Apple's 'iPhone 7' rumored to ship with standard EarPods, Lightning adapter

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPhone edited June 2016
A rumor circulating at Computex Taipei 2016 claims Apple plans to bundle a Lightning-to-3.5mm plug adapter with its standard EarPods headphones when "iPhone 7" ships this fall, hinting at a move away from the 3.5mm jack format.




According to Japanese website Mac Otakara, the rumor comes from Chinese accessory vendors marketing Lightning audio adapters at this year's computer expo in Taipei. While not specifically mentioned in the report, the inclusion of a Lightning adapter suggests the next-generation iPhone will nix the traditional 3.5mm audio jack in favor of an all Lightning or wireless solution.

By including a pair of regular EarPods with an adapter, Apple would offer the option of using its included headphones with iPhone and other audio sources. The strategy might also result in cost savings, as it does not require development or production of a new Lightning EarPods design.

In addition to headphone bundling, rumors from Computex claim Apple will fill the space created by removing iPhone's 3.5mm headphone jack with an extra speaker. The setup is said to be a monaural configuration, however, not the stereo arrangement introduced with iPad Pro. Covering the two loudspeakers will be porthole-style grilles seen on current iPhone 6 series handsets.

Finally, today's report echoes earlier rumors of an internal storage increase to 256GB for both "iPhone 7" and "iPhone 7 Plus" models.

Apple is expected to reveal its next-generation smartphone this fall with minor aesthetic improvements and internal buffs. Rumors that the company plans to do away with the 3.5mm jack have circulated for months, though subsequent parts and schematics have leaked showing designs both with and without the part.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 38
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member

    By including a pair of regular EarPods with an adapter, Apple would offer the option of using its included headphones with iPhone and other audio sources. The strategy might also result in cost savings, as it does not require development or production of a new Lightning EarPods design.

    Can we safely say that this claim isn’t a Steveseque decision? He’d make a new product and damn the consequences. “Why would you want to use someone else’s product when you have what Apple offers?”
    edited June 2016 awilliams87larrya
  • Reply 2 of 38
    sockrolidsockrolid Posts: 2,789member
    True?  False?  I don't care.
    Can't stand earbuds with cords anyway.
    lordjohnwhorfinmdriftmeyer
  • Reply 3 of 38
    awilliams87awilliams87 Posts: 264member
    tallest skil said:

    By including a pair of regular EarPods with an adapter, Apple would offer the option of using its included headphones with iPhone and other audio sources. The strategy might also result in cost savings, as it does not require development or production of a new Lightning EarPods design.

    Can we safely say that this claim isn’t a Steveseque decision? He’d make a new product and damn the consequences. “Why would you want to use someone else’s product when you have what Apple offers?”
    I don't believe this rumor at all. It's way to un-Apple-like.
  • Reply 4 of 38
    thewhitefalconthewhitefalcon Posts: 4,453member
    awilliams87 said:
    tallest skil said:
    Can we safely say that this claim isn’t a Steveseque decision? He’d make a new product and damn the consequences. “Why would you want to use someone else’s product when you have what Apple offers?”
    I don't believe this rumor at all. It's way to un-Apple-like.
    Apple has included adapters for some things in the past; FW800 to 400 adapters, and the original MacBook Air with a MicroDVI port came with DVI and VGA adapters in the box.
  • Reply 5 of 38
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    thewhitefalcon said:
    the original MacBook Air with a MicroDVI port came with DVI and VGA adapters in the box. 
    Well, yeah; no one else used Micro DVI (and ever did). The MacBook Pro once came with DVI to VGA (and I have a Mini VGA to VGA from my iBook G3, so I assume it came with that).

    I suppose you’re right. Just seems like since it’s a new port they’d go all in.
  • Reply 6 of 38
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,913member
    If Apple wants to move away from 3.5mm jack/port than it needs to ship earbuds with lightening plug and adapter that let 3.5mm earbuds to connect to lightening jack/port. Than, in next iteration of iphone, just drop adapter. Who knows, by that time Apple will make available wireless earbuds based on BT5. No wires, no jack, no plug, no problem.
    edited June 2016 fastasleepmdriftmeyer
  • Reply 7 of 38
    cnocbuicnocbui Posts: 3,613member
    wood1208 said:
    If Apple wants to move away from 3.5mm jack/port than it needs to ship earbuds with lightening plug and adapter that let 3.5mm earbuds to connect to lightening jack/port. Than, in next iteration of iphone, just drop adapter. Who knows, by that time Apple will make available wireless earbuds based on BT5. No wires, no jack, no plug, no problem.
    Just this weekend my bluetooth headset  went bleepety bleep in my ear while i was mowing to tell me its battery was about to die, which it then did shortly after,  so yes, problem - no wires, no jack, no work.

    The old wired in-ears still worked though.
    pscooter63mike1
  • Reply 8 of 38
    elijahgelijahg Posts: 2,759member
    Yay more adapters! I wonder how many hundreds of different adapters Apple's produced in their history. They should be known as the adapter company.
    cnocbuitnet-primary
  • Reply 9 of 38
    mattinozmattinoz Posts: 2,322member
    Slow news days after WWDC for this rumour to get traction.

  • Reply 10 of 38
    jonljonl Posts: 210member
    This one's not even remotely plausible. It's like there's a mentally challenged bot cranking out variations on rumors.

  • Reply 11 of 38
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    My EarPods retain a 100% charge constantly. They are amazing.
    elijahgmike1
  • Reply 12 of 38
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    thewhitefalcon said:
    awilliams87 said:
    I don't believe this rumor at all. It's way to un-Apple-like.
    Apple has included adapters for some things in the past; FW800 to 400 adapters, and the original MacBook Air with a MicroDVI port came with DVI and VGA adapters in the box.
    With what? Not my 2011 MacBook Pro. And the new Retina MacBook with one USB-C port didn't include one to USB-A. I'd say that's pretty indicative of the direction Apple is going ...
  • Reply 13 of 38
    staticx57staticx57 Posts: 405member
    thewhitefalcon said:
    awilliams87 said:
    I don't believe this rumor at all. It's way to un-Apple-like.
    Apple has included adapters for some things in the past; FW800 to 400 adapters, and the original MacBook Air with a MicroDVI port came with DVI and VGA adapters in the box.
    And they didn't include adapters for essential things like Ethernet to thunderbolt
    cnocbuielijahg
  • Reply 14 of 38
    mattinozmattinoz Posts: 2,322member
    mac_128 said:
    Apple has included adapters for some things in the past; FW800 to 400 adapters, and the original MacBook Air with a MicroDVI port came with DVI and VGA adapters in the box.
    With what? Not my 2011 MacBook Pro. And the new Retina MacBook with one USB-C port didn't include one to USB-A. I'd say that's pretty indicative of the direction Apple is going ...
    Stopped ten years or more but Apple use to be adapter crazy. The last few offices I've worked each had a box full of Apple supplied cables, adapters that were next to useless and never the one you needed so you'd end up buying others or doing without.

    Then one product update round they switched and went so far the other way and the only cable supplied was the power cable or integrated in to the keyboard or mouse. Now even the keyboard and mouse don't have a cable at all. It was such a chalk and cheese change I'm not surprised a lot of people don't remember.


    elijahg
  • Reply 15 of 38
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,054member
    Will it be: 32GB/128GB/256GB line up? If so, welcome to $150 upgrade for storage instead of $100 now.
    $650/$800/$950 instead of $650/$750/$850.
  • Reply 16 of 38
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    fallenjt said:
    Will it be: 32GB/128GB/256GB line up?
    You know it’s going to be 16.
  • Reply 17 of 38
    xmhillxxmhillx Posts: 112member
    Damn I dunno. I'd be so embarrassed for them if they decide to stick with current EarPods and ship an adapter. Apple would be a laughing stock for a bit.

    I'm not a hardware designer, but it doesn't seem all that complicated to turn the current EarPods into lightning EarPods. The new lightning EarPods don't have to be exponentially better and have novel technology; maybe save that for next year's phone. 
  • Reply 18 of 38
    raz0rraz0r Posts: 28member
    Seems a bit unlikely that Apple would make a big deal about the Lightning port being a great digital sound source and promote using it, only to throw in the same extremely crappy buds into the box with an adapter, then calling it a day.

    I hope I'm wrong on this one :/ Apple seems too smart to pull off something half-assed like that.

    On the other hand, I'll be happy to see the headphone jack go. Not because it's outdated or I hate it, but because Apple can't seem to put one into their phones which wouldn't crap out after a few months of every-day use. 
  • Reply 19 of 38
    davidmalcolmdavidmalcolm Posts: 385member
    I find it weird that they'd use the space to put in another speaker. It's not like you often hear people saying, "Hey I wish my phone was a bluetooth speaker!" (Well sometimes you do but I don't think they'll be able to pump up enough volume to make it worth it.) I think if they used the space to fit a bit more battery in to make up for what got lost when they added the taptic engine, that'd be good.
  • Reply 20 of 38
    bestkeptsecretbestkeptsecret Posts: 4,265member
    ireland said:
    My EarPods retain a 100% charge constantly. They are amazing.

    That's 'cos they are always plugged in!
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