Apple removes headphone jack from new 10th generation iPad

The new 10.9-inch iPad now requires either wireless headphones, or the use of a USB-C adapter as it becomes the latest device to lose the famous 3.5mm headphone connector.

Completing the process it began with the iPhone 7 in 2015, Apple has now removed the headphone jack from all of its new mobile devices. The sole device Apple sells that still retains the old jack is 2021's 9th generation iPad.

The decision is likely to be less controversial now than it was seven years ago, as Apple has proven to be right about the move to wireless headphones. Or at least it's right in the sense that all rival manufacturers have now copied it.

It's arguable that Apple was self-serving in making the decision, because the company later became so dominant in wireless headphones with its AirPods range.

There are still many cases where a wired connection is better than a wireless one, such as for musicians and people working in education. For those people, Apple sells a pair of headphone $9 adapters, one for USB-C, and one for Lightning.

36 Comments

CheeseFreeze 1334 comments · 7 Years

About 2 years ago

JP234 said:

This is sure to bring out the trolls, claiming they will never buy another iPad.

But at this point, who needs the audio jack anyway? You have legacy earbuds? Get new ones. Get Bluetooth ones. Or buy a cheapo adapter. You say the audio quality is too low over Bluetooth? Well, you should be using a high end stereo system, that has both the 35mm and 1/4" audio jacks, not an iPad.

You probably don't have kids. I'm not giving them wireless phones that they lose because they are so small and expensive. You want to buy rugged, wired headphones that require no Bluetooth setup.

The removal of the jack is dumb, like many of the design choices Apple made for both iPads this year. The regular iPad is THE choice for kids, and they just removed something that is super popular for parents.

MacPro 19838 comments · 18 Years

About 2 years ago

JP234 said:

This is sure to bring out the trolls, claiming they will never buy another iPad.

But at this point, who needs the audio jack anyway? You have legacy earbuds? Get new ones. Get Bluetooth ones. Or buy a cheapo adapter. You say the audio quality is too low over Bluetooth? Well, you should be using a high end stereo system, that has both the 35mm and 1/4" audio jacks, not an iPad.

Spot on. They are the same folks that bitched about losing the Floppy drive, the CD drive, the DVD drive and cars with keys.

waveparticle 1497 comments · 3 Years

About 2 years ago

MacPro said:

JP234 said:

This is sure to bring out the trolls, claiming they will never buy another iPad.

But at this point, who needs the audio jack anyway? You have legacy earbuds? Get new ones. Get Bluetooth ones. Or buy a cheapo adapter. You say the audio quality is too low over Bluetooth? Well, you should be using a high end stereo system, that has both the 35mm and 1/4" audio jacks, not an iPad.

Spot on. They are the same folks that bitched about losing the Floppy drive, the CD drive, the DVD drive and cars with keys.

I miss the DVD drive.

auxio 2762 comments · 19 Years

About 2 years ago

CheeseFreeze said:

JP234 said:

This is sure to bring out the trolls, claiming they will never buy another iPad.

But at this point, who needs the audio jack anyway? You have legacy earbuds? Get new ones. Get Bluetooth ones. Or buy a cheapo adapter. You say the audio quality is too low over Bluetooth? Well, you should be using a high end stereo system, that has both the 35mm and 1/4" audio jacks, not an iPad.

You probably don't have kids. I'm not giving them wireless phones that they lose because they are so small and expensive. You want to buy rugged, wired headphones that require no Bluetooth setup.

I have a kid who ruined many pairs of wired headphones by yanking them out of the socket the wrong way and/or having the iPad drop with the headphones connected. You can get cheap BT headphones for around the same price as wired these days. There's really no difference aside from the 30 seconds it takes to pair them.

Stabitha_Christie 569 comments · 3 Years

About 2 years ago

JP234 said:

This is sure to bring out the trolls, claiming they will never buy another iPad.

But at this point, who needs the audio jack anyway? You have legacy earbuds? Get new ones. Get Bluetooth ones. Or buy a cheapo adapter. You say the audio quality is too low over Bluetooth? Well, you should be using a high end stereo system, that has both the 35mm and 1/4" audio jacks, not an iPad.

People that work with audio. I will use my iPad Pro for recording keyboard, guitar/bass and drums. The latency with Bluetooth is too high and can't be used to for monitoring what you are recording. So I end up having to use the built in speakers. That Apple has GarageBand on the iPad and this limitation is kind of a bummer. I also get that the people that do what I am doing are in the minority and Apple isn't going to keep the headphone jack for us. Side note, there is a group of people that complain that Logic and FCPX aren't on the iPad.... there is your answer. Both would be gimped by the lack of headphone jack.