Is The iPad 2’s Headphone Jack Waterproof?
March 14, 2011
The iPad 2’s headphone jack might be waterproof, according to the folks at fox @ fury, which recently reviewed it. They contend the jack is a pogo plug, which enables it to be completely sealed against the elements.
Last September, Apple applied for a patent for a smaller audio jack design using pogo pins, which are different than the more traditional switch contacts, like those on the original iPad.
According to fox @ fury, the iPad 2 may be the first device to use this new pin, although this has not been confirmed by Apple. One reason for this could be Apple’s reluctance to see it compared to the headphone jack on the original iPhone.
The location of the jack on each iDevice is on a curved exterior surface. For the original iPhone, this lead to a disastrous result. Standard headphones wouldn’t work with the original handset model so “iPhone-capatible” headphones became the norm. This upset consumers and by the time the iPhone 3G launched a year later, Apple changed the phone’s design. Since then, all iDevices include a jack that works with standard headphones.
I can assure you, even though the iPad 2’s design is similar to that of the original iPhone, the headset jack works as expected with standard headphones.
It remains to be seen if the iPad 2's jack is actually waterproof. With supplies of the iPad 2 tight, no one has been willing to test this and risk breaking their iDevice.
