Advanced Search

Share Coverage



Category: Mobile Phones / Information and Communication / Business, Economics and Finance / Consumer Electronics

Did Apple just kill wired headphones?

Tuesday, 10 Jan 2017 10:37:42

Phil Schiller reveals the new wireless headphones at the Apple event. (Stephen Lam/Getty Images)

Experts say Apple's decision to remove the 3.5mm headphone jack from the newest iPhones will have a big impact across the technology industry.

Managing director of emerging technology analyst firm Telsyte, Foad Fadaghi, believes Apple's move will spell the end of the 3.5mm jack, and wired headphones altogether.

"What might happen is that handsets that have headphone jacks might be considered antiques," he said.

"Especially once competitors' models start appearing without headphone jacks."

Apple revealed its latest iPhone models at an event in San Francisco today.

The 3.5mm jack has been the industry standard since the Walkman.

In the technology world, it's a relative fossil, and Apple has decided to move on.

Do I have to buy new headphones?

Not immediately.

Headphones will now connect to the iPhone via wireless or Apple's Lightning connector.

For those with older headphones, the new model is set to ship with an adapter.

But you're getting a glimpse at where the industry is heading, according to Mr Fadaghi.

But he said Apple still has an interest in supporting older iPhone models.

iPhone 7 changes

  • New camera technology
  • Water resistance
  • No 3.5mm headphone jack
  • No 16GB model. Starts at 32GB
  • More battery life

"One of their strategies is to use that as a platform to reduce the price of older models. Often those handsets do quite well. They still will have a foot in each camp as such," Mr Fadaghi said.

"Their customers will still have an option."

And Apple's competitors of course, haven't officially signalled that they're ready to ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack. Yet.

Why did Apple ditch the 3.5mm jack?

Apple vice president Phil Schiller told the unveiling event the removal of the single-use headphone jack would allow more technology to be packed into the phone.

External Link: @geoffreyfowler: Bye bye headphone jack. Hello dongle. Why? "Courage," says Schiller. #AppleEvent

This is not the first time Apple has ditched one feature to make way for another. In 1998, it began to phase out the floppy disk drive (remember them?). In 2008, it started the process to ditch the CD/DVD drive — and now it sells just one product with one.

Does this signal the imminent demise of the 3.5mm headphone jack in everything?


Probably not.
One of the main reasons it has been ditched is to save space — which in a smartphone, comes at a premium. That means there is no rush to eliminate it from your desktop computer. They are cheap to make and are built right into most motherboards.

Will Apple's phone sales be significantly affected?


Again, probably not. A survey of more than 1,000 people from Telsyte found 35 per cent of those asked said they wanted to keep the headphone jack, 34 per cent were not concerned, and the rest said they were unsure. While this is inconclusive in Telsyte's view, the researchers found Apple buyers were less concerned and more likely to be receptive to such a change.

Will other manufacturers follow suit?


It is probably too early to say. They will be watching the consumer reaction to the decision closely. Even if they did decide to follow suit, unless they were already working on such a plan, the development cycles of phones mean it is likely to be at least a year before anything would hit the market.

-Analysis by national technology reporter Jake Sturmer

Mr Fadaghi said the move was a familiar one from Apple, which is in the enviable position of being able to steer the market.

The tech titan also has a sizable stake in the headphone business.

In 2014 Apple paid $3 billion to buy Beats Electronics, one of the world's biggest manufacturers of premium headphones.

Wireless technology has also existed for many years, and other manufacturers are moving in the same direction according to Mr Fadaghi.

"This is typical Apple … popularising a technology through its ability to reach a massive customer base that it currently enjoys," he said.

"Apple has not been afraid to do similar things in the past and try to lead the industry down a particular path."

Here's Mr Fadaghi with the TL;DR:

"It's progress."

Won't people be angry?

The reaction on social media has been *strong*.

External Link: @FutureBoy: So I can drop my iPhone 7 in the toilet, but I can't charge it and use headphones at the same time? #AppleEvent

External Link: @SophiemcneillEveryone on my timeline normally fighting & arguing over #Syria r all finally united this evening.. in condemnation of new #Apple headphones

But in reality, Mr Fadaghi said we're likely to see this play out just like when Apple introduced the Lightning connector:

"Our research has not shown that consumers in the past rejected newer iPhones due to the change to the Lightning connector.

"It's quite likely in this scenario as well," he said.

"I suspect it won't materially impact Apple's sales. In fact, it might conversely be the opposite with heightened awareness around the device."

Director of the UWA Centre for Software Practice Associate Professor David Glance has a similar view.

"We're getting used to that whole wireless thing and we're interacting with devices like Apple TV and speakers around the house and in the car over Bluetooth."

"I don't think it'll make a big difference at all."

So, what's next?

That's in part up to Apple's competitors both in the smartphone and headphone market.

Mr Fadaghi believes Apple's move signals the beginning of the end to the 3.5mm jack and wired headphones.

"If they want to compete on design basis with Apple and achieve the same physical thickness of the handset most of Apple's competitors surely will follow," he said.

AustraliaPlus


 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend