[melling]

There's already an alternative: USB-C

Apple wasn't the first company to ditch it, or even the second...

http://www.androidcentral.com/moto-z-doesnt-have-headphone-j...

[zingmars]

That's not really a better alternative, now is it.

Now your headphones must come with all the electronics required for USB-C and their own seperate DACs. This means they're going to be slightly more expensive without any actual improvement over your 3.5mm headphones. Not to mention all of those threats of DRM and whatnot looming around. So with that in mind, why would I possibly want to make the move to USB-C?

[SysArchitect]

Why are there threats of DRM with the DAC moved to the cable instead of the DAC sitting inside the phone (where arguably it has more control over the DAC than if it is sitting in-line on a cable)?

[u02sgb]

Because you remove the "analogue hole" in the DRM scheme of the 3.5mm jack.

[duaneb]

It forgot to improve on the 3.5mm jack!

But thank god I have a thinner phone, I was really having issues sliding it under doors.

[archagon]

Terrible idea. Your USB-C headphones will become obsolete when the next USB standard inevitably comes out. Meanwhile, 3.5mm will still be kicking.