APPLE
Apple’s Buttonless iPod Also Had a Little-known Headphone Jack problem
The 2009 third-generation iPod Shuffle didn’t play well with non-proprietary headphones
Apple is no stranger to minimalism. In fact, it has indoctrinated it into nearly every facet of its sprawling ecosystem, be it the shedding of TouchID or the headphone jack. But the Cupertino-based giant’s audio experiments began in 2009 as it unveiled its smallest iPod yet.
The third-generation iPod Shuffle was incredibly small for a device that could hold over a thousand songs (at 128 kbps). A device 1.8 inches tall and 0.3 inches thin, this sleek piece of engineering was half the size of its predecessor while offering more storage. Unfortunately, the sacrifices were visible on first blush.
Apple’s svelte third-gen Shuffle came at a cost
The traditional click wheel was gone, replaced by the in-line controls of the bundled pair of earphones. It lacked a display and instead relied on Apple’s text-to-speech VoiceOver technology to let listeners know what song was playing. The 3.5 mm headphone jack was too ubiquitous to do away with back in 2009. I’d have praised Apple for its bold approach, eschewing traditional controls for a minimal system that accomplished the same. But they dropped the ball in one place they shouldn’t have.
The only thing you could control using the iPod itself was a slider that let you pick between playing songs in order, shuffle and switching it off. This wouldn’t have been much of an issue had Apple done what every MP3 player manufacturer did: let third-party inline controls work seamlessly with the third-gen iPod Shuffle.
It didn’t.
The headphone jack wasn’t the problem
You were on your own if you lost or damaged the pair of earphones that came in the box. It came equipped with a proprietary integrated circuit designed by Apple to ensure compatibility. What this meant was that regular run-of-the-mill audio equipment would work fine on a third-generation iPod Shuffle, provided that you didn’t have the need to do anything but press play. For advanced controls like pausing, skipping, or replaying tracks, you needed to get your hands on third-party headphones licensed by Apple, or Apple earphones designed for it.
Note that this meant that not all earphones made by Apple themselves fit this category. None do today, which means you’re out of luck if you’ve been holding on to one of these players for the past decade. I found out the hard way when I had to help a friend out after the bundled pair of earphones died.
While it’s clear what sort of monetary incentive Apple had to keep things proprietory, it hampered the iPod’s vision of delivering a top-notch audio experience compatible with the vast majority of audio equipment already in customers’ hands. Apple’s $30 earphones didn’t fit every pair of ears out there, but proprietory hardware ruled out affordable pairs of earphones. Licensed earphones were pricier than their standard counterparts because of the added hardware and the royalties that manufacturers had to pay Apple.
For instance, Klipsch’s new earphones hit the market to the tune of $100 at a time when one could find cheaper alternatives that sounded better.
Third-party solutions weren't the best way forward
Third-party vendors stepped up and offered custom peripherals that offered built-in controls, but they took away from the minuscule nature of the iPod. And they were prohibitively expensive. Scosche’s snug polycarbonate Tapstick solution was pricey at $30 when the 4GB version of the third-gen iPod Shuffle itself cost $80.
Back in the day, you’d be forgiven for not knowing why the controls on your favorite set of buds didn’t work with Apple’s latest and greatest iPod. Their intent to double down on minimalism meant that the third-generation iPod Shuffle experienced a lukewarm reception from critics and consumers alike. These nuances meant that not everyone got to experience Apple’s vision of an unrivaled audio player.
Not until the next iPod Shuffle brought back the click wheel.
