Possible iPhone 7 Headphone Jack Depicted in New Image

[SoN1NjA]

Tim - "Johnny put the head phone jack in! We are already having sinking iPhone sales! Lets not kill the iPhone all together!"

Nah, a headphone port won't make people leave, all I see is EarPods everywhere so everyone who listens will already have compatible headphones. Plus, everybody flipped out after the 30-pin to Lightning transition, but who want's to go back to 30-pin now?

 

[dannys1]

But there is no way around going analog.
At some point before the speaker there must be a DAC to convert digital to analog. Today we are using the internal DAC, because it has to be there anyway, otherwise the internal speakers wouldn't make any sound.

The only realistic option would be USB-C, which is able to transmit digital and analog audio.

Technically Lightning connectors can do this too - they're able to support the legacy audio out from the 30 pin connector. I assume any lighting to audio jack adapter would be utilising the phones DAC and passing analog audio down the lightning connector to the audio jack.

People's next moan is they'll lose the adapters, but really? Just leave your headphones connected to it, headphone jacks don't tend to pop off easily, you've just got a couple of inches extra wire on the end of your headphone cable now, thats literally the only change that'll happen for wired headphone use!

 

[dilbert99]

That would be a shame.. I'd like to have no headphone jack on the iPhone 7. But we'll see eventually.

That would be a shame.. I'd like to have no screen on the iPhone 7, that way I couldn't break it, not that I care that anyone else would miss it. But we'll see eventually.

 

[jezbd1997]

They are going to have to bite the bullet eventually. Might as well get it over and done with.

Sales are already dropping, doing this while this is happening will almost kill the iPhone. I wouldn't buy one...until there's actual accessories/ good Bluetooth audio

 

[Pakaku]

Now if the iPhone used USB - C, I could be buying USB - C headphones knowing they would work with my iPhone and future computers.

Never going to happen with the iPhone, though it might become relevant if you're ever in the market for a future USB-C MacBook.

 

[SoN1NjA]

Lol just leave..

Nah fam I WANT THE HEADPHONE PORT TO BE REMOVED, RIGHT NOW!

 

[DevNull0]

Samsung Team: Hold on guys... there is headphone jack!

I think you have it backwards. Apple can't ditch the headphone jack because Samsung didn't do it 5 years ago.

 

[Rafterman]

This just goes to show that none of these rumors is worth a cr@p.

 

[Abazigal]

Sales are already dropping, doing this while this is happening will almost kill the iPhone. I wouldn't buy one...until there's actual accessories/ good Bluetooth audio

Sales only appear to be dropping because it's all but impossible to replicate the bumper year of sales they had in 2014-2015. Plot a chart from the start and sales have been more or less consistently increasing.

I don't think the removal of the headphone jack will have that much of an impact on sales, and the sooner Apple makes the transition, the sooner manufacturers can support with their own lightning accessories.

 

[Rafterman]

Sales are already dropping, doing this while this is happening will almost kill the iPhone. I wouldn't buy one...until there's actual accessories/ good Bluetooth audio

There's already plenty of good bluetooth audio.

 

[uid15]

Irrefutable facts:

#1 No matter the internal music transport buses, ears are analogue.

#2 Apple ain't gonna do USB-C ports on iOS just 4 years after completely redesigning a custom port standard, eliminating analogue pins, making it far narrower in width, removing those superb but annoying latch barbs, making it reversible and making it smart enough to recognise when an accessory or adapter isn't quite right (MFI programme.)

They're innovators, not idiots.

 

[admob71]

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.

Because the s7 struggles with having a Jack and being water proof doesn't it?

 

[Jax44]

But there is no way around going analog.
At some point before the speaker there must be a DAC to convert digital to analog. Today we are using the internal DAC, because it has to be there anyway, otherwise the internal speakers wouldn't make any sound.

The only realistic option would be USB-C, which is able to transmit digital and analog audio.

Could Lightning be tweaked to include analog?.

 

[ajvizzgamer101]

I mean yeah, that make sense.

The 3.5mm audio jack is still the most widely used audio interface in the world. And while Apple is all for setting (or adopting) new standards *cough* USB-C *cough* this would most likely just alienate too many people.

3.5mm jack isn't going to last forever. Industry is in a race to make paper thin (literally) devices. Who better to do it than Apple. Going forward, Apple is going to remove every mechanical button, port on the device. I think that day could be sooner than later. iPhone 8 could rely solely on the Smart Connector and Wireless charging. Making the device completely waterproof.

 

[crushna]

What a small hole in the corner if your phone did to you..why ditch it? Doesnt make any sense..why do i have ditch my headphones that are 250$ ..give both options

 

[JM]

If that means no waterproofing - then

Buck up, there Bucky. Other waterproof phones have headphone jacks so no worries.
[doublepost=1462280797][/doublepost]

If you are going to try and make a sarcastic comment, it's probably best if it makes some sort.of sense. Cheaply angling for likes is very bad form.

It's funny.

 

[BenTrovato]

Nah, a headphone port won't make people leave, all I see is EarPods everywhere so everyone who listens will already have compatible headphones. Plus, everybody flipped out after the 30-pin to Lightning transition, but who want's to go back to 30-pin now?

It may not make you leave.. I'm gonzo once the port is removed. Not because I dislike Apple, but I use it across multiple devices. If I was one of those people who didn't need it, then I wouldn't care.

 

[arkmannj]

Just curious what is the perceived benefit of ditching the headphone jack besides possibly making the phone even thinner? I'm honestly asking because I don't get it, but it does seen many people are excited for the jack to go away.

From my perspective Bluetooth is a pain as I have to charge the wireless device ,the sound quality isn't as good and it drains the phone battery faster. In my experience Bluetooth headphobes don't last terribly long and I either end up tethered to a power supply or right back to wired headphones.

If all we have is a single lightning port what about charging and listening at the same time? Which is what I do in out car, at work, and other places. Unless thightning port certified devices are all required to be non-terminating so you can daisychain connections I don't want a single port. The first certified device id buy in this case would be a 3.5mm headphone jack.

I don't think I'm alone as a lot of people have all kinds of existing headphones, media/auxiliary ports, speakers, etc That they'd still want to use.

In short can someone help me (in a logical, non cynical way) understand what is held back by keeping the headphone port, and what is materially gained by getting rid of it? I'm willing to accept that I may possibly be the one with tunnel vision but I genuinely can't think of how the headphone port is holding anything back, and what I would actually gain by not having it anymore. The devices are already thin enough for my uses so that's not a benefit I really see for myself.

 

[ReneR]

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.

Latest in the headphone "AirPods" the signal has to become "analog" for your ear to receive. I rather have a proper DAC in the phone than some miniaturized cheap crap in there, ... on batteries, that last a couple of hours at most.

Also I have the Apple Bluetooth headset from the 1st gen iPhone. Guess what: The quality was so bad, they discontinued it in a heartbeat - and you want to trust them to make more awesome wireless "AirPods", now?

http://www.macworld.com/article/1139560/Apple_silently_discontinues_iPhone_Bluetooth_Headset.html

 

[Exile714]

Apple starts talking about using Lightning for audio, then some blogger says "wow, what if they replaced the 3.5mm jack completely." Then that blogger's comment turns into a rumor, which is repeated over and over until people assume it's a sure thing.

Come on, people. You have to understand the basic nature of rumors if you're going to frequent a RUMOR site.

 

[zorinlynx]

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.

It's true that there's been a lot of rumors about them ditching the headphone jack. Has there been any truly reliable evidence, though? All I've seen are rumors, and as well all know rumors can spread wildly once they are started.

Another persistent rumor has been elimination of the home button for a touch sensor; this one has been around since the iPhone 5 days and never came true.

 

[ReneR]

That would be a shame.. I'd like to have no headphone jack on the iPhone 7. But we'll see eventually.

Stick some round rubber into it and be done with it.
The rest of us can still enjoy their studio reference headphones.

 

[GoodWheaties]

Technically Lightning connectors can do this too - they're able to support the legacy audio out from the 30 pin connector. I assume any lighting to audio jack adapter would be utilising the phones DAC and passing analog audio down the lightning connector to the audio jack.

People's next moan is they'll lose the adapters, but really? Just leave your headphones connected to it, headphone jacks don't tend to pop off easily, you've just got a couple of inches extra wire on the end of your headphone cable now, thats literally the only change that'll happen for wired headphone use!

Lightning cannot pass analog audio. The 30 pin to Lightning adapter has a DAC in it. I have one.

 

[zorinlynx]

Sales only appear to be dropping because it's all but impossible to replicate the bumper year of sales they had in 2014-2015.

Yeah; people seem to forget there was a LOT of pent-up demand for an iPhone with a bigger screen. When one was released, a LOT more people than usual upgraded; even many people who had the 5S upgraded and yearly upgraders aren't that common.

 

[vmachiel]

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.

Than why are you here on Macrumors