iPhone 7 – Bluetooth vs. the headphone jack

By Nell Walker
Share
The new iPhone 7 was unveiled yesterday, and the announcement confirmed the long-rumoured lack of headphone jack. The removal of the 3.5mm jack &ndas...

The new iPhone 7 was unveiled yesterday, and the announcement confirmed the long-rumoured lack of headphone jack.

 

The removal of the 3.5mm jack – and subsequent forcible use of Apple’s own Bluetooth earphones – has received a lot of negative press. It is one of the very few elements of an iPhone which has always been standardised in accordance with other devices, meaning users could use their preferred earphones or headphones in their iPhone, but now they can only use the branded $159 buds.

Others say that wireless earphones could actually solve a lot of problems and improve device reliability. Teleplan recently tested around 5,000 smartphones and found that headphone jack faults occur more regularly than Bluetooth faults.

Sven Boddington, Teleplan’s VP of Client Solutions, said of Apple’s decision to introduce the AirPods:

“There has a been a huge focus on the concerns of consumers around moving away from the traditional headphone jack, and we do not know how this might be replaced in terms of USB-C or something else. However, when it comes to Bluetooth, it is in fact four times more reliable than the headphone jack. It stands to reason that something which is regularly physically connected to and removed from a device is going to cause some damage in the long run.

“The transition to wireless headphones as one of the possibilities is one that results in higher reliability of the device, and reducing demand for the replacement and repair of faulty devices can only be a good thing for manufacturers. That means iPhone 7 owners and any other phone models adopting this change in approach will have one less reason that they might be parted with their smartphone for repair.”

 

Follow @ManufacturingGL and @NellWalkerMG

Share

Featured Articles

Tata & JLR: Supercharging Next Gen Automotive Connectivity

With the Tata Communications MOVE platform, JLR is ensuring electric fleet connectivity, driving the future of software-defined automotive manufacturing

FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies Expands in Denmark

The life science company FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies is investing in its Hillerød site to drive the development & advancement of Danish life science

Reviewing Trump's First Term to Prepare for the Second

With Donald Trump returning to the White House, we reflect on the impact of the manufacturing policies, rules and tariffs imposed during his first term

Amazon Delivers One Billion Packages via Electric Vehicle

Sustainability & ESG

Rolls-Royce Invests Millions to Expand Goodwood Facility

Production & Operations

Manufacturing Unwrapped: Manufacturing Leader Jeff Winter

Digital Factory