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LeEco's Latest Android Smartphones Beat Apple to Removing the Headphone Jack
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While definitely 'thinner' than the 3.5mm headphone jack, Lightning is however also slightly smaller than USB-C, and we all know how Apple likes proprietary technology, so I expect Lightning to remain in place for the iDevice line-up for some time.
You are almost certainly correct that their Lightning port will eventually be replaced with a newer interface.
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My thoughts too. Lets hope audio ports don't jump on the constantly changing port / protocol bandwagon, that would be beyond frustrating.
I think it would be a better for Apple to adapt USB-c becuase it will be more ubiquitous. The standard will also be easier to adapt across all of the Mac line. It will add more functionality to the iPad. USB-c could allow the iPad to function more like a PC (content management of other devices, charging other devices, etc.) However I doubt Apple will get off the proprietary train to much profits.
Also none of the OEMs (Samsung, Apple HTC, huawe,i etc.) Will get rid of a wired option for data connection. The USB/lightning cable is also used for diagnostics. Phones will brick iphones do it androids do it the only way to fix it to connect it to a Computer and restore it. No wireless option can replace this functionality.
Also none of the OEMs (Samsung, Apple HTC, huawe,i etc.) Will get rid of a wired option for data connection. The USB/lightning cable is also used for diagnostics. Phones will brick iphones do it androids do it the only way to fix it to connect it to a Computer and restore it. No wireless option can replace this functionality.
Ah.. headphone jacks are cyclical just like fashion. It began as totally non-standard during Nokia's golden era. Then become somewhat standard as 2.5in jacks in the Palm/PocketPC era. Then fully standardized in the dawn of the iPhone age. Now it goes back again as fragmented standards – full cycle.
[doublepost=1461206987][/doublepost]Ah.. headphone jacks are cyclical just like fashion. It began as totally non-standard during Nokia's golden era. Then become somewhat standard as 2.5mm jacks in the Palm/PocketPC era. Then fully standardized a in the dawn of the iPhone age as 3.5mm jacks that also works on laptops. Now it goes back again as fragmented standards – full cycle.
[doublepost=1461210481][/doublepost]Ah.. headphone jacks are cyclical just like fashion. It began as totally non-standard during Nokia's golden era. Then become somewhat standard as 2.5mm jacks in the Palm/PocketPC era. Then fully standardized a in the dawn of the iPhone age as 3.5mm jacks that also works on laptops. Now it goes back again as fragmented standards – full cycle.
[doublepost=1461206987][/doublepost]Ah.. headphone jacks are cyclical just like fashion. It began as totally non-standard during Nokia's golden era. Then become somewhat standard as 2.5mm jacks in the Palm/PocketPC era. Then fully standardized a in the dawn of the iPhone age as 3.5mm jacks that also works on laptops. Now it goes back again as fragmented standards – full cycle.
[doublepost=1461210481][/doublepost]Ah.. headphone jacks are cyclical just like fashion. It began as totally non-standard during Nokia's golden era. Then become somewhat standard as 2.5mm jacks in the Palm/PocketPC era. Then fully standardized a in the dawn of the iPhone age as 3.5mm jacks that also works on laptops. Now it goes back again as fragmented standards – full cycle.
Ah.. headphone jacks are cyclical just like fashion. It began as totally non-standard during Nokia's golden era. Then become somewhat standard as 2.5mm jacks in the Palm/PocketPC era. Then fully standardized a in the dawn of the iPhone age as 3.5mm jacks that also works on laptops. Now it goes back again as fragmented standards – full cycle.
You still need a D to A converter to get sound out of the speaker.
Look further back and with a wider scope. 3.5mm jacks were a standard before the age of cell phones. For a Walkman for example. It has remained largely standardized the whole time for headphones regardless of whatever Nokia and Palm were doing .
Btw 6.5mm is still the most common standard for professional audio and won't be going away soon
My cynical side agrees with $29, but my optimistic side believes Apple will "cut us some slack" at $19.
I keep thinking of Pulp Fiction: "Le Big Mac".
I can't see how wireless earpods could work. Those things don't stay in most people's ears for more than a few seconds!
Exactly. I've been saying that once Apple/iPhone rumours hit websites, other manufacturers jump on those ideas and implement them quickly to "beat" Apple to the line. Then Apple is the company "lagging behind".
Maybe someone should make up a rumour that Apple is abandoning touch screens and are incorporating things called buttons and will move to revolutionary plastic designs in bold colours too. See who believes it first.
Remember those Nokia Phones with the proprietary headphone connector? If anyone "beat Apple" to remove the headphone jack, it was them. To be completely fair, lots of phones that came before the iPhone didn't have a proper 3.5mm headphone jack.
Which means earbuds that have such limited size to work with, would likely have worse audio quality than 3.5mm earbuds which can utilize the DAC inside the phone itself. Not to mention now that headphones need their own DAC, the cost is going to go up quite a bit.
Which claims? With a digital signal being sent to the headphones, they now need to include the DAC instead of utilizing the DAC built into the phone.
Claim #1: "earbuds that have such limited size to work with, would likely have worse audio quality than 3.5mm earbuds which can utilize the DAC inside the phone itself."
Really, the size will dictate the quality? Just how big do you think DACs are?
Claim #2: "now that headphones need their own DAC, the cost is going to go up quite a bit."
"Quite a bit" sounds like a lot in relation to the current price of something. Just how much do you think a DAC costs?
DAC's are quite expensive actually. Look at the DAC option on the LG G5 which I believe has a retail value of over $200. Plus, look at all the DAC's on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=dac
I'm sure it would cost a lot less to put them in headphones, however the cost will be a lot more than just two speakers like many headphones are today.
Look how small earbuds are currently. Ever open one up? There is hardly any empty space as they want them to be as small as possible. If you include a DAC now they will need to either be larger, or include a DAC in-line on the cable.
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And yet there are cheap good quality BT earbuds now, each of which have built-in DACs, and don't add significant bulk. And that doesn't even address more expensive options, and new technologies that are just emerging. And clearly you haven't seen these -- not only are there Dacs in each earbud, but also a radio, a battery, and an antenna:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ty-features-to-counter-small-battery.1950334/
The cost of those outboard DACs you linked to are mostly the amp (and niche manufacturing). Due to the size, the amps in earbuds and headphones will be of similar quality and costs to Apple's own internal amp. Demand for audio products with their own DAC and amps will further drive the price down based on scale.
You didn't post a link to the LG G5 you reference, but you're saying that LG charges $200 to upgrade to a higher quality DAC, on top of the $650 base price? Seems unreasonable, and suggests that the DAC is one of the single most expensive components in the iPhone 6s which is anything but true.
According to the parts breakdown, all of the user interface ICs cost Apple around $18 per phone, not just the audio ICs.
http://9to5mac.com/2015/09/30/iphone-6s-plus-teardown-analysis/breakdown/
Add to that, Apple sells a $29 30-pin to Lightning adapter with a built-in DAC, which is but one part of that device.
So no, neither of your claims make any sense, and certainly isn't supported by the data.
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Yes there are plenty of BT earbuds, I own a pair, but they are significantly larger and heavier than regular earbuds, partly due to the battery but also because of the extra components required. What you're doing is taking a single component out of the phone, and effectively needing that component in every single pair of earbuds or headphones you buy.
Clearly you missed this, which counters every point you make, especially when you consider the radio, antenna and battery all would be removed for Lightning earbuds:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads...ty-features-to-counter-small-battery.1950334/
That's right and arguably it will improve the overall quality of the sound since the DAC and amp can be custom tailored to the manufacturers requirements, even if the components are no higher quality than what Apple is currently using inside its phones. Instead of a DAC and amp compromised to provide consistent sound quality regardless of what headphone is plugged into the iPhone, each manufacturer can gain custom "tune" their hardware to provide optimal results from the same sound file, regardless of the platform serving up the data. In the end it saves Apple a few pennies they can put into something else by using a lower quality DAC and amp, and eventually drives the costs down in volume sales from increased demand, along with driving improvements in all areas of digital audio.
Why not? Android is a VM based system just like Java and is equally memory-hungry.