Okay, so I have to call out Apple’s bullshit response that it used to justify the removal of the headphone jack. Apple executive Phil Schiller said that removing the jack took “courage”. I call bullshit on that canned response as all it does is force users to buy new Apple headphone, of which I’ll never do because they have always been shite.
That said Apple is providing options for people still using “old-fashioned” headphones. The only port is the lightning port on the bottom of the unit, but you’ll be able to use a special dongle to attached those headphone you love. The good news is that this dongle is pretty cheap for an apple product at only $9. Still, it’s a sad day as Steve Jobs himself really loved the headphone jack and this move, while inevitable, seems to feel more a money grab than one of innovation.
While the 3.5mm headphone jack is gone forever after nearly 100 years of audio use, Apple does have a special replacement. The new Lightning Pods will ship with the phone but many, myself included, are really worried as Apple has always included the worlds worst headphones with their super expensive iPhone’s. The new Pods will plug into the lightning port and function just like the cheap headphones of old.
But the move to get away from the headphone jack is clearly aimed to Apple die-hards who love giving the company buckets of money for first-party stuff. The future is with the new AirPods that the company touted heavily during its stage presentation today. These new wireless in-ear headphones come with a has that is required for them to function. The included case is what is used to charge the AirPods as well as providing a place to keep them safe.
The AirPods come with a charge of 5 hours and the case will have 25 hours of charge. The new Apple headphones will run you $159 which seems like a lot, but I’m no wireless expert/snob. Unless you are a trained audiophile odds are you can’t really tell the difference between most ear buds.
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