As I read through the comments on various mobile phone articles, I always see the same complaints:
"Where is the headphone jack?"
"No headphone jack? No thanks"
"If it ain't broken, why fix it?"
While I originally shared their contempt, I have since come to question where is all of this hate for less wires coming from? I admit that I am definitely not an audiophile, but in my opinion, Bluetooth headphones have come a long way and sound pretty solid to me. More importantly, looking at the bigger picture, haven't we been in love with the idea of losing wires for decades?
As I write this blog from a wireless computer with a wireless keyboard navigated with a wireless mouse, I am reminded that we have been removing wires from everything possible for a very long time, and while there may have been resistance at the time, we have adopted this concept in to the norm. As a young kid, I remember growing up with a clear "house phone" (a rarity these days) that had a bright purple cord coiling out from the bottom. Only a few years later, that phone was replaced with a new one that had not a single wire protruding from the headset. Around that same time, we got a brand new massive computer that had wires protruding from every angle for a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and internet connection. When I went to college, the computer I took with me only had one cable that charged it, used occasionally, while connecting to the internet wirelessly (gasp).
We have reached a point in society where wires seem to be as dated as the 8-track tape; we seem to crave the visual simplicity of each device standing on its own while also being always connected. For instance, I love that my phone is connected to the internet (wirelessly), and the information I receive on it gets sent to my watch (wirelessly) for me to view. I can pay for things from my phone due to wireless capabilities as well as send data from my phone to another individual's phone using additional wireless capabilities; this is my vision for a perfect future.
Admittedly, many of technologies that had wires removed were for a very good reason: convenience. The ability to talk on the phone from further than three feet from the base has been a blessing, and clearly, removing cables from keyboards and mice make a desk look much cleaner. Additionally, things like adding wireless phone charging have helped minimize damaging when things are bumped. However, these removals of wires had little to no impact on performance, and in that regard, that is why removing headphone cables is much more like the introduction of wireless internet.
Every one knows that hardwired internet tends to be significantly more reliable as well as modestly faster. In that same regard, headphones with wired capabilities offer more fidelity and quality of sound; this is where the argument for keeping the headphone jack makes sense. However, look how far wireless internet has come. We have reached a point where WiFi is nearing, if not matching, the speeds of hardwired internet, and the reliability has been pretty solid. With that in mind, let's not be too quick to call eliminating the headphone jack a bad move. While it may not be necessary for the reasons tech companies claim such as more space for batteries and better waterproofing, it may not be a bad thing. As the technology advances, we may find the lack of a wire as convenient as it is with other devices; anyone that has an earbud ripped out due to a caught cord will understand.
Call the move to remove the headphone jack (and other wires) premature if you would like, but sometimes we gotta make a bold move to move forward.
"Where is the headphone jack?"
"No headphone jack? No thanks"
"If it ain't broken, why fix it?"
While I originally shared their contempt, I have since come to question where is all of this hate for less wires coming from? I admit that I am definitely not an audiophile, but in my opinion, Bluetooth headphones have come a long way and sound pretty solid to me. More importantly, looking at the bigger picture, haven't we been in love with the idea of losing wires for decades?
As I write this blog from a wireless computer with a wireless keyboard navigated with a wireless mouse, I am reminded that we have been removing wires from everything possible for a very long time, and while there may have been resistance at the time, we have adopted this concept in to the norm. As a young kid, I remember growing up with a clear "house phone" (a rarity these days) that had a bright purple cord coiling out from the bottom. Only a few years later, that phone was replaced with a new one that had not a single wire protruding from the headset. Around that same time, we got a brand new massive computer that had wires protruding from every angle for a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and internet connection. When I went to college, the computer I took with me only had one cable that charged it, used occasionally, while connecting to the internet wirelessly (gasp).
We have reached a point in society where wires seem to be as dated as the 8-track tape; we seem to crave the visual simplicity of each device standing on its own while also being always connected. For instance, I love that my phone is connected to the internet (wirelessly), and the information I receive on it gets sent to my watch (wirelessly) for me to view. I can pay for things from my phone due to wireless capabilities as well as send data from my phone to another individual's phone using additional wireless capabilities; this is my vision for a perfect future.
Admittedly, many of technologies that had wires removed were for a very good reason: convenience. The ability to talk on the phone from further than three feet from the base has been a blessing, and clearly, removing cables from keyboards and mice make a desk look much cleaner. Additionally, things like adding wireless phone charging have helped minimize damaging when things are bumped. However, these removals of wires had little to no impact on performance, and in that regard, that is why removing headphone cables is much more like the introduction of wireless internet.
Every one knows that hardwired internet tends to be significantly more reliable as well as modestly faster. In that same regard, headphones with wired capabilities offer more fidelity and quality of sound; this is where the argument for keeping the headphone jack makes sense. However, look how far wireless internet has come. We have reached a point where WiFi is nearing, if not matching, the speeds of hardwired internet, and the reliability has been pretty solid. With that in mind, let's not be too quick to call eliminating the headphone jack a bad move. While it may not be necessary for the reasons tech companies claim such as more space for batteries and better waterproofing, it may not be a bad thing. As the technology advances, we may find the lack of a wire as convenient as it is with other devices; anyone that has an earbud ripped out due to a caught cord will understand.
Call the move to remove the headphone jack (and other wires) premature if you would like, but sometimes we gotta make a bold move to move forward.
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