Planet earth has just entered a new cycle, and though we look forward to the future, it should also be a time to reflect.

My personal reflection is on the growing trend in the world of mobile technology. The removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack from phones was started by Apple and followed by the likes of Google and HTC.

For many people, this means nothing, as they don’t listen to music on their phones, or they are happy with the lower audio quality that Bluetooth headsets provide. Which is fine, and I’m very happy for you all, but for me, it’s a major pain.

At this point, I should probably let you know that I’m an aspiring DJ, so not only is audio quality important to me, but it also means that I will always have wired headphones somewhere in my life.

So, having to carry a very losable dongle around with me is a real inconvenience! Couple that with the fact that it takes away the absolutely essential ability to have headphones on whilst charging (a pastime which I enjoy immensely) then maybe you can start to see my frustration. (Yes I understand that wireless charging is an option, but it also means that I can’t move around too much otherwise the phone will move off of the charging pad.)

But why do it though? Why fix that which is not broken? What is the Cupertino companies reasoning for their drastic decision?

They claim the jack is old and archaic, it takes up unnecessary room inside of the phone and wireless is the future.

Let’s look at these reasons at little more closely:

1. It’s old – Well so is your grandmother, but does that mean you need to get rid of her? Look at the invention of the wheel. That’s archaic, but until we are all riding around on hoverboards, what would be the point of discarding it? Surely we would want to ride that invention until the wheels fell off (I really couldn’t help myself).
2. Internal phone space – Yes, it’s true, every component inside of a device has to go somewhere and removing one will make space for something more important. So, what have Apple replaced the jack with? A plastic brick. A block of plastic which serves absolutely no purpose. In fact, there are people out there who have managed to install their own jack in the gap. Click here to see an example of this.
3. Wireless is the future – Indeed it is, but we also need backups for when such technology fails or is not appropriate. It is also generally the more expensive option when it comes to personal audio.

The reasons stated above all seem valid until you put them under just a little bit of scrutiny.

So if Apple is not making these changes because they are necessary, why make them at all? Well, it seems that the company who were once hailed as tech prophets, now just make tech for profit.

The thing that many people fail to see is how much Apple stands to profit from this so-called act of “courage”.

How so? Well, it would seem that this move has opened up many different revenue streams. I’ve noted three ways that they do this.

1. Dongle – Let’s be honest, it’s only a matter of time before we all lose the stupid things! But have no fear, for Apple are here, and they can save you from the silence by kindly selling you a replacement one. I guess not all heroes wear capes. ?
2. Airpods – There was no way that they would take something so important away and not replace it with a slightly more long-winded, and much more costly solution. And what’s even better, is that you get the privilege of looking like a bit of an idiot when you wear them! (That part is free of charge though)
3. Licensing – This is probably the one that most people were not aware of. Since Apple created the lightning port, anybody who wants to create a compatible product has to pay them a fee to do so (known as MFi certification).

That last point is particularly important. It is rumoured that a manufacturer must pay Apple approximately $550 for certification and then a percentage (approx. 10%) of each unit sold, although it is said that they now take a flat $4 fee.

I say rumoured, as there is no way of officially knowing because Apple then makes manufacturers sign forms to keep quiet about costs, or they will take legal action.

For reference purposes, HDMI cable manufacturers only pay $0.15.

So in effect, manufacturers are doing the job that Apple should be doing by making better, more advanced headphones, but then they also have to pay Apple to do so.

It is also interesting that they choose to launch their new Bluetooth Airpods as they remove the jack as well. Creating a solution to a problem that they created (like the iPhones reachability feature which is merely a lazy workaround for a UI flaw).

Now, I know there is someone out there saying, “we need to keep making changes to push the progress of technology forward”. Well to those people I’d say, having an alternative that isn’t actually better, isn’t a reason to make a change! And yes, it has been proven that the audio quality has reduced since the removal of the headphone jack.

I understand that business is business, but this move does nothing for the consumer and everything for Apple.

What about the inconvenience caused to a traveller who’s brand new Airpods have just died because he hasn’t been able to charge them. What about someone who broke their earphones and just needs a quick, cheap replacement?

There is only one real winner here.

I’d actually love to challenge a phone manufacturer to create a no holds barred, full fat, Frankenstein monster of a phone.

My wish list would consist of: a high quality, optically stabilised camera with a large sensor, not just a high mega pixel count, a fast and capable processor, an ir blaster (yes, I’d bring that back, we all lose the TV remote from time to time), fast charging with the charger included (looking at you Apple), 256gb storage, stock Android (assuming that Apple doesn’t take me up on this challenge), dual front facing speakers, my precious and unfairly divorced 3.5mm headphone jack, with a 32 bit DAC, minimal bezels, iris or facial recognition and a fingerprint reader.

Do you agree? Did I miss something out? Am I delusional? Let me know down in the comments.