Why the MacBook Pro headphone jack didn’t disappear

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iPhone 6 headphone jack
Gone from the iPhone, not from the MacBook Pro.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

A few people were surprised to see a 3.5mm headphone jack appear on Apple’s new MacBook Pro laptop, just weeks after the company very publicly discarded the port for its new iPhone 7.

But according to Phil Schiller, speaking in a new interview, it’s not an example of inconsistency on Apple’s part. Instead, it speaks to a much deeper philosophical question on Apple’s part about the difference between mobile and non-mobile devices.

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“Not at all,” Schiller said when asked about Apple is being inconsistent in using the headphone jack on some devices and not on others. “These are pro machines. If it was just about headphones then it doesn’t need to be there, we believe that wireless is a great solution for headphones. But many users have setups with studio monitors, amps, and other pro audio gear that do not have wireless solutions and need the 3.5mm jack.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Schiller talks about Apple’s reluctance (or, well, refusal) to combine iOS and macOS, along the lines that other companies are doing with their desktop and mobile operating systems. This certainly isn’t the first time that Schiller has said that, but he digs somewhat deeper into Apple’s thought process.

Take for example the following quote in which Schiller gives a real world use case of why Macs and iOS devices are “fundamentally two different products.”

“Here’s one example of how they should remain distinct: the Mac from the very first has had a menu bar fixed at the top. It’s core to the identity and the experience you get. But iOS doesn’t have a menu at the top. It never will. The thought of pointing at a menu at the top of an iPhone feels wrong. If you made the Mac a touchscreen you’d have to figure out how to make it a good experience with your finger on a touchscreen. Trust me, we’ve looked at that — it’s a bad experience. It’s not as good or as intuitive as with a mouse and trackpad.”

It’s just one quote in an interesting — and wide-ranging — interview that also describes the arrival of Siri on macOS and more. Check out the full interview for the UK’s Independent newspaper here.

Do you think the headphone jack will remain a part of the MacBook for the years to come? Do you want it to? Leave your comments below.

 

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