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

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  • Reply 101 of 191
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by cali View Post



    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



    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





    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.

     

     

     

    3.5" jacks, by design, would also clean the plug, ensuring a good, solid connection and signal transfer.  Apple's design doesn't really do that.

  • Reply 102 of 191
    cnocbuicnocbui Posts: 3,613member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mr O View Post

     



    They could make use of a dongle :)




    F*** dongles!

  • Reply 103 of 191
    19831983 Posts: 1,225member
    Apart from all this make it thinner nonsense, I hope Apple finally incorporate support for HD 24bit audio files on their iOS devices like they already do on the Mac. They are just about the only smartphone manufacture left that are still holding out. Got it on the Mac already put it on the iPhone too! I and more people than you might think, lament the fact that a significant portion of our music is unplayable on the iPhone because of this.

    Oh and if Apple do dump the 3.5mm connector on the iPhone 7, they better at least provide an adaptor for free with everyone sold! Especially since many people have invested large amounts of cash on quality headphones.
  • Reply 104 of 191
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by spheric View Post

     

    So actually, thinking on this…it would make sense to drop the 3.5mm jack, and it would be a pretty "Apple" thing to do — but ONLY if they went fully wireless.


     

     

    All things considered, this would also help Apple profits.  The ability to only listen (or only drain the battery) and using the device in a uni-tasker fashion helps Apple...  It prevents customer usage--  Apple Customers aren't able to simeoutaneously listen to Apple Radio and keep their device charged.  Therein addiing to Apple profits when it requires its users to go through the motions of unplug audio and plug in a charger.

     

    Features like this could definitely create customer behavior needed for Apple to bring to market a Netflix-like competitor. 

  • Reply 105 of 191
    cnocbuicnocbui Posts: 3,613member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Command_F View Post

    however good the analogue signal as it leaves the phone, there are potential interference factors for analogue signals on cables that don't happen to digital signals.

    What are these potential interference factors that are actually known to audibly degrade analogue signals on headphone cables?  I have been using headphones with cables for several decades and have never encountered any interference or signal degradation other those caused by an actual break in a conductor.

  • Reply 106 of 191
    sphericspheric Posts: 2,544member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by cnocbui View Post

     

    What are these potential interference factors that are actually known to audibly degrade analogue signals on headphone cables?  I have been using headphones with cables for several decades and have never encountered any interference or signal degradation other those caused by an actual break in a conductor.




    If you use an iPhone/iPod in the car via a 3.5mm audio cable, you can get MASSIVE interference introduced into the signal, depending upon the car, grounding of the car stereo's input, cable shielding, etc. 

     

    On headphones, not so much.

  • Reply 107 of 191

    I never use the 3.5" jack, and dislike earbuds, so I'm a proponent. The speculation should be what Apple will provide with a new iPhone 7 if this is done. Do we get a set of earbuds that can't connect? Or earbuds with a lightening connector? Or an A/D dongle? Or perhaps BT earbuds? I'd be down with the latter. Ditch the 3.5 jack AND the mechanical home button, and I'll jump. Both of those changes will save manufacturing costs, making iPhone even MORE profitable. 

  • Reply 108 of 191
    1983 wrote: »
    Oh and if Apple do dump the 3.5mm connector on the iPhone 7, they better at least provide an adaptor for free with everyone sold! Especially since many people have invested large amounts of cash on quality headphones.

    Do you honestly think that's likely? Anecdotally most people seem to use the cartilage warping EarPods that come with the iPhone, and of the ones that don't I typically see Beats on people which will also then move to Lightning and probably come with an adapter, but those tend to stand out anyway, and then there are BT headphones.

    If you did spend "large amounts of cash on quality headphones" are you really going to care about paying a few buck for an adapter?
    If you did spend "large amounts of cash on quality headphones" and you say Apple's DAC is comparatively shit for not having "HD 24bit audio" then why are you even using an iPhone with those headphones?
  • Reply 109 of 191
    eightzero wrote: »
    I never use the 3.5" jack, and dislike earbuds, so I'm a proponent. The speculation should be what Apple will provide with a new iPhone 7 if this is done. Do we get a set of earbuds that can't connect? Or earbuds with a lightening connector? Or an A/D dongle? Or perhaps BT earbuds? I'd be down with the latter. Ditch the 3.5 jack AND the mechanical home button, and I'll jump. Both of those changes will save manufacturing costs, making iPhone even MORE profitable. 

    I prefer if when they get rid of the 3.5mm jack that they jumped to BT headphones that would both work and charge via the Lightning connector, but my guess is that it's cost prohibitive, and I frankly don't want to pay for the BT chip, battery and other HW in headphones I'm not going to use. I'd prefer if they didn't offer any headphones at all, but that's a very personal decision and I understand why they offer them so I'm not saying they should stop offering them with iPhones.

    I don't see the 3.5mm jack going away from the Mac or iPads any time soon because space isn't at much of a premium, but Apple does have a way of going all in on ports and other components from time-to-time.
  • Reply 110 of 191
    spheric wrote: »
    If you use an iPhone/iPod in the car via a 3.5mm audio cable, you can get MASSIVE interference introduced into the signal, depending upon the car, grounding of the car stereo's input, cable shielding, etc. 

    I can't say I've noticed that problem, but it's been a very long time since I connect an iDevice that way; the iPhone may not have been on the market the last time I did that. If people are talking about how they will connect their iPhone in the car the answer will be USB-to-Lightning, which will also charge their iPhone whilst driving. I hope that isn't someone's argument.
  • Reply 111 of 191
    eightzeroeightzero Posts: 3,056member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismY View Post





    I prefer if when they get rid of the 3.5mm jack that they jumped to BT headphones that would both work and charge via the Lightning connector, but my guess is that it's cost prohibitive, and I frankly don't want to pay for the BT chip, battery and other HW in headphones I'm not going to use. I'd prefer if they didn't offer any headphones at all, but that's a very personal decision and I understand why they offer them so I'm not saying they should stop offering them with iPhones.



    I don't see the 3.5mm jack going away from the Mac or iPads any time soon because space isn't at much of a premium, but Apple does have a way of going all in on ports and other components from time-to-time.

    All true, and it is what makes this kind of intriguing. Not including earbuds at all seems rather drastic, but I can see it being done. And there is that whole Beats thingy they bought. Maybe they would offer bundles?

  • Reply 112 of 191
    solipsismy wrote: »
    rogifan wrote: »
    What does that have to do with thinness though? Apple has existing products thinner than the iPhone that use this jack. So I don't think the thickness of the iPhone is being determined by this jack.

    I just fucking explained it.

    I really don't think the expletive was necessary. Moreover -- and I am not saying it's true or not in this particular instance -- the fact that someone thinks they may have explained something doesn't necessarily mean that the recipient thought so (although it would be nice if the recipient acknowledged the response and built on it).
  • Reply 113 of 191
    canukstorm wrote: »
    mr o wrote: »
     
    I don't understand? The very thin iPod Touch does have a round headphone jack. Unless the iPhone 7 is going to be thinner than the iPod?

    EDIT: Ah, I got it. They want to further simplify the design by getting rid of the headphone jack. The lightning connector will be used for recharging
    what if someone wants to simultaneously listen to music and charge their phone?

    As someone pointed out above, inductive charging?
  • Reply 114 of 191
    I really don't think the expletive was necessary. Moreover -- and I am not saying it's true or not in this particular instance -- the fact that someone thinks they may have explained something doesn't necessarily mean that the recipient thought so (although it would be nice if the recipient acknowledged the response and built on it).

    I chose my words very carefully to Rogifan. This isn't my first rodeo with her.
  • Reply 115 of 191
    As someone pointed out above, inductive charging?

    I'm hoping that inductive charging, faster than USB 2.0 speeds, and the removal of the 3.5mm headphone port all come next year. We'll need the lightning connector (or some connector) for the foreseeable future for an initial loading, but the most common usage, charging, would be much easier (for me) if it I didn't have to place it perfectly on the dock each time. Even removing it from the Dock is a pain as even my weighed dock still requires me to hold it down when I lift my iPhone. Not the best user experience.
  • Reply 116 of 191
    why-why- Posts: 305member

    Why? 1mm is really not that much, especially considering they'll have to make the battery smaller aswell (which obviously they can do at no cost to battery life, but if it ain't broke). And what if someone wants to listen to music while their phone is charging, say if you're on a bus or an aeroplane? I just don't see the logic

  • Reply 117 of 191
    eightzeroeightzero Posts: 3,056member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismY View Post





    I'm hoping that inductive charging, faster than USB 2.0 speeds, and the removal of the 3.5mm headphone port all come next year. We'll need the lightning connector (or some connector) for the foreseeable future for an initial loading, but the most common usage, charging, would be much easier (for me) if it I didn't have to place it perfectly on the dock each time. Even removing it from the Dock is a pain as even my weighed dock still requires me to hold it down when I lift my iPhone. Not the best user experience.

    I do like the inductive charger for my Apple Watch, and that would be cool for my iPhone. I don't object to the lightning connector, and don't use a dock, but YMMV. But people do put iPhones in cases, and that has to be a consideration. 

  • Reply 118 of 191
    eightzero wrote: »
    I do like the inductive charger for my Apple Watch, and that would be cool for my iPhone. I don't object to the lightning connector, and don't use a dock, but YMMV. But people do put iPhones in cases, and that has to be a consideration. 

    Apple has extensive case designed for third parties. I wonder if that will mean more expensive third party cases that have cooper/metal or open areas in them to allow for inductive pathways; or would plastic simply not affect that at all, since the inductive charger on the Apple Watch Sport is plastic, not ceramic?
  • Reply 119 of 191
    Our dear leader decrees that headphone jacks are wsorse than Flash.

    Lightning it might be, so are we about to get forked again?
  • Reply 120 of 191
    eightzeroeightzero Posts: 3,056member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismY View Post





    Apple has extensive case designed for third parties. I wonder if that will mean more expensive third party cases that have cooper/metal or open areas in them to allow for inductive pathways; or would plastic simply not affect that at all, since the inductive charger on the Apple Watch Sport is plastic, not ceramic?



    I've seen really beefy cases out there: essentially portfolios or wallets. How much risk does Apple want to take? Maybe ditch a wire connector all together in favor of wireless....everything? Wires don't really bug me, but gosh that would be pretty cool.

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