Belkin Headphone Adapter for iPhone

5 out of 10 - Average
Good enough for now

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by respect2nd (see profile) - July 8, 2007

5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.

2 out of 10 - Terrible
Departure from the Apple Aesthetic
The recessed audio jack on the iPhone is designed to prevent stresses on solder joints within the iPhone. I have ...
The recessed audio jack on the iPhone is designed to prevent stresses on solder joints within the iPhone. I have had these types of stresses cause audio jacks to fail, usually causing one of the stereo channels to cut in and out. This type of damage seems to occur only after years of hard use.

Apple designers apparently felt compelled to tackle this issue on the iPhone with a recessed audio jack that avoids stresses on the jack itself. The recessed jack is NOT compatible with existing audio devices like ear-buds and cassette adapters. Unfortunately an Apple designed adapter is not supplied with the iPhone. Enter Belkin, with a design that does nothing to redress the misery of iPhone users. The adapter's excessive length is universally despised; one iPhone user felt it made the iPhone look like a mini-police scanner.

The long, flimsy adapter seems to perpetuate the maxim of "avoid stressing the audio jack at all costs!!!". When my adapter equipped iPhone is on my belt, the adapter seems to get caught on things fairly easily.

The color of the adapter and the surface patterns are dull and lifeless. Adding ridges on the side of the adapter, would have made it easier to handle. Where Apple products all proudly declare "designed in California" this adapter was no doubt designed by former members of the politburo who felt the USSR failed because Soviet fashion was too stylish.

I only purchased one of these. I suppose Belkin feels that an adapter priced at $10 is a low cost when compared to the iPhone cost. Nevertheless, I feel this adapter is overpriced, and Belkin is capitalizing on the recessed audio jack debacle to the fullest extent possible. Read more
by omnikey (see profile) - August 24, 2007

6 out of 10 - Good
Use your own headphones with the iPhone
I have no idea why this adapter is so long, probably two or three times longer than I feel it ...
I have no idea why this adapter is so long, probably two or three times longer than I feel it needs to be. In terms of accomplishing the job, yes it works. But if size matters, then bigger isn't always better. Read more
by lharris9 (see profile) - July 16, 2007

2 out of 10 - Terrible
Horrible Industrial Design
Unfortunately, this is the one and only headphone adaptor currently sold in Apple stores for the iPhone's deeply-recessed audio ...
Unfortunately, this is the one and only headphone adaptor currently sold in Apple stores for the iPhone's deeply-recessed audio jack. It's about three times longer than it needs to be, and it's made of a flexible rubber that bends, but not quite enough to allow it to flop out of the way. Hopefully someone else will come out with a more reasonable design that doesn't stick out of the iPhone any more than the length of the plug itself. Good grief this a horrible design! Read more
by rgunther (see profile) - July 2, 2007