iPod touch lacks recessed headphone jack
The ability to summon playback controls without having to “slide to unlock” may be one new feature that you’ll see on the iPod before on the iPhone, but it’s not the only trump that the new product has. An eagle-eyed commenter over at MacUser pointed out to me that the iPod touch does not have a recessed headphone jack, à la the iPhone.
I checked the 360° QTVR model, and sure enough he’s right. In fact, it took me a minute to find the headphone jack at all, because it’s not on the top, like either the current iPhone or iPod model. Instead, Apple’s moved the jack to the bottom of the unit, next to the dock-connector port, where it resides on the nano. I find myself wondering why they didn’t do the same exact thing on the iPhone? Grrr.
ABOUT iPHONE CENTRAL
Get the latest news, reviews, and opinion about Apple's groundbreaking iPhone from the Apple experts at Macworld.
Want more information? Be sure to check out our complete iPhone coverage.
iPHONE VERSION
Our site's pretty iPhone friendly. But if you'd like to test an iPhone-app-like version of our site, click here and give it a go.
MACWORLD'S iPHONE REVIEW
How does the iPhone stack up? Read our in-depth review.
iPHONE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
Send your iPhone thoughts:
via e-mail
via voicemail
and we may use them on the site.
RECENT COMMENTS 
- maclia on Google's Vic Gundotra on the iPhone
- Philip Michaels on Google's Vic Gundotra on the iPhone
- Daniel Chow on Google's Vic Gundotra on the iPhone
- Nathan on Google's Vic Gundotra on the iPhone
- Liz on Google's Vic Gundotra on the iPhone
- Stuart on MegaPhone now PhoneView: an app by any other name would smell as sweet
- mc mike on iPhone Love, Italian-Style
- rg on Aliph Jawbone goes double or nothing
- PJ Mudd on iPhone cleans out your wallet (in a good way)
- backguy on New Google Reader is iPhonerrific
CATEGORIES
- Accessories (39)
- AT&T (43)
- Hacking (31)
- Hardware (26)
- Musings (101)
- News (204)
- Reader Experiences (4)
- Reviews (51)
- Software (138)
- Tips & Troubleshooting (78)
- Videos (9)
- Wi-Fi (15)
BLOG ARCHIVE
- May 2008 (24)
- April 2008 (34)
- March 2008 (33)
- February 2008 (50)
- January 2008 (34)
- December 2007 (33)
- November 2007 (42)
- October 2007 (45)
- September 2007 (53)
- August 2007 (67)
- July 2007 (111)
- June 2007 (82)
Comments (7)
You're welcome :)
I should also have mentioned that the touch lacks a speaker. Honestly, I consider that a big feature of the iPhone.
Posted by Dave-O | September 5, 2007 4:11 PM
They didnt do this on the iphone becuase of the speakers on the bottom, the ipod doesnt need speakers so the jack goes where the speakers are
Posted by brogan | September 5, 2007 4:59 PM
any idea why they recessed the headphone jack on the iphone?
Posted by jim | September 5, 2007 5:20 PM
The non-recessed headphone jack on the iPod Touch is the only thing about todays announcements that pissed me off! That has got to be the worst design idea for the iPhone. There has to be some "we'll do this because we can get more money out of them" reason they did that. It's just plain bad.
Jeff
Posted by Jeff Singer | September 5, 2007 5:27 PM
Here's why they didn't do the exact same thing with the iPhone. In addition to the iPod circuitry, the iPhone contains a speaker, a microphone, a Bluetooth transceiver, a proximity sensor, and a GSM transceiver. All that extra circuitry takes up room. The internal layout of the iPhone makes it impossible to move the headphone jack up to the edge of the casing with its current components. That, of course, will eventually change.
Posted by Lymond![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://iphone.macworld.com/nav-commenters.gif)
|
September 5, 2007 5:37 PM
looking at the VR, I think you are simply seeing the material from the front bezel wrapping around the connectors. So, unless someone has tried it, I would not count on it not being recessed.
Posted by hoho | September 5, 2007 10:13 PM
Call me fickle: the ONE thing I really don't like about my iPhone is the recessed connector. The ONE thing I'm mad about is that they've fixed it on the Touch.
I'm upset that I have to carry an ugly 2.5" adapter to use my iPhone with my $400 headphones or to plug into any other stereo system.
And, now that they've fixed the problem, no one is going to design a better adapter (like the inch long TTY adapter). There has never been a market for thin mini-plugs and there never will be now.
So, I'm fickle.
Jim
Posted by Jim Pollock | September 5, 2007 10:20 PM