Apple May Replace 3.5mm Headphone Jack on iPhone 7 With All-in-One Lightning Connector

[QquegChristian]

I keep replying to so many ignorant comments it's unbelievable.

It's clear 95% of iPhone users have absolutely no idea as to how this technology will affect us negatively.

The same group of people have no idea as to how audio works and how we hear audio.

I know that Steve Jobs was a huge proponent of high quality audio. It's why he brought out the original iPod and it's why he included a lossless compressed format. Additionally, the original iPod was famed for it's incredibly high quality DAC and even today, many audiophiles continue to use their iPods to store large quantities of lossless music.

I somehow feel the Apple today doesn't care much about that and I assure you this would never have happened under the guidance of Jobs.

iPhone's nowadays have very good but not excellent DAC's. It means you get a very satisfactory audio output which is very acceptable to 99.9% of the population.

Moving to a lightning digital audio output will not increase the audio quality as the DAC will be entirely dependent on the headphones you use and guess where manufacturers will save. And as some have suggested, Apple will charge $20-30 for a lightning to 3.5mm converter and this will have to contain a DAC, but it'll be cheap and pretty nasty for that price.

Here are some examples of good quality portable DAC's:

http://www.whathifi.com/best-buys/best-dacs

You begin to get an idea as to how this will impact users from a quality perspective.

THANK YOU. The iPod was the gateway for me into the iPhone. It's sad enough that I just don't like the design of the Music app anymore.

The great thing about the current iPhone is that, with decent headphones, it does a good enough job with sound quality that outperforms 95% of other smartphones.

I also own a Fiio high resolution audio player and it smokes the iPhone BUT it is a second device and too cumbersome for podcast management. It is great, that even though I've heard the difference, that at least I can use the iPhone and not hate the sound.

The real innovation would be to simply put a better DAC into the damn phone. I've already got an external solution. Tons of external solutions already exist. Bluetooth already exists.

If they were to move to external DACs and pretend that the 3.5mm jack were a bottleneck to convince the masses that a lightning connector is the only way to hear better audio... It would only prove to me that they were unwilling to design a better phone.

Proprietary cables are one argument, but moving the DAC out of the phone would be no different then having the camera plug into the Lightning jack. Don't applaud moving a feature to outside the phone.

 

[Jman13]

I know people think many would succumb anyway, but it's true my case: I would not buy the iPhone 7 if they ditch the headphone jack. I've had every iPhone since the 3GS, but I'd sit out that round and hope the sales bombed so Apple would see the error of their ways and put it back in for the 7S. My wife, who is not a tech nerd but just wants her phone to work when I pass mine down to her after each upgrade, said immediately, "that's something that would make me switch."

I think if they try this, it'll be a disaster.

 

[draugminaion]

I challenge you to tell me what's wrong with the 3.5mm stereo jack.

It uses space in the phone that is better used for something else. It's not needed for audio, Lightning already does that.

 

[beanbaguk]

It uses space in the phone that is better used for something else. It's not needed for audio, Lightning already does that.

That just tells me you have no idea how digital and analog audio sources work.

 

[zedsdead]

I suspect it is not only about thinness but space. The new speakers in the iPad pro are amazing, and something similar (or at least dual) is probably coming to the iPhone and Apple needs the headphone area for it (or something else).

 

[FelixAng]

This is going to infuriate many loyal customers. One of the reasons I first bought an iPhone was its music capabilities. I don't mind using adapters for other connectors but Apple needs to protect the standard 3.5mm jack. I want the option to be able to buy any headphones/earphones I want and be able to plug them in.

This is Apple. There will be a solution for antiquated systems, like an adaptor. But I have a feeling you won't want to use regular 3.5mm jacks once you realize how much better sound via Lightning port will be. You'd be amazed what DAC and an amplifier can do to boost the quality of sound and maximize the quality of HD tracks. Plus, that internal real estate will be filled with something more useful. Apple is completely ahead go the game---they can make Apple Music HD streaming, and they have a popular (though not very audiophile) headphone brand. They have everything they need to kill 3.5mm, just like iTunes and AppStore mostly killed DCD drives...I remember when people gasped as Steve Jobs showed off the iMac, without a floppy drive. Does anyone care now? It just takes time.

Jobs liked to quote Henry Ford who once said about customer research before producing the automobile, "If I asked people what they had wanted they would have said a faster horse."

 

[draugminaion]

I know people think many would succumb anyway, but it's true my case: I would not buy the iPhone 7 if they ditch the headphone jack. I've had every iPhone since the 3GS, but I'd sit out that round and hope the sales bombed so Apple would see the error of their ways and put it back in for the 7S.

Good luck with that. There will be lots of rumors of that happening, of course, when the time comes. That means nothing.

My wife, who is not a tech nerd but just wants her phone to work when I pass mine down to her after each upgrade, said immediately, "that's something that would make me switch."

Switch where? Samsung was the only other phone maker that sold iPhone class phones in some quantity. Those numbers are collapsing. But hey, cheap is nice too! Lots of those Androids.

I think if they try this, it'll be a disaster.

People thinking that is usually a good sign that Apple is on the right track. It might take a year or two before that is obvious though.

 

[grahamtriggs]

I think we're getting to the point now where wireless headphones are good enough to replace wired ones for most people.

I use wireless headphones (well earphones - I don't use big over-ear stuff when out and about) as a matter of choice.

Whilst the quality is good enough for casual listening, the batteries don't last long enough. I can't get through a normal day out with them. For e.g. transatlantic travel, it would be impossible.

Regardless of whether they are good enough or not though, the iPhone is already thin enough - it doesn't need to be any thinner. It needs to have longer battery life, which you aren't going to get from making it thinner.

 

[Darkwalker]

And Apple's purchase of Beats continues to make sense with each passing day. What better way to force consumer adoption than buying the top headphone manufacturer?

 

[TJone]

Apple is brilliant at innovating ways to extract more money from consumers. They may be better than any other company at that. I wish they would focus on important innovation again.

 

[Abazigal]

I don't know anybody that has ever complained about their phone being to thick.. but everybody i know complains about the battery... or lack of ...

In the very least, including a larger battery would make the phone heavier.

I am currently using a 6S+. I love the screen size, but I do miss the lightness of my iPhone 5s, much as it now feels like a plastic toy in my hands. I for one would welcome any continued efforts my Apple to make the iPhone lighter, so long as it does not compromise battery life.

That just tells me you have no idea how digital and analog audio sources work.

Who cares. Apple will find a way to make the audio sound just as good without an audio jack and that's all that really matters to me.

And Apple's purchase of Beats continues to make sense with each passing day. What better way to force consumer adoption than buying the top headphone manufacturer?

Yeah, because only Beats sells bluetooth headphones, right? I suppose doing away with the Audio Jack somehow made my pair of Jabra Move headphones obsolete?

 

[QquegChristian]

Maybe we should put this into simpler terms.

The Lightning cable cannot pass audio. It passes data.

This will require all headphones include what is essentially an iPod Shuffle built into them.

Or it will require an adaptor that is essentially an iPod shuffle.

This kind of switch isn't removing an outdated port, it is removing the entire audio system and moving it outside of the phone, even leaving the sound system in the hands of accessory makers.

Any space saved in the phone would be more than added to adapters or headphones.

Some adapters or headphones could sound better.

Adapters and headphones that sound better already exist today.

It is more likely that adapters and headphones that are not Apple branded will sound worse. If you lose your adaptor and pick up a generic version, it could be a total crapshoot as to how your favorite headphones will sound. This could be the experience for the general public who grab an adaptor at Best Buy.

The same, better sound, even lossless high resolution sound can be built into the iPhone today.

Even removing the 3.5mm jack will STILL require a DAC inside the phone to drive the internal speakers, so all of the space cannot even be saved by removing the jack.

This is a bizarre rumor. I think too many people are thinking of digital cables as being superior because of things like HDMI, but there are digital decoders built into your monitor and TV. If HDMI worked in the way that this rumor is positing, you'd have HDMI cables that had a giant brick in the middle, then came out as coaxial cables on the other end to plug into your TV.

 

[Burger Thing]

I keep replying to so many ignorant comments it's unbelievable.

It's clear 95% of iPhone users have absolutely no idea as to how this technology will affect us negatively.

The same group of people have no idea as to how audio works and how we hear audio.

I know that Steve Jobs was a huge proponent of high quality audio. It's why he brought out the original iPod and it's why he included a lossless compressed format. Additionally, the original iPod was famed for it's incredibly high quality DAC and even today, many audiophiles continue to use their iPods to store large quantities of lossless music.

I somehow feel the Apple today doesn't care much about that and I assure you this would never have happened under the guidance of Jobs.

iPhone's nowadays have very good but not excellent DAC's. It means you get a very satisfactory audio output which is very acceptable to 99.9% of the population.

Moving to a lightning digital audio output will not increase the audio quality as the DAC will be entirely dependent on the headphones you use and guess where manufacturers will save. And as some have suggested, Apple will charge $20-30 for a lightning to 3.5mm converter and this will have to contain a DAC, but it'll be cheap and pretty nasty for that price.

Here are some examples of good quality portable DAC's:

http://www.whathifi.com/best-buys/best-dacs

You begin to get an idea as to how this will impact users from a quality perspective.



I know you have no idea by your references to a 3.5mm being "primitive" and by your assumptions but because something is "digital" it must be better.

You haven't got a clue. Read up on this topic more before you assert yourself.

Great post! But unfortunately, just like the previous ones, it will go over some heads here in this thread with a big whooooosh sound.

I'm not sure, what I find more freightening. The thought of Apple doing some "bold step forward" (like soldered ram, 5400 rpm drives as standard, integrated graphics) or the ignorance of some of the people here who seem to have absolutely no idea what they are talking about in regards of sound generation, analog and digital technology, etc.

Even removing the 3.5mm jack will STILL require a DAC inside the phone to drive the internal speakers, so all of the space cannot even be saved by removing the jack.

This is a bizarre rumor. I think too many people are thinking of digital cables as being superior because of things like HDMI, but there are digital decoders built into your monitor and TV. If HDMI worked in the way that this rumor is positing, you'd have HDMI cables that had a giant brick in the middle, then came out as coaxial cables on the other end to plug into your TV.

Exactly. Or maybe in the quest for thinness Ive abandons the internal speaker as well.

 

[B3astman234]

actually, this would make sense if iPhone is moving towards wireless charging

But when u think about it Samsung already has Wireless charging, a faster charger, and a head phone jack so apple really doesn't need to remove it.

 

[bobob]

Or maybe in the quest for thinness Ive abandons the internal speaker as well.

In the quest for longer battery life, some forum members suggested Ive should have abandoned the iPad Pro's internal speakers in a recent discussion. Everyone gets on their favorite hobbyhorse now and again.

 

[steve-p]

While this change, if true, won't make me switch to Android, it will certainly make me not upgrade my iPhone for much longer than I have previously. There may well be adapters available, but there certainly needs to be. Some of us aren't about to retire £400 headphones just because Apple feels the next iPhone needs to be 0.1mm thinner at all costs.

 

[MrXiro]

Maybe we should put this into simpler terms.

The Lightning cable cannot pass audio. It passes data.

This will require all headphones include what is essentially an iPod Shuffle built into them.

Or it will require an adaptor that is essentially an iPod shuffle.

This kind of switch isn't removing an outdated port, it is removing the entire audio system and moving it outside of the phone, even leaving the sound system in the hands of accessory makers.

Any space saved in the phone would be more than added to adapters or headphones.

Some adapters or headphones could sound better.

Adapters and headphones that sound better already exist today.

It is more likely that adapters and headphones that are not Apple branded will sound worse. If you lose your adaptor and pick up a generic version, it could be a total crapshoot as to how your favorite headphones will sound. This could be the experience for the general public who grab an adaptor at Best Buy.

The same, better sound, even lossless high resolution sound can be built into the iPhone today.

Even removing the 3.5mm jack will STILL require a DAC inside the phone to drive the internal speakers, so all of the space cannot even be saved by removing the jack.

This is a bizarre rumor. I think too many people are thinking of digital cables as being superior because of things like HDMI, but there are digital decoders built into your monitor and TV. If HDMI worked in the way that this rumor is positing, you'd have HDMI cables that had a giant brick in the middle, then came out as coaxial cables on the other end to plug into your TV.

You're over exaggerating the use of an external "brick" a bit. While it won't be a tiny cable it wouldn't need to be any bigger than the Lightning to 30 Pin Adapter, which was able to break off and export Audio just fine. Most likely they can make it even smaller since they don't need to input a 30 pin connector at the other end. I'd guess 1/2 size would sound about right.... now the $19 they're going to charge is where the problem lies.

 

[frozencarbonite]

I still have an iPhone 5. My wife and I were trying to hold out until at least the iPhone 7. If this audio jack removal really happens, we'll be looking for a 6S. I have some really nice headphones that I've used for years and don't plan to switch to bluetooth earphones anytime soon.

I'm so sick of buying adapters, not to mention the added bulk. I have a daisy chain of adapters in my car just to get my FM transmitter to work.

Unfortunately, most of the Apple rumors we see nowadays do tend to be true. This one is a big blow to my gut. (Yeah, I know, dramatic. But it's true.)

 

[kemal]

Let's see. Still has a speaker and microphone inside. So still has D/A and A/D with associated analog parts inside. So removing the jack saves a tiny amount of space and money. Then it requires a new adaptor that will cost about $35 or more if it uses a good converter and DC coupling.

I call this "Not gonna happen!" But then - Apple have demonstrated their insanity over and over.

 

[ggibson913]

That is a terrible idea. I use wireless at the gym but also like the convenience that I can plug any headphones I want into the phone and they will work.

 

[gumbyjunior1]

So lets make the lightning port the most durable, reliable port ever made on a device!
A single point of failure when the connectors get dirty or fried.
I can see that wireless charging would be next on the list of added features, however this makes me worry that iphone will take a different direction.

Suggesting you can make a thinner iphone would be possible, but the battery will always be the thing that will take up space. However, taking into account that you need to cool the processor/battery/display, it would most likely not get as thin as the 6S/6S+ is now.

I really hope they don't do this as the point of a lot of apps is to use headphones. One app I use religiously is Smule's Sing application to do my kareoke. When using a headphone 3.5 mm that has no Mic built in, it is the perfect setup to sing.

There are other third party mic's and plug ins that use the microphone port for input, so i really have doubts that Apple would do this...but who knows..

 

[ghostface147]

Thinness at the expense of battery life.

 

[frozencarbonite]

I just don't get it. I understand Apple is about innovation, but why mess with a standard audio connector that has been around since the mid-twentieth century. There's a reason it's been around for so long. This seems like it will be a recipe for much consumer frustration.

Also, I can picture the ugly third party adapter now, because we all know that Apple will not create a version for charging and listening at the same time. It will be a Y-adapter that plugs into the phone and has one cable to allow for charging and one for a 3.5mm headphone input. So sleek.

 

[BorreBoy]

Stop making it thinner - use the space for more battery.

 

[WaxedJacket]

This, to me, is when the Apple pendulum swings too far in one direction.