why do people still want to plug things in? obviously they should do this so there are fewer orifices in the device making it easier to waterproof. this will assist to make charging a wireless feature like the AWatch. there's a reason they got rid of the floppy, the CD Drive, and never included Blu-Ray, etc. Bold decisions advance us.
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Supply Chain Rumors Reaffirm iPhone 7 Will Not Have Headphone Jack
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Pull whatever stupid gimmick you want Apple, I'm never giving up my iPhone 5...
I've looked to the future. Know what I saw? At least another half century of billions of audio devices of all description continuing to be manufactured with the globally standardized 3.5mm (aka 1/8th") stereo audio connector, or its easily-adapted big brother, the 1/4" stereo audio connector.
I also looked to the past. Know what I saw? At least half a century of billions of extraordinarily long-lasting and high quality audio devices of all description, that still work perfectly and can be easily connected to any device with a globally standardized 3.5mm or 1/4" stereo audio connector, which has been a standard now across the world for decades.
When Apple removed the floppy drive it wasn't a big deal for most people because the floppy format was already dying and being replaced by USB flash drives and email attachments. The same is now happening with the optical drive. Most users in recent years simply never used them now that streaming and cloud storage is becoming the norm. The few people who actually need floppy or optical drives could add them externally with USB.
This is different. There is no consumer advantage or convenience whatsoever in having a music player, be it an iPhone 7 Plus or an iPod shuffle, which is suddenly no longer compatible with billions of standard audio accessories without some dumbass easily-lost proprietary dongle. You are slobbering on Apple's proverbial rosebud if you think it's a good idea for them to abandon a truly standard connector that has no chance of disappearing in any of our lifetimes. Bluetooth is not a proper or reliable solution for every situation either, so don't play that card with me.
Oh, awesome, I can buy an expensive Lightning-equipped pair of headphones, which will only ever be compatible with Apple devices with Lightning connectors. Wait, why would I want that? And if I want to charge my Lightning-equipped device while listening to music on my Lightning-equipped headphones I'll need some kind Lightning splitter dongle that will probably be a different dongle from the one that will let you plug in standard 3.5mm headphones, and it might even require a different dongle to charge while connected to a standard 3.5mm connector, unless they're insane enough to make a single dongle with three connectors hanging off of it (3.5mm stereo, Lightning pass-thru for power plus another Lightning pass-thru for audio?).
No matter how you slice it this it is an insanely idiotic path for Apple to go down, if this rumor turns out to be true.
Now, one last wake-up exercise. Everyone who believes that the Lightning connector will be around for more than a few more years before everyone including Apple moves to a true universal standard power+data connector like USB-C, raise your hand. No, keep it up. If it's you're right hand, tilt your head to the left. If left hand, tilt head right. Now, drop your hand and slap yourself across the face for being a fool. Proprietary connectors come and go. The proprietary Apple Lightning connector will be so long gone it will only be found in museums by the time the 3.5mm audio connector even begins to die out.
And you think people make fun of Apple products for being only for chumps with too much money on their hands now...
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Is the DAC inside the current iPhone which provides signal to the 3.5mm jack crappy then? In which case, your complaint is moot. The DAC will be in the phone, as it currently is for the 3.5mm output, only outputting to the lightning socket.
Does not provide better audio quality.
Except data pass through, the jack does all of those things.
You loose compatibility with almost all other equipment out there.
It is more expensive, now you have to have a DAC in every speaker device.
We were making so much progress, now with the trend of more and more adapters needed for anything useful we might as well be going backwards.
I'm pretty sure a DAC is a digital-to-analog converter. It is true that DAC's are used for audio most of the time today, but they were used for video anytime you saw a video image prior to 2007 (now DVI, DisplayPort and HDMI keep it all digital). Any digital device that has an analog output, such as the yellow video RCA connection or component video outputs, use DACs.
I am sorry to inform you, but that makes no sense as it won't work this way.
Lightning port is a digital port. It doesn't transfer analog signals. Why should a DAC be wired to it inside the phone?
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We were making so much progress, now with the trend of more and more adapters needed for anything useful we might as well be going backwards.
2015 iPhone 4?
The problem is this is a inconvenience that didn't exist before which is what irritates a lot of people. Now, wireless BT headphones are an option which I plan to use, but some people don't like using them.
It's funny, because i see RCA/Phono, XLR, 3.5mm Jack, 6mm Jack, mini jack, Speakon - and hundreds of variants therein.
This however is a phone, with a pair of headphones - and I see BT headphones becoming more popular, I can also see (in my magic crystal ball) Apple providing a free pair of headphones with every phone as they have always done.
I also see a return to brilliant breakout cables and adapters for non-distorted line-level audio output for professionals to connect to their mixing desks, just like we had with the 30pin before it too was ditched.
The lightning connector is being rolled out to all Apple peripherals, and is available for licensing by third parties - the new keyboard and mouse, the Apple TV siri remote - it's not going anywhere for some time, and when it is replaced, you'll see all Apple devices with USB-C - consumer level devices all with a single port for data and power and 90% of peripherals connecting wirelessly and charging without cables - it's the future, but feel free to complain about it endlessly.
Oh really?! How did you work that one out?
And it's not a "first world problem" as you put it. Many people like myself have invested heavily in very high-end headphones. The thought of some "evolutionary disaster" making them defunct is not very appealing to those who care about their music.
Nope: the 3.5mm plug is in exactly the same position as the floppy drive and CD-ROM were when they were dropped by Apple. Both of those were still in abundant use when they were dropped... and man people yelled and screamed and swore they would never buy another Apple device. Same with leaving off Bluray for that matter...
The 3.5mm plug is currently being replaced by Bluetooth. Yes, it is still currently in abundant use, but the writing is on the wall. Wireless is the way of the future... and Apple is looking ahead (as they do) and moving us forward now.
I agree that Lightning won't be around forever. It too will be replaced by wireless... wireless charging. Syncing and data movement has already (for the most part) gone wireless (wifi).
Get used to it people. The orifices on your iPhones have their days numbered (although, Lightning still has years yet... I give it 3. It may be gone in the iPhone 8).
I've read most of this thread and havn't seen anyone use that quote.
Although HD sound will be the marketing phrase I'm sure. Either that or a equivalent of Retina, Cochlea Audio?
The thing is using lightning does present potential to have far better sound out of your iPhone. The "audiophiles" using $1000 headphones with their iPhone, will get much better sound if it is Bose or whoever providing the DAC rather than Apple whose DAC is good for most people. The same way true audiophiles will have a dedicvated audio player for that very reason.
Worse, 3GS with a white faceplate.
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Can confirm, my headphones sound far worse over bluetooth than they do over a cable. Granted, I'd imagine mileage may vary slightly here.
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That is, until that battery goes to ****.
I will be happy for them to get rid of the 3.5mm headphone jack if there is an adapter included, I only use one set of ear bud style headphones so would leave it connected to them. I am yet to see a set of ear buds that is a small as a standard set of 3.5mm jack ear buds, but I am happy to be proved wrong.
As long as there's a free adapter to convert my 3.5mm headphones into lightning I'm cool with this.
Like the Watch, this will push people's ignorance regarding what they want and what they're given by Apple one step too far. 
Have you been to an airport the last 15 years? There are wall sockets between the seats in the waiting lounges.
But I also believe that the technology build in an IPod needs less space than what's supposed to be build in an IPhone.
Remember Steve Ballmers frantic "Developers Developers Developers" Dance?
I bet Tim Cook and Johnny Ive perform the "Adapters Adapters Adapters" mantra dance together in Tims office every morning to start the working day...
I bet Tim Cook and Johnny Ive perform the "Adapters Adapters Adapters" mantra dance together in Tims office every morning to start the working day...
In many places, yes, but not everywhere. I'm a fairly frequent flier (once a month... Not crazy like some people who fly every week!). Anyone that flies a lot knows that wireless headphones are an absolute MUST.
It's always amusing to watch people detangle their headphones and their phones from charging stations... and even more amusing to watch people try to navigate plane aisles with wired headphones snagging on everything (and everyone) along the way.
The vast majority will be much happier using BT headphones once the 3.5mm jack goes away. The audiophiles will complain and then be satiated by expensive headphones containing expensive DACs that do better than the iPhone can do currently.
It's a win/win.
What?! This is Apple we're talking about. You wouldn't expect a free adapter out of the box, would you? For all I care, 5 years from now Apple would sell iPhone without the packaging. They would charge additional $29.99 if you want the phone shipped with the card box. Hey, who knows? It's
LOLThe lightning connector to replace the old 30-pin connector was ALWAYS a sensible step forward. Replacing the jack completely.... is not. They would presumably supply headphones with the new connector which is fine, but for those that want to use different headphones (or whose apple headphones have died as mine often have) I don't want an additional ugly adaptor to plug in. What exactly is the point of removing the jack? It's not ugly, it's not taking up that much space. If anything I would prefer going back to a very slightly thicker iphone (with larger battery and none sticking out camera lens). I don't see any functional need or benefit from ditching the jack I really don't. It's like them ditching optical drives, I think it's one step too far.