Bold or Boneheaded? Apple Ditches the Headphone Jack

The new iPhone 7 has been released, and much to consumers’ chagrin, the device no longer has a headphone jack. The smartphone market is rife with news of exploding batteries and iPhones without headphone jacks, but amongst this chaos may be a hint of wisdom that businesses can learn from.

The first? Apple cares for its brand, and continues to push it as far as they can go. It’s no secret that Apple has long coveted its brand’s image and reinforced that, if people want to use their products, they have to do so on the company’s terms. For example, you can’t really run iOS or Mac OS X on devices that aren’t manufactured by Apple, and many solutions that are available for Apple, such as iTunes, don’t work as well on PCs as they would on an Apple-manufactured device. However, in recent years Apple has begun to allow for some exceptions to this rule, such as Microsoft Office now being compatible with iOS and OS X.

All in all, if you’re an Apple enthusiast, the best way to take advantage of this software is by purchasing Apple’s hardware. The downside to this, of course, is that it limits the consumer base. Let’s compare it to Android, which is well known for its versatility and ability to perform on numerous types of devices. Most Android devices will have the signature USB charge port, which works with most any ordinary USB cable. No doubt iPhone users have experienced the frustration of their smartphone not being able to charge using the ordinary USB cable. The lack of external storage for the iPhone has been a point of contention in the past as well.

The latest issue that users have with the new iPhone is that it doesn’t have the traditional auxiliary port so often used for headphones. Instead, the iPhone 7 released with an adapter that plugs into the iPhone’s signature lightning port. Additionally, the iPhone 7 will be released alongside the aforementioned adapter cable, which means that nobody can “technically” complain about the lack of compatibility with traditional auxiliary ports. Still, it’s an inconvenience that may feel to some like a cash grab more than anything else.

Another trend that Apple has jumped on is the opportunity to go “wireless” by releasing a wireless pair of headphones called the Apple Air Pods. These headphones are truly wireless and operate via Bluetooth with a device. Chances are that users who have yet to take advantage of Bluetooth technology for smartphones may find the Apple Air Pods to be quite interesting, but it’s worth mentioning that Bluetooth is nowhere near a new concept.

Do you plan on picking up the new iPhone 7, or do you prefer Android? Either way, this latest generation of smartphones is looking to be full of controversy. Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to our blog for more technology news and tricks.