Supply Chain Rumors Reaffirm iPhone 7 Will Not Have Headphone Jack

[Piggie]

What makes you think that companies, particularly those whose main business are headphones and related accessories, aren't already trying as hard as possible? If someone was able to make those wireless miracle earphones, they would obviously sell like hotcakes. That is a much stronger motivation than anything Apple can do.

Is the market BIG enough to invest THAT much money and pull the tech out the Lab to get into the hands of consumers?

Like Nvidia and AMD.
Nvidia making out it's killing itself desperately trying to offer the very best GPU's it can as it's so hard if not impossible to go better.

Yet if AMD managed to out-do them, like Magic Nvidia would launch something to get the lead back.
They've done this a few times years ago.

Not perhaps the same, but my point is, Is there was some worldwide wire shortage, or it was deemed all headphones had to be bluetooth by law, you'd see a giant ramping up on innovation speed beyond what we have now, when they know it's a niche market and most people will just buy some cheap-medium wired headphones.

Battery seems THE issue.
There must be some sets that have a large (ish) battery that perhaps lays against the back of your neck aren't there?

 

[Mac 128]

People keep forgetting that such an adapter wouldn't only need a DAC and amp, but an ADC as well to support the built in microphone ...

What people keep forgetting? And what difference does it make?

Apple already makes such a device in the 30-pin to Lightning adapter.

It's understood any adapter will likely have both.

 

[Rigby]

Not perhaps the same, but my point is, Is there was some worldwide wire shortage, or it was deemed all headphones had to be bluetooth by law, you'd see a giant ramping up on innovation speed beyond what we have now, when they know it's a niche market and most people will just buy some cheap-medium wired headphones.

I admire your faith in technology, but there are physical and economic realities that need to be overcome. If demand was all it takes, we'd all have flying cars by now.

Battery seems THE issue.
There must be some sets that have a large (ish) battery that perhaps lays against the back of your neck aren't there?

Yes, they exist. But having a dongle dangling from your neck is less convenient that a thin wire going to the phone in most scenarios, which is probably why they are not flying off the shelves.

 

[loopmein]

How do you "re-affirm" a rumour? It's a rumour.

 

[drumcat]

http://www.maxim.com/gear/aqua-headphone-amp-2015-8#!

Look, no matter how you cut it, there will be a dongle involved. Bluetooth CANNOT match spec; it is unreliable, introduces noise, and is sent encoded for the device to decode.

Maybe the aqua from above won't be so annoying, but you can't charge a phone and listen to it. That's annoying, but liveable. If they remove it for the sake of "stereo" sound, it's going to be a sad day. There is no "stereo" separation over a 5 inch spread. That's why most portable bt speakers are MONO.

The 6S is looking better and better and better....

 

[SactoGuy18]

I'll say this though: if that AQUA amp that connects to the Lightning port still allows full functionality of today's four-conductor 3.5 mm jack headphones with iPod/iPhone compatible in-line controllers--including microphone functionality--that unit will need to be produced on a true large scale. I'm surprised someone hasn't done it yet.

 

[drumcat]

I'll say this though: if that AQUA amp that connects to the Lightning port still allows full functionality of today's four-conductor 3.5 mm jack headphones with iPod/iPhone compatible in-line controllers--including microphone functionality--that unit will need to be produced on a true large scale. I'm surprised someone hasn't done it yet.

Actually, I'd be surprised if this isn't a "Day One" Apple accessory.

 

[jlc1978]

In the 80's things were different. Tech Geeks ran the show, and tried to out-do each other and push each time. Now it's run my corporations who will do as little as they can to generate cash for stockholders

Actually the 80's weren't that different from other eras; except instead of bridges, locomotives, airplanes or even cereal it focused on computers. As with any tech, what was once cutting edge and cool becomes ordinary as it gets adopted into daily life.

 

[Piggie]

Actually the 80's weren't that different from other eras; except instead of bridges, locomotives, airplanes or even cereal it focused on computers. As with any tech, what was once cutting edge and cool becomes ordinary as it gets adopted into daily life.

Well, would the AMIGA be built today?
That was a game changer of a machine leaping way ahead of the market in one swoop, killing the company that made it, as they were attempting to go too far, too fast and was only a rescue that made it into a reality, a rescue that only happened due to how advanced it was at the time.

No way can I ever see that happening again, not with managers planning budgets and profits forcasts etc etc.

 

[jlc1978]

Well, would the AMIGA be built today?
That was a game changer of a machine leaping way ahead of the market in one swoop, killing the company that made it, as they were attempting to go too far, too fast and was only a rescue that made it into a reality, a rescue that only happened due to how advanced it was at the time.

No way can I ever see that happening again, not with managers planning budgets and profits forcasts etc etc.

Well, creating a product that kills the company is generally not a great idea. As for the Amiga, probably not simply because there are already established competitors that it has to overcome, even the revival attempt is merely a hobbyist attempt to keep something they love alive.

But that's not the point, you still see innovative leaps that will bring about changes in society much as the computer revolution did. Self driving cars, for example, have the potential to revolutionize how we view transportation. On a smaller scale, devices such as the Raspberry PI are as innovative, in their own way, as the Amiga.

As for budget and profit forecasts, those are ultimately needed to succeed as a business. Apple succeeded not only because they had a great idea, but because they had investors who understood what it took to become profitable. There were plenty of PC makers when Apple started, and most of those are not even remembered today.

 

[Rigby]

Well, would the AMIGA be built today?
That was a game changer of a machine leaping way ahead of the market in one swoop, killing the company that made it, as they were attempting to go too far, too fast and was only a rescue that made it into a reality, a rescue that only happened due to how advanced it was at the time.

Are you sure that's not just nostalgia talking? The Amiga was simply Commodore's attempt to find a relevant successor for the C64 and to compete with PC and Macintosh. It didn't fail because it was "too far too fast", but because of bad marketing, bad management (Irving Gould), and a failure to keep up with the competition. It was a good product in the hands of the wrong company, nothing more. I know because I owned one back then.

 

[oplix]

Apple thinks that making the phone marginally thinner every 2 years is innovating

 

[0007776]

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

Look to the future people.

That's a poor comparison, most people had already stopped using there optical drive then while most people still use headphones. A better comparison might have been them dropping the floppy, but even then it was replaced with something better while this is change for the sake of change.

 

[duffman9000]

Apple thinks that making the phone marginally thinner every 2 years is innovating

They have 2 goals: make the phone thinner and more likely to slip out of your hand. To think, people used to want an iPhone shaped like an iPod touch (tapered edges). That was the one of the unergonomic gadgets I've ever owned.

 

[Crzyrio]

Apple thinks that making the phone marginally thinner every 2 years is innovating

It is innovating.

Being able to reduce the overall volume available to them while still able to maintain the same battery life, increase processing power, lower thermal losses, provide a better camera, amount of memory, allowing for force input, all while increasing the number of software features available to you is Innovation.

 

[oplix]

It is innovating.

Being able to reduce the overall volume available to them while still able to maintain the same battery life, increase processing power, lower thermal losses, provide a better camera, amount of memory, allowing for force input, all while increasing the number of software features available to you is Innovation.

No what you just said is called keeping up with the industry. Need to open a window inside your Apple bubble so that some fresh air can get to your brain.

 

[Crzyrio]

No what you just said is called keeping up with the industry. Need to open a window inside your Apple bubble so that some fresh air can get to your brain.

You need to remove your head out of the ground, you clearly missed the entire point.

Yes, doing all that is keeping up with the industry. But doing all of that while also working with a much smaller space is not easy.

 

[speedyyellow]

So with the headphone port going away what are the chances of Apple adding some higher quality of bluetooth audio, be that aptX or something else?

I'm looking at getting some new wireless headphones but wondering if I should wait and see what happens in sept before splashing out.

 

[Mac 128]

So with the headphone port going away what are the chances of Apple adding some higher quality of bluetooth audio, be that aptX or something else?

I'm looking at getting some new wireless headphones but wondering if I should wait and see what happens in sept before splashing out.

I don't know how Apple can do this without introducing some new higher quality options, and improving many aspects of wireless audio as well. I'd definitely wait and see -- it's only 3 months away at this point. Though Apple's solution may be the most expensive at first.

 

[2013.1]

Apple thinks that making the phone marginally thinner every 2 years is innovating

Without innovation on the internals of the phone they couldn't have made it thinner.