Supply Chain Rumors Reaffirm iPhone 7 Will Not Have Headphone Jack

[APlotdevice]

Well one thing is clear. People truly underestimate the quality and versatility of Bluetooth audio.

I have BT headphones. There is a noticeable drop in quality when I switch to them. Plus its yet another device I have to keep charged. And with how much I listen to, if that was all done wirelessly I'd have to plug the bloody things in at least twice a day.

 

[Robstevo]

Again I fail to see how removing an option for consumers to use the most widely used audio port in the world, is good for consumers?


It isn't like removing the optical drive because in that situation their was great gains like slimmer devices, massive weight reduction, less moving parts etc

I'm this case the consumer MIGHT gain minimal loss in terms of weight ( the iphone is already like as ****) and thinness (again it's already a very thin device) but we will lose the option of access of billions of devices and use cases. And using a dongle or adapter is just a pathetic example of why it's a bad idea.

People saying Bluetooth.....it costs a lot more for a decent pare of head phones with Bluetooth. Bluetooth is still power consuming as well. And not everyone likes head phones. So in terms of earphones there are like 4 options to choose from. With crap battery life and most here in Australia are 100+


Again the majority of people I'm guessing use cheap ass no hassle ear phones because of simplicity and cost.

 

[antonis]

hopefully this brings the end of the "loose headphone jack" threads

Absolutely. But it will also bring the beginning of the "loose lightning connector" threads.

Not to mention that because of the latest Apple decisions in various products, we'll see many people start collecting adapters as a hobby.

 

[henry72]

Fine with me! I like the All-in-one Lighting idea and that's the way to go. Just don't charge too much for an adapter

 

[nelmat]

No, it's actually not. They use a Wolfson (now Cirrus Logic), DAC which is a very decent chip and the iPhone 6 models have been acclaimed by audiophiles for the excellent sound quality:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/apple/iphone-6-plus.htm#measurements

http://www.anandtech.com/show/8554/the-iphone-6-review/11

However, the 6S has had audio quality issues:

Nevertheless, my headphones are not as sensitive as the ones provided by this reviewer (but they are still offer 108dB sensitivity), and I can't hear any noise.

The point I'm trying to make is I would question if the DAC's used in an adapter would be of the same quality. They would be making less so therefore the unit price would go up.

On top of that, I would have to have an adapter to use my headphones which I find irritating and I'm sure many others would too.

I see a good opportunity for Apple to innovate/evolve lightning with a built in DAC in the phone, auto sensing when headphones/speakers are connected and providing the converted audio signal down two pins.

 

[StoneJack]

Well, 3.5 mm jack is not going to cut it.
Existing phones can be used with an adaptor.
I think it will a small DAC chip with remote on the lightning cable to Phone, which will have 3.5 mm jack so use can use and enjoy all your existing equipment.
If Apple earbuds will be bluetooth, they will be compatible with any phone, including iPhone itself (though I am not sure about DAC chip).
Overall, need to understand where DAC moves, to headphones (like Fidelio), or to cable adaptor.

 

[gpsouza]

I would have no problem with this if it was a USB c, because that would be universal one day... Now lightning? It is proprietary

 

[Narcaz]

Horrible decision from a consumer perspective if they plan on relying on Lightning. The upcoming adapter, charging, dac and cost problems would be way more easier to handle if at least everything had USB/C.

 

[Luis Mazza]

I use my apple headphones with my iPhone. If they remove the port and ship wireless headphones, I'd do the same.

Everyone's going mad about Apple not adopting wireless charging yet. But everyone is clinging to wired headphones!

I'm hoping the wireless headphones might also ship with Apple Watch 2.

Leave me alone, a man can dream!
[doublepost=1451991104,1451991041][/doublepost]

Is a headphone jack really worth more than everything else that has, so far, kept you using iPhone over the competition?

Bluetooth earphones are terribly unreliable compared to wired earphones. Even Apple's included earphones are crap to workout... I have lost 3 already and gave up using them to a waterproof Senheiser that has being lasting for two years. Apple better waterproof the hell out of the 7's earphones and make them a lot more reliable or else, Android here I go.

 

[StoneJack]

Bluetooth earphones are terribly unreliable compared to wired earphones. Even Apple's included earphones are crap to workout... I have lost 3 already and gave up using them to a waterproof Senheiser that has being lasting for two years. Apple better waterproof the hell out of the 7's earphones make it a llt more reliable, or else Android, here I go.

u move to android because you are losing Apple earbuds? haha

 

[Eric2]

Bad and annoying move from apple if true.

To early to make such a change when the majority of people have headphones with a standard jack. Can see them losing customers over this.

 

[beanbaguk]

That, sir, is the very definition of a first world problem. Use the $20 adapted for your $1000 headphones. How are your old 8-tracks doing and those old valve amplifiers?

But it won't be $20. It'll be significantly more. Given that a 30pin to lightning adapter was €30 (US$32), and that contains a DAC too, I'm guessing the pricing will be similar if not more.

 

[splitpea]

I'm just imagining the audio breaking up on a crowded subway car with 200 people all trying to use the Bluetooth frequency range to listen to music at once. Ugh.

 

[joeblow7777]

This is not a progressive step into the future. This is impractical and stupid. I had no problem with switching from the 30-pin connector to the Lightning port. It's an improvement. I had no problem with the loss of optical drive. I almost never need them and their absence makes laptops more portable.

However, listening to music is one of the main things I do on my phone. I don't want all of the various earbuds and headphones to be incompatible with my phone. I don't want to have to carry an adapter. I don't want Bluetooth headphones that I need to charge. Can those who are praising this tell me how any of that is better?? I've been planning to make the iPhone 7 my next phone since I got my 6. iPhones are the only smartphones I've ever owned, but if this rumour turns out to be true, I'm probably passing on this, and I hope that lots of other people do so that Apple will rethink this.

 

[alexxk]

No one will miss it? So now I need a weird adapter so that I can use my 300 dollars Bose headphone with iphone 7?

Apple wants to make things thin thin thin... WTF!! Iphone 6 is already thin enough, I need a case to make it bigger cause a phone that thin is even difficult to operate..

Ohhh... battery life!!

 

[Porco]

Lots of people complained when the original iPhone had a recessed headphone port and had to get short extension cables to use their headphones. This would be even worse.

Before iPhones I used to have little Sony Ericsson phones, and they needed a headphone adapter, and it was total pain in the backside. Having a standard 3.5mm headphone socket was one of the many things I liked about moving to the iPhone in the first place. So to me, this idea that this would be 'progress', or 'the future' is laughable. I had to deal with it a decade ago, and didn't think I would ever have to again.

If Apple can come up with a compelling justification for this change which meant I didn't mind having to use an adapter (again, a decade after I thought such nonsense was history) I would be surprised and impressed. I am not optimistic.

 

[beanbaguk]

I actually did a little search and found this:

http://www.radius.co.jp/products/al-lch91/

It's in Japanese but use Google Translate to read it. Another quick Google shows a US$227 price tag.

http://kakaku.com/item/K0000785400/

So basically, while 41% of the population (who also probably thing digital audio is better than "SD analogue audio"), will not care, but the remainder of us will probably end up with a reduced quality DAC and poorer audio quality and we'll also have to carry an expensive adapter around with us all the time.

 

[OllyW]

No you don't, the DAC is in the phone, as it always has been. And yes, audio quality can be better this way.

How will it be better?
If they modify the Lightning port to output analogue audio it will be exactly the same quality as it would if it was going through a headphone jack.

 

[Jsameds]

This is not a progressive step into the future. This is impractical and stupid. I had no problem with switching from the 30-pin connector to the Lightning port. It's an improvement. I had no problem with the loss of optical drive. I almost never need them and their absence makes laptops more portable.

However, listening to music is one of the main things I do on my phone. I don't want all of the various earbuds and headphones to be incompatible with my phone. I don't want to have to carry an adapter. I don't want Bluetooth headphones that I need to charge. Can those who are praising this tell me how any of that is better?? I was planning to make the iPhone 7 my next phone since I got my 6. iPhones are the only smartphones I've ever owned, but if this rumour turns out to be true, I'm probably passing on this, and I hope that lots of other people do so that Apple will rethink this.

Why do you have to carry an adapter? Just leave it attached to your headphones.

Jeez so many people going OTT and inventing annoying scenarios that won't happen IRL, just like the person a couple posts up who shares a train carriage with 200 people who all have headphones on. Hmm..

Look it's not as bad as you all are making out. The 6S is good for the next 5 years and there will also be adapters available so if you are that desperate to maintain 30+ year old technology then you will still be able to do so.

 

[Neil87567]

If this change was because of audio quality, they could use USB-C like they do on the new Macbook and everybody would profit. But Apple uses Lightning instead - because they want to sell more proprietary Apple / Beats Headphones and dorky adapters. It's all about our $$$ €€€ £££ ...

 

[alphadog808]

oh boy. the 6s never looked so good

 

[joeblow7777]

Why do you have to carry an adapter? Just leave it attached to your headphones.

Jeez so many people going OTT and inventing annoying scenarios that won't happen IRL, just like the person a couple posts up who shares a train carriage with 200 people who all have headphones on. Hmm..

Look it's not as bad as you all are making out. The 6S is good for the next 5 years and there will also be adapters available so if you are that desperate to maintain 30+ year old technology then you will still be able to do so.

Attaching it to my headphones is still carrying it, and I don't always have the same headphones on me. Is it the worst thing in the world? No. But I'm still seeing zero benefits for me and more inconveniences. Seriously, what is the upside here? Don't just tell me why it's not as bad as it sounds. If there's no obvious advantage, why change?

 

[AirdanMR]

If anyone wants a 3.5mm jack, I am sure Apple will be happy to sell us an adapter (an iJack) for $49.99.

And it will break in a month of use. I guarantee it.

 

[mark-vdw]

Again I fail to see how removing an option for consumers to use the most widely used audio port in the world, is good for consumers?

Widely used by itself doesn't mean it's the right standard for the future, cf. iMac without floppy disk, MacBook without optical drives, iPhones without Flash support - all of which were the most widely used standards at the time.

It isn't like removing the optical drive because in that situation their was great gains like slimmer devices, massive weight reduction, less moving parts etc

Agreed in terms of the iPhone, but what about the Watch? The audio jack clearly isn't the right standard to connect earphones to the Watch, which will be forced towards BlueTooth, so forcing the iPhone to go along could may sense

I'm this case the consumer MIGHT gain minimal loss in terms of weight ( the iphone is already like as ****) and thinness (again it's already a very thin device) but we will lose the option of access of billions of devices and use cases. And using a dongle or adapter is just a pathetic example of why it's a bad idea.

If you look at the layout of the iPhone front screen, the size of the bezel underneath the screen is determined by the home button and the depth of the audio jack. Apparently they can't put the audio jack under the screen because it's too thick. There is a rumor that the iPhone 7 might significantly reduce the top and bottom bezel and integrate the home button with TouchID into the screen. If that's the design they're pursuing, and if it's true the audio jack can't go under the screen, then that's a serious design problem to solve and not just a minimal weight loss.

People saying Bluetooth.....it costs a lot more for a decent pair of head phones with Bluetooth. Bluetooth is still power consuming as well. And not everyone likes head phones. So in terms of earphones there are like 4 options to choose from. With crap battery life and most here in Australia are 100+

Again the majority of people I'm guessing use cheap ass no hassle ear phones because of simplicity and cost.

Bluetooth is the expensive option partially because audio jack is the cheap alternative. If Bluetooth earplugs become the standard, their price will go down significantly. If they go Bluetooth, I would expect that Apple would launch some cheap Bluetooth earplugs (those Beats hardware people aren't sitting around doing nothing I assume).

 

[beanbaguk]

I see a good opportunity for Apple to innovate/evolve lightning with a built in DAC in the phone, auto sensing when headphones/speakers are connected and providing the converted audio signal down two pins.

That's exactly what it does now... but through a 3.5mm jack....