iPhone 7 Rumors Show Dangerous path for Apple Inc. Fans

Leaked iPhone 6S case from 9to5Mac

The iPhone 7 is going to be the thinnest phone that Apple has ever made according to the rumors. Mac Otakara says getting rid of the headphone jack will allow the firm to shave 1mm off of the thickness of the device. Instead audio will be able to be streamed over Bluetooth, and headphones can be plugged in using the lightning connector that also charges the phone.


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Apple iPhone 7 may leave some fans behind

This is the latest example of Apple feeling left behind by some industry standards. The 3.5mm headphone jack has been a part of almost all audio equipment for decades, but Cupertino seems to think it will take up too much room in its iPhone 7. If the firm’s iPhone 7 specs don’t include a 3.5mm jack, some fans may feel left behind.

The 3.5mm headphone port has been such an standard that pretty much every set of headphones out there runs on the tech. That means that those Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)  lovers who also have a love for expensive headphones will find themselves unable to plug in once Apple puts the iPhone 7 on the market.

This isn’t the same as Apple going a different way on things like memory card slots or its data cable. There were few people out there who professed a love for the original lightning cable, though some were annoyed when it went away and left their peripherals useless. Some people really love their headphones, and really care about which ones they can use.

It’s likely that Apple will offer some kind of adapter that will allow the use of 3.5mm jack headphones with the iPhone 7. That’s, however, a band aid for a big problem. People hate adapters because the tend to be expensive, and they’re very annoying to keep track of. Something ostensibly portable like smartphone headphones are going to suffer from needing such a device to make them work.

Bluetooth tech comes with its own range of problems when it comes to audio. The sound quality still isn’t up to scratch when compared with wired headphones, and most people don’t want another device that they’re going to have to charge.

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Lightning headphones do exist

At WWDC last year Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) revealed some tech it was working on to make audio travel with ease over its data connection. Apple said that connecting in that way would allow deeper controls of the audio experience. The firm’s manager of platform accessories Robert Walsh said “If your headphones support, for example, noise cancellation, you can offer an app on your device that communicates with your headphones that controls how it operates.”

Earlier this year the first units of headphones that worked over lightning appeared. It’s still very much a niche market, however. Philips showed off its Fidelio NC1L headphones that work using the tech last year, while about the same time Harman JBL showed off its own pair of lightning enabled headphones.

If Apple does move the iPhone 7 specs over to lightning-only headphones, there’s likely to be a massive slew of firms who will join in. First and foremost will be the firm’s Beats. If Apple is going to take the 3.5mm jack out of the iPhone 7 it’s certain that its own headphones will be fixed to suit sooner rather than later.

It’s clear that some audio lovers may be big fans of new ways to tweak and control their listening experience, but may are going to feel the pinch when Apple requires them to use a converter to use their Sennheiser HD 25s.


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iPhone 7 specs are still a mystery

The iPhone 7 specs rumors we’ve seen so far are far from concrete. Though Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) may be thinking about getting rid of the 3.5mm jack on the device, there’s no promise from any official source that that’s going to happen.
We really don’t know a lot about the iPhone 7 specs right now, though some things are becoming more concrete. The phone is going to be the thinnest that Apple has ever made, it’s going to have an LCD rather than an OLED screen, and its going to bring a new chip, the A10, with it.
 

Apple Inc. runs into problems

The tech world isn’t just a series of unrelated firms trying to make the best devices. All firms out there use a common tech base that has been established over the last hundred years. From wireless radios to chips, to headphone slots, all devices have to stick to certain standards in order to save money, time and stick to regulatory and market realities.
Apple is the firm with the most authority in the industry and the one most likely to be able to affect change, but that won’t make it easy. If the iPhone 7 specs don’t list a 3.5mm jack, it’s likely that there will be a lot of unhappiness among certain fans.
It’s not going to hurt the firm’s sales all that much, however. Most iPhone buyers are still using the default Apple earpods with their phone. They’re not going to notice the change until they leave their headphones at home and ask to borrow some.
Industry standards, as much as they save time and cost, can hold a firm like Apple back. Right now the firm wants to do away with the iPhone 7 headphone jack so that it can free up space in order to do more cool things on the inside of the device.

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Going against industry standards and trying to create its own is one of the many things that dragged the Sony Corp. (NYSE:SNE) hardware line down the drain. There is a line here, and Apple will have to do its best to stay on the right side of it.

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