iPhone 7's Secondary Speaker Holes May Be Purely Cosmetic

[apolloa]

Apples idea of change is stupid, Apples idea is to change a fundamental connector that an entire industry of accessories was created and to NOT give you an adapter in the box for your hundreds of pounds. People were VERY VERY VERY upset with the change from 30 pin to lightning mainly because THEY had to buy an adapter that ONLY Apple sold at an inflated price to use their accessories which included things like expensive Bowers And Wilkins speaker docks.

going by Apples history and adapters they include it will be the same if they remove the headphone socket, it's not obsolete, it's used by billions of people, it's used in all professions, yet if rumours are true apparently Apple wants to ditch it and stick some pointless designer holes in its place?? And then possibly force you to buy and inflated price adapter only they sell.

Oh well if it turns out to be true then the defenders on here will be Apples share holders or employees or blind apologists. I mean the tech reviewers do not count the iPhone as the best to buy, haven't for a while, I'm not sure how what Apple is rumoured to do this year will change that? I have my ups and downs with it, but still have it. I mean they are still the only ones to make decent spec smaller devices. If my eyes were better I would get an SE but alas my iPod Touch tells me to keep the 6S screen size lol.

I'd MUCH rather Apple ditched the stupid rounded smooth metal design so I could ditch my case and have an even smaller device. Hopefully next year for that one?

 

[maxsix]

Apple is not drilling holes for cosmetics. There is a purpose if not to house another speaker but for some type of acoustic purpose.

Apple is the master of smoke and mirrors marketing hype, deftly playing on people's curiosity and knowing how effective controlled release of "rumors" and "leaks" can be.

The run up to the next new product release, whether it's the next iPhone or any other Apple product, is Prime Time for the Cupertino Company. Masterfully played, they've built a world class empire via a tightly controlled release of "information".

It's the legacy of Steve Jobs. More than anything, he was the world's best salesman.

 

[Ploki]

"Most people don't really want headphone jacks anyway." - Tim Cook

well its true.
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This comment would made sense if it actually was designed as bass reflex port, but it is not - so sticking with ornamental

you dont know if it is or not. they did some clever stuff in the retina macbook pro

 

[bobob]

The ratio of actual MacRumors forum members to competitors' fans and shills has reached an all time low. The name of the forum can soon be changed to MacHaters and it will be supported by the majority of visitors to the site.

Just because we don't all worship every Apple decision it doesn't make everyone a "shill".

Please read my post again and quote the part where I said that everyone is a shill.

 

[Stella]

The ratio of actual MacRumors forum members to competitors' fans and shills has reached an all time low. The name of the forum can soon be changed to MacHaters and it will be supported by the majority of visitors to the site.

People are getting fed up - As simple as that.

Lacklustre product releases, Mac Pros not being updated, Macbook Pro, Airs, Mac Mini machines getting old in the tooth while Apple charging excessive prices ( for old technology ).

Functionality being removed for the sake of being .1mm thinner.

30+ minutes taken up in keynote speeches talking about Apple Music / Messaging, while far less time spent on the next Mac OS...

Oh yes, and Watch bands.... and silly and pointless updates to Siri instead of much needed improvements...

iPad range is becoming confused ( not just naming ) .. there's quite a gap between what Apple want iPad to be ( replacement for a PC ) and its existing functionality and software range.

Sure Apple are still making a boat load of money... great for them. Frustrating for others who want to see Apple innovating, releasing competitive, value for money products.

 

[mdlooker]

If it's true, yet another reason not to upgrade. Why would I give 600+ when I already have the 6+? Lets sit this one out and see what happens.

 

[iMi]

Looks like the sales projections on iPhone 7 may be purely cosmetic as well.

 

[Moac]

I have only had iPhone , iPhone 5 and have never used other smart phones for an extended period of time , but why cant apple fans be honest with themselves?
I was going to upgrade to iPhone 7 but seeing all those leaks and seeing that apple wont push quality , has me looking elsewhere. (this is not even subjective, just look at the screen - it is far inferior to the Samsung S7)

I have tried the Samsung Galaxy s7 edge , a friend owns one, and i must say that the screen on that phone is almost magical. Its so colorful and somehow doesn't strain your eyes as much in a darker setting. Moreover, the bezels are so much thinner and the Galaxy s7 edge is a much more beautiful phone , in my opinion.
If the iPhone 7 had , at least, that Samsung Super AMOLED screen i would buy the iPhone 7 in a heart beat , mostly because I already have money spent on iOS apps.

To be honest, I find that the iPhone 4s is the most beautifully designed phone there is , if only apple made a phone like the 4S or even Samsung Galaxy s7. Glass on both sides and with that almost magical screen, even at 4 inch, with smaller bezels and new internals, the iPhone 4s design would be stellar in 2016.
My sister has an old iPhone 4s holding it and just using it a bit , i feel that apple has lost something.

I hope those leaks, very unlikely , are false and that apple has some aces up their sleeves. Apple fanboys need to open their eyes , no longer is the iPhone the top notch quality product. The Samsung Galaxy s7 Edge has it beat in both design and quality.

In conclusion, I would like to buy an Apple iPhone , however, I simply feel that if apple gives us the leaked iPhone 7 - buying it and giving them support for something so incremental - so outdated - would be like giving crack to an addict.

 

[Tech198]

I always like Ventilation

 

[jimbo1mcm]

As in cooling or MR members?

 

[0lf]

This would not be new for Apple. Didn't iPhone 4 appear to have dual speakers cosmetically but only one actual speaker? Seems like I recall something else too that had the same appearance of dual speakers but only had one? Maybe one of the iPad models?

in fact, all iPhones except 6 and 6s have a false speaker grill

They would still be filling the space up, just not with another speaker.

This will actually be very interesting. That is a LOT of space that they have to play with and will be interesting to see what they do with it.

Yep. If you see internal from 6s, the jack take a lot of heigh (same for a speaker). Apple could move the taptic engine down and increase the battery size, or increase the taptic engine size...

The other article about the display components connecting at the bottom suggests that the removed the headphone port and moved things internally into that space so they had room for the new camera module at the top of the device.

It must be some monster camera, optical zoom coming to all iPhone 7's?

Exactly, moving the connector free some space for a true tone sensor and bigger camera module.

 

[skitidetdu]

Yeah I mean the 4, 4s, 5, 5s, iPad mini, mini 2, Air, Air 2 all of them have dual "speaker grills" but only one side is a real speaker while the other one is a microphone....

Can't believe how much drama the people here make...this was really obvious. Dual speakers in such a position don't even make sense sound wise...you would not gain anything.

But it's always nice to see some die-hards going full on rant-mode because of this, but at the same time forgetting that this design was on all the other iPhone and iPad models...

Doesn't make much difference for speech but for music is it actually a difference between mono and stereo. Even if the speakers are close to each other

 

[Dave245]

Removing 3.5mm jack has no replacement, using lightning port will mean no charging and using headphones concurrently, using Bluetooth means having to charge headphones - both are inconveniences. Neither improves the customer experience. Neither is better than the technology being removed. There's a difference.

It's replacement is called wireless earphones, which Apple themselves are rumoured to be working on. As for charging you will find that Apple will adopt wireless charging, maybe not in the iPhone 7 but in the future. That's the way everything is heading, wireless.

 

[Pilgrim1099]

I have only had iPhone , iPhone 5 and have never used other smart phones for an extended period of time , but why cant apple fans be honest with themselves?
I was going to upgrade to iPhone 7 but seeing all those leaks and seeing that apple wont push quality , has me looking elsewhere. (this is not even subjective, just look at the screen - it is far inferior to the Samsung S7)

I have tried the Samsung Galaxy s7 edge , a friend owns one, and i must say that the screen on that phone is almost magical. Its so colorful and somehow doesn't strain your eyes as much in a darker setting. Moreover, the bezels are so much thinner and the Galaxy s7 edge is a much more beautiful phone , in my opinion.
If the iPhone 7 had , at least, that Samsung Super AMOLED screen i would buy the iPhone 7 in a heart beat , mostly because I already have money spent on iOS apps.

To be honest, I find that the iPhone 4s is the most beautifully designed phone there is , if only apple made a phone like the 4S or even Samsung Galaxy s7. Glass on both sides and with that almost magical screen, even at 4 inch, with smaller bezels and new internals, the iPhone 4s design would be stellar in 2016.
My sister has an old iPhone 4s holding it and just using it a bit , i feel that apple has lost something.

I hope those leaks, very unlikely , are false and that apple has some aces up their sleeves. Apple fanboys need to open their eyes , no longer is the iPhone the top notch quality product. The Samsung Galaxy s7 Edge has it beat in both design and quality.

In conclusion, I would like to buy an Apple iPhone , however, I simply feel that if apple gives us the leaked iPhone 7 - buying it and giving them support for something so incremental - so outdated - would be like giving crack to an addict.

I've raised this issue a few times in the past here regarding the industrial design and think that Apple needs to go old school with the flat edges on all their phones. Imagine the 5.5 iphone with the flat edge design of the iPhone 4/5. Sticking with the curved edges, I think, is a mistake.

Second, in regards to the speaker grills, I know the older phones had two of them at the bottom with the 3.5 jack and connector intact. I'm wondering if this is what they're doing for the 7 but it looks like they're not going to according to the leaks.

However, if they were smart, moving the 3.5 jack to the top left and creating two speakers at the bottom that acts as a dual speaker and microphone would not be a bad idea since users can go with the 3.5 or lightning to BT at the bottom. That way, people aren't forced to buy a 3.5 to lightning adapter, otherwise this scenario is most likely to be the case and if so, should be included with the phone upon release. It's the right thing to do if Apple wants to retain their consumer base and not lose it to competitors.

EDIT: I should add that the original iPod had a 3.5 jack at the top. I should know because I own it. The rest of the ipod and phone lines had them located at the bottom, however.

 

[0lf]

EDIT: I should add that the original iPod had a 3.5 jack at the top. I should know because I own it. The rest of the ipod and phone lines had them located at the bottom, however.

The jack moved to bottom since iPhone 5

 

[montelongo1]

i think on the picture they are talking about the secondary microphone (refer to IH11 on the pic)
the one located next to the rear camera.
if you notice the supposed secondary speaker is marked with B1 in the pic, and the secondary microphone is marked with H11.

 

[Pilgrim1099]

The jack moved to bottom since iPhone 5

Forgot about that one.

 

[Mac 128]

To be clear, he note 7 is 0.6mm thicker than the iPhone 6s+. It's significantly smaller along the other 2 dimensions though.

The spec for spec nonsense is something fanboys have been using to justify their koolaid for a decade. Computer X can beat the Mac 99 out of 100 ways and you'll hold that 100th up to "prove" the mac is better. Or that 100th will cost so much to add to the PC it brings the PC into Apple's price range and "proves" Macs aren't overpriced.

The Note 7 also isn't "retina" so I guess iPhone wins there. Even though its 518 ppi compared to iPhone's 401 ppi screen.

I have yet to see anyone even here explain why 3D Touch or a taptiic engine (both marketing terms like "retina") are useful. 3D touch is a clunky UI thing that makes previously easy things harder. That's why no dev besides Apple actually uses it, it spoils a clean interface. And "taptic engine" is just Apple marketing-speak for a shorter duration vibration motor. It's not even a feature worth mentioning expect iPhone has so little.

Anyway, so you lose 3D Touch and a "taptic engine" (rofl). You gain the always on display which gives it some pretty impressive features in terms of notifications, news ticker, etc. You have a 1440p AMOLED screen instead of Apple's 1080p LCD. You gain a microSD slot and 64 gig of base memory. And it even comes in blue .

Note 7 includes a stylus. Even if the next iPhone will support Apple's stylus (which they have to call a pencil to prove it's different -- what brilliant marketing) it will be a $100 option with no place to dock.

Well the lack of a "taptic engine" (rofl) is something I would call a feature but you apparently wouldn't.

When you're playing the game of garbage like a "taptic engine" (rofl) meaning the other product is not superior in every way you're just trying to bury any meaningful comparison.

So why don't you tell me how a "taptic engine" (rofl) compensates for the crappy screen, gigantic bezels, and lack of headphone jack?

Well first, I'm not comparing anything to the 6s+. I want to know how it compares to the 4.7" 6s -- the model that Apple sells the most of by an extremely wide margin. That's the phone Apple designs for, not the Plus which has extra room to add all kinds of things.

That said, I'm happy to hear more about how the Note 7 compares to the 6s+. Now I asked a simple honest question -- how does it directly compare. I realize you're passionate about your dislike of 3D Touch, but nevertheless it is a feature Apple offers that the Note 7 doesn't, which can be debated separately.

However, that's not really what I'm most concerned about. What I'm most concerned about you skipped right over, presumably dismissing it under the heading of "spec nonsense". Well let me clarify, in particular, the speed at which the phone executes instructions is extremely practical -- So what are the benchmarks? How does the Note 7 compare to the iPhone 7 running the same apps? And perhaps the most important aspect of any mobile phone, how long does it last performing routine functions? Is the battery life the same or greater?

And then there are questions like does it have all the same radios? Does it have physical image stabilization on the camera? What is the audio quality like? Is there a barometer? Does it shoot 4K video? Etc.

I honestly don't know. But you're the one making the claims that the Note 7 is as good as the iPhone, while offering more features in a smaller package, and costs less. I'm just asking you to outline those differences for someone who doesn't know. And so far you seem a bit evasive about some of the key features, which suggests to me that the Note 7 doesn't actually measure up to the iPhone 6s in key respects (not just 3D Touch). And that makes me question how the internal components compare.

And then there's the thing I'm really after ... Is there a 4.7" Android phone that matches the iPhone 6s on features and comparison, while also beating it in some areas, and including a stylus, and an SD card slot, while being smaller (even if only in some respects), and cheaper? Because frankly, I couldn't care less about a stylus. And I can add an SD card slot if I really need it. But I'd willingly take them built into my phone if I didn't sacrifice anything I'm currently enjoying as part of my user experience. And certainly if you can show me that the Note 7 beats the iPhone in every way then I might be interested in switching. But so far, I've not seen anything compelling presented here. You're mainly arguing that a feature the iPhone has, is useless for you, and push features I don't need, while ignoring the aspects of the phones that actually do interest me.

 

[S3R6i0]

Why remove a headphone jack to replace it with nothing? Is this is true and/or if Apple doesn't at least redeem themselves with a new headphone system I'm done with the iPhone for good.

 

[doelcm82]

If it's true, yet another reason not to upgrade. Why would I give 600+ when I already have the 6+? Lets sit this one out and see what happens.

I can't think of any reasons why YOU would upgrade from a 6+. But I will likely upgrade from the 6+, based on the rumors and based on improvements that were already present in the 6S+.

Improved camera

• Dual-lens
• Better low-light performance
• 4K video recording
• Near DSLR quality

Two generations newer processor/graphics

More RAM (3GB? vs 1GB in the 6+)

More storage (256GB?)

Improved, faster TouchID

More water resistant

Bigger battery?

Smart connector, which could let me easily snap on an even bigger battery when I need it

3D Touch

 

[Mac 128]

Doesn't make much difference for speech but for music is it actually a difference between mono and stereo. Even if the speakers are close to each other

Not enough to justify dropping the headphone jack, especially given their location.

I've raised this issue a few times in the past here regarding the industrial design and think that Apple needs to go old school with the flat edges on all their phones. Imagine the 5.5 iphone with the flat edge design of the iPhone 4/5. Sticking with the curved edges, I think, is a mistake.

Second, in regards to the speaker grills, I know the older phones had two of them at the bottom with the 3.5 jack and connector intact. I'm wondering if this is what they're doing for the 7 but it looks like they're not going to according to the leaks.

However, if they were smart, moving the 3.5 jack to the top left and creating two speakers at the bottom that acts as a dual speaker and microphone would not be a bad idea since users can go with the 3.5 or lightning to BT at the bottom. That way, people aren't forced to buy a 3.5 to lightning adapter, otherwise this scenario is most likely to be the case and if so, should be included with the phone upon release. It's the right thing to do if Apple wants to retain their consumer base and not lose it to competitors.

EDIT: I should add that the original iPod had a 3.5 jack at the top. I should know because I own it. The rest of the ipod and phone lines had them located at the bottom, however.

Actually if there's going to be two speakers, I completely disagree moving the headphone jack to the top left. If they have the room to do that, then they should move the second speaker to the top left, so that stereo separation would actually have some effect. Music is going to be negligible regardless of which orientation the speakers are in, but the place stereo would actually have some relevance is in landscape mode watching a movie with localized sound effects. And that kind of isolated stereo separation would make a difference in the customers enjoyment of watching a movie on such tiny speakers. It would also have better impact on some of those 1950s & 60s wide stereo music efforts with complete instrument separation. But for typical pop music, it will have almost no noticible effect regardless of placement.

But the reality is, a lot more than the headphone jack would have to be removed to accomodate a second speaker of even the same low quality as the one Apple currently uses, and it would require its own amp, additional power, and likely not amount to a significant volume increase over what the phone currently offers. All things considered, a second speaker would be a huge waste.

Completely disagree with you about the adapter. Not only would including one telegraph Apple made a mistake, but also encourage customers to continue using cheaper existing 3.5mm tech. They will provide a new pair of Lightning earbuds, and maybe a 3.5mm source-to-Lightning headphones adapter to connect to older Macs, and other equipment with the same pair of new Lightning headphones. And that will encourage adoption of Lightning, if not Bluetooth, which seems to be much more in keeping with Apples overall goals.

 

[Pilgrim1099]

Why remove a headphone jack to replace it with nothing? Is this is true and/or if Apple doesn't at least redeem themselves with a new headphone system I'm done with the iPhone for good.

That's why I'm thinking about side grading to the 6s Plus, 6s 4.7 or Android. iPhone SE will be the very last resort because I love that design, not the size since I have astigmatism.

My two year contract on my 6Plus ends in November. That large size is useful for me as a graphic artist/designer to snap images or scan them ( replaced my old flat bed scanner ), use drop box files, create contracts and invoices, GPS navigation, texting, and so on. I don't care much for 3D Touch which is pointless for me.

I need to go 64 GB because I want to move my music onto the new phone and listen to it off grid instead of using the cloud ( which I think is stupid since it depends on cell reception quality ). I'm betting that the current phone prices will drop big time next month when the 7 is released.

The large screen also is handy as a mobile portfolio for clientele to look at my artwork at that size.

EDIT: my original iPod touch is outdated and cannot sync with iTunes which is why I have to get a new phone for larger storage for this reason.

 

[Count Blah]

Its actually MFi

https://developer.apple.com/programs/mfi/

Increased profits due to lighting port, hence why apple will never use USB-C on the iPhone.

The two are not mutually exclusive. Both brings more money into Apple's coffers, while also being VERY hostile moves against their customers. Kinda like the last crap Mac mini "update" - amazingly customer hostile move.
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The sentiment around here has certainly become a lot more negative and acerbic of late. Wonder if this is because of a lot of Mac users stubbornly clinging on to memories of a long-bygone age.

Times have changed, and Apple has changed with the times as well, but it seems that quite a few users have refused to move on and are still stuck in the past.

Shame really.

Yeah, those old times when Apple cared about usability, and giving customers what they wanted, when people had real choices, and could have their macs grow WITH them over the course of the machines lifetime. When macs weren't disposable items, and when things 'just worked'.

Yeah, I can't understand would people would be soon upset with Apple turning their backs on those times either. /s
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People were angry when they dropped the floppy disk, people were angry when they dropped the DVD drive, people were angry when they dropped the 30 pin connector. Reading from history, those people will get over it, just like they did with all those other times.

Those were infrequently used components. Those complaining were tech publications, predicting the failure.

Now you have millions who use the 3.5mm plug, every day. Many use it multiple times a day. All to be replaced with YET ANOTHER device that needs to be charged daily, and that can fail at any time, due to running out of battery. An issue that is. It faced by those millions who simply use the 3.5mm plug.

It's a customer hostile move, plain and simple.

 

[GadgetBen]

Cue all the AUX jack lovers to pipe up about how Apple will fail.

Yes because advancing wireless technology and getting rid of cables is a bad thing

 

[Wiesenlooser]

Apple is not drilling holes for cosmetics. There is a purpose if not to house another speaker but for some type of acoustic purpose.

Apple actually used to put screws on their former Macbooks / Powerbooks that held nothing and were just there for symmetry.