You've probably already heard about Apple's plans to remove the 3.5mm headphone jack on the upcoming iPhone 7. If you're like most people, you're not a fan of this idea. Perhaps you're one of the 300,000 people who signed a petition demanding Apple keep it. However, this has happened before– the switch from 30-pin to lightning, for example. The removal of the DVD player on Macs. Every time, Apple has a reason for it. And every time, we all get used to it.
Most of us ask the same question over and over again: Why would Apple do such a thing? Here are three good reasons why Apple will remove the headphone jack on the iPhone 7.
1. Money
Of all companies that need money, Apple certainly isn't one of them. However, Apple will never pass up the opportunity to get a bonus.
The removal of the headphone jack would provide Apple with money... How, exactly? Wouldn't they only lose customers?
Lose customers? No. Apple has a way of getting customers hooked. Once you've switched to iOS, there's no going back.
As for the money, the removal of a 3.5mm headphone jack can only mean one thing: Lightning EarPods. These will come included with the iPhone 7, but will also be available as a separate accessory- for a price. Beats, which is owned by Apple, will also develop its own Lightning headphones. Will this mean you're going to have to throw out your old headphones? No. The answer: an overpriced adapter. All roads lead to money.
2. Internal Space
One lasting complaint iPhone users have always had is the battery life of their phone. However, with a large battery, there would be no room inside the phone for other components, like the NFC chip for Pay, the Taptic Engine– and the headphone jack. Usually, Apple's sacrifice is battery life, but this time it will be the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Of all companies that need money, Apple certainly isn't one of them. However, Apple will never pass up the opportunity to get a bonus.
The removal of the headphone jack would provide Apple with money... How, exactly? Wouldn't they only lose customers?
Lose customers? No. Apple has a way of getting customers hooked. Once you've switched to iOS, there's no going back.
As for the money, the removal of a 3.5mm headphone jack can only mean one thing: Lightning EarPods. These will come included with the iPhone 7, but will also be available as a separate accessory- for a price. Beats, which is owned by Apple, will also develop its own Lightning headphones. Will this mean you're going to have to throw out your old headphones? No. The answer: an overpriced adapter. All roads lead to money.
2. Internal Space
One lasting complaint iPhone users have always had is the battery life of their phone. However, with a large battery, there would be no room inside the phone for other components, like the NFC chip for Pay, the Taptic Engine– and the headphone jack. Usually, Apple's sacrifice is battery life, but this time it will be the 3.5mm headphone jack.
The 3.5mm headphone jack takes up a substantial amount of space inside of an iPhone.
3. Apple wants to push the future
Although we don't realize it, Apple has always pushed the world to its next point in technology. Apple was the first to discard the DVD player, for example. Companies began following suit. Today, the DVD player is significantly less common in households than it used to be. A similar thing happened when Apple switched from 30-pin to lightning. It wasn't entirely to save space in the iPhone, but to push the future to today.
10 years from now, people will look back and remember the days when we all used 3.5mm headphone jacks. It will be like looking back at the VCR or floppy disks in 2016. Removing the headphone jack won't be as bad as you might think. For a few years, people might use adapters. Then their old headphones will become outdated as other companies start to catch up with the times.
Why thinness isn't a factor
Apple just wants to make its phones thinner... Right? That's why we have to suffer from the loss of our beloved headphone jack?
Sure, the iPhone 7 will be thinner than its predecessor, but certainly not as thin as you may be thinking. It will be a while from now until iPhones become as thin as the 6.1mm iPod touch– which still has a headphone jack. Thinness simply has nothing to do with the matter.
Although we don't realize it, Apple has always pushed the world to its next point in technology. Apple was the first to discard the DVD player, for example. Companies began following suit. Today, the DVD player is significantly less common in households than it used to be. A similar thing happened when Apple switched from 30-pin to lightning. It wasn't entirely to save space in the iPhone, but to push the future to today.
10 years from now, people will look back and remember the days when we all used 3.5mm headphone jacks. It will be like looking back at the VCR or floppy disks in 2016. Removing the headphone jack won't be as bad as you might think. For a few years, people might use adapters. Then their old headphones will become outdated as other companies start to catch up with the times.
Why thinness isn't a factor
Apple just wants to make its phones thinner... Right? That's why we have to suffer from the loss of our beloved headphone jack?
Sure, the iPhone 7 will be thinner than its predecessor, but certainly not as thin as you may be thinking. It will be a while from now until iPhones become as thin as the 6.1mm iPod touch– which still has a headphone jack. Thinness simply has nothing to do with the matter.
The extraordinarily thin 6.1mm iPod touch
-Jonathan Bywater
-Jonathan Bywater