Apple recently shocked the tech world by announcing a new iPod touch, but the even more surprising revelation was that the updated music player had a 3.5mm headphone jack. Why was it so surprising? Well, Apple has long since stopped including headphone jacks on its smartphones in favor of its own versatile Lightning port. The last models compatible with the jacks, the iPhone 6S and iPhone SE, were phased out in 2018. Despite consumer uproar at the time, Apple's chief marketing officer Phil Schiller said the company was motivated by the "courage" to get rid of the headphone jack. At the introduction of the iPhone 7 in 2016, Schiller explained: "Some people have asked us why we removed the analog headphone jack. It's been a long time and the word is simple: Courage. Our team has tremendous value." We then assumed that removing the headphone jack would likely free up space for additional technologies, such as the A10 Fusion processor, the same processor used in the new iPod touch (7th generation). More recently, the lack of a headphone jack on recent iPhone models like the iPhone XS and iPhone XR has potentially contributed to the rise of wireless headphones, including Apple's AirPods. (2019). We asked Apple to comment, but the brand declined. After speaking with industry insiders and analysts, we explain why Apple stuck to its take on the new iPod touch.
Apple wants to appeal to audiophiles
Audiophiles have a reputation for avoiding wireless headphones, and Apple's inclusion of the headphone jack on the iPod touch could be part of a larger plan to appeal to music lovers. After all, the new iPod touch supports high-resolution audio codecs like FLAC and Apple Lossless, capable of reproducing the full range of sounds from recordings recorded from high-quality music sources. CD, a sound that faithfully reproduces the quality with which the musicians and engineers worked in the studio at the time of recording. Joe Cox, Global Editor of What Hi-Fi? He thinks the inclusion of the 3.5mm headphone jack on the new iPod touch could be very attractive to audiophiles, in part because wired headphones tend to sound better than their wireless counterparts. He explains: "Bluetooth traditionally compressed your music files to stream wirelessly, reducing audio quality before it even reached your headphones." While advances in Bluetooth technology, such as HD aptX, are no longer. But Cox explains that "everything in the audio system is compatible and with more treatment underway, wired headphones tend to offer better sound." "That said, you may need to listen to CD-quality sound or higher, say through Tidal Masters or Deezer HiFi, and good headphones to hear the difference," he adds. So by keeping the headphone jack, Apple could tempt those who normally opt for a high-res portable music player like the Onkyo DP-X1A digital audio player to try an iPod touch instead.
Most audiophile headphones, like the Focal Stellias (shown), only have wired connections (Image credit: TechRadar) But what about headphones that plug into the Lightning port? Apple sells such versions of its classic EarPods, so why wouldn't it be suitable for audiophiles? According to Cox, these headphones might even offer better sound quality than traditional models with a 3.5mm jack, but they're not common enough to take off in the audiophile world. "The trusty 3.5mm headphone jack takes an analog signal, which means your digital music needs to be converted to analog using a DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) inside your phone or portable music player." "Lightning can output either analog or digital audio, with the possibility of having this digital-to-analog conversion done via a dongle, headset, or dedicated DAC. In the end, it could mean better sound quality." Still, most of audiophiles will likely have a 3.5mm headphone at home. Cox acknowledges, "It's beyond confusing for consumers because every device or device doesn't work with every phone or music player." So by including the 3.5mm headphone jack, Apple could appeal to audiophiles who prefer a wired connection and who don't yet have USB-C compatible headphones. Plus, the headphone jack will probably appeal to more casual listeners: "I think we're still at the stage where not having a 3.5mm headphone jack is a bit of a pain," says Cox. "Not everyone has wireless headphones, and even if they do, sometimes you want a wired connection; you may have older, more expensive wired headphones, or your phone battery or your Bluetooth headphones may be weak, and dongles are annoying."
Apple wants to save money on machines
There's a more obvious reason for Apple to keep the headphone jack on the iPod touch: to save money. In terms of design, the new iPod touch looks almost identical to its predecessor, which means that Apple can use the same machines as when it created the previous iPod touch model. According to the specifications available on Apple's website, the new iPod touch has exactly the same dimensions as the previous sixth-generation model; It has the same height, the same width, the same depth and the same weight. It has a 4-inch screen and a 3.5mm headphone jack, just like its predecessor. Building new machines out of the box costs money, and if Apple is looking to cut costs, it makes sense to stick to a proven design, and this wouldn't be the first time Apple has used this tactic. Wayne Lam, director and chief analyst for technology, media and telecommunications at IHS Markit, explained: "This is a similar tactic (to the one used) used by Apple for the new iPad mini: updating the platform with newer application processors in the market for longer than the useful life of key components." "That said, we haven't evaluated the cost differences, but it would be unlikely that Apple would lose money by replacing old parts with new ones." Saving on manufacturing costs could be a compelling reason for the tech giant to retain the headphone jack, and sticking to older models certainly gives Apple this opportunity.
The iPod touch could be great for kids.
Apple says the new iPod touch offers "fun and productive AR experiences in the areas of gaming, education, and web browsing," and even more immersive experiences with "new features for persistent and shared AR, tied to a specific location, and "image sensing," which allows the new iPod touch to "bring objects to life in 3D, like toys and sculptures. The focus on education suggests the new iPod touch is designed for kids, after all, for parents who As the benefits of introducing the digital world are weighed against the potential risks, the iPod touch could be an attractive compromise between classic "dumb" phones and a fully connected iPhone.Without cellular data capability, parents don't have to worry about downloading games over a mobile network and sucking up expensive data plans with just a few fiddles.Limiting Wi-Fi access is much easier.The iPod's small size also makes it ideal for watching downloaded content, while the support FaceTime means kids can keep in touch with family and friends over a Wi-Fi network. , for parents who want to keep young minds entertained without telling them anything. For your children, a smart phone, iPod touch could be an ideal solution. The inclusion of a headphone jack makes iPod touch even more appealing to parents who don't want to spend money on Lightning headphones, which are often more expensive than their 3,5mm counterparts, or fear that their children will miss out on true wireless models. Also, wireless headphones can be difficult to pair, even for adults. By retaining the headphone jack, iPod touch is as simple to use as it gets, and potentially ideal for younger users.
Apple Arcade (Image credit: Apple) Why would Apple want to appeal to kids with this latest iPod touch? In addition to competing with kid-friendly devices like the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition, the brand's drive would provide access to a new slice of subscribers to Apple's upcoming streaming platform, Apple Arcade. In fact, Apple's press release on the new portable music player made little mention of music, but instead focused on the gaming capabilities of the seventh-generation iPod touch. The inclusion of Apple's A10 Fusion chip means the new iPod touch is optimized for gaming, including what Apple calls "immersive augmented reality (AR) experiences," experiments that are likely part of Apple Arcade. Apple says the Arcade service will include "over 100 new exclusive games with no ads or additional purchases, and the ability to download games for offline play." It seems that the company is currently installing the new iPod touch as a (relatively cheap) way to access it. So by making the iPod touch accessible to kids with the inclusion of a headphone jack, Apple may want to get more little hands on its tech, which could lead to more parents putting their wallets in their pocket. wallet to subscribe to Apple Arcade, children who want to access it. quality titles.
