Considering all of the engineering achievements to be found in the iPhone and the quick acceptance the 3G is getting, there are a few things that still leave users scratching their heads: as in, “why would they do something this stupid?”
The first is the very annoying recessed jack in the first version of the iPhone which requires users to buy an adapter to plug in any but Apple headsets. Not that manufacturers couldn’t just make headsets that work (and some do - the Sennheiser set I just bought comes with an adapter, but work fine without it, so the adapter simply serves as an extension). I have tried several adapters which seem to present a barrier to decent sound quality. It stands to reason that an extra plug provides more opportunities for the signal to deteriorate. So why did Apple recess the plug? Perhaps to protect it from being pulled out? Who knows!
But Apple also changed the iPhone dock on the 3G, which of course is different from the iPod dock. The old dock won’t work with the iPhone. Now other manufacturers have come out with universal docks, and so has Apple. Apple’s does come with a remote control, but not with a cable. Essentially, for $49 you get something you can plug your iPhone into and allow it to stand upright.
Well almost. The “universal” iPhone dock requires a $9 adapter to work with the 3G. For some reason they think you will lose two of them, so for $9 they ship three.
Or you can just get the 3G dock itself for $29. No remote. No cable.
Mind you, you don’t actually need any of these. The iPhone comes with a charger and cable that work just fine, and there are lots of third party chargers that are considerably less expensive. Of course none of them allow you to leave your iPhone in an upright position while it’s charging.
Somehow manufacturing a “universal” charger that requires an adapter to work with your premiere product is not merely aggravating: it’s bad engineering. If it’s revenue Apple is looking for, it seems to me all of these plugs and adapters are doing more to aggravate Apple’s customers than they could possibly compensate for with the revenue these devices may generate.
Yes iPhone users will put up with it, but they have a right to expect more from Apple engineers.
![Glowing Apple logo mod for 2G iPhone [Video]](http://www.iphonefreak.com/wp-content/themes/freshnews/thumb.php?src=http://www.iphonefreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/iphone-apple-light-21.jpg&h=28&w=28&zc=1&q=80)
July 20th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
The iPhone 3G does not have a recessed audio jack. In fact, the absence of a recessed jack was touted by Steve Jobs during the keynote.
July 20th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Yes, that was an error on my part. I have corrected it. Thank you!
July 21st, 2008 at 12:12 am
well said. i agree with the folly of the extensions and adapters for the iphone and iphone 3g
July 21st, 2008 at 11:28 am
Apple said the recessed jack was to keep the connection clean.
July 22nd, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Every single connector for the iPod line seems to be a touch different.
I kind of wish they had just put a pair of 1/4″ deep holes in the bottom next to the connector so that any version could be “Docked” by sliding it on top of two strong posts. Heck, you could even charge from the posts and not risk voltage on that tiny connector.
And the recessed connector is silly. I think it may be a safety precaution–so that if you yank sideways it is harder to tweak the headphone jack (along the same lines as the magnetic power connector on the notebook).
It also might be a form of advertising. If so, it’s a pretty good one! Those little white ear buds tend to make it really easy to identify someone listening to an iProduct–and to some degree identify the iProduct itself.
August 3rd, 2008 at 10:57 am
Don’t blame the Apple engineers for not thinking of product features - how about the Marketing gurus. I for one would love to have iPhone 3G dock that charges and allows me to use the ipod feature with my stereo system. is that asking too much from the brainiacs at Apple?