Apple rumored to ditch headphone jack on 'iPhone 7' for Lightning connector audio

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  • Reply 21 of 191
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member

    Anybody who doesn't like thin items should stay away from Apple, because Apple has been all about thin for a long time now, and they've basically led the way and set the trend for entire industries, that all others have of course copied.

     

    People who wish for a fatter phone, that's slightly heavier and that has a little bit more battery life will obviously be disappointed.

     

    Who doesn't remember the first Macbook Air that was first shown to the world inside a manila envelope? I'm not against thin devices, and especially in small mobile devices, every damn gram counts. One of the few times in recent Apple history where a newer device was thicker than the previous model was the iPad 3 compared to the iPad 2. That's obviously not the norm for Apple and that was basically a one time thing.

     

    The good news for some at least is that eventually it will have to come to an end, because how much thinner will they be able to go?

     

    Fast forward 8 years to 2023 and Tim Cook is speaking at the newest Apple event:

     

    Tim Cook: We are so pleased to introduce to you all today the best phone that we at Apple have ever made. We call it the iPhone 10S, and boy have we patented it! <Huge applause from the crowd> The S stands for subatomic and here's Phil Schiller to tell you all about it!:smokey:

  • Reply 22 of 191
    Bezel size might change on the sides, probably not on the top and bottom. It at least needs to be as big as a thumb for touch ID.

    I think they're hoping for the same sort of thing that happened when they moved from 30 pin to Lightning. You stopped seeing every stereo with a 30 pin connector and instead started seeing Bluetooth everywhere! (Okay they were actually hoping for AirPlay everywhere, but still it got rid of the need for the iPhone to be sitting in a dock all the time!)

    I've been rocking a pair of bluetooth headphones for a while and you couldn't pay me to go back to wired. I think this is going to be tied to the inclusion of bluetooth headphones standard. (Apparently they trademarked AirPods) I would genuinely love a pair of Apple made headphones that weren't big, bulky and gawdy like the Beats ones. I absolutely love the shape of the existing EarPods.
  • Reply 24 of 191

    Sigh more dongles

  • Reply 25 of 191
    jony0jony0 Posts: 378member

    Keep the headphone jack but move it back on top and leave the bulge same height as the camera lens on the other side, no more wobble whining, problem solved ! /s

  • Reply 26 of 191
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    Lightning is not even worth it at this point until they can develop a 2.0 version at least. Like they did with their 30 pin connector.

    A little over 1mm?!!! REALLY?????

    I think lightning is still too big in size for the future. Since I've always thought this, here's a few concepts I've drawn up
    [IMG]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/65629/width/200/height/400[/IMG]
    Visually a quarter of the size seems to be the sweet spot especially if the connector is square and they can engineer it to be connected at any angle.(I still prefer round)

    And a possible shorter 3.5 connector
    [IMG]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/65630/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

    As connectors get smaller they'll need a tighter grip I would think. To change the headphone jack standard Apple needs a connector that is a lot smaller because even in 5-10 years, lightning will be too large. I'm guessing this standard will need to last at least 20 years.

    And GOD PLEASE don't let Bluetooth be the next standard, because until they can get battery right I hate the damn drainage it causes to both earphones and connected devices. I like the luxury of not having to worry about the battery of my wired headphones.

    Now if Apple does create a new standard, they have Beats headphones to accelerate adoption years quicker. Making even more sense of the "bad" acquisition.
  • Reply 27 of 191
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    Hmmm. How am I going to charge my phone while I listen to my headphones. I practically do this every night when going to sleep... Bluetooth I suppose...
    aaplfanboy wrote: »
    Maybe iPhone 7 will have wireless charging as an option, freeing up the Lightning connector for headphones/and/or secondary charging.

    Most likely they'll have 2 lightning connectors.

    True wireless charging or you mean the Samsung wireless charging? The Sammy one is crap and inconvenient.
  • Reply 28 of 191
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,275member

    The solution may be a 2.5mm audio connector. This has been around for as long as the 3.5mm headphone jack. I believe it is sometimes called a micro-mini connector. There are even 4-conductor versions for use with microphones and 2.5mm to 3.5mm adaptors are fairly easy to obtain so as not to completely alienate users.

     

    https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_5?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=2.5mm+cable&sprefix=2.5mm%2Caps%2C133

  • Reply 29 of 191

    Again, why not just create a connector without a plug like on the iPad Pro? Something that CAN’T break off because it’s too small.

  • Reply 30 of 191
    If removing all the ports on the Macbook didn't make people jump ship, this probably will get the ball rolling.
  • Reply 31 of 191
    If you think about sound quality then first ditch mediocre Apple earphones - not 3.5 jack. Digital sound will not improve poor quality sound generationg device.

    I have been using Sennheisers for every Apple device dumping Apple earphones to garbage can as soon as the device came. Apple erphones are maybe good for watching movies in commercial aircraft liners entertainment.

    Quality... Even with digiral processing all USB convertes are junk comparing to Behringer devices. I hope that they will make proper lightning to 3.5 jack converter of solid quality.
  • Reply 32 of 191
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    bdkennedy1 wrote: »
    If removing all the ports on the Macbook didn't make people jump ship, this probably will get the ball rolling.

    Ok I'm confused. Why would the MacBook make people jump ship as it didn't replace any existing computer? It's not like people can't buy a MacBook Air or Pro...

    Anyway I can't get worked up over rumors. I'll believe this when I see it.
  • Reply 33 of 191
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    If you think about sound quality then first ditch mediocre Apple earphones - not 3.5 jack. Digital sound will not improve poor quality sound generationg device.

    I have been using Sennheisers for every Apple device dumping Apple earphones to garbage can as soon as the device came. Apple erphones are maybe good for watching movies in commercial aircraft liners entertainment.

    Quality... Even with digiral processing all USB convertes are junk comparing to Behringer devices. I hope that they will make proper lightning to 3.5 jack converter of solid quality.

    Except that 99.9% of people aren't audiophiles and don't want a price increase.
  • Reply 34 of 191

    Great! And then Apple will charge $49 for a Lightning to 3.5mm adaptor

  • Reply 35 of 191
    jlanddjlandd Posts: 873member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mike1 View Post

     

    The solution may be a 2.5mm audio connector. This has been around for as long as the 3.5mm headphone jack. I believe it is sometimes called a micro-mini connector. There are even 4-conductor versions for use with microphones and 2.5mm to 3.5mm adaptors are fairly easy to obtain so as not to completely alienate users.

     

    https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_5?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=2.5mm+cable&sprefix=2.5mm%2Caps%2C133


     

    A reasonable compromise, but *if* Apple is in fact seriously considering it it means they're not only looking to fit the jack in the phone profile but to eliminate the analog audio output.   Headphones will need either an D/A converter on them or plug into a separate converter widget.  

     

    It does open up the whole thing of a lightning dock the snaps into the phone with two headphone outs, a video out and a, um, laserpointer.  

     

    All I can say is if it does turn out to be true I hope Apple changes its tune of making us wait years before we can fully utilize new ports it puts on devices that bump off old ports.  If all of the potential of switching to a lightning port can be enjoyed when the phone ships, then great.  Otherwise...

  • Reply 36 of 191
    ksecksec Posts: 1,569member

    And they dont lower the price for the lightning controller. It is very expensive, as well as the MiFI certification.

  • Reply 37 of 191
    A couple of thoughts. One, does Apple freely make available the Lightning connector technology to third parties? I recall vaguely that there was some issue about that in the past, and I lost track of whether and how it was resolved. I bring it up in the context of some third party maker being able to create a 3.5 pin-to-Lightning adapter so people can continue to use their legacy headsets. (I still use the 30-pin to 8-pin adapter occasionally).

    Second, I hope Apple can improve its BT connectivity. I realize that the recent iOS update supposedly dealt with issues. While BT connectivity has become smoother, it is not at all bug-free. My devices, especially the Watch, lose connectivity to BT speakers frequently when my BT headphones (a Beats Studio Wireliess, which is outstanding, btw) are in the vicinity. In other words, I am not sure that BT as the solution to headphones is 100% there yet with iOS and WatchOS.
  • Reply 38 of 191
    bill1357 wrote: »
    tell Apple to get a grip on reality.

    Sometimes their "thinness" concept gives the impression that it is the "thinness of their thinking".

    Use the space to add more battery and make everyone, except a few anal Apple engineers, happy

    Don't get bent out of shape over a completely meritless rumor.
  • Reply 39 of 191

    Apple, please don't make the iPhone any thinner. It is thin enough already. This obsession with thin-ness is ridiculous and counterproductive. We would rather have some more battery life than a thinner iPhone.

     

    Jony Ive, if you read this - please put an end to this thin-ness mania at Apple. It is like the fashion industry and their super-thin models. They think the public love thin-ness but they don't. It's the same with phones and computers. We want to be able to actually hold it comfortably in our hands.

     

    This obsession with thin-ness has already spoiled the new Macbook 12 inch. It is so thin that the keyboard has NO TRAVEL. It is like typing on a virtual screen and is useless for typing anything longer than a page of text. It should have been a wonderful upgrade to the 11 inch Macbook but it is a big step backwards. 

     

    So please, please put an end to this thin-ness madness. We DO NOT WANT IT.  

     

    PS: Please don't remove the physical home button on the iPhone by replacing it with a virtual button. This would be a HUGE mistake. Because many of us FEEL for this button (in low light situations etc) to orientate to the phone and switch it on, without having to look at it first.

  • Reply 40 of 191
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Wireless is the future. My surround system is, why not headphones? Wires are so 1990.
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