7 ms·

Complete agreement from me here. I refuse to buy a phone without a headphone jack. It's such a simple thing, but it represents such a middle finger to consume

by blhack 8y ago

Complete agreement from me here. I refuse to buy a phone without a headphone jack. It's such a simple thing, but it represents such a middle finger to consumers that it's enough for me to say no. My iPhone 6s is fine. An older pixel will be fine too as soon as I figure out how to ditch iMessage. This actually feels a lot like how Facebook seems to intentionally cripple their mobile site to try and get me to install their app so they can have more of my info. It's inconveniencing me very deliberately to try and hold my convenience hostage.

sys_64738 8y ago
I'm sticking with the 6S myself due to lack of headphone jack. I estimate I'll keep the 6S another 4-5 years as there's longevity in these devices I feel. Not sure what I'd do at that point because I think the iPhone in general is great.
- blhack 8y ago
  Friendly reminder to go get your battery replaced before the end of the year!
- imron 8y ago
  I had a 1st gen iPhone for 5 years, and currently have a 4s that I've been using for 5-6 years (I only replace my phones when my current one stops working). There's longevity in the devices, but not as much longevity in the software. Each update gets slower than the last and then you stop getting updates at all.
autokad 8y ago
I'm sticking with my 6 SE until its no longer feasible.
a11595 8y ago
no one intentionally cripples anything. what you are saying is you want lack of choice in the marketplace, and everyone should conform to your usecase. I got a pixel2 xl. like my dell, it charges via usb-c. a have a bt headset I use for both the laptop and the phone. The lack of cable, especially when I travel and sleep on a plane with music playing, is important. That 1mm of saved space? I'll take it - I wouldn't be using the headphone port anywise. You - go buy any of the hundreds of phones with the heaphone port you want. No one is stopping you. They're not crippling anything. They just don't care about you not buying their product, because when I looked to buy mine, I specifically looked for phones with just a usb-c port. like my laptop. for every one of you, there are one of me (probably more). Do you complain a lexus is not good for moving couches? Or do you buy something else? Your line of reasoning is the middle finger to the consumer. What Google and Apple did are what I, their consumer wants.
- cibyr 8y ago
  As far as I can tell, if you want timely security updates on your smartphone you can buy one of: iPhone XR, iPhone XS, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL. No headphone jacks on any of those. How's that for "choice in the marketplace"?
  - culot 8y ago
    Sony's Xperia flagships are quite regular with their monthly updates. I think they've also ditched the headphone jack in their latest models though. For a while it seemed like they'd hold out against glass backs and dropping jacks. But no.
    - temp0876456 8y ago
      +1 for Sony Xperia. I had one until it fell out of my pocket on a lake (always wondered how long it operated being waterproof). That was my first and last Android phone however. If you think Android is a decent OS try removing Google from it. If you are ok with Android, Sony hardware is good. Was my second favorite phone vs my X. The screen was 4K and the audio was great for a phone. It was on the heavy side but well built. Lots of battery.
      - culot 8y ago
        > If you think Android is a decent OS try removing Google from it. Actually that was one of my favorite things about my Xperia XZ1 Compact: running LineageOS without Google services. The battery life was insane, like 10-12 hours of screen-on time. I simply did not have to think about charging the thing; I'd charge it every 2-3 days. Having a device that I could readily bootloader unlock that also has official AOSP support complete with device trees direct from Sony was such a refreshing change for me after years of hacking together homemade device trees for various LG devices. I regret trading that phone for an LG G7, with its mediocre battery life, heavily bloated, laggy software, and precarious glass build -- also cannot ever be bootloader unlocked, and even if it could you'd have to rely on some community approximation for the device trees, forfeiting fully-functional camera support.
everyone 8y ago
U know u can view facebook 'as desktop' on firefox (and other browsers Im assuming) on mobile. It works really well that way.
- yellowapple 8y ago
  It's clunky as hell and requires a lot of zooming on Firefox for Android (among others).
usaphp 8y ago
> such a middle finger to consumers Aren’t you generalizing all consumers? I am also a consumer and I personally don’t care about jack because I’ve been using Bluetooth headphones for years and hated anything with wires ever since I tried Bluetooth. Not sure why people are trying to make a bigger deal out of it than it really is, it’s not a conspiracy theory against you.
patagonia 8y ago
It’s not a little thing. The first iPhone was introduced as a “widescreen iPod with touch controls” and then as a phone, in S.J.’s original keynote. So unless I missed something, that something being the music industry deciding that headphone jacks need to be replaced with lightening / usb-c ports, then Apple (and the industry follows) is unilaterally deciding to demote the music component of the iPhone. That’s not a little thing and I don’t feel that explaining why it is not a little thing is necessary.
ryanmercer 8y ago
>An older pixel will be fine too as soon as I figure out how to ditch iMessage. If you just want to be able to send sms/mms from your browser stuff like Pushbullet works fine if you're willing to pay the monthly fee. It's what I settled with when I left iOS when I switched to Fi 3 years ago (almost to the day). I also use it when I see a site on my phone that I'd rather read on a monitor and just push it to open up at home so it is sitting there waiting for me, that alone is worth the price each month to me.
dvfjsdhgfv 8y ago
> It's such a simple thing, but it represents such a middle finger to consumers that it's enough for me to say no. My refusal to buy a phone crippled in this way is also a middle finger to them. The only way to influence their decision is to vote with our valet. It might be easy for them to ignore the "vocal minority", sales results might deliver a stronger result. Although, frankly, the probability of Apple admitting to making a mistake are sub-zero. Nevertheless, it may stop them from making a similar "courageously" stupid mistake in the future.
harshalizee 8y ago
Yup, my 6s is going to stay around a lot longer than I thought. I've preemptively lined up possible phones for the future. LG v30 and maybe the newest flagship Samsung (if they don't pull a bait and switch). No Android manufacturers have any business ditching the jack when they don't have a seamless integration with Bluetooth devices. Even Apple's pricey Airpods are just barely there and they still have their issues with connection and battery life.
ryandrake 8y ago
Critics were saying these kinds of things and more when manufacturers retired floppy drives, then CDROM, then DVD drives from laptops. "It's anti-consumer!" "What am I going to do with all my media?" "The drives don't cost that much to make!" "It doesn't make the computers that much lighter or thinner!" Same with RS-232 and PCMCIA ports. People grow attached to their obsolete legacy hardware. The nostalgia is strong. I recently wired my house for Internet with physical wires, most out of habit and irrationality. 99% of the Internet use in my household is Wi-Fi, but I'm stuck in the past where "Ethernet is better!" even if technically yes it's faster to my gateway. Fortunately, for actual legitimate use cases of legacy hardware, we have a multitude of dongles to choose from.

by blhack 8y ago

sys_64738 8y ago

I'm sticking with the 6S myself due to lack of headphone jack. I estimate I'll keep the 6S another 4-5 years as there's longevity in these devices I feel. Not sure what I'd do at that point because I think the iPhone in general is great.

blhack 8y ago
Friendly reminder to go get your battery replaced before the end of the year!
imron 8y ago
I had a 1st gen iPhone for 5 years, and currently have a 4s that I've been using for 5-6 years (I only replace my phones when my current one stops working). There's longevity in the devices, but not as much longevity in the software. Each update gets slower than the last and then you stop getting updates at all.

autokad 8y ago

I'm sticking with my 6 SE until its no longer feasible.

a11595 8y ago

no one intentionally cripples anything. what you are saying is you want lack of choice in the marketplace, and everyone should conform to your usecase. I got a pixel2 xl. like my dell, it charges via usb-c. a have a bt headset I use for both the laptop and the phone. The lack of cable, especially when I travel and sleep on a plane with music playing, is important. That 1mm of saved space? I'll take it - I wouldn't be using the headphone port anywise. You - go buy any of the hundreds of phones with the heaphone port you want. No one is stopping you. They're not crippling anything. They just don't care about you not buying their product, because when I looked to buy mine, I specifically looked for phones with just a usb-c port. like my laptop. for every one of you, there are one of me (probably more). Do you complain a lexus is not good for moving couches? Or do you buy something else? Your line of reasoning is the middle finger to the consumer. What Google and Apple did are what I, their consumer wants.

cibyr 8y ago
As far as I can tell, if you want timely security updates on your smartphone you can buy one of: iPhone XR, iPhone XS, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL. No headphone jacks on any of those. How's that for "choice in the marketplace"?
- culot 8y ago
  Sony's Xperia flagships are quite regular with their monthly updates. I think they've also ditched the headphone jack in their latest models though. For a while it seemed like they'd hold out against glass backs and dropping jacks. But no.
  - temp0876456 8y ago
    +1 for Sony Xperia. I had one until it fell out of my pocket on a lake (always wondered how long it operated being waterproof). That was my first and last Android phone however. If you think Android is a decent OS try removing Google from it. If you are ok with Android, Sony hardware is good. Was my second favorite phone vs my X. The screen was 4K and the audio was great for a phone. It was on the heavy side but well built. Lots of battery.
    - culot 8y ago
      > If you think Android is a decent OS try removing Google from it. Actually that was one of my favorite things about my Xperia XZ1 Compact: running LineageOS without Google services. The battery life was insane, like 10-12 hours of screen-on time. I simply did not have to think about charging the thing; I'd charge it every 2-3 days. Having a device that I could readily bootloader unlock that also has official AOSP support complete with device trees direct from Sony was such a refreshing change for me after years of hacking together homemade device trees for various LG devices. I regret trading that phone for an LG G7, with its mediocre battery life, heavily bloated, laggy software, and precarious glass build -- also cannot ever be bootloader unlocked, and even if it could you'd have to rely on some community approximation for the device trees, forfeiting fully-functional camera support.

everyone 8y ago

U know u can view facebook 'as desktop' on firefox (and other browsers Im assuming) on mobile. It works really well that way.

yellowapple 8y ago
It's clunky as hell and requires a lot of zooming on Firefox for Android (among others).

usaphp 8y ago

> such a middle finger to consumers Aren’t you generalizing all consumers? I am also a consumer and I personally don’t care about jack because I’ve been using Bluetooth headphones for years and hated anything with wires ever since I tried Bluetooth. Not sure why people are trying to make a bigger deal out of it than it really is, it’s not a conspiracy theory against you.

patagonia 8y ago

It’s not a little thing. The first iPhone was introduced as a “widescreen iPod with touch controls” and then as a phone, in S.J.’s original keynote. So unless I missed something, that something being the music industry deciding that headphone jacks need to be replaced with lightening / usb-c ports, then Apple (and the industry follows) is unilaterally deciding to demote the music component of the iPhone. That’s not a little thing and I don’t feel that explaining why it is not a little thing is necessary.

ryanmercer 8y ago

>An older pixel will be fine too as soon as I figure out how to ditch iMessage. If you just want to be able to send sms/mms from your browser stuff like Pushbullet works fine if you're willing to pay the monthly fee. It's what I settled with when I left iOS when I switched to Fi 3 years ago (almost to the day). I also use it when I see a site on my phone that I'd rather read on a monitor and just push it to open up at home so it is sitting there waiting for me, that alone is worth the price each month to me.

dvfjsdhgfv 8y ago

> It's such a simple thing, but it represents such a middle finger to consumers that it's enough for me to say no. My refusal to buy a phone crippled in this way is also a middle finger to them. The only way to influence their decision is to vote with our valet. It might be easy for them to ignore the "vocal minority", sales results might deliver a stronger result. Although, frankly, the probability of Apple admitting to making a mistake are sub-zero. Nevertheless, it may stop them from making a similar "courageously" stupid mistake in the future.

harshalizee 8y ago

Yup, my 6s is going to stay around a lot longer than I thought. I've preemptively lined up possible phones for the future. LG v30 and maybe the newest flagship Samsung (if they don't pull a bait and switch). No Android manufacturers have any business ditching the jack when they don't have a seamless integration with Bluetooth devices. Even Apple's pricey Airpods are just barely there and they still have their issues with connection and battery life.

ryandrake 8y ago

Critics were saying these kinds of things and more when manufacturers retired floppy drives, then CDROM, then DVD drives from laptops. "It's anti-consumer!" "What am I going to do with all my media?" "The drives don't cost that much to make!" "It doesn't make the computers that much lighter or thinner!" Same with RS-232 and PCMCIA ports. People grow attached to their obsolete legacy hardware. The nostalgia is strong. I recently wired my house for Internet with physical wires, most out of habit and irrationality. 99% of the Internet use in my household is Wi-Fi, but I'm stuck in the past where "Ethernet is better!" even if technically yes it's faster to my gateway. Fortunately, for actual legitimate use cases of legacy hardware, we have a multitude of dongles to choose from.