via
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Twang!
That’s the sound of the end of earbuds with additional various adapters getting caught on something.
Other older phones had audio dongles too. They all failed to sell, with good reason.
Apple will probably succeed for bad reasons. I wouldn’t care except it will filter down into other devices ruining them too.
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Android devices were already removing the audio plug before Apple did.
Honestly, with the race to pack more features in less space in phones, losing the old audio plug was inevitable. It’s 50-year old technology taking up lots of space that can still function perfectly well without a dedicated port. It prevents effective waterproofing, collects lint like crazy, and was going to need to evolve sooner or later.
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and I said
What the fuck are other people doing with their devices?
Nearly everything I have has survived for years without me looking after them properly. What hasn’t survived has usually been because of a battery that is failing, or was provably manufacturer error.
I’m still not convinced by the claims that this will be better for audio either. I’ve seen lots of opinion pieces but no actual independent tests.
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Well, not dunking them in water, because the 3.5 plug would short, most likely. But both Apple and Android are trying to make their phones more water resistant, and removing the 3.5 plug is a huge help with that.
I’m sure I’m not the only person who’s used a paperclip to root out the plug of pocket lint that’s collected in the plug hole.
I have an Xperia Z3, which has an exposed 3.5 plug, but is rated IP65/68 (freshwater, up to 1.5m, up to 30 minutes).
So it’s obviously not impossible to build a phone with a 3.5 jack that won’t short when dunked in water.
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I’m just here to note that “Will you miss the headphone jack?” has the same meter and rhythm as “Can you pass the acid test?”
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True. I wish I could buy a high tech car without Apple compatibility software permanently preloaded on it.
Cars last longer than Apple products and “infotainment” software is such unbelievably awful crap… it’s like having a rotting albatross chained around your steering wheel.
Apparently things like phones, pagers, and wristwatches cannot survive my lifestyle. I prefer to blame this on simple clumsiness rather than disregard for personal safety; that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. The phones my employers give me sometimes last a couple of months, but so far that’s the record.
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Other People: Why in God’s name do you own a Windows Phone?
Me: Because it does what I want it to do and I can replace it for a hundred dollars.
Go ahead, world. Rain on my parade.
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On long drives, when my wife and I listen to old episodes of This American Life, I’ll sometimes charge the device while listening. But usually I don’t. I listen to the music kinda loud, and somehow I still don’t own a device-charging mechanism (whether for Android, iPhone 6 Plus, or iPod 6 Classic) that doesn’t send alternator hum to the radio.
So I typically don’t charge while listening to music. I wonder if the Lightning port eliminates that hum while charging? I’ve had a couple devices that purported to reduce it, but nothing that eliminates it. Then again, my newest car is a 2007 Toyota that’s barely new enough for Bluetooth, so maybe newer vehicles handle it better.
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hum is why I still like to use toslink.
I used to be a big fan of vorbis. Then for some reason I got on a big kick testing speech codecs. Speex, CELT, SILK, AAC-HE. I’ve settled on Opus being probably being the best codec for low bitrate voice commonly available. Beats the pants off Speex by miles.
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I already need to be careful with my phone at work (e.g. an audio podcast while working is usually okay, but don’t browse the net during lunch) if I want to preserve enough battery for the GPS to get me home. Further reductions in battery life would render the phone completely useless.
And I almost forgot you work out in the bush so you just can’t plug it in… Have you tried the external battery packs?
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I commute by motorcycle and bushwalk/rockclimb for a hobby. These days, I work in the bush; previously, I worked in a rat-based pharmacology lab.
My tech devices are routinely soaked, cooked, vibrated, bled on, pissed/shat on (not me, the rats) and ground into the dirt.
The death of my previous laptop began when it cartwheeled down the road at 80km/h (topbox popped open when I jumped a speedhump). I keep a toothpick on my bedside table specifically for digging bits of leaves and twigs out of the iWhatsit power sockets.
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Why wouldn’t you carry an extra charger with you to top up the phone’s battery at some point then?
Edited for clarity
Jinxes!
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If I ever make it to Chitown again I owe you a coke! 
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