Apple reinvents headphone jack.. thinner iDevices on the way?

[HalGameGuru]

I would say they innovated it, but they actually did the polar opposite. Whats the word for that?

Repetition? Reversion? Regression? Stagnation?

[Zerreth]

From what I can tell, the alternate mode is exclusive to DisplayPort. I mean sure, you could do like you said and run sound over RJ45 but the way you said "one data and one to do with as you please" made it seem like one lane (there are 4 in total for USB 3.1 Type C) was made for that purpose. It isn't. As far as I can tell there is nothing in the spec like the thing you described.

 

What you described makes no sense, because I might as well say we should run USB over 3.5mm headphone jacks, or run digital audio signals over 3.5mm.

It's stupid.

So first of all it is called alternate mode because of the alternate signal protocols it could carry. So far 3 alternate protocols have been spec'ed out: MHL, Displayport & Thunderbolt. Board partners will have to implement specific controllers for this to work. So you cannot just plugin a USB type-C connector from just any USB type-C port to your display and expect it to work. Analog Alternate mode could just be another one of those alternate modes, which would have their own controllers. They specifically designed it this way to avoid having the micro USB MHL bullshit again. So that the standard can be expanded upon without having to switch connectors again. So yes, it totally is in the spec for something like this to be possible.

Will it be confusing ? Well the ports will be labelled as having such capabilities (as it is now for any of the alternate modes), I can also expect the end user not to be a complete retard. As for your comment about USB over 3.5mm jack, that is impossible because of the lack of actual wires. Analog over USB cables is possible and actually a lot of high end audio cables use RJ45 cable wiring because of their good shielding.

 

Crazy idea incoming: How about we just use bluetooth or the already existing USB port for digital audio? Yeah I know, it's a mind blowing idea and it doesn't involve trying to turn a non-standard with the potential for huge amounts of headaches for consumers into a halfassed standard.

* ... continued ranting over bluetooth ... *

 

This is one of the most stupid ideas I have ever heard.

Step back and think for a moment about this. This would cause a huge amount of confusion and it does not offer any benefits over what we already have.

Bluetooth has latency and audio compression. For people serious about audio this won't do. Have you ever heard of low latency audio (ASIO) ? If you would have you wouldn't make that comment. Bluetooth is a solution for consumers, not creators.

If you only carry digital over the usb cable then you are forcing every headphone maker to put a DAC in the headphones + you completely break backwards compatibility with current analog hardware. So this is not the solution we're looking for. /me waves hand

As for the benefits/drawbacks I shall refer to my little list again:

 

so benefits:

- You win a usb-c port that can be used for anything you want.

- Device makers can ensure audio quality by implementing a dac of their choosing.

- Headphones can be wireless if desired, charge and listen over a single cable from your phone.

- as djdwosk97 said, it's better to have the signal in digital form as long as possible

- you can still have basic analog headphones

drawbacks:

- you would need a tiny usb-c to 3.5mm jack adapter for existing hardware. Whoopty Doo

You know, ranting over how stupid people's ideas are might suit you if you have the arguments & evidence to back it up. In this case you don't.

For the record, It wouldn't surprise me if something like this will pop up in the coming years, when that happens know that I'll be looking at you through space and time with my biggest "I told you so" face on.

[jaggysnake57]

So Apple made a headphone jack that's not reversible D:

 

apple hasnt made shit, they patented it.....4 years ago

[LAwLz]

So first of all it is called alternate mode because of the alternate signal protocols it could carry. So far 3 alternate protocols have been spec'ed out: MHL, Displayport & Thunderbolt. Board partners will have to implement specific controllers for this to work. So you cannot just plugin a USB type-C connector from just any USB type-C port to your display and expect it to work. Analog Alternate mode could just be another one of those alternate modes, which would have their own controllers. They specifically designed it this way to avoid having the micro USB MHL bullshit again. So that the standard can be expanded upon without having to switch connectors again. So yes, it totally is in the spec for something like this to be possible.

By "being in the spec" you mean, if you add things on top of the original spec then yeah... It's like saying USB over 3.5mm is "in the spec" as well because if you just add a paragraph and organize all manufacturers to support it then all of a sudden it's possible!

 

 

 

Will it be confusing ? Well the ports will be labelled as having such capabilities (as it is now for any of the alternate modes), I can also expect the end user not to be a complete retard. As for your comment about USB over 3.5mm jack, that is impossible because of the lack of actual wires. Analog over USB cables is possible and actually a lot of high end audio cables use RJ45 cable wiring because of their good shielding.

No you can't expect the end users to not be an idiot. You just can't.

USB over 3.5mm is possible. USB only requires 4 pins and if you look closely on for example your Apple earbuds you will see that they do in fact have 4 separate pins as well. You could map it 1:1, or if you want to be even more creative you could possibly do it over a 3 pin connector if you used for example time slots (although that would have a major impact on performance).

 

 

 

Bluetooth has latency and audio compression. For people serious about audio this won't do. Have you ever heard of low latency audio (ASIO) ? If you would have you wouldn't make that comment. Bluetooth is a solution for consumers, not creators.

If you only carry digital over the usb cable then you are forcing every headphone maker to put a DAC in the headphones + you completely break backwards compatibility with current analog hardware. So this is not the solution we're looking for. /me waves hand

Are you seriously going to suggest that creators will plug in their USB headphones into their phones and use that for creating things which are very sensitive to latency? Get real...

 

Side note, bluetooth does not necessarily add extra compression. If we are talking about listening to music (not doing DAW work on our phones like you are suggesting) then you can with the help of A2DP send the original audio stream to your headset/headphones.

 

 

 

I will be very surprised if this does show up in more than a handful of products but who knows.

[Trik'Stari]

I'm surprised no one has made a thread about the lock screen bug on the iPhone.

[79wjd]

I'm surprised no one has made a thread about the lock screen bug on the iPhone.

what bug? 

[Trik'Stari]

what bug? 

http://www.computerworld.com/article/2985778/apple-ios/apple-ios-901-lockscreen-bug-itbwcw.html

[MorsVitae]

I love that they included type c usb so you could stick it in either way...now this only has 1 way to plug in

[SirMonti]

I just hope this doesn't end up being a pain to do without looking.  A round connector is so easy to use

[79wjd]

I love that they included type c usb so you could stick it in either way...now this only has 1 way to plug in

lightning isn't type c 

[FPS with a Wacom Tablet]

Umm, they could just remove the headphone jack entirely and have it run off Lightning. That, would be an elegant solution. 

 

Not to mention the money they'd make from Lightning to 3.5mm...

[79wjd]

Umm, they could just remove the headphone jack entirely and have it run off Lightning. That, would be an elegant solution. 

 

Not to mention the money they'd make from Lightning to 3.5mm...

I'd rather have two ports, even if one (both) is proprietary than have to share the charging port. 

[steffen_anywhere]

I love my Note 3 still. Absolutely great phone, and never have to worry about my screen breaking insanely easy, and that's from a 2 year old phone, you guys just got your first 1080p display on a phone last fall

 

1080p is all you need (for most people in most cases), and before, iPhones were tiny, in case you haven't noticed... So why give them a 1080p display?

[GoldSrc]

Now you won't be able to plug in your headphones the right way in the first try 100% of the time gg apple.

[Philz69]

did they not learn from bendgate?

Edit:

inb4 they sale a super expensive adapter that nobody needs and turns into this:

Inb4 there actually is two usb ports on the right of the ps2 slots

Edit: could've also used ps2 to usb, since it is on there!

[FelixM]

we'll see how this works out

freaking apple !

the drawings mean that we'll have a certain way to plug in headphones just like with micro usb