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

[bobob]

The rumors I've been hearing say that the new iPhone will have dual Lightning ports.

 

[recoil80]

Here's an interesting twist: Rumors say iPhone 7 will have USB-C. Which will do audio at least as well as Lightning.
Except for the physical connector, USB-C and Lightning can do pretty much the same things. (The iPad Pro has USB3 circuitry behind the Lightning connector, by the way.)

So USB-C headphones is where we are going.
Maybe.

Apple's has a large presence in the USB standards organisation. Quite a bit of the USB-C connector and USB3 protocols are the way they are because Apple liked it that way.

But Lighting connector is thinner than USB-C
If their goal is to make the iPhone thinner changing the connector is a step in the wrong direction.
Anyway I'd rather have USB-C for charging and audio since it is standard and we could have more headphones available, but I'm afraid they will move to lighting since headphones with this connector already exist.

 

[bobob]

But Lighting connector is thinner than USB-C

Good point.

 

[fpnc]

Good point.

Yes, but everything and everybody is going to be moving to the USB-C type of connector, including Macs and Thunderbolt and (I'm sure) every other mobile device on the planet. Thus, there is really no "room" in the marketplace for Apple's proprietary Lightning port. Thus, I'm pretty sure the next port change on the iPhone will be to USB-C.

Also, the shielding on the USB-C plug is already present which means that the female plug on the device side can likely be made thinner than what you'd need with the "bare" Lightning plug.

 

[Michael Goff]

Yes, but everything and everybody is going to be moving to the USB-C type of connector, including Macs and Thunderbolt and (I'm sure) every other mobile device on the planet. Thus, there is really no "room" in the marketplace for Apple's proprietary Lightning port. Thus, I'm pretty sure the next port change on the iPhone will be to USB-C.

Also, the shielding on the USB-C plug is already present which means that the female plug on the device side can likely be made thinner than what you'd need with the "bare" Lightning plug.

Just like there was no room for Apple's proprietary 30 pin, right?

 

[fpnc]

Just like there was no room for Apple's proprietary 30 pin, right?

I have no idea what kind of point you are trying to make, but the 30-pin connector is nearly three times wider than USB-C and thus both USB-C and Lightning take up much less space than the old 30-pin connector.

 

[Michael Goff]

I have no idea what kind of point you are trying to make, but the 30-pin connector is nearly three times wider than USB-C and thus both USB-C and Lightning take up much less space than the old 30-pin connector.

My point is Apple will do what Apple will do. And considering just how big Apple is, the market will accommodate them.

 

[1Zach1]

This would be the best sign yet of Apple moving to true wireless charging, but since this isn't true I don't think it matters.

 

[the-msa]

Not sure if this has been reported, but another smartphone already did this last year.

http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/29/7091055/this-android-smartphone-is-too-thin-for-a-headphone-jack

People didn't raise a stink back then. Why are people suddenly crying about the sky falling now? When I read this article back then, I pretty much guessed that it was only a matter of time before Apple took a similar route.

People on here don't raise a stink when apple copies android features either, but cry about the sky falling when Google does, so w/evs

 

[BMcCoy]

This would be the best sign yet of Apple moving to true wireless charging, but since this isn't true I don't think it matters.

Rumours are that they're testing wireless charging for the iPhone 7 - and also testing USB-C as the connector...

http://9to5mac.com/2015/11/30/iphone-7-rumors/

 

[1Zach1]

Rumours are that they're testing wireless charging for the iPhone 7 - and also testing USB-C as the connector...

http://9to5mac.com/2015/11/30/iphone-7-rumors/

Interesting note in that article how they don't have it as a desired feature due to charging mats, but I think that is exactly what Apple is going to do away with. They have several patents for resonant charging, I'd love to see them drop multi-meter charging into the 7 and could go a long way to curb the concerns over a single I/O port.

 

[uid15]

If we listened to the naysayers and luddites, we'd all still be using floppy drives, IDE HDDs and firewire.

 

[zhenya]

uh what? removing a 3.5mm jack means there's no need for digital/analog converter for that port inside the phone.

uh, yes there is. The phone still needs an internal DAC, but now every set of headphones you want to use needs one too that adds bulk and cost while degrading sound quality as the DAC integrated into a set of $20 earbuds is going to be absolute junk.

 

[uid15]

Fine with me.

This is going to be an awesome thread to read in a few days. The amount of "I'll switch to Android!!!" Always cracks me up.

I'll switch to Ubuntu Phone...

Yeah, right, no. I can't exactly "switch" anyway, since I am not using an iPhone, but a Lumia 640 XL.

 

[AnthonyHarris]

It's kinda crazy but not that crazy if you think about it. I lersonally usually use wireless headphones. I own the powerbeats which are wireless and can't remember the last time I plugged in any headphones.

That makes it ok then. I sure need a thinner phone that no longer supports my headphones...

 

[diamond.g]

uh, yes there is. The phone still needs an internal DAC, but now every set of headphones you want to use needs one too that adds bulk and cost while degrading sound quality as the DAC integrated into a set of $20 earbuds is going to be absolute junk.

Apple could fix that by removing the speakers and mics and force you to use an external set. Think of all the space saved! (/s)

 

[Toltepeceno]

I'll switch to Ubuntu Phone...

Yeah, right, no. I can't exactly "switch" anyway, since I am not using an iPhone, but a Lumia 640 XL.

I ordered a cople of these from best buy usa for 30.00 each for gifts, how do you like it?

 

[beanbaguk]

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?

"Top" headphone manufacturer is very subjective.

 

[beanbaguk]

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.

That's a very fair point regarding the DAC to drive the speaker. I hadn't even thought of that.

So basically this entire exercise is entirely pointless and I'm still shaking my head at people commenting how "old" and how a 3.5mm audio adapter is "SD / low definition / stone age analogue".

 

[beanbaguk]

Yes, and I'm doing all of that without the headphone jack! Have been for years! How long must I continue to sacrifice a chunk of my phone because others want to live in the past?And completely irrelevant.

You really really really do need to understand how audio works before coming out with such rubbish!

 

[beanbaguk]

Nobody will hear any improvement from a new connector. There simply isn't any improvement to be made there.

The likelihood is there will be a reduction in sound quality as many 3rd parties will opt to use cheap generic DAC's to save money.

 

[beanbaguk]

Personally I think this thread needs to be shut down. There is no reason to debate any further if people ignorantly post any drivel without having absorbed or comprehended the tiniest amount of information which was posted before. It's getting beyond ridiculous and frightening at the same time.

[Yup, the 3.5 mm jack is holding back sound quality; that's it. Not the DAC built in the phone. Probably Apple really desperately wanted to deliver a better sound all along but because of the outdated but unfortunately world standard 3.5 mm jack, they thought: "**** it!" and caved, decided not to improve on the DAC and shipped the phone with ****** headphones, too. Because any better headphones would have been wasted on the outdated 3.5 mm jack anyway.

But next year is the year when Tim Cook will grow some balls and will change the wold for the better. Again! Just like he did with the latest Mac Mini and the upgraded iMac line.

And a digital output via Lightning is much better, anyway. It's digital! Sound quality will jump 20% on average - with Classical Music probably more. The Chellos especially come out a bit more crisp with its sounds tending to hover more freely in space using digital connectors. We just plug in our new digital headphones (another 20% increment in sound quality - AT LEAST!!) and we finally hear the light and are wondering how could we have ever lived before in the dark ages of analog headphones and analog connectors. Apple has done it again - a bold step forward into the world for modern people.

And imagine what could be done with the space saved by not having the outdated jack. We could fill in with something useful. Maybe even brain matter just in case the modern phone user has a lack of it!

Maybe the 3.5 mm jack is the real reason why the iPhone can't record videos in stereo sound. The 3.5 mm jack was blocking the space for a second microphone!!!!

And the phone could finally be made thinner. 6.1 mm! Maybe even 6 mm. What a marvellous achievement (Let's ignore the fact that the iPod Nano is just over 5mm WITH A 3.5 mm JACK)]/S

What are you talking about? Crisper sound as a result of digital audio? How do you think the sound reaches your ears? And what's with the made up statistics?! I'm guessing you know that 78.5% of people will believe anything with a percentage in it?

However I digress. Back to the topic in question. The audio has to be converted from digital to analogue at some point in the journey. iPhones generally have very good Wolfson (now Cirrus Logic), DAC's so that takes care of the process for you. Channelling the audio digitally simply means this process will have to happen in the headphones themselves which is why a lot of bluetooth headphones sound crap unless you buy something decent.

Additionally, it also means headphones will get more expensive as the added circuitry will cost more and moreover, it'll probably drain the battery of your iPhone quicker as it needs current to drive the DAC on the earphones.

Finally as I've mentioned many times, you'll just end up with cheap DAC's that are not optimised which will sound terrible. I'm not saying all will be this way but once again this proves that 90.26% of the online population have no clue as to what they're talking about.

 

[Abazigal]

Macstories has weighed in on this issue as well.

https://www.macstories.net/stories/...demise-of-the-3-5mm-audio-jack-on-the-iphone/

I agree with one thing though - it's not so much a matter of whether Apple will do away with the audio jack, but when. And what Apple will do to help ease the transition and soothe ruffled feathers.

 

[milo]

Thanks for providing the well documented stats to back up that unfounded claim.

Fail. The unfounded claim is that there's something wrong or out of date with 3.5, and that switching to some newer connector will somehow magically improve quality. 3.5 is just connecting a wire to another wire that is passing analog signal, and until someone invents a speaker or headphone where the transducer itself is digital, there is always going to be wire passing analog signal from the D/A converter to the headphone. Changing the connector isn't going to change how the technology works at all, it's just going to be using the same hardware but just moving some of it from inside the phone to inside the headphones.

http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/29/7091055/this-android-smartphone-is-too-thin-for-a-headphone-jack

People didn't raise a stink back then. Why are people suddenly crying about the sky falling now? When I read this article back then, I pretty much guessed that it was only a matter of time before Apple took a similar route.

It's hilarious you say that considering they raise a stink in the article. Not to mention many of the comments.

The fact is that most phones today are thin enough, and the single-minded pursuit of making them thinner is now leading us down a path of carrying more equipment, whether it be battery cases or headphone adapters, rather than less.

From reviews:

Undoubtedly because of size constraints there is no headphone port. Instead Oppo R5 users will have to rely upon a supplied microUSB adapter. Over a typical two year period, I can see this adaptor being easily lost or broken, which will only lead to frustration further down the line.

http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/oppo-r5-1280164/review

the less said about the need for a headphone adapter the better. Bluetooth headphones might be taking off, but I still rely upon wired headsets and I can see myself losing or breaking the adapter.

http://kingworldnews.com/review-in-depth-oppo-r5/

The micro-USB port is located on the bottom; the headphone port is non existent. For that you need to use the bundled floppy little adapter 80 percent of users are sure to lose within the first few months* of their phone’s probable two-year life-span. It also means you’ll be annoyed if you want to listen to music when your phone needs charging unless you have a Bluetooth headset. I don’t have a Bluetooth headset. I was annoyed.

Oppo is making a Bluetooth ‘O-Music’ accessory to remedy this, but unlike the N3 and its O-Click remote, this one isn’t included in the box. Even then, it would still be an easy-to-misplace accessory that you’ll probably have to charge. All of this is particularly unfortunate once you consider the aforementioned, even thinner, Vivo X5 Max manages to fit a headphone jack in its tiny frame.

http://thenextweb.com/gadgets/2014/...beautiful-but-no-one-needs-a-phone-this-thin/

 

[jblagden]

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

It would make a lot of headphones unusable on their own. It would be ridiculous to have to plug in an adapter. And for headphones to not need an adapter, they would need a Lightning plug and a built-in DAC.In terms of practicality, that could make a lot of headphones nearly obsolete for iPhone 7 users. I don't think they'd actually do that. They didn't even go that far on the 12 inch MacBook. The 12 inch MacBook has a USB-C port and a headphone jack. Since it still has a headphone jack, I'd say the possibility of Apple removing the headphone jack on the iPhone 7 is 5%. Besides, they've done enough ridiculous things lately, from making the Retina MacBook Pro and Mac Mini so thin that everything except the Solid State Drives are soldered in to switching to AMD graphics cards and then making the 12-inch MacBook with just 2 ports.