Unless the new iPhone 7 models include provisions to upgrade to Bluetooth 5 with its much improved wireless digital audio transmission to Bluetooth 5-compatible wireless headphones, I'm not interested in the new iPhone.
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Here's What a Headphone Jack to Lightning Adapter Looks Like
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What makes you think it won't? Apple sits on the board of BT SIG, and has a hand in detailing and developing the specs for BT 5. They are in a perfect position to roll out both the first BT 5 phones, as well as the first BT 5 compatible headphones.
I really don't understand Apple's crusade to remove every port on their products. I totally got it when Steve Jobs introduced the MacBook Air as the "thinnest notebook ever"- it was brilliant marketing and they sold millions. But that trend is played out now, so why can't we move on and make a "Swiss Army knife" of Macs with every port available and iPhones with MicroSD?
The problem with Bluetooth for audio is that it's lower quality, has latency, and you can't connect to more than one set of speakers. It's a DJ's worst nightmare and enemy of all audiophiles everywhere. I hope this whole removing of headphone jack business is not just a gimmick to sell more wireless Beats for Doctor Dre.
The problem with Bluetooth for audio is that it's lower quality, has latency, and you can't connect to more than one set of speakers. It's a DJ's worst nightmare and enemy of all audiophiles everywhere. I hope this whole removing of headphone jack business is not just a gimmick to sell more wireless Beats for Doctor Dre.
I would agree with you if Apple offers the same old BT 4 tech customers have been living with for years. But BT 5 has been announced, and at a minimum I'm expecting some major improvements, not to mention advances with Apples own AirPlay.
As for Apple's (and others) crusade to remove every port, it goes hand in hand with their crusade to make mobile devices smaller and lighter. A customer can always add cases that add more battery life and every port they could possibly want, while adding all the weight and bulk they could possibly live with. It's all a trade off. I'm looking forward to a future where my iPhone is literally the size of a credit card, with a fold-out screen. I certainly don't want a 3.5mm headphone jack to force it to be bigger than it has to be.
I only hope Apple truly is adding something valuable to most customers to the next iPhone that requires the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack to avoid increasing the size. Otherwise, I agree, it's would be a bad move at this juncture.
I believe phones should be smooth. That means as thin as the thickest external component. And right now o the hone, that's the camera. Making the device sflush with the camera would allow for a larger battery. It better be valuable. And I really son't think a "setreo" speaker would be valuable. 1) the speakers a re pretty crap to begin with and 2) they're too close to make a difference.
This is a big question, what will bluetooth 5 have to contribute. If BT 5 lives up to its promises, it will help a lot. With that said, I can't believe that Apple will have a new iPhone in September of this year which will support BT 5. Why? The BT 5 announcement is the completion of the specification, and component manufacturers still need to make chipsets and transmitters. Apple completes the process of designing a new iPhone at least 3-6 months before they are publicly announced, that way they are able to develop and ramp up the manufacturing process so that they can actually sell and deliver 10m phones the first weekend they're available. It would be somewhat crazy for them to wait until the BT5 spec is finished before finishing that part of the phone. I have to imagine that BT5 is coming next year (2017), not this year. But when it does come, it will make a big difference - maybe enough for Apple to get rid of the headphone jack.
FFS first the iHump battery case I would be embarrassed to purchase in a Walmart now a "headphone jack adapter". What ugly inconvenience will they come up with next?
Except Apple sits on the board of the BT SIG. And it wouldn't be the first time they used draft specs to release a radio product. Apple could have easily fed a supplier the confidential specs for BT 5 that they were helping to develop, to create a custom chip based on draft specs in order to have it ready when the iPhone launches. Since it's a normal supplier in the chain, nobody would know the difference, or that Apple was getting something not available to anyone else. By the time the parts needed to ship, the announcement would have been made, in the event of a leak.
But it's not just BT. If the jack comes off this year, I expect to see some kind of new low power AirPlay exclusive to Apple that allows lossless streaming with Beats headphones.
So we'll see.
well, that's an interesting thought. I would not put it past Apple to create their own standard, which works better / more reliably than Bluetooth, and then they will market it as "better than bluetooth." Considering that BT has a fairly bad reputation - for bad audio quality, for bad connections - I would not be surprised. However, I think it would be a huge mistake for Apple to simultaneously remove the headphone jack, and also make this new standard exclusive to Beats headphones - because not only would they obsolete a ton of peoples' hardware (wired headphones) but in order to get decent audio all customers would be locked into Beats.
With that said, I can see them making a new "standard" and opening it up for others to use, and releasing a set of Beats headphones which use this new standard so that it can be used on day one. This is something that Apple has done in the past (though without coming up with their own standard). What comes to mind is when Apple released the first MBA that had ac wifi networking, but there were very few ac-capable routers; at the same time, Apple released a new ac-capable Airport Extreme. That way, users could pay Apple to use this new feature immediately.
Because Apple believes in minimalism, and their products are as much a physical manifestation of their beliefs.
It's all about being able to make do with the bare minimum needed to get the job done. Maybe to you, the best PC is a huge desktop with tons of ports and room for expansion, and its bulk doesn't really bother you when it's sitting underneath your desk, out of sight. But for Apple, they see all that empty space inside the desktop casing, and how more than half of your ports are going unutilised and they see it as a complete and utter waste. So they pay close attention to how people use their PCs, and then remove what they think users will be able to live without, or otherwise adapt to a life without.
I personally feel that there is a certain beauty and elegance to it, but it's also clearly a case of personal preference.
And last but not least, I am not sure how "being an enemy of audiophiles" prevents me from appreciating and enjoying Bluetooth for what it is. I feel the audio quality is good enough for me to enjoy, I haven't really noticed any sort of latency (and I use it with my Apple TV as well), and I don't use speakers.
I think it is fair to love Apple design, but to question it if it interferes with functionality (with currently available accessories) and user friendliness is reasonable. As for design, I'd argue the forced use of dongles to maintain functionality for many users actually detracts from a minimalist, clean, streamlined look.
Perhaps if a large supply of compatible accessories came out contemporaneously - and at a reasonable price point and reliability standard - it would be less obnoxious to some. I actually use the headphone jack, and would miss it, so the idea of adapters to keep track of, etc. is quite annoying. I cannot imagine using the phone as I do now, to listen on headphones while mowing grass, etc., with that additional luggage to deal with. I guess I will have to hope BT really will live up to hype as far as improvement, and that I do not have to spend $$$$ for decent headphones or earbuds.