Apple Has Kept the Headphone Jack Alive for Twice as Long as Most Ports [Chart]

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Posted June 30, 2016 at 2:55pm by iClarified

As concern mounts over Apple's rumored decision to kill the headphone jack, a new chart from The Verge reveals that the company has kept the I/O interface alive for over twice as long as most others.

The headphone jack has been a constant piece of I/O across Apple devices since 1984, a whopping 32 years. Additionally, the port and its underlying standard has not changed much. It's outlived everything from the floppy drive to CDs, VGA, and more.

Apple I/O standards last about 15 years, give or take. Even the floppy, which seemed like a monumental change when it was removed from the iMac, was only around for 15 years. We take the traditional USB connector for granted, but it’s also been around for about 18 years, and you can see how the new MacBook is ushering it out in favor of USB-C. It’s an interesting cycle.

Check out the chart below to see the life cycle of the various interfaces used by Apple. You can follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, or RSS for updates on the company's plans for the iPhone 7.

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Apple Has Kept the Headphone Jack Alive for Twice as Long as Most Ports [Chart]

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Dont care - July 4, 2016 at 5:09pm

Headphones = Stereo, Lightning = Whatever they want, 5.1, 7.1 etc.

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clown - July 4, 2016 at 1:45pm

That is absolutes upsurdy

gamerscul9870 - July 4, 2016 at 2:13pm

Not near as your grammar!

Tommy slink - July 2, 2016 at 3:55am

Um, the Thunderbolt port is dead. How old is this article?

gamerscul9870 - July 2, 2016 at 1:26pm

*Cough* iMac, Mac Mini, MacBook Air/Pro, and Mac Pro (all of them being current ones released so far).

Mang Domeng - July 2, 2016 at 9:56pm

@Tommy Slink: Huh?! Mang-mang ka gago! Thunderbolt is widely used even in PCs and hi-res monitors until now. How come it died? Even The USB-C that Apple developed is widely used in PCs.

Kk - June 30, 2016 at 11:07pm

I hope they go bankrupt with this decision

gamerscul9870 - July 1, 2016 at 1:41am

What decision if anything? Bankrupt? Please, we don't know if all 3 iPhone 7 models will completely have headphone jacks.

matrixmaniac - July 2, 2016 at 8:17am

I couldn't agree more! No jack no buy! There is a reason for this "port" to have lived so long: it's perfect in what it does and it's one of the very very very few standards that these industries were able to agree to. Braking away from it can never be to the benefit of the customer.

gamerscul9870 - July 2, 2016 at 4:47pm

It's going to take more than getting rid of a jack in order for Apple to go bankrupt. There are people like me still willing to buy the 7, but hey, there is going to be a lightning headphones and maybe the smart connector will be a new way to charge the phone (or the 2nd way).

clown - June 30, 2016 at 7:31pm

The reality is probably 80% of people can not afford to buy new cars. The reality is majority of cars after 2007 have a jack so you can plug in your phone to listen to music. Apple solely wants to opt of the headphone jack to solely to get licenses fees from the lighting connection. They seem to want corner the market

Mang Domeng - July 1, 2016 at 9:54pm

Haha! Modern cars have bluetooth as standard and you can connect your iphone wirelessly and play your music. I don't get you still plugging your phone just to listen to music and worrying of getting a new car just to get bluetooth?! I am driving an old 1992 honda hatchback and I have bluetooth in my stereo, and when I hop in I can turn on my music and play wirelessly. Just upgrade your stereo system with built-in bluetooth and not buy an new car just to get bluetooth. Haist! People these days are too lazy to think for solutions to simple problems. They always think it's complicated.

Mang Domeng - July 1, 2016 at 10:00pm

With usb function in car stereos, you can transfer the whole control of your iphone via lightning to usb. That's why there are now pause-pley-volume buttons in your steering wheel because of the data transfered through bluetooth or lightning port. Can't do much with just stereo jack. You cannot even see the album art in your dashboard screen if you use the stereo jack only. We are now in the modern era and not 1960's.

Mang Domeng - July 1, 2016 at 10:02pm

**pause-play-volume...

Clay - June 30, 2016 at 4:50pm

I'm not opposed to removing the 3.5 mm jack, but in favour of something standard like a micro-usb port, not a proprietary port like the lightning.

Nitro Junkie - June 30, 2016 at 6:19pm

Never gonna happen dude. I don't know why people still keep bringing it up. Same with sd card slots or a removable battery. There's viable reasons, besides money, on why Apple chooses to implement or not implement certain things in their products. That argument should have ended 2 years ago. It's not like lightning cables are crazy expensive like they were when first introduced. Plus there's also micro USB to lightning adapters that you can buy to use micro usb cables. Same goes with sd card adapters or expandable battery packs or cases.

gamerscul9870 - June 30, 2016 at 6:52pm

Why do you think the Lightning to micro USB port was made, not to mention insert it 2 different ways and I'm glad that was part of it.

stevenlacross - July 1, 2016 at 12:16am

Actually, no Apple wasn't the company who developed use-c, that's a universal standard that the usb people made, and Apple was the first company to use it.

Mang Domeng - July 3, 2016 at 3:07pm

Hah! You're wrong dude! Apple developed USB-C. They gave the rights to the USB board to implement it so that it will be a standard to all machines including theirs. Because it was first released in the new Macbook. Since all manufacturers embraced the new port, Apple won in who dictates the latest USB interface.

stevenlacross - June 30, 2016 at 3:17pm

Well that's because of how well designed the headphone jack is, it's pretty small compared to other ports, even smaller than usb and hdmi, also don't have to worry about putting it in wrong, it just goes it, no having to check and make sure your putting the right side up, and it's universal in almost all audio devices from cassette players to home theater systems to car audio systems to portable DVD players... I can go on and on... So it makes sense that it's still going strong

Nitro Junkie - June 30, 2016 at 6:32pm

Eh sometimes you have to worry about putting it in wrong. No matter what position you're in. Just depends on the situation and the mood. And it doesn't always go in so easy. You just have to give it a good push. When it makes that familiar noise. It's definitely in correctly! ;~p

Nitro Junkie - June 30, 2016 at 6:41pm

Plus there's various size ones too. I like the universal size. The tiny version is just too tight. And the giant ones! Stay away from them. Too damn big and sloppy. They easily fall out. Lmao!

Nitro Junkie - June 30, 2016 at 6:45pm

Omg. I love it Jed. I'm pissimg myself. I've always wondered why they never started using a 2.5mm jack. I know it's not widely used but it's a lot smaller and could definitely fit in a thinner iPhone. Unless you can't incorporate all of the same functions like the 3.5?

Finbar Saunders - July 4, 2016 at 5:14pm

If it's too big and sloppy, it's your plug at fault, not the socket...

Chip - June 30, 2016 at 3:00pm

No surprise if it stays on the iPhone 7 and future gen's