Supply Chain Rumors Reaffirm iPhone 7 Will Not Have Headphone Jack

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I wonder if switching over to the Lightning port for wired headphones will mean that there will be a delay like what happened when they made the MacBook headphone jacks software controlled and not hardware controlled.

That would suck.
 
Meh I have been using bluetooth headphones for years now, I have never used the aux port on my phone. You can pick up a pair of wireless bluetooth headphones for below 20 quid and they provide a decent listening experience and last for around 6 - 8 hours continual use. I currently use Photive PH-BTE70 Wireless Bluetooth Earphones and they provide just as good a listening performance as any wired 20 quid headphones.

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If you have a particular speaker set up you like you can even get a bluetooth to 3.5mm jack adapter fairly cheaply these days.

Not that I would ever buy an Iphone they always come across as over priced. However I am not going to criticise Apple for ditching the Aux port. In my view I think it is long overdue and I would like to see Android phone makers doing the same thing.
 
I don't see this being such a big deal if apple includes either wireless or lightning connected headphones. I just bought some bluetooth ones and I have to say it is really nice. Curious to see how this is going to play out.
 
I'm on team #ThankGod

They've pushed the old port as far as it can go with additional control rings and gaskets to prevent water damage.

then how did Sony and Samsung manage it?

This is how I see it:

3.5mm jack
- universal compatibility
- reliability
- no DRM
- high quality
- susceptible to water/sand
- no dongle required

no jack
- super low compatibility
- unknown reliability
- DRM
- slightly higher quality, which will disappear on lossy files anyways
- water/sand resistance
- stupid dongle required
- slightly thinner (bendable) phone

if wireless, it's another thing I need to charge, is susceptible to interference (wear your BTs near a microwave, see what happens), quality argument goes out the window...
 
Apple killing ancient tech but is this new tech supposed to be better or is it just Apple creating proprietary BS for profits?
I believe they are doing it to make the phone thinner.

I am not behind it.

I am all for progress but if you are going to remove something like the headphone jack then you better replace it with something better.
 
I could live without the aux port (though I wouldn't be thrilled) if they used a USB-C connection instead. Triple fuck lightning. Aside from physical convenience it's just an awful connector.
 
It's amazing how Apple can get people to praise them for making dongles necessary. I still laugh every time I'm in a meeting and people with Macbooks need a dongle to connect it to our projector/display. Display Port will replace HDMI any day now, right?

Yea, the projector thing is something people seem to forget when saying "well, everyone else just catches up and it becomes standard!" except not really.

People just put up with nonsense because they like the other things Apple devices provide and it outweighs the inconvenience of hooking a computer to a projector.
 
Mainstream consumers don't use headphones generally with their phones. They use earbuds, of which there's tons of 20 dollar BT variations that sound just as good (or better, or worse) than your standard wired earbuds. I bought the V-moda simply because I needed a pair of headphones that sound great while wired to my PS4/Xbox One for gaming, wired to my Mac for music, and wireless to use on my Apple TV 4 to watch movies/netflix with. The reason they're 300 dollars isn't because they sound great via Bluetooth. It's because they include the same hardware/tech that they use in the wired M-100 version.

Gotcha, sounds like $300 for you wasn't a bad deal given being able to use them with so many devices.

Jaybirds. MKB did a review of them. The X2s are newer so they have a markup. You can get the X1s for under $100 though. My local target had them like $75 over the Holidays.

Sony has a pair of workout earbuds for $50 at Best Buy.

I'll keep those in mind in case BT is really the way Apple is pushing everyone.
 
I use it as my primary way to listen to music. I just wont buy a phone that does not have a regular aux jack. What a stupid thing to get rid of.
 
I hope instead of advancing to wireless they replace it with the smaller asymmetrical jack they patented. Just to make the phone .7 mm thinner. No other changes.

It's not asymmetrical. I'm not sure how you could make that conclusion without being amazingly ignorant.

I could live without the aux port (though I wouldn't be thrilled) if they used a USB-C connection instead. Triple fuck lightning. Aside from physical convenience it's just an awful connector.

It's a better design than USB-C in terms of having pins on the connector itself and thus having a more robust port. It's also smaller. But I agree that if I was going to get a replacement for minijack headphones I'd go with USB3... while it still has issues they are far less than its predecessors, and it's certainly going to be a standard.
 
If Apple switches to USB Type C at the same time, I can be on board with this. The death of the aux port is inevitable, but I don't want to go through some awkward period where there are required lightning headphones. if the switch is made, I want the new audio standard to be cross-compatible, and Type C is our best bet at a standard port for power and wired peripherals.
 
they'll have people like you covered (which will be the minority):

That's a DC plug for charging, not a 3.5mm audio connector. Whatever dongle they do push out for this crap will need to have a DAC in it, since the lightning connector doesn't output analog audio

I don't see this being such a big deal if apple includes either wireless or lightning connected headphones. I just bought some bluetooth ones and I have to say it is really nice. Curious to see how this is going to play out.

are they going to include a Bluetooth connected car too?
 
Only 6-8 hours of battery life? Yea I think this is where I start to get off the Apple train.

I am talking about bluetooth earbuds (I updated my post with a picture of what I currently use). These things are small so obviously batter life is going to be an issue. My headphones last 6 - 8 hours of continual use with a standby time of several days when not listening to music.

If you go with the over ear slightly bulkier headphones you can get some that last for 24 hours of continual useage. However for earbud headphones battery usage will be around 6 - 8 hours. The plus point is that it doesn't take them that long to charge, I think my earbuds are charged in under 30 mins.
 
I don't see this being such a big deal if apple includes either wireless or lightning connected headphones. I just bought some bluetooth ones and I have to say it is really nice. Curious to see how this is going to play out.
Now the included headphones should not be the cheap they are.
 
I am talking about bluetooth earbuds (I updated my post with a picture of what I currently use). These things are small so obviously batter life is going to be an issue. My headphones last 6 - 8 hours of continual use with a standby time of several days when not listening to music.

If you go with the over ear slightly bulkier headphones you can get some that last for 24 hours of continual useage. However for earbud headphones battery usage will be around 6 - 8 hours. The plus point is that it doesn't take them that long to charge, I think my earbuds are charged in under 30 mins.

This sounds awful. Needing to charge headphones seems like such a step backwards just for the small convenience of not having a wire connected to your phone.
 
I am talking about bluetooth earbuds (I updated my post with a picture of what I currently use). These things are small so obviously batter life is going to be an issue. My headphones last 6 - 8 hours of continual use with a standby time of several days when not listening to music.

If you go with the over ear slightly bulkier headphones you can get some that last for 24 hours of continual useage. However for earbud headphones battery usage will be around 6 - 8 hours. The plus point is that it doesn't take them that long to charge, I think my earbuds are charged in under 30 mins.

6-8 hours is actually not so bad if they charge in just 30 minutes.

That said there are scenarios where I want to quickly listen or watch something and waiting 30 mins when my earbuds are dead would be a pain
 
It's not asymmetrical. I'm not sure how you could make that conclusion without being amazingly ignorant.



It's a better design than USB-C in terms of having pins on the connector itself and thus having a more robust port. It's also smaller. But I agree that if I was going to get a replacement for minijack headphones I'd go with USB3... while it still has issues they are far less than its predecessors, and it's

Lightning doesn't have enough pins to support analog audio out. Lightning cannot even output uncompressed digital video. The lightning HDMI-out cable has to have a chip in it to decode a low-bitrate video stream over a wired connection. Video quality is comparable to wireless AirPlay over a mediocre wifi connection.

If you are using an adaptor for 3.5mm, it will need its own amplified DAC inside of it and it will need to be Apple certified to work. It will be bulky and expensive.

Lightning is proprietary, poorly thought out garbage.
 
It's almost like the aux port is stopping progress, right? I mean, I wish I could use my bluetooth headphones, but unfortunately my backward phone still has a aux port which forbids me to.... oh wait, it doesn't.


I can't wait for long train/plane journeys where you are not only concerned if your phone's battery is going to last, but also concern if your headphone's battery will last as well. Not to mention pairing headphones every time you want to use it on another device. I can't wait for the future, it does look like a promising place.


I totally support change, but not for the sole sake of changing, if you are going to get rid of the aux port at least have the decency to provide A BETTER alternative. Then it is worth the hassle to change formats and/or replace headphones and whatnot. As it is? I don't see who is benefiting from this besides Apple not needing to add a inexpensive port to their phones.
 
Mainstream consumers don't use headphones generally with their phones. They use earbuds, of which there's tons of 20 dollar BT variations that sound just as good (or better, or worse) than your standard wired earbuds. I bought the V-moda simply because I needed a pair of headphones that sound great while wired to my PS4/Xbox One for gaming, wired to my Mac for music, and wireless to use on my Apple TV 4 to watch movies/netflix with. The reason they're 300 dollars isn't because they sound great via Bluetooth. It's because they include the same hardware/tech that they use in the wired M-100 version.
I really wanted to get the Crossfade Wireless, but I could only get them directly from V-Moda and shipping/customs/exchange would have pushed them over $400.

So instead I ended up getting M-100s and a set of Jaybird X2s for ~$250. It works out to be a better solution for me anyways as I can still use the M-100s for anything I want to around the house while using the Jaybird's when I'm on the go.

That being said... this sounds like a terrible move (if true).
 
I don't particularly care what new feature Apple is removing but since companies like to copy them, I'm concerned Android phones will follow suit.

I'll just keep buying non-$300 off brand phones.

Also what's this talk of audio jacks becoming irrelevant? As long as people like good sound they will be relevant.
 
Gotcha, sounds like $300 for you wasn't a bad deal given being able to use them with so many devices.

If not for Apple stupidly removing the optical port from the new Apple TV, I would have just bought the cheaper wired-only V-Modas and saved 60-70 bucks. I definitely didn't mention them as a recommendation. Only to show that being Bluetooth doesn't automatically mean a bad listening experience. It's actually quite great. When I'm out walking though, I still prefer my wired earbuds over my bluetooth earbuds because my BT earbuds quite often lose connection briefly even at mere feet away. They sound just as good as my cheap wired earbuds though.

I really wanted to get the Crossfade Wireless, but I could only get them directly from V-Moda and shipping/customs/exchange would have pushed them over $400.

So instead I ended up getting M-100s and a set of Jaybird X2s for ~$250. It works out to be a better solution for me anyways as I can still use the M-100s for anything I want to around the house while using the Jaybird's when I'm on the go.

That being said... this sounds like a terrible move (if true).

Do you live somewhere that Amazon doesn't serve? They sell the V-modas. Your solution appears to be a good one though. I hear great things about the Jaybirds.
 
This sounds awful. Needing to charge headphones seems like such a step backwards just for the small convenience of not having a wire connected to your phone.

Actually it is rather liberating not tethering your MOBILE phone with wires. I have always been of the view that it is rather backwards to have wires connected to your mobile phone.

I am a huge fan of wireless charging and won't touch a phone that doesn't have that feature. I use my bluetooth headphones daily with my exercise routine and it is great having the phone on the table out of harms way whilst I fling myself around doing my work out.

When I want to listen to some music in the bath I leave my phone safe and dry in the bedroom whilst using my bluetooth headphones. After having used bluetooth headphones I could never go back to using the old wired headphones. So to me the Aux port is a relic that they can get rid of.

6-8 hours is actually not so bad if they charge in just 30 minutes.

That said there are scenarios where I want to quickly listen or watch something and waiting 30 mins when my earbuds are dead would be a pain

I get what you are saying but bear in mind a 30 min charge time is to fully charge them. A quick 5 min charge would give you more than an hour of usage. Personally I have two pairs of Bluetooth headphones (they were only 20 quid) if one pair run out of charge I just switch them over.
 
Many bluetooth speakers these days have good sound and good range. Even great, for the average consumer.

Check out the UE Boom or the Bose (lol Bose amirite?) Soundlink lines.

Obviously maybe not great for the """"audiophiles"""" that can catch the changes in the quantum slipstream purity, but still.

For those, a $30 adapter can't be much to ask comparing with what they spend already, and comparing with the $600+ average selling price of an iPhone. Assuming it doesn't come in the box.
 
It would be nice if this resulted in some kind of improved open standard. If they replaced lightning with Usb-c or an improved separate analog headphone connector. Wireless sucks for obvious reasons.

General consumers won't care though. The rest of the world charges with micro usb so you can charge your device just about anywhere any time. Apple users still buy Apple phones and charge with lightning. If this rumor is true then people with Apple phones will just buy Apple head phones and what ever accessory manufacturers shit out. Some will bitch about it and buy iPhones anyway, but most won't really care.
 
I buy apple earbuds for my android phone (seem like the best balance between price, reliability and comfort) so this is going to be a pain in the arse.

I don't think 3.5mm is a perfect connector by any means but reading about what lightning headphones can do just makes me think it's all just an excuse to charge way more money.

Oh God, you're actually not trolling are you?
 
It's almost like the aux port is stopping progress, right? I mean, I wish I could use my bluetooth headphones, but unfortunately my backward phone still has a aux port which forbids me to.... oh wait, it doesn't.


I can't wait for long train/plane journeys where you are not only concerned if your phone's battery is going to last, but also concern if your headphone's battery will last as well. Not to mention pairing headphones every time you want to use it on another device. I can't wait for the future, it does look like a promising place.


I totally support change, but not for the sole sake of changing, if you are going to get rid of the aux port at least have the decency to provide A BETTER alternative. Then it is worth the hassle to change formats and/or replace headphones and whatnot. As it is? I don't see who is benefiting from this besides Apple not needing to add a inexpensive port to their phones.

Pretty much this. I don't see how this would be an improvement over standard 3.5mm or 1/4" aux other than more shitty ways to fuck people with DRM and the like.

I have tons of nice headphones and I doubt they'd sound any better with a different input. Maybe XLR but that's so stupidly fringe that it's not worth it at all.

Just another way for Apple to sell overpriced shitty adapters for $100.
 
Many bluetooth speakers these days have good sound and good range. Even great, for the average consumer.

Check out the UE Boom or the Bose (lol Bose amirite?) Soundlink lines.

Obviously maybe not great for the """"audiophiles"""" that can catch the changes in the quantum slipstream purity, but still.

For those, a $30 adapter can't be much to ask comparing with what they spend already, and comparing with the $600+ average selling price of an iPhone. Assuming it doesn't come in the box.

Since you're recommending Bose I already don't trust your opinion. Bluetooth sounds like shit.

This is really going to affect whether or not I get an iPhone 7 for me because fuck that shit.
 
Do you live somewhere that Amazon doesn't serve? They sell the V-modas. Your solution appears to be a good one though. I hear great things about the Jaybirds.
I'm in Canada. Amazon.com won't ship V-Modas to Canada, and even if they did I'd still get hit with the terrible exchange and customs/shipping as well.

Amazon.ca doesn't sell the Crossfade Wireless yet, but there is a non-Amazon listing there currently for $900 (lol). The M-100s were on sale for $150 and the Jaybirds for $100, so this worked out pretty well.
 
I'm in Canada. Amazon.com won't ship V-Modas to Canada, and even if they did I'd still get hit with the terrible exchange and customs/shipping as well.

Amazon.ca doesn't sell the Crossfade Wireless yet, but there is a non-Amazon listing there currently for $900 (lol). The M-100s were on sale for $150 and the Jaybirds for $100, so this worked out pretty well.

The M-100s plus a Boompro is the best gaming headset I've ever used. And costs less than the joke headsets Astro sells.
 
The more I think about it the more I don't mind future iPhones not having the aux port.

I use the PS4 mono headphone connected to a cheap bluetooth adapter (Sony SBH20) when I listen to music at the gym, or while running or cycling. I can use that adapter for any of my headphones if I wanted to.

I connect my iPhone to my car's stock stereo via lightning port and USB.

And while I bought a decent pair of new wired cans while I was vacationing in Japan recently (Audio Technica ATH-WS1100) I've been looking into getting a DAC headphone amp to compliment it.

So yeah, for my purposes, no aux port is not that big of a deal to me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
The fuck does price have to do with it? He said bluetooth wireless is bad. It isn't.


Yes, let's all miss the point.

Every review for that thing mentions the noticeable drop in audio quality when going from wired to wireless. Why should anyone drop 300$ on a piece of audio tech if it's going to compromise the one thing it's built for.

I mean, I could get over the garish 'FOR THE HORDE' look of these things, but i'd feel pretty fucking stupid sacrificing audio quality solely for the wireless experience. Wires never bothered me on my commute before, why would they now? This isn't even taking into account that i'd have to be charging these semi-daily. I don't see the positives, to be honest.
 
I really wanted to get the Crossfade Wireless, but I could only get them directly from V-Moda and shipping/customs/exchange would have pushed them over $400.

So instead I ended up getting M-100s and a set of Jaybird X2s for ~$250. It works out to be a better solution for me anyways as I can still use the M-100s for anything I want to around the house while using the Jaybird's when I'm on the go.

That being said... this sounds like a terrible move (if true).

Just fyi, headphonebar.com (based in vancouver) sells some V-Moda stuff, e.g. http://www.headphonebar.com/v-moda-crossfade-wireless/.
 
Disgusting, Bluetooth Luddites. Enjoy your even shittier quality music.

Not my choice of words, but the feeling matches.

I've never used a BT headset that could match the audio quality of even low-end headphones (say, my old Sony MDR-V300s). I appreciate the convenience, but would rather deal with wires for the sake of enjoying what I'm listening to.
 
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