Marco Arment:

Apple better have very good benefits for this that customers will want, but none of the reports so far indicate any.

Combined with the disappointment sure to result from the same physical iPhone design for three years in a row — a mediocre one, at that — I fear for the public perception of this fall’s iPhone and Apple as a result.

I agree, Apple needs a way to defend their decision to remove the headphone jack. And it must be better than “it’s time to move on” or the outcry of complaints will be beyond anything we’ve ever seen.

Update: I suppose it would be better if I clarified my position: I believe Apple should remove the headphone jack. Not just because “it’s time,” but because it would allow for thinner devices, a massive push toward wireless audio, and more simplified devices — wires are a bit fiddly.

The transition will be painful for some, but in five years we’ll look back in shock that we ever connected headphones with wires.