iPhone 7 and 7 Plus Again Rumored to Feature Smart Connector, but No Stereo Speakers or Thinner Design

[DynaFXD]

And since phone calls are mono anyway, two speakers would be completely pointless.

Except that the volume would be louder. And since the iPhone is as much a business telephonic device as much as it is a gizmo for fart apps, that is not completely pointless. I agree in that I am not sure that it is worth losing the 3.5 over, but there could be a functional argument as to including an additional speaker.

 

[LordQ]

Guess the only exciting thing about this year for me will be iOS 10 and Apple Watch 2.

 

[aberrero]

But will it wobble?

 

[warrior2000]

I'm pretty sure Android phone manufacturers won't be dropping the 3.5mm until the see the potential backlash Apple will receive if they do end up eliminating it and the effects it might have on iPhone sales. Considering the fact that it would render millions of headphones and earbuds useless, it would also piss off people who use an aux cable in their cars.

By removing the 3.5mm headphone jack from the iPhone, Apple will really be testing the loyalty and patience of many of its customers. Obviously the fanboys will blindly defend their decision and find ways to justify it, but Tim Cook's greed (removing the jack is most likely a money-based decision) and overall lack of vision will come back to bite Apple in the ass just like it did in the 90s.

I guess you wish the iMac still had a CD tray?
Do you still use your VCR to watch movies?

People said this same crap when Apple switched to lightning. People will deal with it. Besides all it will take is a $5 adapter to use your legacy headphones or connect to your car.

If Apple was so terrified about change like you are we would never get the iPod/iPhone
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From the rumors we are seeing currently, there is nothing in the 7 that entices me enough to upgrade from the 6. If these rumors are completely off base and a bunch of new features end up being added or my phone blows up, that would obviously change but I'm really looking for Apple to reduce the size of the device and to have wireless at a distance. Short of that, I'm not sure there is any point for an upgrade to me.

So why did you upgrade from the 5s to the 6? Just because of a slightly larger screen?

Wireless charging at a distance is sci-fi right now.

 

[BornAgainMac]

How about a "dumb" USB-C connector?

 

[HVDynamo]

Nonsense. I hear the same **** every time Apple drops a legacy connector.

Save you sob stories and move along.......

Except this isn't a legacy connector, it is still very current and there is no real replacement for it that is better. I use mine all the time, and I do not want to have to carry around another ***** adapter for something that used to just work. I just bought a 6S 128GB, and I may be keeping it for a lot longer for this reason.

 

[Dr.Chroma]

There will be no noticeable improvement between the SE and a new iPhone that's even thinner. There is no such thing as a high quality mobile phone speaker, only degrees of bad. Having stereo speakers on the bottom of your phone, two inches apart, is not going to make a bit of difference to your spatial appreciation of anything, especially when watching a video. And since phone calls are mono anyway, two speakers would be completely pointless. There might be an incredibly weak argument for music, but it is certainly not worth removing the 3.5mm headphone jack to do it ... or really anything else customers currently use -- the iPhone is NOT an iPad in any sense as far as audio is concerned.



You are correct, but two speakers would not entirely be "Completely pointless.". There are only levels of poor audio on phones as you stated prior. I tend to use my speaker phone quite often during calls. That being said, the speaker on the iPhone SE is not nearly as loud as my previous iPhone 6s was, even with the volume maxed. The audio quality on my iPhone 6s had more clarity and was more audible than the SE could ever be. If they do implement a second speaker, any improved audio or increased influx of volume would be appreciated in any matter, and yes would make a difference. Every customer has their likes of "New" features. Discarding the headphone jack is a matter of time, rather it be on the iPhone 7 or following versions. Its antiquated, but yet still purposeful with those for prefer wired headphones.

 

[AppleorSamsung]

Smart cases with a screen on the back or something, or battery cases

Eliminate the headphone jack and then how does Apple expect to listen in the car? Not everyone has CarPlay or Bluetooth or up to date Bluetooth like my car.

Better idea remove volume buttons no need when you can just use the screen to adjust the volume and move headphone jack in its place now you have room for stereo speakers.

Yup that's mean no aux cord and that's a deal breaker for me

 

[warrior2000]

Except this isn't a legacy connector, it is still very current and there is no real replacement for it that is better. I use mine all the time, and I do not want to have to carry around another ***** adapter for something that used to just work. I just bought a 6S 128GB, and I may be keeping it for a lot longer for this reason.

well that's your choice and your loss.

There were a couple dozen people who also refused to upgrade when Apple replaced the 30 pin with lightning.

 

[CE3]

Looking forward to seeing what the 7 has to offer, but I think I'm going to wait for the S version.

 

[gotluck]

windows xp machine in the photo - must be legit!

 

[modeyabsolom]

Maybe one of the purposes for incorporating a smart connector is to reintroduce the ability to input and output analogue audio (amongst other things) that was lost when moving from the 30pin connector to the all digital Lightning one? Unlikely I know, as that's rather a specialised feature. Its just the incorporation of a smart connector an an iPhone still seems rather odd.

 

[kas23]

Oh boy, I've been waiting for the day I could hook a keyboard up to my iPhone!

Being serious now, the smart connector is likely for a case that can receive wireless charging. It's going to separate because Apple loves the idea of selling us separate expensive cases. And the case will hide the ugliness of it. That'll be win-win for everyone. Plus, there's going to be something special about the case...

By wireless charging, I mean real wireless charging. Charging that can be done without physical contact (except for the case!) and be done from a few feet away, which we know Apple has been working on.

 

[Walter Welch]

Though the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus aren't coming out until the fall of 2016, rumors and alleged part leaks have already divulged many details about the prospective features of the device. In March, a photo of a device said to be the iPhone 7 Plus surfaced on a Chinese website, and a rendering supposedly sourced from Apple manufacturer Catcher Technology featured the design of the iPhone 7.

There's no way to confirm whether these images are legitimate depictions of Apple's upcoming devices, but this morning, Japanese site Mac Otakara shared a report that corroborates many of the rumors we've heard and shares some new details on the features we might see in the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus.

Mac Otakara says "the possibility is great" that both the image of the iPhone 7 Plus housing and the design sourced from Catcher are "the real thing." The iPhone 7 Plus model featured a dual camera as has been rumored, along with a Smart Connector that Mac Otakara suggests could be used to accommodate a Smart Keyboard for the iPhone.

Much of the rest of Mac Otakara's report focuses on speculation about the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus based on the supposition that the photos are actual depictions of the two devices, along with a few new tidbits of information thrown in.

Both the iPhone 7 Plus model and the rendering from Catcher show a design that's similar to the design of the iPhone 6s and the 6s Plus, and while previous rumors (including a rumor from Mac Otakara itself) have said the device could be thinner, even approaching the thinness of the 6.1mm iPod touch, Mac Otakara says the device photos suggest there will be little difference in size between the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 6s.

Apple is expected to eliminate the headphone jack in the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus, and while some rumors have indicated Apple could use the space to introduce dual stereo speakers, Mac Otakara now believes Apple will continue to use a single speaker in the device. The report also includes a mention of Bluetooth-enabled EarPods that connect to the iPhone to charge much like the Apple Pencil.

The larger lens of the rear-facing camera on the iPhone 7 image indicates it will perhaps use a larger sensor, giving it improved camera capabilities despite the fact that it will not include the dual camera layout rumored for the iPhone 7 Plus. Multiple rumors have said dual cameras will be a feature limited to the iPhone 7 Plus.

A final detail in Mac Otakara's report focuses on the potential inclusion of two new sensors at the top of the device, the purpose of which remains unclear. There is a possibility that the two sensors could be related to the display of the device, based on recent speculation from DisplayMate suggesting features included in the 9.7-inch iPad Pro could be a logical inclusion for the iPhone 7.

According to DisplayMate, True Tone display support, which adjusts the display to match the temperature of the ambient lighting in a room, could be added to the iPhone if Apple "upgrades the ambient light sensors so they measure color in addition to brightness."

Many of the details Mac Otakara mentions in its report line up with previous rumors that we've heard. Both the iPhone 7 and the 7 Plus are expected to look a lot like the iPhone 6s, but with redesigned antenna bands that don't span the back of the device. Rumors disagree about the potential thickness of the device, but there could be some improvements made by introducing a thinner display, new chip packing technology, and a slimmed-down Lightning port.

Dual cameras for the iPhone 7 Plus and the elimination of the headphone jack are the most concrete rumors we've heard yet, corroborated multiple times by a variety of sources. As we creep closer to the fall launch date of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, we should begin to get a clearer picture of exactly what features and design changes we can expect to see in the two devices.

Article Link: iPhone 7 and 7 Plus Again Rumored to Feature Smart Connector, but No Stereo Speakers or Thinner Design

 

[blairh]

So, which one of you is speaking for 100% of all (potential) iPhone customers?

Neither. There are people in both camps.

 

[Walter Welch]

That's pretty ugly. I hope it looks better than that

 

[blairh]

A phone that looks similar to the 6S to me signals a huge redesign is coming in 2017 and this might be the year Apple gets rid of numbers with iPhone naming. For me the one thing about the 6S that was meh was the camera so if Apple's made a big improvement to it I think that will be a big deal. Right now iPhone isn't the smartphone camera leader no matter what Phil Schiller thinks.

No big changes this fall means huge changes next fall. Absolutely.

I think keeping the footprint the same and thickness too will be tough for consumers to get excited over. Even if we get a much better camera and superior battery life. They will see something that looks and feels roughly the same and not jump.

But.....

A complete redesign in 2017 would of course be a huge hit for Apple. So we will see. I'm still hoping for a thinner iPhone come fall with dual speakers.

 

[modeyabsolom]

As far as we can tell the iPhone 7 is going to be one dud of a release. There's really not one thing that seems interesting so far.

True, quite disappointing so far. And just when I've completed payments of my 5S and was going to upgrade...I just might wait another year then. The 7 doesn't seem a very exciting upgrade and my 5S still works just fine!

 

[Tycho24]

No headphone jack? Then we are done with iPhones. Several people (none of them technical) have said they will move to Android if apple does this. They spent too much money on good headphones to compromise with Bluetooth headphones.

Lol, and ALL of these people oddly refuse to use the included adapter to happily continue using their fancy headphones??
The idea of that insanely easy fix is SO abhorrent to these "several people" that they'd rather repurchase all their apps & adapt entirely to a different OS??
Wow, what a bunch of drama queens!!

 

[Dr.Chroma]

Its going to be an expensive September for me...iPhone 7, Apple Watch 2(Assuming it will launch during this time frame) and upgrading to the 9.7 iPad Pro.

 

[yaxomoxay]

One question about the smart connector. Wouldn't the magnetic factor be a huge problem? I put the phone in my pocket and everything (keys, coins etc.) gets attached to it (*)?

(*) with potential of castration...

 

[Marx55]

Bring standard ports like Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.1 Type-C Generation 2.

 

[Black Magic]

There has to be other idea for the Smart Connector than a Smart Keyboard.

Maybe they are designing a cool and functional case. But its not going to have a keyboard.

Since innovation in the smartphone space is getting tough, accessories may be the new playground for growth. Enter the Smart Connector...

 

[57004]

Except this isn't a legacy connector, it is still very current and there is no real replacement for it that is better. I use mine all the time, and I do not want to have to carry around another ***** adapter for something that used to just work. I just bought a 6S 128GB, and I may be keeping it for a lot longer for this reason.

This... Headphones with Lightning connectors are only beneficial for Apple, not for consumers. So they can sell more headphones and charge other manufacturers a licensing fee for their proprietary connector.

Made for iPhone? I'd rather have Made for Everything.

 

[d656]

Amazing how many people on here already assume these leaks are real and complaining about the iPhone 7 as being ugly and boring.

Jesus people, did you ever even stop to think that these night be fake?

Let me help you....they are fake.
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Nonsense. I hear the same **** every time Apple drops a legacy connector.

Save you sob stories and move along.......

You mad bro?