Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple May Replace 3.5mm Headphone Jack on iPhone 7 With All-in-One Lightning Connector
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Why should I suffer because you want to live in the past? Get rid of that abomination I say! I've been using the lightning connector for audio for years but have been forced to pay for your stupid fat headphone jack. Now it's my turn to get something back!!!!
Not yet, but Qualcomm apparently knows how to do it.
https://www.qualcomm.com/news/relea...mpany-enable-wireless-charging-mobile-devices
After thinking about it... I would not object to removing the headphone jack if apple went forward and adopted USB-C. This would open the door to being able to use pretty much any headphones with any sort of device, replacing the headphone jack connector with a different, thinner standard.
But that won't happen and that's my objection- being forced to buy/use a proprietary headset that cannot be used with any other device other than other apple ecosystem devices. I've got a samsung tablet, I've got an ipad, I've got a windows phone with a radio tuner. I don't want to have to keep 2 different headsets for the different devices.
(edited) Spare me the use of adapters. That was what was needed because of the ****** design of the original iphone and their recessed port; any headset with a right angle wouldn't fit without a klunky adapter that is prone to being snapped off.
But that won't happen and that's my objection- being forced to buy/use a proprietary headset that cannot be used with any other device other than other apple ecosystem devices. I've got a samsung tablet, I've got an ipad, I've got a windows phone with a radio tuner. I don't want to have to keep 2 different headsets for the different devices.
(edited) Spare me the use of adapters. That was what was needed because of the ****** design of the original iphone and their recessed port; any headset with a right angle wouldn't fit without a klunky adapter that is prone to being snapped off.
It's true. The iPhone is 100 times more powerful than the first one, yet the price has stayed the same for 8 years. Thinness, removal of ports etc., could be Apple's strategy to keep the price the same (less material used).
Yep, which will be bulky and look butt ugly. Also, lightning connectors have a habit of breaking.
Meh lets hope it's just a rumour.
I completely forgot about WiPower. It will be interesting to see if Apple backs that standard. (Doesn't the Apple Watch use a variant of Qi charging?)
Fair point. My issue is that my phone's a phone and I generally don't lug headphones around with it.
For the 1-off long haul plane flight every few years, I buy a POS set of headphones that do me fine. This will mean I can't use POS headphones. Well... if I ever upgrade my iPhone 6 to the next gen
it'll all depend on what features Apple offers at the time...
No sarcasm. Some exaggeration for dramatic effect, yes. Apple will get rid of the headphone jack some day. Next year already? Maybe. As far as I'm concerned the space is better used for something useful for me. But I'll put up with the useless hole for more years if I have to.
Forget the usual knee jerk critics.
This actually makes sense. A slim lightning-to-3.5mm adaptor will cover the cases where Bluetooth won't do.
(Apple's adapter will be $20 or maybe even more, but soon there will be small ones you can just leave on your 3.5mm devices for < $10.
This actually makes sense. A slim lightning-to-3.5mm adaptor will cover the cases where Bluetooth won't do.
(Apple's adapter will be $20 or maybe even more, but soon there will be small ones you can just leave on your 3.5mm devices for < $10.
Does the Lightning port carry analog signals? I recall seeing a post that said it didn't. Would a DAC be that cheap? Wouldn't it also have to be MFi?
Sigh. I really hope this doesn't turn out to be true. And you know Apple won't price the adapter reasonably. I am guessing it will be like $40. Just like the lightning cables/adapters were priced crazy when they first came out.
I have a very nice set of Shure earbuds that I use with my phone and I don't really want to have to keep a tiny breakable adapter in the mix when I want to use them. I don't like wireless earphones because I don't like to charge them, and I feel they aren't up to the same level of sound quality as corded sets.
I am guessing this will also anger the cheap headphones folks as well as those of us who buy >$200 sets. If you break or lose the Apple set, now you are going to have to pay more $$ for earphones instead of getting a cheapie $5 set from Walmart.
I have a very nice set of Shure earbuds that I use with my phone and I don't really want to have to keep a tiny breakable adapter in the mix when I want to use them. I don't like wireless earphones because I don't like to charge them, and I feel they aren't up to the same level of sound quality as corded sets.
I am guessing this will also anger the cheap headphones folks as well as those of us who buy >$200 sets. If you break or lose the Apple set, now you are going to have to pay more $$ for earphones instead of getting a cheapie $5 set from Walmart.
Fine with me. I have been using Bluetooth headphones for years. I also Ouse the Bluetooth connection in my car. I am waiting for my ultimate Bluetooth headphones around Christmas - the Dash by Bragi. It is a bold move by Apple. The headphone jack is ubiquitous and I personally don't think the market is there for wireless - I am seeing more wireless headphones in the market and in use but only a fraction of the total users. Personally I hope they get rid of the earbuds that are bundled with the phone. That is a big waste for me.
Goddamit Apple, we don't need a freaking thinner phone!!! We. Don't. Need. A. Thinner. Phone. Wedon'tneedathinnerphone!!! WDNATP! How should I spell it out?!?!?!
We do need:
Better battery life.
UI that doesn't force us to guess how to operate our phones, or more often, head to Google trying to find hidden and/or tiny interface buttons.
Devices that work WITH us, not against us.
Apple's continued obsession with form OVER function has me experimenting with Android and Windows phones. Apple's continued obsession with form OVER function has me exploring how to upgrade my 6-year-old Mac Pro, rather than attach myriad enclosures to their trash can Mac Pro - note to Phil Schiller: making a pro computer round doesn't prove you can innovate.
I love Apple products, but they are making some boneheaded decisions of late. Please, Apple, don't add this one to the list. I would prefer an iPhone 7 with a traditional headphone jack and a USB-C cable for charging and data transfer. Making USB-C a standard throughout your product lines would be refreshing, to say the least.
We do need:
Better battery life.
UI that doesn't force us to guess how to operate our phones, or more often, head to Google trying to find hidden and/or tiny interface buttons.
Devices that work WITH us, not against us.
Apple's continued obsession with form OVER function has me experimenting with Android and Windows phones. Apple's continued obsession with form OVER function has me exploring how to upgrade my 6-year-old Mac Pro, rather than attach myriad enclosures to their trash can Mac Pro - note to Phil Schiller: making a pro computer round doesn't prove you can innovate.
I love Apple products, but they are making some boneheaded decisions of late. Please, Apple, don't add this one to the list. I would prefer an iPhone 7 with a traditional headphone jack and a USB-C cable for charging and data transfer. Making USB-C a standard throughout your product lines would be refreshing, to say the least.
johnnyturbouk
macrumors 68000
If the introduction of Lightning earphones is for the natural evolution of headphones in context of providing superior sounds, then I fully support this, and am interested in the benefits and advantages they have over the current standard. However, if all this is to simply to reduce the iPhone width by 1mm, then this is absurd! Why would you render 99% headphones as useless, unless apple also includes a free Lightning to 3.5mm converter
unlikely; they will offer such adapter with an obscene apple inflated tax, even if did cost $2 to manufacture.
unlikely; they will offer such adapter with an obscene apple inflated tax, even if did cost $2 to manufacture.
Apple is planning to remove the 3.5mm headphone jack on the next-generation iPhone in favor of an all-in-one Lightning connector, according to often-reliable Japanese website Mac Otakara. Apple may also release Lightning-equipped EarPods to support the new audio output on future iOS devices.
The report, citing a "reliable source," claims the new same-sized Lightning connector will support Lightning-equipped and Bluetooth headphones, and have a DAC, or digital-to-audio converter, for backwards compatibility with wired headphones using standard 3.5mm stereo jacks. A 3.5mm to Lightning adapter would be required.
The so-called "iPhone 7" will likely be more than 1mm thinner than the 7.1mm thick iPhone 6s as a result, according to the report. The sixth-generation iPod touch could be a comparable device, with a depth of 6.1mm, but the portable media player still has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Apple will also reportedly release Lightning-equipped EarPods, which would likely be included in the box alongside the iPhone 7 and sold separately for use with other future iOS devices. Apple's current EarPods with a 3.5mm stereo jack will presumably remain available for purchase afterwards for the foreseeable future.
Apple introduced new MFi Program specifications in June 2014 that allow third-party manufacturers to create headphones that connect to iOS devices via a Lightning cable, but the rollout has been slow. Philips has unveiled Lightning-equipped Fidelio M2L and Fidelio NC1L headphones over the past 14 months.
Should this rumor prove to be true, Apple's decision to switch to an all-in-one Lightning connector for charging and audio output could face the same kind of controversy as when the company retired its proprietary 30-pin dock connector in favor of a smaller Lightning connector starting with the iPhone 5 in 2012.
Article Link: Apple May Replace 3.5mm Headphone Jack on iPhone 7 With All-in-One Lightning Connector
Does this mean that they would remove the DAC from within the phone, saving them money?
They would then charge you extra for an external DAC that would be required by using the digital audio out of the lightning connector? e.g. Lightning headphones or an adapter containing Apple's DAC.
That's double-dipping profits for them, so I can't see them NOT going for it.
They would then charge you extra for an external DAC that would be required by using the digital audio out of the lightning connector? e.g. Lightning headphones or an adapter containing Apple's DAC.
That's double-dipping profits for them, so I can't see them NOT going for it.
Thank you!
You just signed up for the sarcasm detector pre-order newsletter.
Kind Regards,
Obvious Ltd.
Glassed Silver:ios