Why Apple Removed the iPhone's Headphone Jack

Everyone is talking about Apple's big move to remove the headphone jack from the new iPhone 7. There seem to be two camps of opinion: those supportive of the change, and those adamantly against it. Apple is failing it its marketing to this second camp of customers - and this has the potential to hurt Apple's revenue (albeit, most likely in the short term).

The biggest criticism from the naysayers stems from their annoyance Apple's overt greediness when it comes to demanding customers purchase new add-on products in their product redesign - not a new sentiment from customers, but heavily reinforced by their decision to remove the headphone jack. Wireless headphones are more expensive, in some cases double or triple the price of normal headphones, and Apple's timely release of its wireless "Air Pods", as well as the $40 headphone jack adapter, was enough to disillusion some of the most avid Apple brand supporters.

Apple - Air Pods - http://www.apple.com/airpods/

Another critique of Apple's recent product launches, in addition to the iPhone 7 launch, is Apple's failure to release any dynamic and game-changing new products since the original iPhone release in 2007. Apple has been making minor "tweaks" to its major products - the Macbook, iPod, iPhone - instead of releasing something entirely new and innovative.

The overly dramatic presentations at Apple's Special Events only serve to underscore the lack of new products to truly celebrate. There is an obvious disconnect between Apple's "overwhelming" presentation and "underwhelming" delivery of new ideas. It seems that in an effort to keep alive the spirit of Steve Jobs' dramatic presentation style, Apple feels the need to apply a similarly dramatic presentation style for all of its Special Events. Instead, Apple should cater its message to the importance of the announcement and the target audience. Improving Apple Special Events will also allow Apple to fight the current negative image as an arrogant, snobbish, and greedy company.

Recently, Apple's arrogant attitude is best exemplified by Philip Schiller's now viral quote, announcing that Apple's removal of the headphone jack, "comes down to one thing: courage." You don't need to be the host of the Daily Show to realize that this is a majorly overdramatic statement for Apple to make regarding their decision to change one aspect the iPhone. As Trevor Noah so eloquently puts it, "When I think of courage, I think: Martin Luther King, first responders, and what a bunch of cowards they were compared to the dude who removed an iPhone hole."

Apple's decision to remove the headphone jack was not one made without careful business considerations (this, I assume, is what Philip mean by having "courage"). Instead of waiting for technology to advance to the point of wire obsolescence, Apple made the choice to proactively change the iPhone 7 to meet that future vision.

In the era of advancing smart technology, it is not at all difficult to picture a future without wires. Wires including, yes, your headphones. While Apple's removal of our headphone wires may seem a tad premature, since wireless headphones are still pricier than their counterparts; however, Apple is certainly not "crazy" in betting that our future will not include headphone cables. And deciding to get a head start on that future.
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Apple would benefit from reframing their overall narrative when it comes to Special Events. Apple is not just thinking about what the future will look like - but designing its products to create the future it envisions. This is a narrative that would resonate with a wider audience.
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Apple is obviously doing its homework when it comes to mapping future scenarios and strategically adapting their product for a future demand. Apple is proactively designing its products for a future world - this message is often mistranslated by Apple's representatives and Event Keynote speakers (who have already "drank the kool aid.") It has failed to market the concept of creating the future to a wider audience - its technologically dogmatic, as well as its disenfranchised, customers.

Apple needs to remember that its customer can't "see" the future it sees, and it needs to paint that picture more clearly for its customer base. While this commercial for Air Pods is a good start, it focuses too heavily on the technical aspects of the product, rather than the overall story Apple's vision for the future and its role in designing products for that future.

So yes, it does take a bit of courage for Apple to redesign its products for a future reality. And, let's be honest here, with a rising stock price from ~$10 (2006) to ~$100 (2016), Apple can afford to take some risks. But, Apple should not say it aloud - its products' designs need to speak for themselves. With time, I think that we will all come to realize that is this was a decision that makes sense, and like any old technology, we will forget why we were using it in the first place. And hopefully, when Apple does release its next innovative product, it's worth the fanfare (my bets are on the iCar!).

More reading:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/airpods-are-apples-vision-of-a-wireless-future-1473294909
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/08/technology/iphone-7-apple-headphone-jack.html?_r=0
http://appadvice.com/post/apple-and-a-truly-wireless-future/721239
http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/iphone-7-headphone-jack-the-story-so-far-1324866
http://beloved-brands.com/2016/09/09/did-apple-just-break-the-steve-jobs-golden-rule/