A different view on the iPhone 7’s Headphone Jack…
Okay so the iPhone 7 has been released and as rumours suggested, it doesn’t have a 3.5mm audio jack built in. Many people have taken to the Internet to complain about this but I don’t share the same views.
I believe Apple is often an easy target for criticism but if you take a step back for a second and think about things from Apple’s world it all becomes much easier to understand.
So, consumers have been pushing for slimmer more stylish phones ever since mobile phones were a thing over 10 years ago; and Apple has done it’s best to live up to that demand. Now if you look at the headphone jack on your phone you’ll probably notice that it consumes nearly the full depth of the phone and considering there is a bracket and a metal clamp around that small hole it’s a rather large port to use in modern mobile electronics.
Secondly, consumers have also pushed for water-resistant phones so that the odd rain shower and fallen drink doesn’t completely ruin your phone. The headphone jack is a perfect gaping hole to allow water directly into the inner electronics of the phone, cutting it out completely simplifies the waterproofing process.
Apple are innovators. They make the massive changes and advancements in technology available for the general public at reasonable prices and also durable in the real world (I’m talking about a 4K video camera that’s available in a £500 device – considering a professional 4K video camera is upwards of £5K I consider this a bargain). This is exactly what’s made them so successful, they’ve painstakingly created devices that offer great functionality with great technology in a way that’s simple and intuitive to use. If Apple didn’t do this, if they simply re-released the original iPhone, again and again, every year then people would be in an uproar. Things need to change, whether better or worse, change is progression.
Also, Apple does listen to the general public’s concerns. It knew the removal of the headphone jack and the release of wireless headphones would be a touchy subject. So to combat this they’re supplying a lightning to 3.5mm jack conversion cable and wired lightening headphones in the box. These little extras will allow iPhone users to carry on using their phones just the way they were, original headphones will continue to work and the new headphones will be just the same, just a different port.
Apple is a global company on a grand scale and that makes it an easy target for the critics however it’s a company none the less and they want to do exactly what every other company does. Innovate, sell then repeat.