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Possible iPhone 7 Headphone Jack Depicted in New Image

I enjoy using my iPhone, but it's certainty starting to fee stale. If Apple were to drop the audio jack without providing some additional compelling feature, I would seriously consider jumping ship. I don't consider making the device thinner or providing a marginal increase in battery life to be compelling. Nor do I consider the features of Bluetooth audio to be compelling (wireless etc..).

This change will probably have to happen at some point. But it needs to coincide with a new iPhone that genuinely makes you go WOW. And I mean proper WOW, not the usual Apple "Magical", hyperbole. If anyone can pull this off it's Apple, but the timing is critical. If they get it wrong, it could be the kind of bump that seriously starts to take the shine of the iPhone brand, once lost, it'll be hard to get back.
 
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MH01 said:
Given the current drop in sales, ditching the headphone jack would be a risky move. Especially if the rumours are true and the 6 design remains .
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That's not something they can switch on a dime though. My guess is it wasn't planned for this phone but Apple might ship lightening ear pods to signal where they're going and ease the transition.
 
This phone better have one hell of an A-chip and camera if it's going to look the same as the 6s. 25% jump in CPU like the A8 and an f/2.2 aperture aren't going to cut it.
 
Great! Didnt want to buy new lighting earphones or have to use an adapter, and I hate wireless bluetooth earphones as it's yet another thing I have to worry about charging every day. A cable always works and has the best sound quality. Doesn't bother me to have to use a cable at all.
 
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Folks, folks, this iPhone in the fall won't be called the iPhone 7.

We will get the "iPhone 7" next year when Apple will finally give us a complete redesign also marketed as the 10th anniversary.

Still not sure about them going back to a 3.5mm port since all the rumors leading up to this point has suggested they are ditching it. It will be interesting to see what they end up doing.
 
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Pakaku said:
Removing it for sake of thinness was never a legit reason, considering the Nanos are as thin as the headphone jack...
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If they are removing it it won't be because of thinness. The port is very deep. Removing it both makes more room inside and makes it easier to make the device water-tight.
 
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Markiie said:
Folks, folks, this iPhone in the fall won't be called the iPhone 7.

We will get the "iPhone 7" next year when Apple will finally give us a complete redesign also marketed as the 10th anniversary.
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I think we see the iPhone 7 this year. I think the 10th anniversary will lead to a complete rebranding, either as just the "iPhone" and "iPhone Pro", or dropping the "i" all together and we move into the Apple Phone Age.
 
Dilster3k said:
I might be in the minority here, but we've been using this analog technology for decades now and I honestly wouldn't mind the push forward in technology, even if the 3.5mm standard is so widespread. Apple seems like the only behemoth that could pull this off. People went crazy when they ditched CDs/ DVDs, but where are they now?

And I'd really like a pair of wireless AirPods.
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But what's the benefit to the user?
 
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:(

I kind of wished it would have been removed. I would like to see the iPhone become waterproof (because I doubt that Apple would make the phone waterproof with the headphone jack intact and also some other (small, for now) companies are already starting to remove said jack).
 
dannys1 said:
Literally 0% of me cares if I have to use a lightning port adapter or not. In this world, there are far more important things to get worked up about.
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Of course there are. In this world there are far more important things to get worked up about even than every Apple product *combined*. That said, there are people out there with quality headphones/(custom) in ears who care a few more percent points than you...
 
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Piggie said:
Yeah, like Americans having to hand in all their Guns.
It will have to happen eventually, may as well do it now :)
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Not gonna go there, since I don't live in the US, and so have no desire to get involved in a debate unique to your geographical boundary.
 
pjh said:
I enjoy using my iPhone, but it's certainty starting to fee stale. If Apple were to drop the audio jack without providing some additional compelling feature, I would seriously consider jumping ship. I don't consider making the device thinner or providing a marginal increase in battery life to be compelling. Nor do I consider the features of Bluetooth audio to be compelling (wireless etc..).

This change will probably have to happen at some point. But it needs to coincide with a new iPhone that genuinely makes you go WOW. And I mean proper WOW, not the usual Apple "Magical", hyperbole. If anyone can pull this off it's Apple, but the timing is critical. If they get it wrong, it could be the kind of bump that seriously starts to take the shine of the iPhone brand, once lost, it'll be hard to get back.
Click to expand...

No company is releasing a smartphone with the "WOW" factor you're talking about. Smartphones are becoming stale because there's only so much that can be done with current technology in a device this size.

You're chasing a unicorn.
 
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I don't care either way, but they should announce their plan. I'm looking for headphones for travelling and not knowing is the worst annoyance.

If they'd announce no jack and support for aptx, for example, then I could make a choice. (I know it is still a compression over small bandwidth bluetooth... But inna plane, not that big of a deal)

That said, if they went jack-less, I'm sure there would be an adapter.
 
lars666 said:
Of course there are. In this world there are far more important things to get worked up about even than every Apple product *combined*. That said, there are people out there with quality headphones/(custom) in ears who care a few more percent points than you...
Click to expand...

and I have £220 ($330) Sennheiser IE8's, but why would it bother me that I might have to use a lightning to headphone adapter to use them with my phone? I just can't bring myself to care about that in any way or form.
[doublepost=1462278345][/doublepost]
GenesisST said:
That said, if they went jack-less, I'm sure there would be an adapter.
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Of course there will its more certain that taxes and death. Incredible anyone would think otherwise.
 
Loge said:
Removing the jack would just give many people a reason to skip this update, not what Apple wants right now.
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EXACTLY! If this a the modest update that's being forecast, the last thing Apple should want to do is take a way a feature that will keep some users from upgrading. If you're rolling out a brand new form factor with must have features, you can probably get away with removing an audio jack.

If the stock price and sales are on a steady decline, there is going to be more pressure on Apple than any other fall release iPhone release. Sure it'll sell 10s of millions just off people who want to upgrade - but overall sales will likely decline from last year.

It almost makes me wonder if they'd be better off pushing up the 10th anniversary phone for a June 2017 release than pushing out a spec bump fall 2016 release. But that would be going 2+ years without changing the model.
[doublepost=1462278791][/doublepost]
bboucher790 said:
No company is releasing a smartphone with the "WOW" factor you're talking about. Smartphones are becoming stale because there's only so much that can be done with current technology in a device this size.

You're chasing a unicorn.
Click to expand...

I'd be happy with less than wow.

A better screen (OLED)
A better use of space to create a bigger screen in a similar form factor
Better battery life
Updating Apple pay to work with MST
Waterproofing
Fast charge battery capability

That sounds sad because I'm not really asking them to innovate....I'd be happy if they were keeping up.
 
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cdmoore74 said:
This! While I personally haven't used the headphone jack in months I bet tons of people do. People just get into a habit and they see no reason to change. I feel the same way with the IR port when Samsung removed it from the S7. I guess Samsung was like not too many people use it so we got rid of it. Well I was one of those people that loved the IR blaster. I just bought a $900 1080p projector last Friday and it still uses IR. So add another remote to the list.
I don't see any harm in keeping headphone jacks or IR blasters on phones. They cost pennies to implement and I don't feel that we need thinner phones. As funny as this sounds it would be a instant buy if Apple puts an IR blaster in a iPhone. We may see the same thing happen in a few years once the headphone jack is gone.
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There's a GIGANTIC difference between a ubiquitous, necessary 3.5mm headphone jack implemented on virtually every electronic device capable of audio playback that has been produced since 1982, and some obscure, outdated infrared port that almost no one outside Asia uses, let alone know exists!

Remove the infrared port that 0.1% of the owners were aware of, and who'd miss it? Okay, you would, but that's a fringe case example.

Keeping a jack that enables a music-centric device and costs pennies is a VERY BIG DEAL. Losing a port that no one is aware of, let alone uses, may also cost only pennies, but removing it is pragmatic as no one uses it outside the Asian or nerd sectors.
 
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dannys1 said:
and I have £220 ($330) Sennheiser IE8's, but why would it bother me that I might have to use a lightning to headphone adapter to use them with my phone? I just can't bring myself to care about that in any way or form.
[doublepost=1462278345][/doublepost]

Of course there will its more certain that taxes and death. Incredible anyone would think otherwise.
Click to expand...

Yes, there will be an adapter. No, I don't want a plug in a dongle between my iPhone and my custom in ears. If they manage to really make it THAT small that I really don't feel a difference, it's okay. If it is only a little stiff piece of plastic between the lightning port and the output 3.5 it may be okay – although I doubt that it wouldn't be a bit annoying (ugly in ANY case) when sitting down with your iPhone in your jeans, holding the iPhone in your hands etc. etc. And if it is a small piece of cord with the D/A converter at one end, something like this: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hwauDEpAG-Q/UG8ALFtjsdI/AAAAAAAAI8I/qVKBXVnSDZE/s1600/ue90014-620x.jpg – oh Jesus, even if the end is smaller.
 
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