What to Expect in the Third Generation MacBook

[HardBall]

For me, this would make the rMB an instant purchase for me

- Proper 1080p quality web cam (5MP+?)
- TouchID integration
- Edge-to-Edge screen (like XPS 13)
- 2 TB3 ports

I love the idea behind it and would even entertain a 13/14inch version of it. I do wonder if we can get a more powerful version of a processor while maintaining it being fanless, currently skylake 5w goes up to m7 which is 1.2ghz turboboosted up to 3.1? I wonder what will the future hold (with better heatsink technologies).

I think your #1 is quite likely, due to the fact of continued miniaturization of BSI CMOS and lens elements in smartphones; 720p is virtually a guarantee, and 1080p is definitely not out of the question (2MP is about the minimum in high-end smartphone front facing cameras these days). TouchID would be great, it all depends on how fast Apple wants touch ID and OLED bar to permeate through their lineup, I'm sure it will start at the high end (likely in the fall), so that's a good possibility as well. The 2 TB3 ports almost entirely depends on intel, there is no way Apple is going to put an additional chip for TB3 outside of the system chipset, there is simply no space on the logic board.

Edge to edge screen is not as likely, since there isn't really any practical reason to do it other than keeping the footprint of the MB small; if they decide to shrink the size of the 12' rMB slightly. There is a tiny bit more room on the side of the KB, so they mostly would have to take it from the depth, which means making the laptop an 11.0-11.6' 16x8 aspect ratio laptop; and eliminate the large speakers in that model to reduce the depth of the formfactor. If they go that route, then there would also likely be a 13.0 - 13.3' rMB model to complement it (and phasing out the MBA). This would actually be a pretty good idea. I think a 13.3" in a formfactor that is slightly larger than the current foot-print and slimmer bezels would drive the last few holdouts for the MBA to buy the new machines. And a 11.6" 16x9 formfactor take this into tablet territory in terms of size and weight, and easily makes the most competitive laptop in terms of portability on the market.

Anyways, rMBs are possibly the the most suitable laptop for about 90% of people on the market, with an unmatched design compared to pretty much any competitor. It probably is also the best designed product in Apple's inventory today.

 

[Precursor]

I think your #1 is quite likely, due to the fact of continued miniaturization of BSI CMOS and lens elements in smartphones; 720p is virtually a guarantee, and 1080p is definitely not out of the question (2MP is about the minimum in high-end smartphone front facing cameras these days).

Except that smartphones are way thicker than rMB screen
Nobody would like a protruding camera on their screen a la iphone

 

[Michael Goff]

Anyone who thinks there's going to be a second port missed the reason why there was one. It wasn't space, it was design. Apple designed the laptop to have no ports, but needed one to charge and went with USB-C because it was the best fit to be both a charger and other things. I doubt they're going to change the entire design philosophy any time soon.

 

[Appleaker]

Anyone who thinks there's going to be a second port missed the reason why there was one. It wasn't space, it was design. Apple designed the laptop to have no ports, but needed one to charge and went with USB-C because it was the best fit to be both a charger and other things. I doubt they're going to change the entire design philosophy any time soon.

Completely agree. I find it annoying how people say "they had no room for" or "couldn't fit" things like the backlit Apple logo, standard trackpad, ports, high travel keyboard, etc. The first 2 are actually thicker in parts than their predecessors I believe. What they did was a deliberate design move and it is what they see as the future of the notebook.
The people who complain about the 1 port really aren't the people it is designed for and I'm not sure they will understand.
It is hard to avoid those kind of complaints in reviews as well because it is not designed for most reviewers who are often avid users of ports for file transfer, mice, external displays, and video reviewers also use mics and sd cards.

 

[HardBall]

Except that smartphones are way thicker than rMB screen
Nobody would like a protruding camera on their screen a la iphone

While it's true that most smartphones are considerably thicker than rMB screen, many of these phone have additional components such as internal RF assembly, and parts of logic board, the additional thickness techniques such BSI require (especially for stacked CMOS sensors), behind the camera; and these front facing cameras often have additional lens elements for a wider angle of view (since people take pictures with FFC much closer to them than laptops). And most of the high end phones have a 5MP to 8MP camera on the front nowadays. I don't think a 1080p (about 2MP) camera into the screen thickness of rMB screen, given the small resolution, limited focal power needed, and the general lack of special features.

 

[Mac 128]

Anyone who thinks there's going to be a second port missed the reason why there was one. It wasn't space, it was design. Apple designed the laptop to have no ports, but needed one to charge and went with USB-C because it was the best fit to be both a charger and other things. I doubt they're going to change the entire design philosophy any time soon.

But it does have two ports. What do you think the 3.5mm Jack is? Apple completely downplays that fact in their marketing. And that's all it is, marketing. It's like saying they'll never make a 7" iPad "because you'll need sandpaper to file down your fingers small enough to use it". Or the 3.5" iPhone is the perfect size, and they won't make a larger iPhone.

When the 3.5mm headphone jack is replaced with a Lightning port, they won't be adding a port, they'll be adding better compatibility and convenience with shared iOS devices.

 

[Michael Goff]

But it does have two ports. What do you think the 3.5mm Jack is? Apple completely downplays that fact in their marketing. And that's all it is, marketing. It's like saying they'll never make a 7" iPad "because you'll need sandpaper to file down your fingers small enough to use it". Or the 3.5" iPhone is the perfect size, and they won't make a larger iPhone.

When the 3.5mm headphone jack is replaced with a Lightning port, they won't be adding a port, they'll be adding better compatibility and convenience with shared iOS devices.

Clever, but you know what I mean. I don't think we're getting a second port (unless you count a jack as a port). No second USB-C, no lightning. They want this to be a wireless computer.

 

[Mac 128]

Clever, but you know what I mean. I don't think we're getting a second port (unless you count a jack as a port). No second USB-C, no lightning. They want this to be a wireless computer.

Yes, but I feel confident predicting that Apple won't remove the 3.5mm jack and expect their iPhone customers with new Lightning headphones to use an adapter with their new MacBooks.

Apple knows the single port is not popular, and won't fly once they discontinue the Air. So they save face here by replacing the 3.5mm jack with Lightning as their new wired audio standard, but in the process get a backup port that doubles as a charging port using the same cable customers already have with iPhones, and delivers USB 3 data transfer speeds good for most devices, as well as compatibility with iOS adapters and devices, both lowering Apples production costs and saving customers money.

 

[Appleaker]

Apple do not look as lightning as the replacement for 3.5mm. They're not stupid, and wouldn't push a connector that doesn't have any hope at being the new universal standard as the replacement for a current standard. They see wireless as the future for headphones.

Although there will be people that buy lightning headphones and will be annoyed that they can't use it on their Mac, an adaptor is not as much of a hassle on a Mac so that can be the solution for those people.

If you want another USB C port on MacBook then it isn't for you, believe it or not there are a ton of people who don't use ports for things other than charging and plugging in their iDevices every now and then. While I personally think they should, it's not likely to happen. Having said that, I would expect them to have at least 2 USB-C (which will then be Thunderbolt 3 if released next year) ports on the larger model(s).

 

[Mac 128]

Apple do not look as lightning as the replacement for 3.5mm. They're not stupid, and wouldn't push a connector that doesn't have any hope at being the new universal standard as the replacement for a current standard. They see wireless as the future for headphones.

Although there will be people that buy lightning headphones and will be annoyed that they can't use it on their Mac, an adaptor is not as much of a hassle on a Mac so that can be the solution for those people.

If you want another USB C port on MacBook then it isn't for you, believe it or not there are a ton of people who don't use ports for things other than charging and plugging in their iDevices every now and then. While I personally think they should, it's not likely to happen. Having said that, I would expect them to have at least 2 USB-C (which will then be Thunderbolt 3 if released next year) ports on the larger model(s).

I'm aware wireless is the new standard. I've been among the first to point that out. However, there is a transition period.

And Apple is not going to ask an all Apple customer, who has just bought a new iPhone, a new MacBook, and a new set of Lightning headphones to use an adapter, or swap cables, each time they want to switch their headphones between an iPhone and MacBook.

And why add a second USB-C port when as you say, nobody's using ports anyway? That's the perfect scenario for adding a port that has no hope of becoming a standard, which already has many useful benefits to customers using iOS. And non-iPhone customers are forced to go digital was well, or buy an adapter. Their digital Android headphones can be used on the USB-C port, without taking away an accessible port should they need it (but they will need a cable or adapter no matter what). But it effectively pushes all customers toward digital audio and away from 3.5mm in their ultra mobile devices.

And with the rMB seemingly the eventual low budget replacement for the MBA, requiring customers to use more expensive wireless headphones seems unlikely. Not to mention when those wireless headphones run out of power, they'll most likely have a Lightning cable for use with their iPhone, which won't work on the MacBook without an adapter.

Your assumption of a completely wireless world is still a few years away, in the meantime there's Lightning, and there's no reason not to use it on every Apple product to make Apple customers lives easier. Everyone else can use adapters.

 

[Appleaker]

I'm aware wireless is the new standard. I've been among the first to point that out. However, there is a transition period.

And Apple is not going to ask an all Apple customer, who has just bought a new iPhone, a new MacBook, and a new set of Lightning headphones to use an adapter, or swap cables, each time they want to switch their headphones between an iPhone and MacBook.

And why add a second USB-C port when as you say, nobody's using ports anyway? That's the perfect scenario for adding a port that has no hope of becoming a standard, which already has many useful benefits to customers using iOS. And non-iPhone customers are forced to go digital was well, or buy an adapter. Their digital Android headphones can be used on the USB-C port, without taking away an accessible port should they need it (but they will need a cable or adapter no matter what). But it effectively pushes all customers toward digital audio and away from 3.5mm in their ultra mobile devices.

And with the rMB seemingly the eventual low budget replacement for the MBA, requiring customers to use more expensive wireless headphones seems unlikely. Not to mention when those wireless headphones run out of power, they'll most likely have a Lightning cable for use with their iPhone, which won't work on the MacBook without an adapter.

Your assumption of a completely wireless world is still a few years away, in the meantime there's Lightning, and there's no reason not to use it on every Apple product to make Apple customers lives easier. Everyone else can use adapters.

I think you have gone on the assumption that I believe they'll remove the headphone jack on the MacBook. I didn't say that and I don't think it'll happen. As for a second USB C port, although I would like one it won't happen for the 12", but I said its likely for the larger models. I didn't mean at all that it was to replace the headphone jack, that thought never even occurred to me and it simply will not happen because it's an awful move and I don't see it in any way as the new standard.

It is not my assumption, it is Apples assumption that everybody will move to wireless headphones. I strongly believe it is the wrong move and the technology is waaay to premature to replace 3.5mm. And at the same time lightning will not become a universal standard with everybody else using adapters - the new standard is wireless or a bunch of different standards (USB C , lightning, 3.5mm, wireless) if they opt for lightning which I don't think they will.

 

[Hellhammer]

iPhone and MacBook are two very different devices. Removing the headphone jack from iPhone is an inevitable move in order to further thin down the iPhone, which seems to be what Apple is after in all its designs. Given that the iPhone 6 and 6s use the same design, some level of redesign is expected. MacBook, on the other hand, is only two generations old and if history is of any guidance, it takes at least three generations (years) before a redesign is plausible. Replacing the headphone jack with a Lightning port without any redesign doesn't make sense. Lightning is thinner than the headphone jack and would allow Apple to shave off another few mm off the MacBook's chassis.

However, I don't think Lightning in a Mac is going to happen. Other Macs won't abandon the headphone jack just because the iPhone comes with relatively low-quality Lightning headphones. If you still want to use them, Apple will gladly sell you a $29 adapter. Ultimately Apple wants people to go wireless and the world isn't really going to be any readier in a couple of years given that battery development is stalling at a couple of percents per year. Everything else needed to go wireless already exists.

 

[Mac 128]

iPhone and MacBook are two very different devices. Removing the headphone jack from iPhone is an inevitable move in order to further thin down the iPhone, which seems to be what Apple is after in all its designs. Given that the iPhone 6 and 6s use the same design, some level of redesign is expected. MacBook, on the other hand, is only two generations old and if history is of any guidance, it takes at least three generations (years) before a redesign is plausible. Replacing the headphone jack with a Lightning port without any redesign doesn't make sense. Lightning is thinner than the headphone jack and would allow Apple to shave off another few mm off the MacBook's chassis.

However, I don't think Lightning in a Mac is going to happen. Other Macs won't abandon the headphone jack just because the iPhone comes with relatively low-quality Lightning headphones. If you still want to use them, Apple will gladly sell you a $29 adapter. Ultimately Apple wants people to go wireless and the world isn't really going to be any readier in a couple of years given that battery development is stalling at a couple of percents per year. Everything else needed to go wireless already exists.

Who's to say you're right or wrong. However, there's no serious redesign needed to add a Lightning port in place of a headphone jack. Change the shape of the milled hole in the aluminum case. The wire path is already there. Simply uodate the logic board with a new connector for the Lightning port. In fact there's already precedent for this -- without changing a thing about the design, the iPad 3 replaced the 30-pin dock connector with Lightning to become the iPad 4, this right in the middle of the production run without missing a beat. Drop in a new logic board, change the connector opening on the case.

The rumored MBP shows unused space for the Lightning jack without removing the headphone jack, which is to be expected of a Pro device. No need to remove it from the iMac, mini, or Pro either, and plenty of room to add Lightning on all of those Macs, to match the Lightning ports on the other desktop accessories like the mouse, trackpad and keyboard.

Yes Apple wants people to go wireless, but as you point out its not ready -- when the BT battery runs down, they're going to be reaching for a Lightning cable to plug it in to keep listening. And I just can't imagine Apple is going to ask loyal Apple customers, whom they want to embrace Lightning headphones during this transition, to use an adapter to switch their new Lightning headphones between their new Apple products.

But anything's possible I guess.

 

[Appleaker]

iPhone and MacBook are two very different devices. Removing the headphone jack from iPhone is an inevitable move in order to further thin down the iPhone, which seems to be what Apple is after in all its designs. Given that the iPhone 6 and 6s use the same design, some level of redesign is expected. MacBook, on the other hand, is only two generations old and if history is of any guidance, it takes at least three generations (years) before a redesign is plausible. Replacing the headphone jack with a Lightning port without any redesign doesn't make sense. Lightning is thinner than the headphone jack and would allow Apple to shave off another few mm off the MacBook's chassis.

However, I don't think Lightning in a Mac is going to happen. Other Macs won't abandon the headphone jack just because the iPhone comes with relatively low-quality Lightning headphones. If you still want to use them, Apple will gladly sell you a $29 adapter. Ultimately Apple wants people to go wireless and the world isn't really going to be any readier in a couple of years given that battery development is stalling at a couple of percents per year. Everything else needed to go wireless already exists.

Removing it is inevitable but there's a while to go before they have to remove it. The iPod nano, for example, is 5.4mm thin and has a headphone jack, while the iPhone 7 is rumoured to be a similar thickness to the 6S, possibly 0.4mm thinner.
My guess is they're doing it to get consumers to use wireless (or maybe lightning) headphones ready for the 2017 redesign which would have dropped it anyway. Similar to what they did with the new MacBook.

 

[Mac 128]

Removing it is inevitable but there's a while to go before they have to remove it. The iPod nano, for example, is 5.4mm thin and has a headphone jack, while the iPhone 7 is rumoured to be a similar thickness to the 6S, possibly 0.4mm thinner.
My guess is they're doing it to get consumers to use wireless (or maybe lightning) headphones ready for the 2017 redesign which would have dropped it anyway. Similar to what they did with the new MacBook.

I don't really understand why this idea persists ... The diameter of the 3.5mm opening is not the the issue, so much as the total volume of the jack itself. The jack is over 15mm long extending into the case, not counting the width and depth of the housing for the electrical contacts and IC, wiring connections and mounting points.

And look at the Retina MB -- the 3.5mm opening takes up the entire edge of the case, making it impossible to move forward between the keyboard and battery. So it's not just about the edge thickness of the device, but what's above and below it, and deep inside it.

Removing the jack frees up a lot of volume which can be reclaimed by other components, whether they are spread out to make the device thinner, or leaving it the same thickness, and adding more battery, or new technologies.

Apple is certainly not dropping the headphone jack just to prepare customers for wireless if they don't have to. it would be a mistake to drop such an important port if they don't need to, especially if their competition doesn't need to as well to maintain feature and performance parity with Apple.

 

[Appleaker]

I don't really understand why this idea persists ... The diameter of the 3.5mm opening is not the the issue, so much as the total volume of the jack itself. The jack is over 15mm long extending into the case, not counting the width and depth of the housing for the electrical contacts and IC, wiring connections and mounting points.

And look at the Retina MB -- the 3.5mm opening takes up the entire edge of the case, making it impossible to move forward between the keyboard and battery. So it's not just about the edge thickness of the device, but what's above and below it, and deep inside it.

Removing the jack frees up a lot of volume which can be reclaimed by other components, whether they are spread out to make the device thinner, or leaving it the same thickness, and adding more battery, or new technologies.

Apple is certainly not dropping the headphone jack just to prepare customers for wireless if they don't have to. it would be a mistake to drop such an important port if they don't need to, especially if their competition doesn't need to as well to maintain feature and performance parity with Apple.

I completely understand the internal size is large compared to something like the lightning port. However, it simply does not need to be done. You say that Apple wouldn't do it if they didn't have to, yet the reasoning you give is better battery life - how in any way is that justification for removing an audio port that has been the standard for decades?

They certainly didn't opt for removing the 3.5mm headphone jack for the sake of battery life or component enlargement. It is to move people towards wireless as a new standard. It was going to be removed with the 2017 redesign however it makes sense for Apple to remove it earlier to get people used to the removal so its not a big deal with the 2017 iPhone. They have been slowly moving towards wireless audio for a few years now and this is the big step to get people to move towards it.

In terms of size, the proposed speaker they would replace it with is actually much larger than the headphone jack. On the Macbook, it only appears to take up that much space because of the tapered bottom.

 

[Mac 128]

I completely understand the internal size is large compared to something like the lightning port. However, it simply does not need to be done. You say that Apple wouldn't do it if they didn't have to, yet the reasoning you give is better battery life - how in any way is that justification for removing an audio port that has been the standard for decades?

They certainly didn't opt for removing the 3.5mm headphone jack for the sake of battery life or component enlargement. It is to move people towards wireless as a new standard. It was going to be removed with the 2017 redesign however it makes sense for Apple to remove it earlier to get people used to the removal so its not a big deal with the 2017 iPhone. They have been slowly moving towards wireless audio for a few years now and this is the big step to get people to move towards it.

In terms of size, the proposed speaker they would replace it with is actually much larger than the headphone jack. On the Macbook, it only appears to take up that much space because of the tapered bottom.

I didn't just say "battery life". But that in of itself is enough depending on what the other demands of the new phone are. I also said "new technologies" which could be inductive or wireless charging, or anything really that I haven't thought of which might be enormously useful. And it's possible that the new tech, which not only may require more space, but also more power, justifies the addition of more battery at the expense of the headphone jack. Imagine if they didn't remove it, and the battery got 15% less life due to the new power demands. Apple has never given customers less battery life no matter what they have done to the phone. And that is a real issue for all phone makers, something that would give Apple confidence in removing a port that many people use.

Again, I'm certain Apple is pushing the customer toward wireless eventually, but if there's no reason to drop the headphone jack, then they are going to lose a lot of business to the Android market over the next two years. And that makes absolutely no business sense whatsoever. And what is the motivation toward pushing customers toward wireless only if they have tons of space on the iPhone to accomodate the headphone jack? Just because they think a wireless world is better? While I fully expect Apple to introduce some new terrific wireless options when they remove the headphone jack, there's some current realities that are going to be hard to overcome for a while, battery power being chief among them. So even wireless headphones will need to be plugged in. Then once again, why remove the headphone jack and create numerous other problems in the process if they don't have to?

I'm not saying it won't happen the way you think it will, because Apple is nothing if not puzzling, but from a strictly business POV, it doesn't add up.

 

[Appleaker]

I didn't just say "battery life". But that in of itself is enough depending on what the other demands of the new phone are. I also said "new technologies" which could be inductive or wireless charging, or anything really that I haven't thought of which might be enormously useful. And it's possible that the new tech, which not only may require more space, but also more power, justifies the addition of more battery at the expense of the headphone jack. Imagine if they didn't remove it, and the battery got 15% less life due to the new power demands. Apple has never given customers less battery life no matter what they have done to the phone. And that is a real issue for all phone makers, something that would give Apple confidence in removing a port that many people use.

Again, I'm certain Apple is pushing the customer toward wireless eventually, but if there's no reason to drop the headphone jack, then they are going to lose a lot of business to the Android market over the next two years. And that makes absolutely no business sense whatsoever. And what is the motivation toward pushing customers toward wireless only if they have tons of space on the iPhone to accomodate the headphone jack? Just because they think a wireless world is better? While I fully expect Apple to introduce some new terrific wireless options when they remove the headphone jack, there's some current realities that are going to be hard to overcome for a while, battery power being chief among them. So even wireless headphones will need to be plugged in. Then once again, why remove the headphone jack and create numerous other problems in the process if they don't have to?

I'm not saying it won't happen the way you think it will, because Apple is nothing if not puzzling, but from a strictly business POV, it doesn't add up.

I still don't think they would remove the most commonly found port among electronic devices in order to retain battery life. It's not like they are decreasing the battery size, and even if they were to, the increased efficiency of the A10 would compensate as well as other optimizations such as the display.

Like I said, they are most likely removing it at this point in time to get people used to the future when they will have to remove it due to thickness constraints. They have no reason to now other than preparing their customers for the future. A similar thing was done with USB C on the new MacBook, and the CD-ROM on Macs - they didn't make sense in terms of sales however they still sold. Having said that, this is the only time when there isn't an obviously better alternative - I completely agree with you that wireless has problems. I don't think wireless headphones are anywhere near ready to replace wired. Bluetooth 5.0 will hopefully fix any outage/low bandwidth issues however battery life is not sufficient, and the pairing process is tiresome. Apple will need to come out with a much better solution than the current options on the market.

 

[2457248]

Removing it is inevitable but there's a while to go before they have to remove it. The iPod nano, for example, is 5.4mm thin and has a headphone jack, while the iPhone 7 is rumoured to be a similar thickness to the 6S, possibly 0.4mm thinner.
My guess is they're doing it to get consumers to use wireless (or maybe lightning) headphones ready for the 2017 redesign which would have dropped it anyway. Similar to what they did with the new MacBook.

removing the jack from the iphone is about being able to slim down the bottom chin, not making it thinner.
with the actual thickness there's no space for a jack port and the display stacked on top of it. just check how deep the jack goes into your iphone, it ends right at the bottom edge of the display.

 

[Appleaker]

removing the jack from the iphone is about being able to slim down the bottom chin, not making it thinner.
with the actual thickness there's no space for a jack port and the display stacked on top of it. just check how deep the jack goes into your iphone, it ends right at the bottom edge of the display.

Yes I understand that, like I said they are doing it now to prepare customers for when they will have to do it and were planning to do it with the 2017 major redesign. It still has something to do with thickness, if the port was as thin as lightning and went as deep as the 3.5mm, they would keep it.

The speaker is actually the thickest component of the iPhone and goes as deep/deeper than the headphone jack but they aren't removing that, probably because they could make it thinner, but still there is another motive behind dropping it that they didn't expect to have to do so soon.

 

[pasells]

iPhone and MacBook are two very different devices. Removing the headphone jack from iPhone is an inevitable move in order to further thin down the iPhone, which seems to be what Apple is after in all its designs. Given that the iPhone 6 and 6s use the same design, some level of redesign is expected. MacBook, on the other hand, is only two generations old and if history is of any guidance, it takes at least three generations (years) before a redesign is plausible. Replacing the headphone jack with a Lightning port without any redesign doesn't make sense. Lightning is thinner than the headphone jack and would allow Apple to shave off another few mm off the MacBook's chassis.

However, I don't think Lightning in a Mac is going to happen. Other Macs won't abandon the headphone jack just because the iPhone comes with relatively low-quality Lightning headphones. If you still want to use them, Apple will gladly sell you a $29 adapter. Ultimately Apple wants people to go wireless and the world isn't really going to be any readier in a couple of years given that battery development is stalling at a couple of percents per year. Everything else needed to go wireless already exists.

I think the iPhone is, as it stand, the perfect size from a thickness standpoint. I mean, why do you need to make it thinner? Makes no sense at all. Not unless you are going to try to come up with a phone that folds into a larger display like Samsung is said to be preparing for 2017-18.

I like the current size of the iPhone. Anything thinner to me would almost make it feel cheap and non durable

 

[Mac 128]

Yes I understand that, like I said they are doing it now to prepare customers for when they will have to do it and were planning to do it with the 2017 major redesign. It still has something to do with thickness, if the port was as thin as lightning and went as deep as the 3.5mm, they would keep it.

The speaker is actually the thickest component of the iPhone and goes as deep/deeper than the headphone jack but they aren't removing that, probably because they could make it thinner, but still there is another motive behind dropping it that they didn't expect to have to do so soon.

Except Apple doesn't really prepare the customer for anything. They don't telegraph anything to their competition. They just pull the trigger when they're ready, with no warning whatsoever, the customer be damned.

Can you think of another product they "prepared" the customer for by making changes before they were actually needed?

 

[HardBall]

Yes I understand that, like I said they are doing it now to prepare customers for when they will have to do it and were planning to do it with the 2017 major redesign. It still has something to do with thickness, if the port was as thin as lightning and went as deep as the 3.5mm, they would keep it.

The speaker is actually the thickest component of the iPhone and goes as deep/deeper than the headphone jack but they aren't removing that, probably because they could make it thinner, but still there is another motive behind dropping it that they didn't expect to have to do so soon.

I don't really understand the consternation of getting rid of the headphone jack. Price of headphones sure is a factor, but any decent headphones (beats) would cost anyone a significant chunk of change anyways. Battery life of bluetooth headphones have gotten markedly better in recent years, used to have to constantly keep it on a stand to make sure they have charge when I need them, now just throw in a bag and charge it at the end of the week.

Not many people use headphones of any kind with their laptops anyhow, I don't think 2/3 of people would miss a headphone jack at all, even if that's the only way to connect to headphones. Macbook speakers are more than adequate to output sound if you want to enjoy media by yourself. Most people really only use headsets when they want to minimize noise and hear clearer when they use skype, hangouts, or facetime.

 

[Appleaker]

Except Apple doesn't really prepare the customer for anything. They don't telegraph anything to their competition. They just pull the trigger when they're ready, with no warning whatsoever, the customer be damned.

Can you think of another product they "prepared" the customer for by making changes before they were actually needed?

While there moves are to prepare customers, they are primarily to prepare/encourage companies to make changes for the user (e.g. software, accessories, etc.):
iMac - removal of floppy drive - unnecessary but wanted to get people to use CDs.
MacBook - encourage accessory makers to support USB-C.
iOS 6/iOS 8 - new layout options for developers to help them change apps for different display sizes.

I'm sure there are a few more that I can't think of right now. This time they have to get manufacturers to make wireless options better. But you are right in the sense that they have never done something on this scale in a long time. However, the news has been floating around for almost a year so I'm pretty sure a lot of people are aware of the possibility.
[doublepost=1469748120][/doublepost]

I don't really understand the consternation of getting rid of the headphone jack. Price of headphones sure is a factor, but any decent headphones (beats) would cost anyone a significant chunk of change anyways. Battery life of bluetooth headphones have gotten markedly better in recent years, used to have to constantly keep it on a stand to make sure they have charge when I need them, now just throw in a bag and charge it at the end of the week.

Not many people use headphones of any kind with their laptops anyhow, I don't think 2/3 of people would miss a headphone jack at all, even if that's the only way to connect to headphones. Macbook speakers are more than adequate to output sound if you want to enjoy media by yourself. Most people really only use headsets when they want to minimize noise and hear clearer when they use skype, hangouts, or facetime.

Yeah you're right I would imagine usage is not as common as it was 5 years ago but it is still in use by a lot of people. I wouldn't mind using an adapter on my laptop or even my iPad, but having to use it for a phone is inconvenient. The problem is the inadequacy of current alternatives and the lack of convenience with the alternatives (although hopefully that changes when headphone companies respond to the iPhone 7).

 

[navaira]

MacBook - encourage accessory makers to support USB-C.

How is that going? (Dongles don't count.)