When Apple changed to the lightning charging adaptor it angered many buyers.
APPLE’S quest to make the iPhone even thinner may herald the end of the headphone port in the iPhone 7.
It’s the one part of the phone that hasn’t changed for years but it’s currently preventing the iPhone from slimming down.
The often reliable Japanese blog, MacOtakara, reports that Apple is contemplating scrapping the 3.5mm port on its iPhone 7 in favour of the Lightning charging port or an entirely new styled USB-C port. Apple has already played around with USB-C, putting the new port style on its most recent MacBook.
By plugging headphones into this port, phone size could be reduced and music quality improved.
Various new features could also be enabled. By drawing power the new headphones could include an amplifier or they could send more detailed information back to phones such as a request to open specific apps.
Music could also be listened to via Bluetooth.
However, this means that any non-Apple or Apple-licensed headphones will be rendered obsolete with the iPhone 7 unless Apple supplies a traditional 3.5mm to Lightning/USB-C adaptor. There’s also the issue of charging your iPhone while listening to music, which would need a splitter adaptor to work.
Apple’s decision to change the charging port for the iPhone 5 in 2012 angered fans and forced many to purchase adaptors for their docks and speakers.
The iconic EarPods haven’t been updated for four years so are arguably due a redesign.
It is said Apple will release Lightning or USB-C equipped EarPods, which will incorporate a small digital-to-analog converter into the connector.
These would be included in the iPhone 7 package and sold separately for use with other future iOS devices.
Beats, which makes expensive headphones, is also owned by Apple and will no doubt see a dramatic rise in sales if this overhaul goes ahead.
Apple would not be the first smartphone manufacturer to ditch the headphone port, with Chinese giant Oppo removing it for its super skinny R5 and packaging in a micro-USB to 3.5mm headphone jack adaptor.
But of course, a rumour similar to this popped up before the iPhone 6 came out, so take it with a big grain of salt.
[Source:- news.com]