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

[rjlawrencejr]

Oh wow, so we will have to decide either listen to music of charge the phone....knowing Apple. they won't ship it with adapter out of the box....just look at the new Macbook...it doesn't ship with the adapter for full size USB, instead its an ad-on....here we go...more $$ in apple's pocket.

You're right, it does point toward needing an adapter for listening to music and at face value it does seem like a great inconvenience, but I can tell you with my MacBook I can count on one hand the number of times I have used the $19 dongle. The ubiquity of the Internet means I use the cloud more than ever. Most folks aren't audiophiles and basic Bluetooth headphones have become inexpensive.

As for having to make a choice between charging or listening to audio - the only time I would face that dilemma is when I am in my car with only an aux port. I have two other cars but they're even older and have neither an aux port nor Bluetooth.

 

[stulaw11]

Mere rumors. Just like iPhone will have OLED (at least SOME evidence) and the same rumors year after year.

I highly doubt owning Beats that Apple will remove the 3.5mm jack. That makes zero business sense.

And the phones are thin enough but they need to increase the battery size now and not worry about thin.

 

[wesk702]

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, which has 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

My body is ready

 

[Andyosully]

I'd rather they got rid of the Lightning port and kept the headphone jack, just like they did on some of the older iPod shuffles. Then we can have the best of both world!

 

[rjlawrencejr]

Knowing Apple, they could make proprietary cables just like the 12" Macbook when they could have easily added a USB or 2....All about that $$$$$

Just so you know, USB-C is not proprietary.

 

[MetalCores]

I'm curious if the headphones will have to have a built in DAC or if the lighting connector outputs analog audio

 

[Apple blogger]

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, which has 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

But if that happens, isn't it not going to come in the way of charging?.. For eg. You will not be able to to charge if u listen to music, and if u charge, then no muisic .. If u connect with your speakers ..no charge.. And let me remind you.. It's not only head phones and speaker connectors that use the headphone jack.. There are other accessories too.. All of them, if would use the lighting port, then it'll be exactly like the MacBook.. Which has a little issue, doing many things at once, but luckily, manufacturers have made many extensions for it.. I hope if that's gonna happen, it's the same extensions for the iPhone.. Cause the usability of the iPhone and Mac are different in many many ways.

 

[poorcody]

Well if this is a trial balloon Apple, screw the endless thinness... I'd rather had an all-weekend battery and universal headphone compatibility.

 

[lincolntran]

I've feared this day might come. May have to jump ship.

Jump to a thicker, uglier, and lower user experience platform so you can keep the headphone jack? Or am I missing something?

 

[bluush]

There is no way this could be true. It would be the dumbest move ever. I can understand changing from 30 pin to lightning for charging, but to make a change forcing everyone to abandon their current headphones (or buy some ugly, inconvenient adapter) would be astonishingly poor practice on Apple's part.

 

[DevNull0]

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

Well this is the new Apple for the last 5 years. It used to be about providing the customers the best possible experience. Now it's about a "good enough so the sheep will keep their wallets open" experience.

 

[JosephAW]

I didn't realize that the Lightning port has power. Cool.

 

[RJSAudio]

+1 for being very opposed to this idea. Not having a dedicated 3.5mm headphone jack would drastically reduce the quality of my experience with the iPhone.

 

[\-V-/]

Jump to a thicker, uglier, and lower user experience platform so you can keep the headphone jack? Or am I missing something?

You're missing the obvious experience of having used anything but an iPhone.

 

[ray6712]

Bluetooth EarPods that will be the solution they pitch, I swore they just had an article on this a few weeks ago

 

[Sedulous]

Awful idea.

 

[DevNull0]

Jump to a thicker, uglier, and lower user experience platform so you can keep the headphone jack? Or am I missing something?

Thicker is a plus at this point. I've never used a case before, now I need a case just to make the damn thing thick enough to hold comfortably. Uglier -- open your eyes and look around the latest iPhone designs are knockoffs of high end android phones.

User experience, I have to agree with you. When the 5 came out I jumped ship to a galaxy S4 for the bigger screen. Android is beyond awful; the screen on that phone still puts my new iPhone 6s to shame, but android really is horrible, and I'm happy to be back on iOS.

But if the iPhone doesn't have a headphone jack I will keep my 6s as long as possible and suck it up and switch back to android.

 

[JosephAW]

Maybe it time to seal the phone and make everything wireless including charging.
I wish they put two speakers in so I can hear stereo without headphones.

 

[iosuser]

Any thinner, and I'll need one of those sticky thumbs that secretaries use just to get it off the table. I already struggle sometimes getting my 6s off a flat surface when it's out of its case.

That's funny. And so true.

 

[Glassed Silver]

If you can afford an iPhone you can afford a 29.99 connector, give me a break.

"Good boy!"
-Tim Cook

This is not about if my bank account allows for this.

Glassed Silver:mac

 

[iRockMan1]

Also I'm holding my iPod touch 6G in my hand (which most people have never probably held since it's a dead product) and while I've never been one to care too much about thinness, I have to admit the iPod touch 6G thickness is absolutely sublime. This is the sweet spot for the thickness of the iPhone of the future. Think how chunky/clunky the 6/6S will look when people get used to a 6mm thick phone. Don't believe me? Pick up a touch 6G and see for yourself.

I actively wish my 5th gen iPod Touch were thicker. The thin, tapered design makes it uncomfortable to hold and easy to drop. In fact, I do drop it way too often because there are no sides to grip. I very rarely dropped my first generation iPod Touch; that was the "sweet spot", in my opinion.

 

[tennisproha]

they sure as hell better include a 3.5mm lightning adapter. otherwise, pandemonium!

 

[TJone]

Apple now thinks innovation is making things thinner and forcing people to buy adapters when most people would prefer a thicker iPhone 7 with a better battery then the iPhone 6 and a headphone jack.

 

[Glideslope]

Complete Bunk.

 

[Soccertess]

This move makes sense if Apple is releasing wireless earbuds.

Because it allows you to use your wireless earbuds while charging it when they run out of power.

Eventually all the ports will be gone, just like the Apple Watch

Wireless charging?

All this leads me to believe that wireless charging will be coming out paired with wireless buds. The backlash would be too big if they just removed the 3.5mm jack without some considerate benefit. But this is Tim, so who knows what he will do