5 years later... Did Apple fukk the game up by making headphone jacks extinct?

[MeachTheMonster]

They purchased Beats, removed the jack, started selling Airpods, and became the market leader in truly wireless. Last I checked they were making like $.50 for every dollar sold on wireless headphones.

Don’t have shyt to do with removing the headphone jack.

People were spending way too much on beats before any of this. People were spending way too much on wired apple headphones before beats was a thing. People buy beats for all types of phones and devices. If IPhones still had a headphone jack, they’d still be leading in selling wireless headphones.

With removing the jack they were able to further all screen phones, battery size, and waterproofing but this wasn't something that couldn't be engineered with the jack.

Headphone jack is universal. Apple themselves can’t alter the jack, that makes it proprietary and then consumers would still have you buy licensed wired apple headphones to ensure they work.

This is more of a chicken and egg scenario than an absolute. And Apple would have never removed the jack if they didn't have an emerging market avaliable to take advantage of after that fact.

You are acting like both apple and Beats weren’t selling wired headphones before the deal and removal of the jack.

In fact it’s arguable they could have made more by leaving the jack in. If removing the jack increased their wireless headphones sales, then by that logic removing it hurt their wired sales.

 

[StatUS]

Don’t have shyt to do with removing the headphone jack.

People were spending way too much on beats before any of this. People were spending way too much on wired apple headphones before beats was a thing. People buy beats for all types of phones and devices. If IPhones still had a headphone jack, they’d still be leading in selling wireless headphones.


Headphone jack is universal. Apple themselves can’t alter the jack, that makes it proprietary and then consumers would still have you buy licensed wired apple headphones to ensure they work.


You are acting like both apple and Beats weren’t selling wired headphones before the deal and removal of the jack.

In fact it’s arguable they could have made more by leaving the jack in. If removing the jack increased their wireless headphones sales, then by that logic removing it hurt their wired sales.

Bluetooth headphones that Apple and Beats sell have a higher profit margin than wired. Apple getting into the high end wired market wouldn't make sense because it already has established trusted brands there. Beats had already made in roads in wireless at the higher price market and with the Airpods Apple has completely taken over it. It was an easy business decision that also benefited how they wanted to design their phones starting with the iPhone X.

 

[Rekkapryde]

Have you checked this because I'm pretty sure the 13 is bigger than the 6 in every way. Including thicker.

All kinds of

 

[MeachTheMonster]

Bluetooth headphones that Apple and Beats sell have a higher profit margin than wired.

Do you have facts on this? Wired headphones are a lot more simple. Seems $300 wired beats would offer more profit than the Bluetooth ones, especially considering the licensing they have to pay to use the wireless technologies.

Apple getting into the high end wired market wouldn't make sense because it already has established trusted brands there.

Beats was one of them, and pretty much leading at the time for “premium” consumer headphones.

Beats had already made in roads in wireless at the higher price market and with the Airpods Apple has completely taken over it. It was an easy business decision that also benefited how they wanted to design their phones starting with the iPhone X.

None of this would be different if IPhones still had a headphone port.

People who don’t want to spend $300 on headphones still can do the same. Overwhelming majority of people just have some cheap $10-$30 headphones, wired or wireless.

Premium people are premium regardless.

Like I said, if anything apple sold lots of cheap wireless sets for everyone else.

If you said Jlab audio lobbied for the removal of the port then I’d believe that

 

[StatUS]

Do you have facts on this? Wired headphones are a lot more simple. Seems $300 wired beats would offer more profit than the Bluetooth ones, especially considering the licensing they have to pay to use the wireless technologies.



Beats was one of them, and pretty much leading at the time for “premium” consumer headphones.



None of this would be different if IPhones still had a headphone port.

People who don’t want to spend $300 on headphones still can do the same. Overwhelming majority of people just have some cheap $10-$30 headphones, wired or wireless.

Premium people are premium regardless.

Like I said, if anything apple sold lots of cheap wireless sets for everyone else.

If you said Jlab audio lobbied for the removal of the port then I’d believe that

Well the thing is Beats wasn't the market leader in wired. Bose, Sony, Skull Candy, and probably even Phillips sold just as much. And they weren't going to encroach on Sennheiser, Beyer dynamic, or Audio Technica in the pro space. I don't think Apple ever really made shyt on their headphones like that even though they were everywhere. But they now dominate a market they fostered in a way.

 

[Piff Perkins]

...I'm gonna say they made the right decision.

 

[MeachTheMonster]

Well the thing is Beats wasn't the market leader in wired. Bose, Sony, Skull Candy, and probably even Phillips sold just as much. I don't think Apple ever really made shyt on their headphones like that even though they were everywhere. But they now dominate a market they fostered in a way.

They were the leader in the hype that made “premium” headphones more mainstream. If anything they expanded the market.

“Regular” people weren’t buying $300 headphones period before Beats made it “cool”

Bose buyers are still buying Bose, Sony, Skullcandy, and so on.

 

[humminbird]

if enough people complained they would've brought back an option similar to how when the new MacBooks came out with only thunderbolt ports people got upset enough to force apple to include more ports and options
at the end of the day no one cares about the jack and has moved on.

 

[StatUS]

They were the leader in the hype that made “premium” headphones more mainstream. If anything they expanded the market.

“Regular” people weren’t buying $300 headphones period before Beats made it “cool”

Bose buyers are still buying Bose, Sony, Skullcandy, and so on.

Sure, but hype is one thing and they were popular, but Beats needed to be continously bought out to sustain at the end of the day. People buying Sony and Bose shyt nowadays are probably buying their wireless cans/buds anyway. It just so happens now Apple and Beats have a lead and that space now.

 

[MeachTheMonster]

Sure, but hype is one thing and they were popular, but Beats needed to be continously bought out to sustain at the end of the day. People buying Sony and Bose shyt nowadays are probably buying their wireless cans/buds anyway. It just so happens now Apple and Beats have a lead and that space now.

But again, none of this is effected by IPhones having a headphone jack or not.

People absolutely did not go buy a new $1000 iPhone and then say “Damn, can’t use my $10 Skull’d headphones, so I’ll go buy some $300 Beats”

That shyt don’t makes sense any way you frame it

 

[StatUS]

But again, none of this is effected by IPhones having a headphone jack or not.

People absolutely did not go buy a new $1000 iPhone and then say “Damn, can’t use my $10 Skull’d headphones, so I’ll go buy some $300 Beats”

That shyt don’t makes sense any way you frame it

Yeah, they went and bought the damn Airpods

Those dongles also sold a shyt ton too.

I'm mostly just saying Apple knew what they had with Airpods. It had to be in R&D for years. I remember seeing concept YouTube videos of truly wireless buds in like 2012 and being stunned. At the time they only had the two wires that wrapped around the neck. I don't even know why you're focusing so much on Beats anyway when Airpods are the true head here. I'm not even shutting on them. It was a brilliant decision but to say it was just for space purpose is leaving out a whole portion of the story.

Apple buying beats took a wireless competitor off the market but they also bought them for the Beats Music app and turned it into Apple Music.

 

[MeachTheMonster]

Yeah, they went and bought the damn Airpods

You saying people upgraded from $10 wired headphones to $300 wireless ones cause apple removed the headphone jack? When they could just buy a dongle?

Make that make any kind of sense

Those dongles also sold a shyt ton too.

I'm mostly just saying Apple knew what they had with Airpods. It had to be in R&D for years. I remember seeing concept YouTube videos of truly wireless buds in like 2012 and being stunned. At the time they only had the two wires that wrapped around the neck. I don't even know why you're focusing so much on Beats anyway when Airpods are the true head here. I'm not even shutting on them. It was a brilliant decision but to say it was just for space purpose is leaving out a whole portion of the story.

Apple buying beats took a wireless competitor off the market but they also bought them for the Beats Music app and turned it into Apple Music.

You brung up the damn Beats, I ain’t say nothing about them till you did

Again. AirPods would have the same success right now if IPhones still had headphone jack.

The people who would buy AirPods would be buying them regardless. There’s way too many cheaper alternatives on the market.

 

[StatUS]

You saying people upgraded from $10 wired headphones to $300 wireless ones cause apple removed the headphone jack? When they could just buy a dongle?

Make that make any kind of sense


You brung up the damn Beats, I ain’t say nothing about them till you did

Again. AirPods would have the same success right now if IPhones still had headphone jack.

The people who would buy AirPods would be buying them regardless. There’s way too many cheaper alternatives on the market.

Apple accelerated the Airpod market by removing the jack.You want sound you can get it from Apple at checkout and it just works. It's a strategy they use for years. Apple was pretty much the first laptop manufacturer to solder parts in so they couldn't be upgraded except at checkout. We have proof that Airpods are an industry on its own due this. We have no proof that keeping the jack would have the same results. It may have sold just as much or it may have ended up like the Homepod which flopped because it came into a market that had better competitors. My first post in this thread stated how convenient wireless is. Apple was smart enough to jump on it before any else could.

 

[Tom Foolery]

funny arguements
I was manager at a phone store for 3 years

they dont put iphones on display at most phone stores because people will test the 7 and then the 11 and realize they are basically the same shyt and opt for the older models


for the same price you buy a dongle, you could just get headphone conductor port that actually works and doesnt wear your charger out from constant use, to mimmick some shyt that could already be there. you know shyt is fukked up when the option you have for something thats worth 10$ is an "add on" that does the same thing the company could have done... for a phone that costs 1300$

especially seeing the fact that this type of handicapping for tech doesnt occur in any other piece of electronic from controllers, to soundcards, to actual laptops (that you brought up as a terrible example) to tablets, consoles, Dj hardware controllers, Guitars etc I think even my car radio comes with a headphone jack option

being willing to pay over 1000$ but hating on 5$ port is wildboy shyt. I use earbuds and wireless headphones but the fact you wrote yourself out of the option for 5$ is nonsensical. Its like how they want to make cars subscription based model for features... for shyt other cars just have that you can do for free...you are basically putting a paywall on cheap shyt that should be standard. Why be willing to buy a dongle instead of just having the shyt you need? the creation of the dongle means they fukked up in the first place

You can demo Apple products in their store all day long. They are not hiding anything.

The difference between a cellphone and all those other items you listed is space. You have to cram the features of a laptop into the palm of your hand.

The reality is that the Jack isn't as important on a phone as you think. For a mobile device, it's more practical to be wireless.

What makes no sense to me this niche group that wants the latest technological features, but for some reason they can't move on from a 1960 headphone jack.

Like you want the ability to stream a full album to your phone while in a grocery store, but the moment you have to use wireless headphones to complete process, it unacceptable?

 

[MeachTheMonster]

Apple accelerated the Airpod market by removing the jack.You want sound you can get it from Apple at checkout and it just works.

The people buying stuff for $300 in the apple store just cause “it works” are not the same people that have been rocking $10 skull candy’s.

It's a strategy they use for years. Apple was pretty much the first laptop manufacturer to solder parts in so they couldn't be upgraded except at checkout. We have proof that Airpods are an industry on its own due this. We have no proof that keeping the jack would have the same results. It may have sold just as much or it may have ended up like the Homepod which flopped because it came into a market that had better competitors. My first post in this thread stated how convenient wireless is. Apple was smart enough to jump on it before any else could.

Like I said, I don’t deny that apple makes makes lots of it’s moves in order to extract more money out of customers.

My only point is that out of all of that, there’s some very real technical reasons a headphone jack has no place in a modern smartphone.