Do people think the rumors of apple ditching the standard headphone jack are true?

Maximilien Lavigne

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Re: iPhone 7 with no 3.5mm headphone jack?

From my experience, almost all headphones over 100$ will use replaceable cables to minimize reparation costs and for cases like this.

Apple doesn't want to alienate big players like Sennheiser, AKG, Audio-Technica, etc. and their customers. They'll allow audio manufacturers to sell cables with a lightning connector if it's in their best interest.
 

bradpdx

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Re: iPhone 7 with no 3.5mm headphone jack?

My hunch is that if they choose to ditch the 3.5mm jack, there will be lots of fuss for a couple of months before it is forgotten, similar to the path of the floppy disk and the DVD drive. Then it's over and we tell our kids that we used to have these primitive analog devices long ago.

As to the benefits of keeping the ancient 3.5mm "standard" - let's see: it works with current headphones that will all wear out and be tossed within 3 years. It allows users to use cheap, readily available, awful sounding headphones with their super-nice iPhones, which I suspect is not a priority for a luxury brand. It's analog, which is rapidly going the way of the dodo bird in audio chain (and rightly so!).

It isn't as if Apple would drop the 3.5mm jack without a compelling solution in place. There will be one, and my prediction is that it will be just fine. After a couple of months, the game is over. Everybody is, in fact, fine.

Note: I'm listening on my "nice" analog headphones. They will live another 2 years or so. I might get an adaptor, or not, depending upon the calculus of the moment things change.
 

A895

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Re: iPhone 7 with no 3.5mm headphone jack?

My hunch is that if they choose to ditch the 3.5mm jack, there will be lots of fuss for a couple of months before it is forgotten, similar to the path of the floppy disk and the DVD drive.

People need to stop comparing this to losing the DVD drive and floppy disk. A headphone port is still the industry standard and is so good it has lasted decades. There is no real alternative that is just as commercially viable as 3.5mm. Everyone knows that let's stop encouraging moves that negatively impact consumers.
 

anon(4166778)

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Re: iPhone 7 with no 3.5mm headphone jack?

This seems just like the ipod. No need for discs.. lets just put it all on a hard drive and forget all the bulk.. no need for 3.5 mm headphone jack.. let's innovate and simplify it. Something Apple has always done!..
 

D13H4RD2L1V3

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Re: iPhone 7 with no 3.5mm headphone jack?

I'm currently somewhere in the middle, but I'm leaning towards the "I'm not cool with this" side.

The 3.5mm headphone jack has been with us for a long time and has always been a reliable connector to plug your headphones into. That's why nearly every gadget has one, unless you count the Oppo R5, which was ridiculously thin at 4.85mm (and way below my comfortable thickness range) and as such, can't fit a headphone jack. So they had to supply a dongle.

Which brings us the question. If this is true, what is Apple trying to do? I read Rene's article about some guy claiming that removing the 3.5mm headphone jack "will improve audio quality". I'm sorry, but that is absolute bullcrap.

If audio quality needs to be improved, removing the headphone jack is not the way to do it since it does not bring any benefit to audio quality and if it does, the benefits are so tiny, no one would notice. For audio quality to really improve, you need to improve the DAC, add or improve the headphone amplifier and also bring higher-resolution audio files to the masses. That's how you improve audio quality. You can look at devices like the LG V10, which features pretty much all of the above.

My other big concern is that Apple could be ditching it to make their phones thinner. I'm also not okay with this because our phones are already very thin as they already are. My iPad Pro is 6.9mm thin and on a phone, I find that borderline comfortable. Given that one pain point about the 6S is its battery life (and leading Apple to release that battery case, which I still think looks pretty fugly), Apple should consider making the phone slightly thicker and stuff in a larger battery OR keep the same thickness but adapt the MacBook 2015's battery tech for use in the iPhone 7. I don't need a thinner phone. Yeah, it looks great and appealing in a store, but once you own one, that battery life will eventually become quite a pain point.

On the other hand, Apple could ditch the headphone jack to increase space for something like a bigger battery. To me, that is pretty darn unlikely, but if that's the case, then I am partly okay with it, but given that I'm a heavy headphones user, I frankly don't see the appeal, especially since the dongle likely won't be included in the box and has to be purchased separately at a high price for a dongle, which is classic Apple.
 

Carioca32

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Re: iPhone 7 with no 3.5mm headphone jack?

The camera barely fits the frame as it is, so I don't think the P2 connector, which is only marginally larger than the Lightning port, is the limiting factor of thickness here.
 

hylex

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Re: iPhone 7 with no 3.5mm headphone jack?

Dumbest idea I gave ever heard. Get rid of a universal standard that can be used with the cheapest accessories to moving to only.one port that is proprietary? How will I charge my phone and listen to music?

What benefits to the mass consumer does this bring really? All I see is Apple charging people for a bunch of adaptors. It's ridiculous. And people have the audacity to say this is the future, there is no way causing more problems than solutions by doing this is the future in any way. If Apple does this for real, I definitely won't be upgrading to a future iphone. There will be no way I spend more money for adapters or lightning headphones.

Pretty much this. I got Sennheiser's 598/650 and a far more expensive pair (1700 usd) . All of them get equal amounts of use and if apple chooses to do away with the 3.5 mm jack, just for the heck of it? Well they are losing me as a customer for good. Instead of using a better DAC they will instead do away with it, just to create a new revenue stream and try and sell horrible beats headphones.
 
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elmit22

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Re: iPhone 7 with no 3.5mm headphone jack?

if this happens i think Apple should be investigated for profiteering. because they are causing a problem and will be charging for the solution.
 

Just_Some_Nobody

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Re: iPhone 7 with no 3.5mm headphone jack?

What they need to do in the 7 is introduce audio through lightning and include a pair of lightning headphones. That would allow people to know that the end is coming for 3.5mm and begin the switch. Apple would never do this though.
 

7ftRussian

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Re: iPhone 7 with no 3.5mm headphone jack?

I understand that most of the new technology is to go wireless. In this case it will be somewhat a bad idea. Sure, go ahead and include bluetooth headset with the phone but still give us the option to use our favorite pair whether it is or not bluetooth. 3rd Party creators will be mad about this one, that's their bread and butter. You buy a set of headphones - dog chews it up - you go buy more.
I think this is a great and not so unique idea, we will see if they will go though with it.
If CES of any indication, the set of two wireless earpieces is the new hot thing in coming year.
 

Rkolodz1

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Re: iPhone 7 with no 3.5mm headphone jack?

You actually make an interesting point without trying. 3rd Party Case manufactures could actually have a new market. A case that connects to the lightning port and has a 3.5 mm jack built into the case.
 

Rkolodz1

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Re: iPhone 7 with no 3.5mm headphone jack?

3rd party creators that want to stay in business will adjust without any issues. People made the same argument about 3rd party accessories when Apple ditched the 30-pin. In fact, if this comes to be true and Apple releases the protocol for a lightning to 3.5 mm adapter I suggest case manufactures build a case with the adapter built in.
 

Maximilien Lavigne

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Re: iPhone 7 with no 3.5mm headphone jack?

hylex, don't be so dramatic. Both the HD598 and HD650 use detachable cables. If Apple chooses to do away with the 3.5mm, chances are all you'll have to do is to get the new Lightning to 3.5mm cable and you'll be good to go.
 

denzilla

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Re: iPhone 7 with no 3.5mm headphone jack?

The iPhone 6S is 7.1mm. The current iPod Touch is 6.1mm. Both have headphone jacks. I don't think apple will be ditching the headphone jack.

What if their goal is 6mm?

I think the 3.5 jack is too widely used at this point to consider deprecation. If Apple does indeed eliminate the jack and make the phone thinner, then I hope Tim Cook hears the sound of the entire world groaning, followed by the worst sales figures of any iPhone.

Sadly, most will complain and buy anyway, reinforcing their belief that they can do whatever they like and people will still throw money at them.
 

scruffypig

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iPhone 7 with no 3.5mm headphone jack?

What if their goal is 6mm?

I think the 3.5 jack is too widely used at this point to consider deprecation. If Apple does indeed eliminate the jack and make the phone thinner, then I hope Tim Cook hears the sound of the entire world groaning, followed by the worst sales figures of any iPhone.

Sadly, most will complain and buy anyway, reinforcing their belief that they can do whatever they like and people will still throw money at them.

There is no proof of anything Apple plans to do at this point. If Apple gets rid of the built in headphone jack, so be it. I will believe it if it happens.

I would still buy an iPhone, because my current Etymotics won't be useless, but still useable with an adaptor. I can still use them with an adaptor with my current iPhone. That same D/A headphone amp I have now will work with the new iPhone also.
 

hylex

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Re: iPhone 7 with no 3.5mm headphone jack?

hylex, don't be so dramatic. Both the HD598 and HD650 use detachable cables. If Apple chooses to do away with the 3.5mm, chances are all you'll have to do is to get the new Lightning to 3.5mm cable and you'll be good to go.

/rolls eyes. Now whose exaggerating. Do you really think THAT"s a solution? No thanks. I will stick to the tried and trusted 3.5 mm jack. Anyway moot point. LG V10 with its great quality dac is being acquired. it will serve the purpose of music well.
 
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Re: iPhone 7 with no 3.5mm headphone jack?

Many years ago I had wasted a lot of great wired head phones snagging on stuff like for instance me accidentally yanking them off while on the treadmill at the gym and the pain of them getting yanked from my ears! So whenever the first decent Bluetooth stereo headsets was made available I bought a pair and never went back! Now for me the Bluetooth headsets seem to last forever compared to my wired 3.5 mm jack headsets!

I do think people have nothing to really worry about as if Apple released the iPhone 7 without the 3.5 mm jack and it didn't sell well it wouldn't take that much work to release the next 7 S with a 3.5 mm jack!
 

anon(9715747)

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Re: iPhone 7 with no 3.5mm headphone jack?

I don't think this will happen. The 3.5 mm jack is just so universal. its on computers, tablets, game consoles, cars stereos, microphones, etc. Getting rid of it on the 7 doesn't just affect the phone it affects everything. The negatives of removing it far outweigh the positives. To top it all off its not like you get a notable improvement in sound quality.There are smaller and thinner phones out there than the current iPhones and they all still retain the headphone jack.
Highly doubt it will happen if it does then I will not be getting the 7.
 

robertk328

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Re: iPhone 7 with no 3.5mm headphone jack?

More rumors of this happening. The iMore podcast even covered it, with Rene mentioning suppliers getting reduced orders. Hard to know for sure.
With wireless charging, I would imagine they could switch to lightning headphones for those that want wired, and an optional (included?) adapter for those with expensive 3.5mm headphones.
 

Closingracer

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Re: iPhone 7 with no 3.5mm headphone jack?

Do people think the rumors of apple ditching the standard headphone jack are true. People have so many expensive headphones that will be obsolete? I just wanted to get people's honest opinions of this is just wild speculation or if this seems like it actually might go through. Apple would have to open up female lighting connectors to third party if that was actually true. Battery cases would be worthless if they couldn't use headphones.

Short answer right now out of impulse is ill buy an Android device. Considering I have until March of next year to decide I'll have quite a while to decide rationally what my choices are and very well keep my 6 plus.
 

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