Why is the headphone jack on the bottom?

Question

Why is the headphone jack on the bottom?

I was really excited for the iPhone 5 but now I don't think I'll be getting one. For me, changing the location of the headphone jack is entirely unnecessary. I've been reading up on this, and the only reason I can find for it is because people say it's more "natural" to put their phone in their pocket upside down; this doesn't make any sense to me! Is it really that hard to move your arm straight down to your pocket with your wrist straight instead of only rotating your elbow? I find it irritating that I would have to store the phone upside down in my pocket, and that would just make it harder to adjust the volume or flick the vibrate on without taking it out of my pocket. That's something I do all the time: walk into a classroom or theater, and need to make sure my phone is on silent without pulling it out and drawing attention to myself.

I also get that you can lay the phone flat on a desk and have the headphone cord hang off the edge. But what about when I have the phone propped up? I guess I can't do that anymore. I also can't leave it upright in a cupholder while I drive.

I've been an iPhone user because I like how professional and uniform Apple products look. But storing and displaying my phone upside down destroys that asthetic for me. I know some people will say that orientation is a stupid thing to quibble about, but Steve Jobs was known to obsess over far smaller things (I'm not saying this was one of them), and that's what makes Apple products so well thought-out.

So what is the point of putting the headphone jack on the bottom? Can anyone give me a real reason that I can support? I really want to be able to get excited about this phone, but at this point I think it's unfortunately a deal-breaker for me.

iPhone 4S

Posted on Sep 12, 2012 8:01 PM

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Answer 1

Richmr

Level 1

4 points

Mar 7, 2017 8:39 PM in response to GoldPlatedRook

I agree 100 percent. I have a really good stand for my old phone ( no names) but I can't use it because the stupid jack is on the bottom. What idiot thought that up. The iPad has it on top, I guess it can be done.

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Answer 2

roaminggnome

Level 10

106,365 points

Sep 12, 2012 8:08 PM in response to GoldPlatedRook

Wow. Seems like an over reaction. If heaphone port location is such a huge deal to you, then the iphone 5 is not for you.

Apple chose to put it there. I have seen no announcement of the reason for this.

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Answer 3

Sep 12, 2012 8:11 PM in response to GoldPlatedRook

to fit the longer screen and all components in thinner package they had to move headphone jack in space created by newly smaller dock connector (my best guess)

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Answer 4

mobi007

Level 1

1 points

Sep 14, 2012 10:27 PM in response to roaminggnome

Goldplatedrock, i agree with you. This is not an over reaction. Steve Jobs was meticulous with design and usability - and i am sure he would NOT have accepted the headphone jack going to the bottom. He was known to scrap designs 6 weeks before the first iphone was about to hit the market.

It really is a a terrible move but i think they had to move it for engineering reasons.

It has even been moved on the new ipod touch.

Think of all the car holders and desk docking stations that will not be able to be used when wanting to keep the headphones connected. Plus upside down in your pocket? - that really *****.

I also wonder how the new lightining connector will hold up the whole phone with accessories like speakers - it will not be able to hold it up.

Steve come back..............

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Answer 5

carl wolf

Level 6

14,625 points

Sep 15, 2012 12:09 AM in response to GoldPlatedRook

Put the iPhone in your pocket upside down.

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Answer 6

iinami

Level 4

1,856 points

Sep 15, 2012 3:14 AM in response to carl wolf

carl wolf wrote:

Put the iPhone in your pocket upside down.

agreed, i always put the phone upside down in my pocket anyway because less chance of something getting stuck in the dock connector, for example if i forgot i had some coins in my pocket, or even just some lint. however, i'm also wondering about dock connectors.

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Answer 7

wegras

Level 6

15,305 points

Sep 17, 2012 1:48 PM in response to iinami

Oh well coins won't be problem now ...............🙂

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Answer 8

Sep 17, 2012 2:03 PM in response to mobi007

No doubt Steve was OK with this design before he died. The iPod Touch has had the headphone jack on the bottom for a while now. People use it in their pockets, and on docks, and in their cars, and on their desktops just fine. The phone will be fine too.

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Answer 9

Sep 23, 2012 6:16 PM in response to GoldPlatedRook

I think the Answer might be that the new plugs to all the accessories from now on will likely use the headphone jack to stabilize the device in the cradle. That wasn't necessary with the 30 pin plug. However with such a smaller plug at the bottom of the device you'll need another stabilization point to keep the device from falling off or breaking off. See the plug that Incipio uses On even the older devices. Stabilization will be that much more important on the iPhone five.

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Answer 10

Sep 23, 2012 7:31 PM in response to GoldPlatedRook

I think the headphone jack at the bottom has something to do with the new 8-pin Lightning connector and it not being able to carry an analog audio signal. It'a all digital. Therefore, for example, you would need the Lightning to 30-pin adapter to get audio out to say an existing clock radio dock. But future accessories and docks compatible with the new iPhone 5 might have an additional pin (along with an 8-pin Lightning port) that'll accept the headphone port at the bottom to pump audio to the device. This along the line of what "Originalipaduser" was say about also using the headphone jack as a stabilizer that also carry an audio signal in whatever device the iPhone 5 is docked with. Hope this helps.

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Answer 11

Nov 7, 2012 9:40 AM in response to GoldPlatedRook

I also don't like the idea of the jack at the bottom. I use a Sena pouch with my iphone4s and its the best pouch ever....especially cruising around with my phone in the pouch and my headphones connected. With the iphone5 the jack is in the bottom which means I'll have to disconnect the headphones every time I need to get the phone out the pouch, unless I put the phone upside down in the pouch, but then the buttons don't allow the phone to slide in and out smoothly and the mute button wil no longer be accessible. Oh we'll too bad, this wont stop me from getting the new iphone5..... One more week baby!!! Whoop whoop

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