Why the iPhone Headphone Jack Should Stay
One of the hot-button debates in the Apple community revolves around rumors that Apple is planning to drop the headphone jack from the next iPhone. Many have argued that it’s the natural course of things for Apple, a company that prides itself on minimalism. But at Six Colors, Jason Snell has countered every one of the arguments against the headphone jack. In short, removal of the headphone jack wouldn’t make the iPhone thinner or audio quality better, and it would just inconvenience users.
Although I rarely use the headphones with my iPhone, I think that is a feature that is necessary in certain instances, I see no benefit in removing it.
It would be a retrograde move, IMO. It's one thing to say a person can use new wireless or lightning headphones with their new iPhone, but there are many times when you'd like to be able to plug it into a system that needs a 3.5mm connection. Getting sick of adaptors for adaptors' sake...
What is it with Apple and its pursuit of thinness to point of absurdity. I prefer better battery life. The iPhone is thin enough now and what is the marginal advantage of shaving more micro millemetres of its thickness. We all put protective covers and so defeating Apple's fixation of thinness.
The cover on my son's iPad makes it three times thicker than the iPad. Safe, but really thick.
I do agree with you about the pursuit of thinness having gone too far.
It has been pointed out though, that removing the headphone jack is not required to make the device thinner. The iPod touch is a roughly 1 mm thinner and of course retains the jack.
The argument has been made that the removal of the headphone jack is necessary to make room internally for other components. Many would probably wish for more battery volume here, but since that also means added weight and considering Apple's credo that better battery life comes from lower consumption not more battery capacity, I would assume this has to do with other internal changes, such as the home button, "haptic engine", etc. I guess we'll only know for sure once it's released and people start dissecting it.
I'm afraid the new Apple has let marketing and designers take over control in places where usability used to be paramount. When I cannot one handedly pick up my iPhone 6 from a table, or when I cannot switch it on with one hand without changing the volume, you know something's off.
i strongly object to discontinuing the headphone option. The use of a headphone with a handheld communication device is often highly convenient and could be potentially lifesaving. The device without the headphone possibility looses functionality to an extreme and completely unneccecesary degree. For me its practically a deal-breaker.