I suspect Apple will keep the headphone jack for a couple of reasons.
1. If it dumped a headphone jack, it couldn't get away with just one Lightning jack. People would not be able to charge and use an iPhone's mike/earphone at the same time.
2. That means two Lightning jacks on every iPhone. But that would add to an iPhone's cost, anger users with earphones they like, and add no additional capability to iPhones.
There is a slight possibility that Apple would come up with a separate MagSafe-like connector for earphones and perhaps even license it for other manufacturers. It'd certainly be a major change in the marketplace. Having a earphone connector that snaps off rather than yanking an iPhone around would be a major improvement too.
Ok, ditching the 3.5mm jack could allow for slimmer iPhones. But what about cameras requiring more depth (for more functionality)? I'm surprised Apple hasn't intro'd a wedge-shaped phone, akin to the MBA shape. The larger end could allow for a better camera, the narrower end for a sense of remarkable slimness, the average thickness would still allow for at least the same volume of battery, and the difference in the two ends would make it even easier to orient to the home button/earpiece "ends" than the current design.
Having a earphone connector that snaps off rather than yanking an iPhone around would be a major improvement too.
Not sure about that, more than once I've dropped my iPhone but managed to catch it by the headphone cord before it hit the ground. Handy bit of contingency there!
Ok, ditching the 3.5mm jack could allow for slimmer iPhones. But what about cameras requiring more depth (for more functionality)? I'm surprised Apple hasn't intro'd a wedge-shaped phone, akin to the MBA shape. The larger end could allow for a better camera, the narrower end for a sense of remarkable slimness, the average thickness would still allow for at least the same volume of battery, and the difference in the two ends would make it even easier to orient to the home button/earpiece "ends" than the current design.
Thoughts?
Apple still has a lot of space that they can knock off of the iPhone before they need to get rid of the 3.5mm jack. There are phones out now that have achieved 5.5mm. So I would like to see wireless connections between devices get a little faster not to mention more stable before we start getting rid of all the cables.
So let's recap the assumptions a lot of folks seem to be making, if Apple puts out an iPhone with a headphone lightning adapter:
1) All new iPhones will *stop* coming with the appropriate headphones. 2) All old iPhones will *magically* be converted to lightning, making everyone have to go out and buy new headphones or an adapter. 3) Apple will *require* you to go out and buy the new iPhone that is incompatible with your headphones. 4) Now that Beats is owned by Apple, their headphones will continue to be as mediocre (or whatever the current opinion is of them) as they are now and Apple won't be able to do anything about that.
It would use the same port, requiring pass-through adapters if you want to listen a charge at the same time. There would be no 2nd Lightning port.
Using the Lightning port for audio makes it easier to connect the iPhone into the car. If a person wants to charge while listening, then a charging stand built into a speaker box makes good sense. More Apple-only stuff to elbow Android off into a corner.
So let's recap the assumptions a lot of folks seem to be making, if Apple puts out an iPhone with a headphone lightning adapter:
1) All new iPhones will *stop* coming with the appropriate headphones. 2) All old iPhones will *magically* be converted to lightning, making everyone have to go out and buy new headphones or an adapter.
3) Apple will *require* you to go out and buy the new iPhone that is incompatible with your headphones.
4) Now that Beats is owned by Apple, their headphones will continue to be as mediocre (or whatever the current opinion is of them) as they are now and Apple won't be able to do anything about that.
Don't the iPhones with a lightning connector already offer "sound out" at the lightning connector now? If so, then dropping the old earphone jack will allow backward compatibility to old devices for new earphones.
I really dislike nonconforming technology and I probably wouldn't buy an iPhone that would require an adaptor just so I could use my headphones but I guess it's not such a big deal for me as I don't have an iPhone. On my iPad though I don't have a problem with it as I use an Apogee One DAC that is connected via the Lightning Port, so in a way I have already moved on from using the built in 3.5mm jack. If Apple was to come out with a light weight DAC for the iPhone or even have it integrated into the phone itself I might change my mind but even then the odds that higher end headphones and I'm not talking about Beats will support this new format are pretty slim, so I would probably need an adaptor anyway.
Seems that Apple is already talking about designing "headphone modules" with accessory makers that provide analog outputs and system control integration. I would assume that these modules could also enable multiple ports for plugging in other devices.
While it might enable a new range of accessory designs and features, standardizing around Lightning headphones still makes the basic headphone design more complicated, because the headphones would need to integrate all the digital-to-analog functionality that the phone itself currently performs. The basic design of the 3.5mm jack with its long plug would make any "headphone module" protrude from the Lightning connector in a big way. It won't be pretty.
Quote:
Would an adaptor change the quality of the output, I ask because the HDMI adaptor for my iPad Air is very inconsistent, most of the time it mirrors the desktop at a 4:3 aspect ratio, plays videos at 720P and though I don't play many games I do like a few and their is noticeable lag with some, etc. Nothing compared to the experience when using a device that has a built in HDM, for example my Nexus 10 which has a built in Micro HDMI, I just plug it in and it works, full HD so none of those awful black bars that drives me batty on my iPad Air, no lag and the image is sharp and quite pleasing to look at when viewing movies and photos. So I defiantly notice the difference between using a dongle and having the tech built in, will there be a downside in using a dongle that converts the single from digital to analog for the 3.5mm jack. Have you seen the inside of the HDMI dongle, it could probably run iOS all by itself with the amount of chips that are in it, not to mention it wasn't cheap, especially for something that does something so arbitrary as connecting the device a TV. I would pay 100 dollars more for my iPad if it had a built in HDMI port.
HDMI is one of those standards where functionality and performance took a backseat to other considerations, namely copy protection. The need for device-to-device authentication really slows things down, and the design of the connector itself always seemed more like an afterthought -- it's horrible. The HDCP (high-bandwidth digital content protection) handshake authentication between devices using HDMI has always been a source of latency and other potential issues. Plus, you have multiple versions of the HDMI standard with different bandwidth capacity and format support capabilities. Adding an adapter into the chain creates an additional step that can cause a bottleneck for any number of reasons.
It's not an issue for digital audio, because those formats do not require any kind of device authentication.
I suspect Apple will keep the headphone jack for a couple of reasons.
1. If it dumped a headphone jack, it couldn't get away with just one Lightning jack. People would not be able to charge and use an iPhone's mike/earphone at the same time.
2. That means two Lightning jacks on every iPhone. But that would add to an iPhone's cost, anger users with earphones they like, and add no additional capability to iPhones.
There is a slight possibility that Apple would come up with a separate MagSafe-like connector for earphones and perhaps even license it for other manufacturers. It'd certainly be a major change in the marketplace. Having a earphone connector that snaps off rather than yanking an iPhone around would be a major improvement too.
There is a "head of design" job available at Samsung for which you are well fit... Go and have a long career mucking up their products with your lack of imagination.
Ok, ditching the 3.5mm jack could allow for slimmer iPhones. But what about cameras requiring more depth (for more functionality)? I'm surprised Apple hasn't intro'd a wedge-shaped phone, akin to the MBA shape. The larger end could allow for a better camera, the narrower end for a sense of remarkable slimness, the average thickness would still allow for at least the same volume of battery, and the difference in the two ends would make it even easier to orient to the home button/earpiece "ends" than the current design.
The iPhone needs to be thinner? Seriously? Apple are you not listening to customers who say they want significantly better battery life?
I have a bad feeling about this. 3.5 mm is by its nature an open standard. I'm suspicious of Apple's intensions and that they might just be using "size" as an excuse, especially in the light of the whole Beats thing.
Apple has made it very difficult to get digital audio out of iDevices traditionally so I don't see this changing things.
So let's recap the assumptions a lot of folks seem to be making, if Apple puts out an iPhone with a headphone lightning adapter:
1) All new iPhones will *stop* coming with the appropriate headphones.
2) All old iPhones will *magically* be converted to lightning, making everyone have to go out and buy new headphones or an adapter.
3) Apple will *require* you to go out and buy the new iPhone that is incompatible with your headphones.
4) Now that Beats is owned by Apple, their headphones will continue to be as mediocre (or whatever the current opinion is of them) as they are now and Apple won't be able to do anything about that.
:rolleyes:
The same arguments were posted about the introduction of the Lightning connector, when it replaced the 30-pin iPod Dock Connector. Except instead of "headphones" it was sound docks and charging cradles. Whining and complaining. Accusations of greed.
I have a bad feeling about this. 3.5 mm is by its nature an open standard. I'm suspicious of Apple's intensions and that they might just be using "size" as an excuse, especially in the light of the whole Beats thing.
This is how conspiracy theories start: interpret facts and hearsay together in such a way that some overarching, evil plan ties it all together neatly and explains everything in terms of what you are already inclined to believe about Apple.
Bad idea and not feasible. Lightening is still too expensive, many people have incompatible headphones they paid a lot of money for, Lightening has gained virtually no traction in the marketplace, the plugs fall out at the slightest jarring...I could go on and on. This is one of those "upgrades" Apple should not try to cram down our throats.
I think this misses the point that "any" headphones can be used with the iPhone/iPad/iPod. Barrel/Minijack connectors are designed to move and rotate. Lightning isn't. I'd advise Apple to take a look at the Nintendo GBA SP (The first clamshell design GBA) when they removed the headphone jack, only to put it back on all subsequent portable devices. What you had to do, to use headphones on the GBA SP was buy a third-party adapter that plugged into the charging port, so you had this unnecessary dongle that hung off the device, giving it just one more reason to wear out the connector. Sorry, Apple but this is a BAD idea. Also Nokia did this before as well (headset/carkit's that only connect to the pin array at the bottom of the device) and also stopped doing it.
If Apple wants to make the headphone jack smaller, they should use the 2.5mm TRRS minijack connector. A 3.5mm to 2.5mm adapter would extend maybe 3cm to the cable length, but not make it any less convenient. The flaw I saw with using the lightning connector is that all that would happen is people would have a 3.5mm TRRS or 3.5mm TRRS TOSLink adapter constantly plugged into it, making the overall profile of the device larger. This is not helping Apple's case to make the device smaller when a standard feature has to be added back at the expense of the lightning connector.
Don't forget all the third party opportunities for cases with an uber-battery, lightning wedgie built-in...and 3.5" jacks. I can see AAPL killing the jack, not so much because it needs the space, but because it is tech that sucks, and the alternatives attractive.
The same arguments were posted about the introduction of the Lightning connector, when it replaced the 30-pin iPod Dock Connector. Except instead of "headphones" it was sound docks and charging cradles. Whining and complaining. Accusations of greed.
Well yes and no, this is a little different as Apple is taking something away not simply changing it. I hated the 30 PIN adaptor and welcomed the change. I still don't understand how Apple is going to solve the listening to music through earphones while charging or when using something like MIDI. Is Apple going to add two Lightning Ports to the iPad, which by the way I don't have a problem with as I wish I had two now or at least a 4 way port replicator. I would even be fine if the charging cable added an extra port but that doesn't seem like a really clean design.
Well yes and no, this is a little different as Apple is taking something away not simply changing it.
I don't see this as being any different than Apple taking away the floppy disc to make way for the DVD player. Or taking away the DVD player to make way for "download only". Or taking away the ethernet port to make way for "wireless only".....and probably a dozen other examples. Apple has done all this before; transitioning from one thing to another. Every time, people can't see how they will ever do without, but eventually, they do. Whatever the concern, Apple always seems to figure it out.
Comments
1. If it dumped a headphone jack, it couldn't get away with just one Lightning jack. People would not be able to charge and use an iPhone's mike/earphone at the same time.
2. That means two Lightning jacks on every iPhone. But that would add to an iPhone's cost, anger users with earphones they like, and add no additional capability to iPhones.
There is a slight possibility that Apple would come up with a separate MagSafe-like connector for earphones and perhaps even license it for other manufacturers. It'd certainly be a major change in the marketplace. Having a earphone connector that snaps off rather than yanking an iPhone around would be a major improvement too.
Ok, ditching the 3.5mm jack could allow for slimmer iPhones. But what about cameras requiring more depth (for more functionality)? I'm surprised Apple hasn't intro'd a wedge-shaped phone, akin to the MBA shape. The larger end could allow for a better camera, the narrower end for a sense of remarkable slimness, the average thickness would still allow for at least the same volume of battery, and the difference in the two ends would make it even easier to orient to the home button/earpiece "ends" than the current design.
Thoughts?
Ok, ditching the 3.5mm jack could allow for slimmer iPhones. But what about cameras requiring more depth (for more functionality)? I'm surprised Apple hasn't intro'd a wedge-shaped phone, akin to the MBA shape. The larger end could allow for a better camera, the narrower end for a sense of remarkable slimness, the average thickness would still allow for at least the same volume of battery, and the difference in the two ends would make it even easier to orient to the home button/earpiece "ends" than the current design.
Thoughts?
Apple still has a lot of space that they can knock off of the iPhone before they need to get rid of the 3.5mm jack. There are phones out now that have achieved 5.5mm. So I would like to see wireless connections between devices get a little faster not to mention more stable before we start getting rid of all the cables.
Vivo X3 - 5.57mm
1) All new iPhones will *stop* coming with the appropriate headphones.
2) All old iPhones will *magically* be converted to lightning, making everyone have to go out and buy new headphones or an adapter.
3) Apple will *require* you to go out and buy the new iPhone that is incompatible with your headphones.
4) Now that Beats is owned by Apple, their headphones will continue to be as mediocre (or whatever the current opinion is of them) as they are now and Apple won't be able to do anything about that.
:rolleyes:
Using the Lightning port for audio makes it easier to connect the iPhone into the car. If a person wants to charge while listening, then a charging stand built into a speaker box makes good sense. More Apple-only stuff to elbow Android off into a corner.
Don't the iPhones with a lightning connector already offer "sound out" at the lightning connector now? If so, then dropping the old earphone jack will allow backward compatibility to old devices for new earphones.
I really dislike nonconforming technology and I probably wouldn't buy an iPhone that would require an adaptor just so I could use my headphones but I guess it's not such a big deal for me as I don't have an iPhone. On my iPad though I don't have a problem with it as I use an Apogee One DAC that is connected via the Lightning Port, so in a way I have already moved on from using the built in 3.5mm jack. If Apple was to come out with a light weight DAC for the iPhone or even have it integrated into the phone itself I might change my mind but even then the odds that higher end headphones and I'm not talking about Beats will support this new format are pretty slim, so I would probably need an adaptor anyway.
Seems that Apple is already talking about designing "headphone modules" with accessory makers that provide analog outputs and system control integration. I would assume that these modules could also enable multiple ports for plugging in other devices.
http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/06/05/apple-announces-lightning-enabled-headphone-standard-in-wwdc-session
While it might enable a new range of accessory designs and features, standardizing around Lightning headphones still makes the basic headphone design more complicated, because the headphones would need to integrate all the digital-to-analog functionality that the phone itself currently performs. The basic design of the 3.5mm jack with its long plug would make any "headphone module" protrude from the Lightning connector in a big way. It won't be pretty.
Quote:
Would an adaptor change the quality of the output, I ask because the HDMI adaptor for my iPad Air is very inconsistent, most of the time it mirrors the desktop at a 4:3 aspect ratio, plays videos at 720P and though I don't play many games I do like a few and their is noticeable lag with some, etc. Nothing compared to the experience when using a device that has a built in HDM, for example my Nexus 10 which has a built in Micro HDMI, I just plug it in and it works, full HD so none of those awful black bars that drives me batty on my iPad Air, no lag and the image is sharp and quite pleasing to look at when viewing movies and photos. So I defiantly notice the difference between using a dongle and having the tech built in, will there be a downside in using a dongle that converts the single from digital to analog for the 3.5mm jack. Have you seen the inside of the HDMI dongle, it could probably run iOS all by itself with the amount of chips that are in it, not to mention it wasn't cheap, especially for something that does something so arbitrary as connecting the device a TV. I would pay 100 dollars more for my iPad if it had a built in HDMI port.
HDMI is one of those standards where functionality and performance took a backseat to other considerations, namely copy protection. The need for device-to-device authentication really slows things down, and the design of the connector itself always seemed more like an afterthought -- it's horrible. The HDCP (high-bandwidth digital content protection) handshake authentication between devices using HDMI has always been a source of latency and other potential issues. Plus, you have multiple versions of the HDMI standard with different bandwidth capacity and format support capabilities. Adding an adapter into the chain creates an additional step that can cause a bottleneck for any number of reasons.
It's not an issue for digital audio, because those formats do not require any kind of device authentication.
There is a "head of design" job available at Samsung for which you are well fit... Go and have a long career mucking up their products with your lack of imagination.
Sound quality was so last century.
It's a phone, not a doorstop.
The iPhone needs to be thinner? Seriously? Apple are you not listening to customers who say they want significantly better battery life?
I have a bad feeling about this. 3.5 mm is by its nature an open standard. I'm suspicious of Apple's intensions and that they might just be using "size" as an excuse, especially in the light of the whole Beats thing.
Apple has made it very difficult to get digital audio out of iDevices traditionally so I don't see this changing things.
I just hope Dr, Dre tunes these headphones so we can all finally heat what the music is supposed to really sound like.
/s
The same arguments were posted about the introduction of the Lightning connector, when it replaced the 30-pin iPod Dock Connector. Except instead of "headphones" it was sound docks and charging cradles. Whining and complaining. Accusations of greed.
This is how conspiracy theories start: interpret facts and hearsay together in such a way that some overarching, evil plan ties it all together neatly and explains everything in terms of what you are already inclined to believe about Apple.
I think this misses the point that "any" headphones can be used with the iPhone/iPad/iPod. Barrel/Minijack connectors are designed to move and rotate. Lightning isn't. I'd advise Apple to take a look at the Nintendo GBA SP (The first clamshell design GBA) when they removed the headphone jack, only to put it back on all subsequent portable devices. What you had to do, to use headphones on the GBA SP was buy a third-party adapter that plugged into the charging port, so you had this unnecessary dongle that hung off the device, giving it just one more reason to wear out the connector. Sorry, Apple but this is a BAD idea. Also Nokia did this before as well (headset/carkit's that only connect to the pin array at the bottom of the device) and also stopped doing it.
If Apple wants to make the headphone jack smaller, they should use the 2.5mm TRRS minijack connector. A 3.5mm to 2.5mm adapter would extend maybe 3cm to the cable length, but not make it any less convenient. The flaw I saw with using the lightning connector is that all that would happen is people would have a 3.5mm TRRS or 3.5mm TRRS TOSLink adapter constantly plugged into it, making the overall profile of the device larger. This is not helping Apple's case to make the device smaller when a standard feature has to be added back at the expense of the lightning connector.
Don't forget all the third party opportunities for cases with an uber-battery, lightning wedgie built-in...and 3.5" jacks. I can see AAPL killing the jack, not so much because it needs the space, but because it is tech that sucks, and the alternatives attractive.
The same arguments were posted about the introduction of the Lightning connector, when it replaced the 30-pin iPod Dock Connector. Except instead of "headphones" it was sound docks and charging cradles. Whining and complaining. Accusations of greed.
Well yes and no, this is a little different as Apple is taking something away not simply changing it. I hated the 30 PIN adaptor and welcomed the change. I still don't understand how Apple is going to solve the listening to music through earphones while charging or when using something like MIDI. Is Apple going to add two Lightning Ports to the iPad, which by the way I don't have a problem with as I wish I had two now or at least a 4 way port replicator. I would even be fine if the charging cable added an extra port but that doesn't seem like a really clean design.
>The entire iPhone 5s, in comparison, is just 7.1 millimeters thick.
>Apple is already said to have run into trouble making batteries thin enough for its next-generation iPhone
So why must it be even thinner? Beyond a certain point (and I happen to think it's been reached), thinner is not better.