Possible iPhone 7 Headphone Jack Depicted in New Image

[zorinlynx]

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.

I think people see it as Apple being "ahead of the curve" or similar nonsense, and compare it to them ditching the floppy drive in the iMac decades ago or ditching the optical drive more recently.

I for one like being able to use any set of headphones with my phone. There's little to no reason to get rid of the jack. It takes up almost no space, doesn't cost much, and is wildly useful. Floppy drives and optical drives were bulky, cost more (relatively) and were clunky.

 

[gotluck]

If that means no waterproofing - then

All the other waterproof phones have Jacks

 

[joeblow7777]

A number of people here are expressing disappointment at the prospect of the headphone jack remaining because they say they want to see technology move forward and have wireless earbuds, etc. But is there any reason why the iPhone 7 can't offer such advancements and still have the headphone jack? Apple's way of all or nothing adoption, like having USB-C and no other ports, is not the only or necessarily the best way to do things.

 

[igorsky]

Removing it for sake of thinness was never a legit reason

Not sure this reason was ever a fact outside of blogs.

 

[ReneR]

Yeah, like Americans having to hand in all their Guns.
It will have to happen eventually, may as well do it now

congrats, +1 for the best analogy I read in quite some time ;-)

 

[igorsky]

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.

Being in denial about Samsung's (well-documented) business practices doesn't make you look much better, no offense.

 

[BornAgainMac]

I am sure there will be adapters so it is a none issue. I wonder how Marketing will sell it during the keynote.

 

[igorsky]

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

This must be Denial Day here at Macrumors.

 

[joelank]

having had water issues with two of my previous iphones, I'm all for a design that can reduce the likelihood.

 

[blairh]

I am extremely confident that if the iPhone stays the same thickness this fall the headphone jack will stay. They won't remove it until they decide to go significantly thinner in the future.

 

[simonmet]

I took the plunge and bought a high quality external DAC/amp. I certainly don't miss the ****** and minuscule iPhone DAC chip they buy for a few cents a unit. It makes iPhone sound about half way towards a phone line.

But then there's times I just want to listen to radio or don't want to take my pricey DAC with me. Removing the headphone jack and alienating a huge part of their audience is going to be a bold move if ever they do it.

 

[MH01]

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.

Agreed. They need to transition it. My money is on new Beats for this iPhone.
[doublepost=1462284236][/doublepost]

Except if these are indeed the parts, the process was locked in months ago before all of this ridiculous "sky is falling" reporting ramped up.

Either way, if apple ditches the 3.5mm jack, it better be for a very good reason, that that is not selling more Beats Headphones, that might take a new lightning standard

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

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

What bullet are they biting? The phrase usually means making a needed change. Other than the "Apple is always right" crowd, I don't see too many seeing ejecting the "just works" maximum-ubuiquity 3.5mm jack as being a needed change at all. I personally think it is a blatant example of a solution in search of what is nobody's problem. And I suspect that it is much more about the profitability in selling adapters/licensing than anything else (other than maybe "thinner" which has- IMO- also reached a state of solution in search of nobody's problem. Do any of us feel great burden in the onerous thickness of the existing iPhone? How about the prior version? How about the version before that?)

As has been said before, even if one tries to buy the "better quality" DAC argument, any phone that is going to be a phone has to have a DAC built inside anyway. We can only hear analog audio. So shifting a need to have another DAC outside is redundant. If Apple believes we need better quality, they could achieve the same by putting a better quality DAC inside a future phone. Having a second one a few inches further down the pipe won't make ANY difference to our ears... just our wallets... and the accessories load we have carry around to make a proprietary "solution" work.

 

[macduke]

Given the rumors about the iPhone 7 looking largely like the iPhone 6, and the fact that it will be at least as thick as an iPod Touch, I don't think it makes much sense to remove it next year. However, I think the major redesign will be off-cycle in 2017 for the 10th anniversary, which has been throwing off many analysts and rumors. That model won't have the headphone jack, and by then they'll have a better solution for that problem. Really looking forward to the radical redesign with minimized bezels and everything. Would be great to have a shorter iPhone that is slim, has hardly any buttons with Touch ID built into the display, and probably has some kind of sapphire coating around the whole device.

 

[hleewell]

Buttonless design FTW!!! Touch ID right on the screen.
Forget about no-headphone-jack : Too disruptive.

 

[navaira]

Xperia Z3 released in September 2014 had a 3.5mm jack and was waterproof. So is my Z5 Compact. If Apple remove the jack it's not because they can't waterproof it.

I'm loving all the comments though.
"This just in: Apple will remove headphones jack!" *cue in 5000 comments and a minor war*
"This just in: Apple will not remove headphones jack!" *cue in another 5000 comments and another minor war*

As for people who demand its removal – just glue it shut. You can do it in any iPhone model and boast about your almost wireless iPhone, not using antiquated technologies.

 

[Alphabetize]

I don't like the idea of Lightning devices, would much rather Apple switch to USB-C for charging, audio, etc.

 

[mtbgtr]

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

Why must they? Give me one good reason that isn't to make it thinner or silly stereo speakers an inch apart.

 

[SpiderDude]

Oh my....
So we're down to getting happy because Apple may NOT be taking something away from us?
I still remember when rumors were about exciting features that Apple was going to add.

Man, times change. And I'm only 27...

Please, don't compare this to floppy disks in order to look progressive.
You are smarter, and better, than that.

 

[Jakexb]

HA! Everyone can stop freaking out now.

This makes much more sense. Introduce the digital audio. Get people to want it. Get lots of headphones in the stores. Let people start switching out of desire. And THEN drop it when the momentum already there.

 

[maxsix]

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 .

You have a very valid point.

However this is Apple we're talking about. A company with power and control over their users that's simply unprecedented.

Like a good dictatorship, Apple calls the shots.

 

[edgonzalez32]

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

Why?

 

[SpiderDude]

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.

Sure wireless airpods would be great.
But consider the following:
Have the airpods available and keep the jack.
You'll get your gizmo and someone who may have recently bough an expensive wired headphone will still be happy.
You know, follow the "why not both?" Dora's approach to life...

And hey, I'm not even going to enter technicalities like battery life and sound quality.

 

[groovyd]

The advantage of getting rid of the headphone jack is only in that it forces the industry and people to move on to something better. If you don't force people they won't budge. It takes a visionary to make these changes happen.

 

[knemonic]

My guess is they're waiting for the huge radical design change on the 8 to remove it, chase it will be more justifiable with the added features we'll get but it sucks cause what will the 7 have that's worth upgrading then? The thought I was hoping is wireless charging would be implemented with the removal of the audio jack but now that is doubtful.

I usually sell my current phone since what I can sell it for pays for the payment plan buy out, but it might not be worth it this year, higher megapixel camera, faster cpu is all we'll be getting?

Man their stock is gonna hurt till they push out the iPhone 8.