Why Apple Still Puts Headphone Jacks On MacBooks, Even On New Models
It's been nine years since Apple started moving away from the 3.5mm audio jack on its mobile devices. The iPhone 7 and the 7 Plus were the first iPhones to launch without an audio port and relied on the included Lightning port for connecting any headphones or other audio devices. This move was pretty controversial at the time, but Apple stuck to its guns and believed in a wireless audio future with its AirPods lineup of headphones leading the charge at the expense of wired EarPods.
Soon after the iPhone, iPads also started losing the 3.5mm audio jack, and the 2021 iPad was the last one to feature the jack. However, surprisingly, the same 3.5mm headphone jack has managed to be a consistent part of all of the company's MacBook models, even when the company's thin-and-light option, the MacBook Air, barely has any ports and forces you to live in a world of USB hubs and docking stations.
So, why is Apple so generous with MacBooks when it comes to the audio jack? The answer is simple: the company believes the professionals use its MacBooks, and they may need the port for their audio gear.
It's for the professionals
Apple devices are pretty popular among creative professionals, and the company recognizes this. That's why it has consistently released products that are geared more towards professionals than everyday users, such as the Mac Studio, Studio Display, and Pro Display XDR. It is the same understanding that has stopped the company from going the iPhone or iPad way with the MacBooks.
In an interview with the Independent in 2016, Apple Fellow Phil Schiller, who was then SVP of Worldwide Marketing, acknowledged that many professionals deal with audio gear that may not necessarily have wireless support. So, the MacBooks need the 3.5mm headphone jack.
"If it was just about headphones then it doesn't need to be there, we believe that wireless is a great solution for headphones. But many users have setups with studio monitors, amps, and other pro audio gear that do not have wireless solutions and need the 3.5mm jack," Schiller said.
Although Schiller was talking about the MacBook Pros in this interview, these comments are equally valid for the MacBook Air, as many folks use it too for their professional duties, and the migration to Apple Silicon has made the Air even more powerful and efficient.
Apple is also pretty serious about your Mac's 3.5mm audio jack, as since 2021, it has included support for high-impedance headphones in the audio jack of all its Macs. This support allows you to connect many fancy, professional-grade headphones directly to a Mac without needing an external AMP, something that's clearly aimed at keeping professionals happy and recognizing the importance of this jack.