I recently bought a cheap phone after I broke my main one, because I needed something while my main one was being "repaired". It turns out that this new cheap phone has a headphone jack AND a better stylus. It also had a solid 1000mah bigger battery and 10w extra of charging over my old flagship.
When the repair shop told me that the 20 cent ribbon connector couldn't be replaced and that the repair would be $600 for a new screen and glass back, I decided to keep the cheap phone, which works damn well. It's so nice to have a headphone jack to use again. All my other shit still has headphones jacks from my PC/laptop/SD to my car and stuff like kitchen stereos. I can use my Bluetooth earbuds, but they only have about 5 hours of playback and have a bad click in one bud after the first year of use.
I'm almost disappointed at how good this mid-range, $250 phone is compared to my $1,700 Samsung. I've been wasting money for years on flagships. Not going back after I got my data transferred to my new phone.
Because, after all the crybaby tantrums, it turns out that nobody really wanted a headphone jack, they just wanted to be whiny cunts. This is the proof.
Go on and throw a tantrum and downvote. The proof is here. Everyone who pissed their pants complaining about this was wrong. Nobody gave a shit in the end other than for their own ability to whine and complain.
Meanwhile, all of the adults in the room just moved to Bluetooth. Most of us did it years before this change. And that’s why they remove the headphone jack. That’s why everyone else is doing it too.
Could it instead be related to them discontinuing the lightning port on all devices, and usb-c to 3.5mm adapters are available for $2 on temu so they’re not bothering? Is that alternate reality also possible?
A follow up, if wired headphones actually are unpopular, why are there pages and pages of sellers in all marketplaces selling usb-c to 3.5mm adapters?
More than one thing can be possible. Your flaw is that you have no imagination. You seem to think that two products existing on two separate stores is somehow magical and amazing.
I did buy a pair of wireless headphones, but the earbuds are staying wired. The headphones have a large, easy-to-replace battery that lasts a couple of weeks easily - while earbuds don't. Some people might be inconvenienced by having to charge another device. Plus, Bluetooth doesn't have the same audio quality - not as important for me, but might be for some people.
Unironically, the Apple USB-C DAC is the best you can buy for that price. You’d have to go for something double or triple its price to get the same performance from any other dongle, specially at that size.
There’s been some loud folks over the years but generally no one cares. 450+ million AirPods have been sold and the experience is arguably MUCH better than wired headphones.
Any professionals or enthusiasts who give a shit about sound quality used wired headphones. At the same time, I wouldn't be using the lightning to 3.5mm adapter. I'd use an external DAC. There are lightning to USB-B cables for this purpose.
Audio latency with Bluetooth screws up things like music lessons in Duolingo.
A few weeks ago I was gardening with Pixel Buds on and one dropped into a pile of leaves. I spent ten minutes looking for the thing. Then the other day the same one dropped into the garbage disposal while I was doing the dishes.
I don't mind the cheap Bluetooth headphones I have that wrap around my ear slightly. I can run in those without them dropping out.
When I want audio quality I use some over-ear Bose headphones.
I have no idea how people are ok with just the little buds for all use-cases.
For me, the switch to wireless earbuds has been mixed. Not having the cord get tangled and caught on things is nice, but I've come to dislike how precarious AirPods can feel (to me at least).
I'm always worried about them falling out of my ear and landing in a gutter or a toilet; I have to be careful pulling them out of their case and putting them back because they're easy to slip out of my fingers; I always have to remember to keep the case charged; if I want to take them off temporarily, I can't just drape them around my neck (at least not without 3rd party accessories but then you have to take those off to charge so more hassle). I feel like I just can't be as spontaneous with them as with wired ear buds.
Of course everyone's ears are different, but for me, my Jabras lock in. They aren't going anywhere. They are designed to be twisted into place, causing a literal lock into your ear. I can force them out without touching them, but it takes work to do it, they aren't falling out on their own, and if they start to come loose, I'll know instantly because the seal is broke and I can hear that they aren't settled in right.
I liked my AirPods but I switched to Pros because I have to go to the office and deal with coworkers making noise sometimes and the experience is 100x better. They sound almost as nice as my Sennheisers, but block out annoying people and never feel like they’re about to fall out.
I still use my regular pods for sleeping, but the batteries are kinda dying. They only last 2-3 hours on a charge now… but they’re like seven years old.
I was against wireless headphones for so long because I love my open-ear cans, but I could not agree more with the experience being infinitely better with AirPods when using a phone. I still use my nice cans when I’m listening to anything at home, but when I’m out and about, not having a cord is glorious.