Apple’s new iPod shuffle will only work with its own-brand headphones, or those made by third parties using a specially licensed chip. It’s outrageous, completely unnecessary and risks putting punters off iPods as they get on the very first rung of Apple’s pricing ladder. But that’s not all.
Here are five more concerns we have over the iPod shuffle headphone scandal.
1. Apple hasn’t listened, and hasn’t learnt
Anyone who owned a first generation iPhone might be getting a sense of deja vu over the latest headphone debacle. The first iPhone had a recessed headphone socket that made using third party headphones impossible without an adapter.
When Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone 3G, he proudly trumpeted the new design’s flush headphone socket that let the phone work with any headphones. The new iPod shuffle shows that Apple hasn’t learnt its lesson after all, and still wants to force owners to adopt its proprietary ear-fillers.
2. It’s already spreading
We can sort of, kind of, see why Apple needs special headphones for the iPod shuffle. It doesn’t have any external controls, so the ones on the headphones are all-important.
Much more worrisome is news from headphone maker V-Moda, which has its own range of Apple-approved iPod shuffle headphones in the works, that the new headphone’s chip is also recognised by “the latest gen of iPod and MacBooks.”
OK, those larger iPods and laptops don’t prohibit non-chipped headphones just yet, but Apple has built support in for a reason. We really, really hope it isn’t so sound can be blocked from non-approved earphones with a simple software update.
3. Others could follow
As any tech-watcher will know: Where Apple goes, others follow. It’s a trend-setting machine. Its Made for iPod programme sparked lots of eerily similar schemes by the likes of Microsoft (Made for Zune, anyone?), Nokia (JBL makes a special 5310 music speaker dock, complete with peculiar cable placement to match the phone’s sockets) and even SanDisk (yes, even SanDisk has a Made for Sansa programme).
If its rivals see Apple making money from the latest move, it could spark a wave of proprietary headphones, each with conflicting standards and convoluted authentication hoops to jump thorough. Just when we’ve got used to mobile manufacturers building standard headphone sockets into music phones, we could be about to go through the whole charade again with MP3 players.
4. It puts off new adopters
The iPod shuffle is the cheapest, most entry-level iPod, which is why its a shame that so many new iPod customers will grab one and instantly find themselves unable to use their existing headphones.
If there’s one thing guaranteed to send the iPod shuffle the way of a dusty drawer, it’s an inability to use it how you like. It’s the reason the iPhone and iPod touch were jailbroken. It’s the reason the Apple TV has been hacked to run Boxee. But in this case, the iPod shuffle is beyond a simple (and free) software fix. Somewhere down the line anyone wanting to use their own cans will need to fork out extra cash, either for new headphones or an adapter. That extra financial burden could be enough to keep them from the Apple brand for the rest of their life, and that’s a shame.
5. It will crank up the price of accessories
Whether it’s a set of headphones, or an FM transmitter for the car, adding authentication chips is a sure fire way of bumping up accessory price. 3rd party accessory makers will have no choice but to pass that increase on to customers.
How much will they add? Sennheiser’s CX 300-II headphones cost £39.10 at the Apple store. The Sennheiser MM50 iP headphones are an almost identical pair, but with the addition of an in-line remote control and mic for the iPhone. They go for £58.67. That’s £19.57 more, or a whopping 50% increase.
It’s safe to say the extra components alone don’t cost that much, leaving the rest to licensing fees for control chips and a fair slice of profiteering.
