Wonder how loud/clear the speakers really are and why not add another at bottom

[oftheheavens]

I wonder how loud and clear the "stereo" speakers really are and more so why use all that space at the bottom or a microphone instead of adding another speaker, at least a smaller one with some quality to balance it out with the other bottom speaker. Seems weird to use the earpiece for a "loud" speaker and not add the same size speaker in the new grill space on the bottom.

Anyone have any input that maybe I don't understand?

 

[cynics]

They are trying to maximize stereo speaker separation on the phones limited space. It doesn't make a lot of difference but every little bit helps to some degree. The speakers will likely be calibrated to each other meaning they will have similar volume and audio quality.

 

[oftheheavens]

They are trying to maximize stereo speaker separation on the phones limited space. It doesn't make a lot of difference but every little bit helps to some degree. The speakers will likely be calibrated to each other meaning they will have similar volume and audio quality.

so why not add a second one to the bottom if we "know" the small one i the earpiece can produce a loud clear sound?

 

[cynics]

so why not add a second one to the bottom if we "know" the small one i the earpiece can produce a loud clear sound?

As in 3 speakers? 3 channel audio isn't really a thing so it wouldn't be balanced if you had 2 on the bottom and 1 on the top.

 

[oftheheavens]

As in 3 speakers? 3 channel audio isn't really a thing so it wouldn't be balanced if you had 2 on the bottom and 1 on the top.

have the two on bottom running together and the earpiece running its own channel. couldn't it work that way? OR just have the extra speaker on the bottom for times when you have the phone turned in a way that it doesn't use the top speaker. Or in times of using speakerphone just use the bottom two extra loud ones. I dunno I am just thinking out loud (well not really, thinking in text lol)

 

[Pakaku]

Since iPhones are tall and narrow, they probably figured stereo was only worth it if the iPhone was held sideways.

My own conspiracy theory: I also like to think Apple also decided to do that to discourage people from recording videos in portrait-mode...

 

[thats all folks]

so why not add a second one to the bottom if we "know" the small one i the earpiece can produce a loud clear sound?

so you are complaining about something you haven't actually experienced? the 'top' 'bottom' placement is about creating left and right in landscape mode, the orientation the phone would be in for watching video.

what are you on about with the earpiece? what is the second speaker at the bottom for?

BTW, the second grill on the bottom has always been there, it is the microphone.

 

[cynics]

have the two on bottom running together and the earpiece running its own channel. couldn't it work that way? OR just have the extra speaker on the bottom for times when you have the phone turned in a way that it doesn't use the top speaker. Or in times of using speakerphone just use the bottom two extra loud ones. I dunno I am just thinking out loud (well not really, thinking in text lol)

It would probably be pointless because the volume needs to be the same. So why have 2 speakers using 1 channel of audio limiting their volume to match another speaker?

I figure Apples thoughts on this were.... using mono for 2 channel audio creates a loss in audio fidelity therefore they want two speakers. And most of the time when you will be utilizing both speakers AND looking at the screen is when watching a video in landscape so maximize separation by going top and bottom of the phone.

Honestly I'm surprised they did that at all. I figured they would have just stuck them on the bottom and told us why that is fine (it is for the most part) but they went the extra step and separated them.

 

[oftheheavens]

so you are complaining about something you haven't actually experienced? the 'top' 'bottom' placement is about creating left and right in landscape mode, the orientation the phone would be in for watching video.

what are you on about with the earpiece? what is the second speaker at the bottom for?

BTW, the second grill on the bottom has always been there, it is the microphone.

first off I'm not complaining about anything so slow your roll, I'm curious simple as that. Secondly, I don't think you understand the difference between a grill and a hole. The current phones have a hole which contains a mic, the new phones have a full size grill (for symmetry) which contains only a mic. It could have been simple for all we know to include the same size speaker as the one currently at the bottom or at least the same size as the one they put in the earpiece which already contains a receiver as well. That is where my curiosity stems from, why not include another speaker instead of just a mic?

but hey thanks for your educated and sensible input.
[doublepost=1473522073][/doublepost]

It would probably be pointless because the volume needs to be the same. So why have 2 speakers using 1 channel of audio limiting their volume to match another speaker?

I figure Apples thoughts on this were.... using mono for 2 channel audio creates a loss in audio fidelity therefore they want two speakers. And most of the time when you will be utilizing both speakers AND looking at the screen is when watching a video in landscape so maximize separation by going top and bottom of the phone.

Honestly I'm surprised they did that at all. I figured they would have just stuck them on the bottom and told us why that is fine (it is for the most part) but they went the extra step and separated them.

makes sense, thanks for the educated reply.

 

[thats all folks]

irst off I'm not complaining about anything so slow your roll, I'm curious simple as that. Secondly, I don't think you understand the difference between a grill and a hole. The current phones have a hole which contains a mic, the new phones have a full size grill (for symmetry) which contains only a mic. It could have been simple for all we know to include the same size speaker as the one currently at the bottom or at least the same size as the one they put in the earpiece which already contains a receiver as well. That is where my curiosity stems from, why not include another speaker instead of just a mic?

but hey thanks for your educated and sensible input.

iPhone 1 through 4S had the headphone jack on the top so the grills on the bottom were equal sized, and a speaker in only one. so, you're welcome. and again, you keep saying 'earpiece', but that is not the new speaker that is at the top of the phone.

maybe you are not realizing the size of the speaker. from the ifixit teardown of the 6s,

that object being held on the right is the speaker assembly. adding a second one on the bottom would take for more space than that gained by removing the headphone jack.

 

[oftheheavens]

iPhone 1 through 4S had the headphone jack on the top so the grills on the bottom were equal sized, and a speaker in only one. so, you're welcome. and again, you keep saying 'earpiece', but that is not the new speaker that is at the top of the phone.

maybe you are not realizing the size of the speaker. from the ifixit teardown of the 6s,
View attachment 649968
that object being held on the right is the speaker assembly. adding a second one on the bottom would take for more space than that gained by removing the headphone jack.

oh you mean that those weren't both speakers at the bottom?!? I always thought one of mine was broke....

dude we are talking about going from the 6/6S to the 7. We are talking about the same form factor losing the audio jack and gaining a new grill, key phrase there is "gaining a new grill". This phrase lets you know we are talking about going from a phone with just 1 grill to now 2.

So with that said my question was why not utilize some of that space for the small speaker they have added to the top of the 7 (wherever the placement may be it must be a small speaker). There have been a few very educated responses, not yours of course, that have already answered it fairly well so thanks to those posters!

 

[Gjwilly]

Think I heard that the space where the headphone jack used to be is now being taken by the Home button's taptic engine.

 

[thats all folks]

dude we are talking about going from the 6/6S to the 7

we are talking about the iPhone having more than one speaker on the bottom, your justification was with equally sized grills, there should be two speakers.

my question was why not utilize some of that space for the small speaker they have added to the top of the 7

what 'space'? is there an empty void behind the decorative grill? do you know the size of the speaker assembly added top the top of the phone? you have information no one else does?

you started this by making specific claims based on, as far as anyone can tell, total speculation. you then went on to state that Apple should do something different without really justifying it or explain how it should be possible, other than, "gaining a new grill" which you claim has just empty space behind it.

I admit, I've been less than friendly in my responses, I was just hoping to push you into presenting a better case for your position. don't forget your opening statement,

I wonder how loud and clear the "stereo" speakers really are

that comes across as expressing doubt in Apple's claims and implementation. you then go on to suggest what Apple should have done but only in vague and unsupported ways. please support them.

 

[Armen]

I wonder how loud and clear the "stereo" speakers really are and more so why use all that space at the bottom or a microphone instead of adding another speaker, at least a smaller one with some quality to balance it out with the other bottom speaker. Seems weird to use the earpiece for a "loud" speaker and not add the same size speaker in the new grill space on the bottom.

Anyone have any input that maybe I don't understand?

Google did the same thing with the new Nexus. It uses the earpiece as a 2nd speaker.

 

[oftheheavens]

we are talking about the iPhone having more than one speaker on the bottom, your justification was with equally sized grills, there should be two speakers.



what 'space'? is there an empty void behind the decorative grill? do you know the size of the speaker assembly added top the top of the phone? you have information no one else does?

you started this by making specific claims based on, as far as anyone can tell, total speculation. you then went on to state that Apple should do something different without really justifying it or explain how it should be possible, other than, "gaining a new grill" which you claim has just empty space behind it.

I admit, I've been less than friendly in my responses, I was just hoping to push you into presenting a better case for your position. don't forget your opening statement,



that comes across as expressing doubt in Apple's claims and implementation. you then go on to suggest what Apple should have done but only in vague and unsupported ways. please support them.

Your trying to turn this into a pissing match for no reason. If you had finished reading my initial post I ended it by asking for and input on why they chose not to put a speaker there if there was enough space to accommodate (in different words yet still clearly the same point). Have you gone to prove why the CAN'T fit a smaller speaker on that side? Have you clarified the exact placement and size of the upper speaker and if it would feasible to add it under the new grill of the 7? All your doing is arguing to argue instead of providing educated guesses on why they did or didn't do something. Take a look at some of the other responders and the format the used to provide us with information and guesses on why the new grill space was used how it was. If you have any educated input to add instead of banter I'm sure we would all love to hear it as it seems you are very opinionated.

Google did the same thing with the new Nexus. It uses the earpiece as a 2nd speaker.

How does it sound do you know? I have never heard it or maybe even seen it haha

 

[Armen]

How does it sound do you know? I have never heard it or maybe even seen it haha

It sounded pretty good but their bottom speaker is in the same orientation. i.e. facing you if you are looking at the screen and not at the bottom like on the iPhone.

 

[AbSoluTc]

This is why they don't have 2 speakers at the bottom. No room. It also doesn't make sense as it wouldn't be stereo. Too close together.

 

[jimbo1mcm]

My big question is: do both speakers on the Ip7 work on phone calls? or just media playback? I have an HTC 10 and just the bottom speaker works on phone calls.( no flaming please)

 

[oftheheavens]

My big question is: do both speakers on the Ip7 work on phone calls? or just media playback? I have an HTC 10 and just the bottom speaker works on phone calls.( no flaming please)

I think both work when using speaker phone according to the keynote

 

[Taco1933]

I'm guessing space is the issue. I'm also guessing the audio will still be terrible. There's just not much you can do with such small speakers. But I'm sure it'll at least be a bit better than it was.

 

[Gathomblipoob]

As in 3 speakers? 3 channel audio isn't really a thing so it wouldn't be balanced if you had 2 on the bottom and 1 on the top.

What about a subwoofer?!

 

[oftheheavens]

A little sub would have been awesome!

 

[Surf Monkey]

This is why they don't have 2 speakers at the bottom. No room. It also doesn't make sense as it wouldn't be stereo. Too close together.

View attachment 649996

Exactly that. The new Taptic Engine is taking up the area where a speaker would be and where the 3.5mm jack was.

As to having two bottom speakers, there's no point in doing it that way. There's not enough distance available to create a stereo sound field. It would sound like mono at any reasonable distance.

The addition of stereo using the earpiece speaker is a very obvious and intelligent move. It only requires a slightly larger earpiece speaker and a few software tweaks. Plus the earpiece speaker is far enough away from the audio speaker that you get true stereo, even when you're holding it in portrait. So, minimal investment in space and engineering to get a decent stereo setup.

 

[Carmenia83]

They had to move the display driver to the bottom to make room for the larger camera system. The display driver and the improved Taptic engine occupy the space where the headphone jack was.

 

[Gathomblipoob]

Exactly that. The new Taptic Engine is taking up the area where a speaker would be and where the 3.5mm jack was.

As to having two bottom speakers, there's no point in doing it that way. There's not enough distance available to create a stereo sound field. It would sound like mono at any reasonable distance.

The addition of stereo using the earpiece speaker is a very obvious and intelligent move. It only requires a slightly larger earpiece speaker and a few software tweaks. Plus he earpiece speaker is far enough away from the audio speaker that you get true stereo, even when you're holding it in portrait. So, minimal investment in space and engineering to get a decent stereo setup.

I had an HTC One back in 2013. The stereo speakers in landscape mode were pretty good. I don't think the fact that the bottom iPhone speaker is bottom-firing is going to make that much of a difference. We're not talking about home speakers here.