There is nothing magical about lighting connector. It is just digital connector which transports the digital audio to external Digital Audio Converter. You can do the same with USB connector. In matter of fact, there is plethora of USB DAC's available. You can use lighting DAC with current iPhone's if you like. The only difference with iPhone 7 is that it will require such a external DAC since there won't be internal DAC.
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Here's What a Headphone Jack to Lightning Adapter Looks Like
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There is nothing magical about lighting connector. It is just digital connector which transports the digital audio to external Digital Audio Converter. You can do the same with USB connector. In matter of fact, there is plethora of USB DAC's available. You can use lighting DAC with current iPhone's if you like. The only difference with iPhone 7 is that it will require such a external DAC since there won't be internal DAC.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Profit. As long as a big base of users will buy anyway, embracing proprietary is VERY PROFITABLE. Sony plays the same game. Remember when just about every new AV innovation Sony rolled out had a proprietary something about it? That works while the Sony faithful stayed loyal to that brand. But eventually, even the most loyal start seeing through the spin.
I used to think Sony first when buying any AV equipment they (also) make. Now I barely think of them. Why? Got tired to having to deal with the incompatibilities across devices of making their proprietary stuff work with other stuff. Adapters seem like the easy solution but they are mostly pains... especially when nothing is really being tangibly gained in exchange for the trouble that come with having to use them.
The phone is already thin enough. Thin enough that it is becoming hard to hold. And the lens protude. The 3.5mm jack is not the impediment to thinness. The camera and battery are.
I keep hearing this waterproof thing. Is dropping your iPhone in water a big enough thoing?
One more time. Headphones are analog. Lightning headphones only move the DAC. An argument can be made for a DAC/Amp matched to the headphones. For those who want that, the option is already available. For most of the people, the sound is good enough. Put a better DAC/Amp in the phone. You need one anyway.
Sorry for all the whining about removing a useful, inexpensive, standard, and unobtrusive feature from a $700 phone. Have fun throwing more cash at Apple for an adapter.
Fantastic. Another *&^%*^% piece of gear to remember to charge.
The old-school headphone jack probably needs to go. Devices need to be simplified to use fewer ports as they get more compact and are distilled down to a more pure wireless and software on glass experience. My only problem with this is that Apple is not using a universal standard. People listen to headphones on lots of different devices. We shouldn't have to carry around adapters for each device, or buy different headphones for different devices.
I think USB-C is a pretty good standard to replace the lightning connector. It's more durable than old USB standards, can carry digital audio signals, can carry digital video signals, and wouldn't need an adapter with future devices using it as a standard across the industry. You could just plug your iPhone into a monitor or TV, or plug a flash drive into it, or a card reader, or whatever else. There would be power cords that support it everywhere. I think Lightning is probably slightly more sturdy since it has a thicker metal piece, but the tradeoff is that the contacts are better protected on USB-C. Lightning was created because USB ports were flimsy, non-reversible, and couldn't carry things like video signals. USB-C addresses just about all of those concerns.
The only issue for Apple is the whole MFi program. I think they could still enforce it with some kind of handshake from the device over USB, right? As it stands now, people still make non-MFi lightning accessories without their approval. So this shouldn't change a whole lot. The people who want official accessories will still buy the thing that has the special seal of approval. Everyone else will still buy the $2 cord from Amazon which may or may not burn down their entire house.
This all being said, removing the headphone jack doesn't really concern me personally because I mostly use headphones with my iPad watching videos, or when listening to music on my iMac at work. Sure they might come for those devices at some point, but I'm good for a while. And the headphones I do own aren't crazy expensive. The main thing that affects me is the price of their stock after they reveal an iPhone that looks mostly the same and has a controversial port removal scandal going on. Pretty sure I'm cashing out in early September if they make any decent gains between now and then.
I think USB-C is a pretty good standard to replace the lightning connector. It's more durable than old USB standards, can carry digital audio signals, can carry digital video signals, and wouldn't need an adapter with future devices using it as a standard across the industry. You could just plug your iPhone into a monitor or TV, or plug a flash drive into it, or a card reader, or whatever else. There would be power cords that support it everywhere. I think Lightning is probably slightly more sturdy since it has a thicker metal piece, but the tradeoff is that the contacts are better protected on USB-C. Lightning was created because USB ports were flimsy, non-reversible, and couldn't carry things like video signals. USB-C addresses just about all of those concerns.
The only issue for Apple is the whole MFi program. I think they could still enforce it with some kind of handshake from the device over USB, right? As it stands now, people still make non-MFi lightning accessories without their approval. So this shouldn't change a whole lot. The people who want official accessories will still buy the thing that has the special seal of approval. Everyone else will still buy the $2 cord from Amazon which may or may not burn down their entire house.
This all being said, removing the headphone jack doesn't really concern me personally because I mostly use headphones with my iPad watching videos, or when listening to music on my iMac at work. Sure they might come for those devices at some point, but I'm good for a while. And the headphones I do own aren't crazy expensive. The main thing that affects me is the price of their stock after they reveal an iPhone that looks mostly the same and has a controversial port removal scandal going on. Pretty sure I'm cashing out in early September if they make any decent gains between now and then.
You're not looking forward to it. You're just making a comment for the sake of getting under peoples skin who aren't happy about the change. How old are you?
Yes I'm sure the next big Apple invention will be room based wireless charging - if you are in the room, your wireless gear will be charged. Whatever health risks involved with that who the hell knows but I'm sure eventually everything (even cars) will be charged wirelessly.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
There's plenty to "change" that actually appears to deliver on wants of iDevice consumers. Look at the frothing for the so-called "10th anniversary" iPhone rumored to follow this one. That has lots of changes that appear to actually deliver value for iPhone buyers. Let's speculate what people really want in a new iDevice. How about more battery? Yes, that clashes with "thinner" but does anyone actually want "thinner?" I mean really want thinner, not want it because we know Apple is going to go thinner so we think we look smarter or are more accepted (or something) by saying we want what they are about to serve.
There's a nice list of popular wants in new iDevices that could be "change" that Apple rolls out that actually is desired by iDevice buyers. Is this one of them? Prior to this rumor getting it's legs, I can't recall anyone around here ever writing how much they wanted to be rid of the 3.5mm jack. And all the people spinning such arguments for Lightning and/or for Bluetooth have had those options for at least a year now- have they embraced them already?
Change by subtraction is a slippery slope... rationalizing change by subtraction is a very slippery slope. If we swallow this ejection of tangible utility so easily, why not "change" by ejecting the battery next year? Maybe the camera the year after? Both are easily fodder for future adapters. Both could be rationalized by barely repacking the same justifications being offered for this change.
Let this go and eventually Apple sells us the iPhone 13 as an empty box. To actually end up with something as utility-loaded as current iPhones requires a variety of adapters, sold separately of course.
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I haven't used a pair of wired headphones in about a year and a half now, after I finally decided to retire my EarPods and switch to wireless headphones for working out as they are significantly easier to use when you're doing anything besides sitting still. I guess that might be the reason why I can't understand why anyone would fight so hard for the wire since to me personally its not all that convenient and I would rather that space in the phone be used for some other feature/waterproofing. I don't really care for the entire market nor am I all that worried about other people with older headphones needing to buy adapters since I'm not a headphone company, but simply a consumer. It's not something I plan to make an issue for myself.
For $130 I get some rather nice headphones with 3.5mm connector.
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He's got a point. What is there to look forward to about the removal of this with what we know today? I highly doubt anyone is incredibly bothered by the little circular port on the bottom of their device.
Right now all we really know is what we are losing and not what we are gaining.
I'm sorry.. you've lost me. What are you even trying to say? Taking out a headphone jack and using wireless tech/lightning port is not the same as not having a battery that RUNS the phone. What kind of a comparison is that? A better one would be taking out the CD ROM which worked out great in the end.
Remember how worked up we were over sapphire screens months before the newest announced phone... how we'd see articles about sapphire almost daily? I'm wondering if this isn't just like that... one big distracting rumor, except this time we won't have people losing entire fortunes on something like a failed 3.5 to lightening adapter company.
And in that way you just called nearly every person here that isn't here to hate on Apple an idiot. Meanwhile, you're so pleased with your other products that you're posting negative things here rather than positive things "there". Perhaps not you, per se, but those people know who I'm talking to.
LOL Having money to spend on goods makes you an idiot. Because I guess idiots have always been inherently successful people.
No, it won't, and that's not going to happen for quite a while. It's going to be a jump to better headphones, such as noise cancelling ones that don't need their own battery and high end ones with their own DAC.
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Successful people are complete idiots.
I don't really understand the need to do this. I have Bluetooth headphones but I like having the option to use wired headphones too. It's really hard to find how this helps the user, I don't think the world is really ready for an audio solution like what they're rumoured to offer with the iPhone 7.
I really hope that all these rumours become untrue.
I really hope that all these rumours become untrue.
LOL, at the empty box comment. I wonder how many loyalist will actually buy the new IPhone Ghost Air 14 is so thin and light, that you can't even feel it, and see it. That is is pretty revolutionary if you ask me.
I want to have it now!
If it moves to lightning earphones, I will be going to Android until a time wireless buds are more common than wired, to the point where it'd odd to see wired ones being sold.
USB C connection I can understand but lightning and more confinement to the iOS line of products (can't even use lightning products on their newest MacBook) I will not support.
USB C connection I can understand but lightning and more confinement to the iOS line of products (can't even use lightning products on their newest MacBook) I will not support.
Apple is making their phone cheaper and thinner etc. The real problem with losing the headphone jack is that the phone will no longer be suitable for a presenter to use as many presentation systems require an audio jack. it would make sense to simplify ones equipment and just buy a non Apple phone.
I feel that this is the most important point that most people seem to forget about. The lack of standardisation across even Apple's own product lines will make consumers confused and is not user friendly at all.