Supply Chain Rumors Reaffirm iPhone 7 Will Not Have Headphone Jack

[Gary03mw]

Obviously these are just rumors but I actually like what I'm hearing about the iPhone 7 a lot. Wires are clumsy and messy... they always have been. If Apple can bring in good technology to get rid of wires with wireless charging and/or wireless headphones then I'm all for it.

I'm also all for waterproofing the device and obviously the fewer holes the device has the easier this is. Not that I am in the habit of submerging my phone but I did lose my iPhone 4 by slipping on a pier a few years ago.

One last thing is that aesthetically I believe I will like the look of a phone with fewer breaks and and more flush look. The two large breaks on the back of my iPhone 6 aren't exactly "beautiful" in my opinion.

 

[KPOM]

Just reading your post tells me you must be a Millenial. Everything should be designed "just for your needs". Forget everyone else. Poll iPhone users and I bet they'd take more battery over thinner. It's nice you want to have to keep an adapter in your pocket all the time, but most people don't. And, before you play the Microsoft card, you better have your list of things Microsoft/Windows had BEFORE Apple had ready (USB 3.0 and Touchscreens, for two...). Apple had FW and TB and we all know how well those went over.

TB3 seems to be gaining traction now that it uses USB-C. As for USB 3.0, PC manufacturers used custom chipsets to support it. Apple waited until Intel built it into their standard chipsets. I don't see Apple ever adding touch screen support to OS X. They have iOS for that. Microsoft was "first" only because they committed to creating a universal Windows to run everything from mobile devices to desktops to servers.

 

[MattA]

One thing that annoys me about this is that the lightning port doesn't have an analog output. It's digital only, which means the adapters all have to have a DA converter in order to be able to hear your music.

In my car, I have an iPod adapter that plugs into the stock stereo via the CD Changer port. With iPods, it sounds fantastic. With the iPhone 4S, it sounded great. With my iPhone 5S, it sounds very dead and somewhat muffled. The DA converter in the lightning->30-pin adapter does a piss poor job of converting to analog.

This makes me fearful that if I have to use an adapter for headphones with the lightning port, the sound quality of my music will suffer. This is a no-go. If Apple removes the headphone jack, I'll have to start looking at Android phones. It's sad, but if you make products I can't use, I'll be forced to look elsewhere.

It's really too bad, as I think Apple's products have been excellent over the years. They keep removing necessary features in the name of being 'thin', and it's come to a point where the thinness is becoming a problem.

 

[lkrupp]

This debate reminds me of something Steve Jobs said about what customers want and customer focus groups. He said that if Henry Ford had asked people what they wanted before starting up his assembly line the people would have said, “A better buggy whip.” Sometimes you have to show people what they want in order for them to realize that they want it.

 

[currocj]

Adapter needs to be included along with new headphones. Don't get cheap Apple.

I bet they'll include a cheap set of lightning headphones, but they'll make you pay dearly for that lightning to 3.5mm adapter for all your other audio needs. Typical apple move.

Apple's message: We have given you what you were clamoring for, a thinner phone. In order to do it, we got rid of the 3.5mm port. (some made up percentage about how 95% of people don't use the port)

the people: we give a rat's ass about thinness we want battery life and our 3.5mm port back.

 

[FelixDerKater]

How much smaller, lighter, and thinner does it need to be? Seriously...

Leave the plug. If anything, add a bigger battery.

The 7% thinner line is worn out. If we were all that concerned with a smaller, lighter phone, we wouldn't be lining up for phones with larger and larger screens.

 

[Rogifan]

My biggest concern with this is that Bluetooth headphones suck. It's difficult to get them to stay in my ear when running. I'd probably be ok with an included lightning headphone, because the only thing I personally use my headphones for is my iPhone, and I don't think I have ever once (in my 7.5 years of iPhones) charged it while using headphones simultaneously (and if I ever have/would, I would certainly prefer using Bluetooth headphones anyway).



Are you saying that you use headphones while in the car? That can be dangerous. Unless you're talking about older cars with no Bluetooth and no ability to send music through lightning. But those will be phased out, and Apple certainly isn't in the business to care about people with outdated technology

I have a pair of LG in-ear wireless that are really nice. They don't fall out and the sound quality is actually quite good. Not audiophile good but most people aren't audiophiles.

 

[oneMadRssn]

This debate reminds me of something Steve Jobs said about what customers want and customer focus groups. He said that if Henry Ford had asked people what they wanted before starting up his assembly line the people would have said, “A better buggy whip.” Sometimes you have to show people what they want in order for them to realize that they want it.

The often quoted line is "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses."

However, it appears there is no evidence Henry Ford ever said such a thing. https://hbr.org/2011/08/henry-ford-never-said-the-fast

 

[BattleoftheOSes]

People also complained when Apple removed the optical disk drive. I sure don't miss mine...

Look to the future people.

No one used the optical drive anymore. Where as pretty much everyone and their mother still uses the head phone jack. Removing the optical drive was a smart move.

Apples removal of ports in favor of adapters, is just a money grabbing tactic. I hate adapters, what is this a Nintendo 64? I don't want all the clutter of adapters...

 

[Shlooky]

Well I guess if the rumors are true you can kiss charging and listening to music at the same time.
unless they are going with a different charging method like the Apple Watch.

 

[lchlch]

How much smaller, lighter, and thinner does it need to be? Seriously...

Leave the plug. If anything, add a bigger battery.

The 7% thinner line is worn out. If we were all that concerned with a smaller, lighter phone, we wouldn't be lining up for phones with larger and larger screens.

But isn't larger phones the reason they have to make it thinner?

I.e. To reduce weight. My hands still get kinda sore after holding the 6 plus for long periods of time.

 

[oldmacs]

Just reading your post tells me you must be a Millenial. Everything should be designed "just for your needs". Forget everyone else. Poll iPhone users and I bet they'd take more battery over thinner. It's nice you want to have to keep an adapter in your pocket all the time, but most people don't. And, before you play the Microsoft card, you better have your list of things Microsoft/Windows had BEFORE Apple had ready (USB 3.0 and Touchscreens, for two...). Apple had FW and TB and we all know how well those went over.

Hey! I'm a millennial and I'd hate for Apple to do this. Making everything more complex for the sake of thinness is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. Currently people can already use lighting headphones, they can currently use bluetooth, the 3.5mm port doesn't prevent either of those. What it does do is make things expensive and inconvenient. There are allreay too many adaptors, and adaptors are super easy to loose, especially in situations (like my own) where you own 3 or so different headphones/earphones, plug into multiple stereo and car systems regularly. Oh and the durability factor. I can just see these adaptors breaking easy.

3.5mm ports are not obsolete, they are a common standard and that is a VERY good thing. Again if that sound quality is not good enough, then buy lightning headphones. If you want to mess around with Bluetooth - go ahead. Both 'solutions' have annoyances. Moving to a proprietary connection would be the height of arrogance. Not being able to use headphones with non apple products, needing an adaptor to charge and listen. Bluetooth is just as annoying for its battery sapping abilities, the need to have batteries in the headphones themselves and lag amongst other things.

I guess I'll be told that i'm hanging onto the past, but I'm not. This is not like the VCR or any of the other superseded technologies where there was a clear and fairly universal replacement the had major benefits, other than trivial thinning of an already thin iPhone.

 

[Jimmy James]

As long as I can charge it and use a 3.5mm line out at the same time.

 

[Rogifan]

I bet they'll include a cheap set of lightning headphones, but they'll make you pay dearly for that lightning to 3.5mm adapter for all your other audio needs. Typical apple move.

Apple's message: We have given you what you were clamoring for, a thinner phone. In order to do it, we got rid of the 3.5mm port. (some made up percentage about how 95% of people don't use the port)

the people: we give a rat's ass about thinness we want battery life and our 3.5mm port back.

iPod touch is thinner than iPhone as are some Chinese Android phones so how is this decision about thinness?

 

[Popeye206]

I don't have any problem with this as long as there's an adaptor for the transition time... which I'm sure there will be.

I look at it this way... in 5 years we'll think back on the "old days" when we use to plug in accessories like this. It's bound to happen so it might as well be this year.

 

[Jsameds]

Why is BT necessary? We already have BT headphones and people aren't exactly flocking to them. The iPhone already has a Lightning connector, and how many lightning headphones are there? Getting rid of the standard jack doesn't give consumers any more choice than they already have. It just reduces the options for many.

And reduces the space it takes up in the phone. Apple wants a smaller device (as do I), and this is a sacrifice Apple is willing to make in order to get there. Actually it only seems like a sacrifice right now. Once the market is flooded with better BT headphones than we have today (of which the market will be catalysed by this move) and top grade lightning headphones for the more serious listener the headphone jack will feel so old hat and it simply won't be missed, just like SCSI, parallel or ADB isn't missed.

We'll likely get a bundled set of lightning earbuds with the phone to get us going. Personally I can't wait for this ball to get rolling.

 

[0007776]

I'm sure Apple has enough power that the rest of the industry will follow if they liscense out the connector. But until that happens and I can easily replace the headphones in any store I'm not getting any more iPhones if they do this.

 

[FelixDerKater]

Until you buy our Beats headphones, we'll allow you to buy an adapter to use your old headphones...

 

[Mildredop]

Whilst I personally don't like the idea of no 3.5mm jack (which will lead to being forced to buy adaptors, more expensive headphones or BT headphones which will be yet another thing to charge) I am amazed that Apple have these ideas and people continue to buy the iPhone in their droves.

Whether we like it or not, the new connector will quickly become the standard for Apple. How long before the Macs also don't have a 3.5mm jack?

 

[rselover]

I loose headphones constantly, or my toddler chews on the earbuds, etc. I buy cheapies from Monoprice and don't stress. An adapter is lame. This is different than DVDs etc. Not that Apple cares, but I simply will not buy a smartphone without a cheap, ubiquitous headphone jack that works nicely with my stereo equipment, airline arm rests, Nintendo DS, etc. etc. etc. Don't know if the market in general agrees with me, just my 2c.

Also, while ranting, I would prefer a THICKER phone with 2-4x battery. And while continuing to rant about something that will never happen, replaceable and independently chargeable batteries.

 

[tito2020]

Remember when everyone complained about the Lightning Connector? Now everyone loves it.

I'm sure no one will miss the 3.5mm headphone jack in 2-3 years.

Nfc is the future

 

[gri]

In the plane. Want to listen to music. Hmm, battery is low, need to charge the phone - oh wait...

2 weeks later: In the plane, want to listen to music, phone battery is low, need to charge the phone - now, where is this damn $79 adapter I bought from Apple again...

Am I the only one who thinks that Apple had seen better times...?

 

[Popeye206]

All the "I won't buy another iPhone" and "this is will be a disaster" statements reminds me of people's reaction when Apple decided to drop CD/DVD slots on the Mac's. Of course, that hurt Mac sales and we all stopped buying them.

Progress people.... everything is going wireless and yes, it will be painful at first to loose the headphone jack port, but in several years you'll wonder why it took so long to get rid of it.

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

I have a 2010 Focus....not exactly old and it has no Bluetooth or USB..(It's also not the base model, one step up). On long road trips I very frequently have my headphone jacked plugged into the aux port and the charging cable so it doesn't die in an hour due to gps usage. I'm willing to bet 50% of people cars still don't have bluetooth. If they include two lightning ports I could deal with it, but if they just completely remove it and only have one lightning jack I will be upset. Hopefully someone will come out with a dual lightning aux cable.

When I was shopping around for a car in late 2010, Bluetooth was one of the features that was an absolute requirement. And I'm very thankful that it was. That being said most of the cars at the time seemed to have Bluetooth as a relatively standard (or one step up) feature. The 2011 sonata that I ended up going with had Bluetooth across the line on all it's models.

I would say a 2010 focus is a little bit of on the older side (and one that it generally considered to be more of a budget car in the first place). I understand that most people can't afford to get a new car every 5 years, but I would say 5-10 years is a pretty typical cycle. This would classify your 6 year old car slightly on the "older and soon to be thinking about upgrading" track. Especially considering that there is no need to immediate purchase the iPhone 7 or even the 7s, it is very reasonable to imagine that when you (and the average person) upgrades their iPhone to one of these and their car still doesn't have Bluetooth or USB, that the car is likely 7-8 years old and about time for a new one anyway (or perhaps an upgraded dash system). Bottom line is that I can't see Apple holding this back for the percentage of people on older vehicles (especially considering that demographic isn't the target/base of Apple customers).

All that being said, if it's technically possible (and I don't see why it wouldn't be), I'm certain that someone (if not apple themselves) will come out with a dual lighting/aux accessory.

 

[joeblow7777]

Read my post, I already explained.

I appreciate that but with all due respect I don't think that you explained very well. If they want to encourage more support for wireless audio technology, find a way to make it more appealing to people than traditional headphones so that we CHOOSE it. Don't remove the alternative before the new option is superior just to force people to accept it.

It's similar to how the new Macbook could have had a traditional USB 3.0 port in addition to the USB C, but Apple's philosophy seems to be one of choosing for consumers and making them adapt rather than providing a choice and letting the superior option naturally take over. VHS tapes and VCRs were still readily available until well after people CHOSE to move to DVD because of the obvious advantages. Old tech doesn't have to be removed cold-turkey for technology to progress. The new tech just has to be better and people will move on willingly.