customers.
D) Not good for the shareholders.
What Apple is thinking?

Guy 13

Apple customers don't matter. They will buy it anyway because its an apple product. Can't blame apple for perfecting cultlike devotion. What I think is hilarious is that this just affirms how ludicrous it was for people to look down on beats when apple is making it clear that 'audiophile' intentions of any kind is nowhere on the table. This development will only contribute to software manipulation of poorly compressed music with the ability to Facebook every one with crappy sounding tracks.

A brilliant move on their part to finally compete with streaming AND hardware simultaneously.

[parr3n1]

Fortunately we don't have to purchase or participate with the rotten Apple.

[Letitroll98]

Why would anyone buy an iPhone when they could buy a Galaxy?  AFAIK Samaung has no plans to replace it's headphone jack with anything different, and the Earth will continue spinning around the Sun for some time to come.   

[DaveC113]

Fortunately we don't have to purchase or participate with the rotten Apple.

+1

[mamba315]

I own a few Apple products and usually give them a fair chance.  This time though, I really do not see how this could benefit me.

"The Lightning Connector can be used to power as well as connect devices for example, so headphones could have controls, like volume or nose cancellation features, but wouldn't need their own batteries to power the features."

Apple earphones have come already come with volume control built-in.  This is obviously a stupid justification.  Regarding "nose" cancellation, for most of us IEM's or closed headphones already work fine.

"According to Apple Insider, which first reported on the WWDC session, if Apple were to remove the headphone jack on future iPhones it would free up space for other internal components, such as a bigger battery, something that will be needed if the next-generation iPhone is to have a bigger, higher resolution display."

This is laughable.  If the iPhone came with a bigger screen, that would make the entire device larger.  So the battery could also be larger without removing useful features like the headphone jack.  Seems like they're over-reaching once again.

"The same port would also allow analogue and digital playback and for an iPhone or iPad to communicate, via an app, with the headphones for even greater precision and control."

I wasn't aware the Lightning port supported analog output, although I admit I don't follow this stuff super close.  And the "greater precision and control" thing seems pretty vague.  I'm sure Apple has something up their sleeve.  I just can't imagine its going to interest me very much.

[JohnR]

The part I find weird is not that they're doing it but the reasons given for doing it.

It feels to me that Apple are conceding that they've lost the market/mindshare for dedicated high-fidelity portable audio players. They could have had it but allowed others to run ahead of them in features and quality and get established in the marketplace, in the interests of their "ecosystem."

What I don't understand is how they're going to make money from this move. So now iGadget buyers will need to buy "Apple" headphones if they want better than the included earbuds.... wait are Apple not going to include earbuds any more? Well I suppose the iPad doesn't come with earbuds anyway. At any rate, the prices/profit on the earbuds or even headphones seems small compared to the price/profit on the iGizmo in the first place, and there also the probability of losing some buyers as well.

 

[JohnR]

Apple customers don't matter. They will buy it anyway because its an apple product.

I don't agree with that. I buy Apple products if they suit my needs, and otherwise I don't.

[JohnR]

Why would anyone buy an iPhone when they could buy a Galaxy?  AFAIK Samaung has no plans to replace it's headphone jack with anything different, and the Earth will continue spinning around the Sun for some time to come.   

I've come to the conclusion that relying on a phone for (good quality) audio is basically a bad idea. You pay extra for the memory, then in a couple of years you upgrade anyway.

[Letitroll98]

I've come to the conclusion that relying on a phone for (good quality) audio is basically a bad idea. You pay extra for the memory, then in a couple of years you upgrade anyway.

Yes, most people do upgrade regularly.  I'm the oddball in that I purchase my phones outright, not as part of a plan and I save thousands by not upgrading every 2 years.  At least in the USA you actually spend about $1800 for a $700 phone when purchased on a monthly plan through AT&T or Verizon.  No one does the math.  I have T-Mobile where you buy the phone separately, then purchase a service plan.  And I have 3 songs on my phone, my 7 year old iPod serves as my portable music player.  I keep thinking I should transfer music to my Galaxy phone, but maybe your thought is right all along.

[Rocket_Ronny]

If the lightning connector supports analogue then they would make a cable that breaks out to a mini headphone jack, problem solved. As long as the supporting headphone amplifier can be used in line with it.

Rocket_Love My Iphone_Ronyy

[Rocket_Ronny]

The Lightning connector port is digital only

That is how I always understood it but the article says digital and analogue.


Rocket_Ronny

[ctviggen]

Yes, most people do upgrade regularly.  I'm the oddball in that I purchase my phones outright, not as part of a plan and I save thousands by not upgrading every 2 years.  At least in the USA you actually spend about $1800 for a $700 phone when purchased on a monthly plan through AT&T or Verizon.  No one does the math.  I have T-Mobile where you buy the phone separately, then purchase a service plan.  And I have 3 songs on my phone, my 7 year old iPod serves as my portable music player.  I keep thinking I should transfer music to my Galaxy phone, but maybe your thought is right all along.

I use my iPod, too, as it's the only thing that can carry my entire library. I'm also going to start buying my phones outright, as I'm getting charged $160/months by Verizon whether I own my phone or not. 

[planet10]

While the plan may upset a lot of loyal Apple customers who have already invested substantially in premium headphones with a standard headphone jack

It just means another adaptor, no big deal.

dave

[planet10]

I shouldalso add that there were the same kind of negative comments with the 1st iMac when the only peripheral connection was USB, but now USB is univarsal.

dave

[dB Cooper]

It just means another adaptor, no big deal.

dave

Samsung seems to have no trouble finding room for non-proprietary headphone jacks in their phones, thereby not requiring me to buy yet another overpriced, easily losable adapter. Maybe time for me to switch next time around??

[geowak]

The Beats music service has a much better algorithm for finding me new music than any other service I've tried. Spotify doesn't even come close. I find the tracks on Beats, then buy elsewhere.

To use the Lightning connector, the headphone would have to incorporate the Apple DAC chip that's $30 USD separately. Then to control volume they don't have the clicker that works through the headphone jack, so they would have to have some kind of real volume control in the headphone, and that doesn't seem good.

Currently for good sound you can get the DAC chip and output the signal from there to a good headphone amp, or you get an Apple-compatible DAC/amp combo.

I found MOG to be great, but when Beats bought them, they started changing a good thing. MOG did crash on my phone and had bugs, but got worse with Beats. I switched to Spotify and it was a remarkable improvement. I find just as much music, it sounds terrific, and it does not crash.
I think Apple lost the visionary, Steve Jobs. Now they rely on other companies and engineers, something that was stolen from somebody else. Monster got screwed by Beats, I don't know what happens to the two lawsuits
pending against Beats, before Apple bought them.
As to the lightning connector, another idea that cannot rival what innovation Jobs brought to Apple. I don't think it's needed, or will work. BTW there are many companies that are engineering great DACs and architecture for digital audio. If Apple thinks they can compete here, good luck. I run my Iphone to a Schiit Audio DAC and a Benchmark DAC. If you want good audio from your Iphone, skip the Apple DAC!

[toocool4]

If this is true, the Apple lovers will buy it no matter what. For the rest of us that just want good quality music on the move will look elsewhere.

The market is big enough for all the players to make a living, no need to worry about what Apple may or may not be up-to.