Another rumor claims 'iPhone 7' will drop headphone jack, gain waterproofing & wireless charging
Apple is indeed planning to remove the headphone jack from next-generation iPhones, but will "very likely" be adding features like wireless charging and a waterproof chassis, a new report claimed on Thursday.
The company is collaborating with its usual audio chip supplier, Cirrus Logic, to adapt technology for use with the iPhone's Lightning port, a source told Fast Company. The phone will also allegedly employ new noise-canceling technology from Wolfson Microelectronics, a firm bought by Cirrus in 2014.
Software for the cancelation feature will reportedly be included in headphones as well as the iPhone itself. Third parties wanting to make supporting headphones will have to pay for a license.
The source suggests that people wanting Apple-made noise-canceling headphones won't get them out of the box, but will probably have to buy them separately, possibly from the company's Beats division.
Sacrificing the headphone jack will allow Apple to make the new iPhone even thinner, the person said.
As for wireless charging, Apple allegedly considered the feature for two previous iPhones, but may now be finally ready to implement it. The source didn't say whether Apple would conform to industry standards -- which would allow people to use existing chargers -- or force people to buy into a new proprietary format.
Apple could potentially pull either wireless charging or waterproofing out of the final design, the source cautioned, adding that it will be months before the new iPhone enters production.
The report appears to back recent rumors while also expanding on them with word of wireless charging and native noise cancellation. Wireless charging is a common feature on many high-end Android phones, but Apple has so far stayed out of the space for reasons unknown.
The company is collaborating with its usual audio chip supplier, Cirrus Logic, to adapt technology for use with the iPhone's Lightning port, a source told Fast Company. The phone will also allegedly employ new noise-canceling technology from Wolfson Microelectronics, a firm bought by Cirrus in 2014.
Software for the cancelation feature will reportedly be included in headphones as well as the iPhone itself. Third parties wanting to make supporting headphones will have to pay for a license.
The source suggests that people wanting Apple-made noise-canceling headphones won't get them out of the box, but will probably have to buy them separately, possibly from the company's Beats division.
Sacrificing the headphone jack will allow Apple to make the new iPhone even thinner, the person said.
As for wireless charging, Apple allegedly considered the feature for two previous iPhones, but may now be finally ready to implement it. The source didn't say whether Apple would conform to industry standards -- which would allow people to use existing chargers -- or force people to buy into a new proprietary format.
Apple could potentially pull either wireless charging or waterproofing out of the final design, the source cautioned, adding that it will be months before the new iPhone enters production.
The report appears to back recent rumors while also expanding on them with word of wireless charging and native noise cancellation. Wireless charging is a common feature on many high-end Android phones, but Apple has so far stayed out of the space for reasons unknown.
Comments
Could care less about water resistance and wireless charging.
The features I want are a front flash/movie light so I can Facetime in a dark setting, an optical zoom lens, and a password protected power-off switch - paired with a SIM lock and remote photo taking - so I can find the bastard who just stole my phone.
Complete and utter BS, so the above line is added as an out.
The current mini analog headphone jack was based on the 1/4 inch jack on audio components going back decades (the original 1/4 inch phone connector dates back to the late 19th century). The mini jack in it's mono form for consumers goes back to transistor radios that we carried around to listen to the ball games on AM radio. (many of you are too young to know what a transistor radio is, made in Japan, and why we would listen to AM radio. FM hadn't been created yet.) The Sony Walkman made stereo connectors and mini headphones popular. The only change over the years was to add additional connectors within the jack in order to add features like power and microphone.
Since the industry doesn't appear to want to create a new digital standard for headphone connectors that could be used as public domain it looks like each vendor is on their own. The only standard (sort of) is Blue Tooth for wireless listening. The problem is that less expensive phones (read that cheap) don't often implement the full 4.0 standard so the result can be somewhat mixed. The cost of quality Blue Tooth headphones needs to come down to be more affordable.
If Apple decides to use the Lightning connector for headphones it sounds like the cost could be high. Will the new headphones be compatible with previous iPhone models? Apple isn't afraid to make radical port decisions on their products as seen on the iPhone, iPad, iPod, and especially the Macbook line.
They could get very creative about the headphone options by bundling offerings at a discount.
If wireless charging were in the road map, Apple wouldn't have spent the last few years shaving fractions of millimetres off of the iPhone's thickness, knowing that they are going to have to add a full millimetre back for wireless charging. What component is there in the phone who's "thin-ification" this year could possibly give them the necessary space to add in wireless charging?
The way they talk about waterproofing being perhaps "pulled" is also highly suspicious. Waterproofing is something that affects every component and involves the whole integrated design, yet they talk about it being "pulled" as if there was a waterproofing chip or something that might be left out if time and money didn't permit.
I would file this whole report under "senseless guessing."
talk about cart before the horse. water resistance solves a real problem for normal people on the street. bezel size is something only phone nerds contemplate online.
Maybe they'll scrap the Earpods and implement some Beats Hi-Res buds with 24bit support, noise cancellation and a dac connector. That's the only way this move would make sense. Full court press on audio.
Make the phone last 24 hours of mixed use, and I'll be fine plugging it in as needed at night.
Improving and implementing wireless headphones is where Apple should be spending time and money. Dump the headphone jack, but then make affordable, good sounding, bt or Airplay headphones and I wouldn't have to have the 3 pairs of BT headsets I have now (although I'm really digging the Plantronics Backbeat Pro headset I'm using right now - but they're not really good for walking in the wild).
In this age of wireless everything, having wires connecting phone to headset is almost barbaric.
Apart from Apple for sure toying with a lot of ideas what evidence is there that the mentioned features actually are planned for the next gen iPhone?